Shadowing Practice: The Difference Between Strategic Planning and Strategic Thinking - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Simply getting your work done doesn't automatically position you for success.
2
Today, you, your colleagues and every person in your organisation is expected to think strategically.
3
But what exactly is strategic thinking?
4
And how does it differ from strategic planning?
5
Strategic planning is the process by which leaders set the direction for your organisation to move forward.
6
During strategic planning, leaders decide on a path to success that guides how people set priorities,
7
allocate resources and plan how to achieve key goals.
8
Consider it your organisational action plan.
9
Strategic thinking is how you and your colleagues help create that path to success.
10
It requires that you put the smallest decisions in the context of the organisation's broader, long -term goals.
11
To think strategically, you'll need to keep alert to your industry, your customers and your competitors,
12
and to frame your decisions based on thinking for the future rather than simply reacting to the present.
13
So, how do you start to think more strategically?
14
You start by pushing past your assumptions about the way things work.
15
Keep your eyes open for opportunities to better serve your customers.
16
And use these insights to guide the way you make choices in support of your organisation's overarching goals.
17
Your decisions make a difference.
18
When you think strategically, you're putting yourself and your organisation on the smart path to success.
19
Thank you.
✨ Recommend Video
B23
53 sentences
Stop Getting Rejected By Your Boss (Copy This Framework)
Business EnglishInterview EnglishWorking Adults
B21
769 sentences
How to Become Smart and Intelligent || Change the Way You Think Forever || Improve Your English ✅️
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2365
15 sentences
The Definition of Leadership: It's a Skill, Not a Title | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B23
69 sentences
Product Owner vs Business Analyst | The Real Differences
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B21
468 sentences
How To Plan Your Life For Success & Handle Change P1: Dr. Myles Munroe's Strategy | MunroeGlobal.com
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
90 sentences
A Plan Is Not a Strategy
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B270
42 sentences
The Importance of Work-Life Balance - TIPS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B21
34 sentences
Sales Tutorial - Customer problem-solving
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B21
161 sentences
Advertising 101 - How To Advertise For A Small Business
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B2494
12 sentences
Organize Your life - Motivational speech
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
198 sentences
How to keep people’s attention in work presentations as an expert in your domain
Business EnglishInterview EnglishWorking Adults
B29
20 sentences
Why SpaceX and NASA Rockets Are So Different
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 19 sentences and 227 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:44. The speaker talks at a steady 131 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- strategic /stɹəˈti.dʒɪk/ (adjective) — Of or pertaining to strategy.
- organisation /ˈɔː.ɡə.naɪˌzeɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — Non-Oxford British English and Australian standard spelling of organization.
- colleague /ˈkɒliːɡ/ (noun) — A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate.
- priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/ (noun) — An item's relative importance.
- resource /ɹɪˈzɔːs/ (noun) — Something that one uses to achieve an objective, e.g. raw materials or personnel.
- alert /əˈlɝt/ (adjective) — Attentive; awake; on guard.
- insight /ˈɪnsaɪ̯t/ (noun) — A sight or view of the interior of anything; a deep inspection or view; introspection; frequently used with into.
- react /ɹiːˈækt/ (verb) — To act in response.
- assumption /əˈsʌm(p).ʃ(ə)n/ (noun) — The act of assuming, or taking to or upon oneself; the act of taking up or adopting.
- differ /ˈdɪfɚ/ (verb) — Not to have the same traits or characteristics; to be unalike or distinct.
- organizational /ˌɔː(ɹ)ɡənɪˈzeɪʃənəl/ (adjective) — Of, relating to, or produced by an organization.
- competitor /kəmˈpɛt.ɪ.tɚ/ (noun) — A person or organization against whom one is competing.
- strategically (adverb) — In a strategic manner.
- allocate /ˈæl.ə.keɪt/ (verb) — To set aside for a purpose.
- overarching /ˌoʊvəɹˈɑɹt͡ʃɪŋ/ (adjective) — Arching over; that forms an arch overhead.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- move forward (verb) — To cause to make progress.
- push past (verb) — To rudely force one's way in front of another.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as doesn't, you'll, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: organisation /ˈɔː.ɡə.naɪˌzeɪ.ʃən/, assumption /əˈsʌm(p).ʃ(ə)n/, organizational /ˌɔː(ɹ)ɡənɪˈzeɪʃənəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: organisation /ˈɔː.ɡə.naɪˌzeɪ.ʃən/, priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, organizational /ˌɔː(ɹ)ɡənɪˈzeɪʃənəl/, competitor /kəmˈpɛt.ɪ.tɚ/, overarching /ˌoʊvəɹˈɑɹt͡ʃɪŋ/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like strategic, organisation, colleague.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is expected |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.