Shadowing Practice: The Sales Playbook Changed. Has Your Business Model? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “The Sales Playbook Changed. Has Your Business Model?”. This video has 797 sentences and 8552 words to shadow. The speech runs for 47:24. The speaker talks fast, about 180 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 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 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| consult verb | /ˈkɑnsʌlt/ | To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer; to advise. |
| chase verb | /t͡ʃeɪs/ | To follow at speed. |
| qualify verb | /ˈkwɑ.lɪ.faɪ/ | To describe or characterize something by listing its qualities. |
| principle noun | /ˈpɹɪn.sɪ.pəl/ | A fundamental assumption, fundamental law or guiding belief. |
| convert verb | /kənˈvɝt/ | To transform or change (something) into another form, substance, state, or product. |
| utilize verb | /ˈjuː.tɪ.laɪz/ | US, Canada, and Oxford British English standard spelling of utilise. |
| calendar noun | /ˈkæl.ən.də/ | Any system by which time is divided into days, weeks, months, and years. |
| stack noun | /stæk/ | A large pile of hay, grain, straw, or the like, larger at the bottom than the top, sometimes covered with thatch. |
| sticky adjective | /ˈstɪki/ | Tending to stick; able to adhere via the drying of a viscous substance. |
| bonus noun | /ˈbəʊ.nəs/ | Something extra that is good; an added benefit. |
| encourage verb | /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/ | To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| solve verb | /sɒlv/ | To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out. |
| implement verb | /ˈɪmpləmənt/ | To bring about; to put into practice; to carry out. |
| roller noun | /ˈɹoʊlɚ/ | Any rotating cylindrical device that is part of a machine, especially one used to apply or reduce pressure. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| blow off verb | To vent, usually, to reduce pressure in a container. | |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. | |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| flip through verb | Synonym of thumb (“to turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily”). | |
| get off verb | To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What would that do to your income?
- What do I make my money doing?
- Why is it important that we don't deal with unqualified leads?
- What's it costing you not to fix these things?
- What's the cost of you working for a boss you don't like?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If you did, you would be · if that's the case, we'll talk |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to have · used to sell · used to do |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've tried · has changed · you've already tried |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is headed · is really needed · aren't read |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 274 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: unhealthy /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/, smooth /smuːð/, throughput /ˈθɹuː.pʊt/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: transition /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/, efficient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/, sharp /ʃɑɹp/, representation /ˌɹɛp.ɹə.zɛnˈteɪ.ʃən/, compensation /ˌkɑm.pənˈseɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: inconsistent /ˌɪnkənˈsɪstənt/, residual /ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.u.əl/, comparative /kəmˈpæɹətɪv/, predictable /pɹəˈdɪktəbləl/, stability /stəˈbɪlɪti/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like consult, chase, qualify.
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.












