Shadowing Practice: Vol 3 - test 10 - section 4 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Part 4.

You will hear part of a talk about recent research into the design of workplaces.

First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.

Thank you.

now listen carefully

and answer questions 31 to 40 hello everyone I recently completed

some important research into the way office space is designed

and its impact on employees the open plan office had been

the norm for offices around the world I'm I'm sure you can picture one, a big room with maybe 50 or 100 workers sitting at their workstations.

You might think open plan designs are a recent phenomenon, but they actually came about in the early 20th century,

when businesses needed large numbers of people to do typing.

These employees, usually women, used to have to sit in rows working away at their typewriters under the watchful eye of their supervisor.

Over the years, designers have come up with several variations on the open theme.

In particular, this has been achieved through furnishings.

The early designs featured separate desks.

A subsequent design introduced the concept of the cubicle.

These can have either high screens that workers can't see over, or a screen just low enough to keep a lookout for the manager.

And nowadays, with the increase in large call centres, a phenomenon known as hot disking is common in this system

employees working on different shifts are asked to share the same

workstation as you can imagine this is not very popular with staff as there is little opportunity to personalize your workspace

in fact my research shows

that employees in general dislike the open plan design as a

part of my research I conducted a survey of the staff

in several large companies with open plan offices the employees all voiced similar concerns about the design firstly they felt

that the open plan took away their privacy

but many also felt the need to carry their valuables with them at all times

so to some extent they also felt there was less security

with these designs another common complaint may be something for employers to consider

when choosing this type of design and this was

that these types of office space are bad for the health I was intrigued by this possibility

but looking at staff records it does seem to be borne out

so if this design is so unpopular why is it

so commonplace well the answer to that is in the benefits

that the employers feel this type of design has of course there is the obvious benefit

that this design significantly reduces costs both in in terms of rent and even in terms of energy use.

Employers also argue that an open plan design leads to better teamwork and communication.

They also feel that new staff can learn from observing other workers, so this design can actually help in training staff.

However, the complaints voiced by employees seem to suggest that the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.

The reality is that unhappy workers are unlikely to work well together,

and there is plenty of evidence to suggest workers are frequently distracted from their work by the noise

that is all around them.

What is clear is that, as designers, we need to think carefully about the impact

that our design has both on the staff involved and the work that they do.

That is the end of part four.

You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.

Thank you.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Vol 3 - test 10 - section 4”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: design, employees, staff, workers, employers. This video has 48 sentences and 581 words to shadow. The speech runs for 6:19. The speaker talks slowly, about 92 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
workstation noun	/ˈwɝkˌsteɪʃən/	A desktop computer, normally more powerful than a normal PC and often dedicated to a specific task, such as graphics.
phenomenon noun	/fəˈnɒm.ɪ.nən/	A thing or being, event or process, perceptible through senses; or a fact or occurrence thereof.
commonplace adjective	/ˈkɑmənˌpleɪs/	Ordinary; not having any remarkable characteristics.
cubicle noun	/ˈkjuːbɪkəl/	A small separate part or one of the compartments of a room, especially in a work environment.
furnishings noun		Furniture generally.
intrigue noun	/ˈɪntɹiːɡ/	A complicated or clandestine plot or scheme intended to affect some purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; stratagem.
outweigh verb	/ˌaʊtˈweɪ/	To exceed in weight or mass.
personalize verb	/ˈpɜː.sə.nə.laɪz/	To adapt something to the needs or tastes of an individual.
teamwork noun		The cooperative effort of a team of people to achieve a common goal.
typewriter noun	[ˈtaɪpˌɹaɪtə(ɹ)]	A device, at least partially mechanical, used to print text by pressing keys that cause type to be impressed through an inked ribbon onto paper.
valuables noun		valuable items collectively.
watchful adjective	/ˈwɔt͡ʃ.fəl/	Fully observant, vigilant, or aware.
workspace noun	/ˈwɝkˌspeɪs/	An area allocated for someone to work in, especially in an office.
lookout noun	/ˈlʊkaʊt/	A vantage point with a view of the surrounding area.
distract verb	/dɪˈstɹækt/	To divert the attention of.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
come up with verb		To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
see over verb		To inspect something fully.
take away verb	/ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/	To remove something and put it in a different place.

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 designed · has been achieved · are asked
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have come · has been achieved

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: workstation /ˈwɝkˌsteɪʃən/, variation /ˌvɛəɹiˈeɪʃn̩/
Long words — get the stress right: phenomenon /fəˈnɒm.ɪ.nən/, personalize /ˈpɜː.sə.nə.laɪz/, disadvantage /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪd͡ʒ/, supervisor /ˈsupɚˌvaɪzɚ/

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 workstation, phenomenon, commonplace.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?