Shadowing Practice: What does an Architect Do? - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hey what is up nation in this session we're going to talk about what an architect does.
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I feel like I shouldn't have to make this video but unfortunately I do.
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There is an architecture association
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that I'm a part of called the AIA the American Institute of Architects
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that I feel like this is really their job but
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But I don't feel like maybe they're not doing a good enough job at what they're doing
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because a lot of people don't really understand what an architect does.
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And I think the general public thinks that architects are actually engineers or that they're the same thing.
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And they're not.
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And I just want to really briefly touch on what an architect does, what their role is, and if you want to be one, what that looks like.
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Alright, so first I'm going to say I think there's a few different kinds of architects.
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I'm going to pick three, and architects can be sort of anywhere within that realm, and obviously there's more, but I think primarily there are three.
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There's design architects, which I would consider myself.
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There are technical architects who are really good at understanding how things go together, like building details, all the systems that go into a building,
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and the technical aspects of a building.
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And then business architects, people who are really good at understanding how a business is operated
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but may not be that well tuned when it comes to designing or the technical aspects.
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So if you're thinking about hiring an architect or you want to become an architect, just keep that in your mind that there's not just one track that you have to be.
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So the primary role of an architect is what I would call a conductor of buildings.
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When I think of music and you think of a conductor, the conductor knows what all of the instruments should be playing,
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but may not know how to play every single instrument in the symphony or whatever the band or whatever it is.
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And that's really what an architect does.
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They focus on how they can assemble all these instruments together to make something that really makes a lot of sense.
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Now, an architect, I would say, is a jack of all trades in a lot of ways.
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It's important for an architect to know a lot about the HVAC, the plumbing, the electrical, the details like how the assemblies,
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carpentry, tile work, basically all of the trades, literally jack of all trades is the architect's job.
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On top of understanding code, understanding how a project is going through,
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coordinating with a client, making sure that they understand the process and what is happening,
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and serves as middle man between the client
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and the contractor to sort of like break things down so that everybody is on the same page.
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So there's parts of engineering that an architect does, but the architect doesn't necessarily do the structural engineering for the building.
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Architects are able to do that, but I would say that most architects, unless they're more towards that technical side that I was talking about don't do
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that because it's a liability they'll hire someone else and they do
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that with pretty much everything that they do they hire sub consultants
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that then advise them what they should do and that
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so a structural engineer a civil engineer mechanical engineer those type
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of engineers an architect will will hire to be a part of their team
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and then the architect becomes the conductor making sure that all of those parts of the team make sense.
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So it's the architect's job to understand everything that is going into a building and and make it work, essentially, and make it beautiful.
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That's really, I think, what the architect does.
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It's the architect's job to make sure
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that all these things coming together make sense for what the client wants in terms of an aesthetic appearance.
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And then when construction starts to make sure that the contractor, whoever's building the project, is adhering to what the architect has drawn.
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The design intent is what it's called.
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So the drawings communicate the design intent to the contractor, and then the contractor is supposed to build to that design intent.
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But lots of things get missed in drawings, or maybe can get overlooked is maybe a better way to put it.
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And it's the architect's job to be on site, to be able to point out different things that maybe the architect is looking at.
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I mean, how many times have you read a book, a whole page of, or let's say a whole chapter of a book and you don't remember all the details.
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That's essentially what happens when a contractor takes them on a job.
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It's their job to understand all of that stuff, but sometimes things get missed.
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So the architect is there to say, hey, this is really important, we need to make sure this gets hit.
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So, or this this certain requirement gets met.
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So that's really I think the best way to describe what an architect does is A,
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do the design, make sure that everything makes sense from a functional and programmatic point of view,
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and then two, coordinate all the sub consultants that are putting their stuff inside the building, all the things that make the building work.
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Make sure that that can be incorporated
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and doesn't detract from the beauty of the architecture and really make sure that it works.
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So hopefully this helped shed some light on what an architect does for you.
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If you like this video, please don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this video with your friends.
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And as always, happy hacking.
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All right, designers, just because this episode of Designer Hacks is over doesn't mean we're leaving you out in the cold.
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Tony's got tons of great content available at designerhacks .com.
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So join Design Nation right now, and we'll see you on the next episode of Designer Hacks.
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What You'll Learn

This video helps you build two key speaking skills: conversational clarity when explaining complex roles (like "architect") and natural pacing for sharing detailed information. You’ll also practice structuring explanations with examples, a critical skill for everyday communication. These skills are perfect for using the shadowing technique—repeating the speaker’s words in real time to mimic fluency.

Listen For These Sounds

Notice the connected speech in phrases like "what an architect does" (linking "what an" to "whadan") and "a lot of people" (reducing "of" to a schwa sound, "uh"). The speaker also uses casual contractions like "I shouldn't" and "they're not," which are common in natural English. These links and reductions are key to sounding native—focus on them when using a shadowing site to practice.

Say It Like a Native

Mirror the speaker’s rhythm by stressing important terms: "design architects," "technical aspects," "design intent." Pause slightly before key points (e.g., "All right, so first...") to build anticipation. Use the shadow speech method: play a short clip, pause, and repeat it, matching the tone and pace. This helps you internalize the natural flow of explaining roles. Remember, the speaker balances detail with conversational ease—imitate that balance to avoid sounding too formal. Whether you call it shadowspeak or shadow speak, this technique is proven to boost fluency quickly.

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 →