Shadowing Practice: Why Are Women Spending So Much Money Just to Go to Work? - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
148 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Women are spending thousands of dollars every single year at work just to look like we belong.
2
And I for one want to know what the fuck is going on.
3
So many people talk about the gender wage gap,
4
but so few people are talking about the cost of just getting your foot in the door as a girly pop.
5
There is an entire economy built around trying to make women feel like they have to be presentable.
6
Hair appointments, makeup, nails, skincare, cosmetic treatments.
7
I am a poster child for all of these.
8
But this summer, Business Insider came out with an article that hurt my fucking tummy.
9
A 27 -year -old corporate employee reported spending $800 USD,
10
by the way, every couple of months just to maintain looking presentable and getting taken seriously at work.
11
And it really got me thinking, which is always bad news.
12
This is not about one woman's beauty budget, and it's not just about mine because I related.
13
It's about the explosion of TikTok get -ready -with -me content as I go to work, get -ready -with -me to go to school.
14
It's about the fact that nobody tells us what it actually costs to be seen as employable as a woman.
15
Apparently you can't put a price tag on it, but I'm about to.
16
Hi, my name is Emily Durham.
17
I'm an internationally recognized career coach and the best -selling author of Clock In, and I'm obsessed with getting you paid.
18
And I want to start first with one of my favorite hobbies, makeup.
19
Because unsurprisingly, research shows something as simple as putting on foundation and mascara can change how presentable you are seen.
20
Sure, nobody is telling us that we have to wear makeup at work, but the reality is it isn't all that fucking optional.
21
And there's a recent study that backs this up.
22
In a 2023 experiment across 136 different retail stores, female applicants wearing makeup experienced less discriminatory treatment from potential employers.
23
Basically, if you wore makeup, you were more likely to get hired and taken seriously than if you didn't wear makeup.
24
But the good news is they're not just judging us on if we wear makeup, they judge us based on how much we're wearing.
25
I think about this 2017 experiment all the friggin' time.
26
The study looked at women who were wearing light makeup, heavy makeup, and no makeup.
27
The people wearing no makeup were seen as less professional than the people wearing light makeup.
28
And the people wearing heavy makeup were still seen as less professional than the people wearing light makeup.
29
So the girls are not just being rewarded for wearing makeup, we're only being rewarded for wearing it the right way.
30
The unfortunate truth is that if people don't perceive us to be professional and well put together, we're not going to have access to opportunities,
31
the opportunities that give us visibility, promotions, and ultimately more money.
32
Some studies suggest that women spend on average just over $3 ,600 US dollars a year on beauty products.
33
And even if you only spend like 15 minutes getting ready for work, let's just do the math.
34
That's 60 hours a year.
35
And don't get it twisted, I love putting on makeup, but I do not love that it influences how professional and competent I am seen.
36
But the contradictions don't stop at makeup.
37
Let's talk about age.
38
I'm gonna keep it a buck with you.
39
Women at work are expected to gain experience without it looking like we've gained experience.
40
At work, we're told that the more experience we have, the more valuable we are.
41
But for women, getting older statistically is proven to make us less desirable professionally.
42
We're less likely to get hired, get promoted, because people seem to think we're washed up.
43
A 2025 research study showed that 66 % of women aged 50 plus who were working
44
or were looking for work said that older workers, including themselves, faced discrimination.
45
I've seen this happen firsthand.
46
I recently spoke to someone who was in her late 50s and was passed up for a promotion because her boss,
47
to quote, wasn't sure how long she'd be there for and if she was open to learning.
48
As if people stop learning in their 50s.
49
As if you stop wanting career growth in your 50s.
50
So what do we do?
51
Well, women start spending money to not look older.
52
I'm not gonna lie.
53
I am like victim case study number one on this.
54
I am riddled with fucking Botox, y 'all.
55
The anti -aging industry is designed to tell women that looking like we're aging, which is natural, is something that we should avoid.
56
Over 45 % of women color their hair to cover grays.
57
33 % of women say they would consider cosmetic treatments to look younger.
58
And if you're a skincare girly, you know how expensive this shit can get.
59
Retinols, vitamin Cs, sunscreens, moisturizers, Botox, Dysport, filler, form of facials.
60
And that's just what I've had done this week.
61
You know what's bad when I get a list.
62
Let's say a woman spends about $40 a month on anti -aging skincare.
63
That's $480 a year.
64
Maybe you spend $350 to get your Botox done twice a year.
65
That's a total of $700.
66
Your grey coverage, that's about $120 every eight weeks.
67
A total of $780 a year.
68
That's about $1 ,960 annually.
69
And that's before any other more serious treatments.
70
Like I got a facial last week and that shit was $200.
71
There is nothing wrong with wanting to age well and take care of your skin I am the first to do it.
72
But there is something to be said for the amount of
73
pressure women face to feel like they need to do these things.
74
Leads me to the cost of having the right body.
75
This one pisses me the fuck off.
76
Apparently your body is now part of the resume.
77
Lucky us.
78
On the surface, we're told that employers only care about our.. skills
79
and how well we work with the team to make hiring decisions, but we know on a subconscious level that isn't true.
80
And again, there are studies to back this shit up.
81
People, but especially women in larger bodies, are often stereotyped in the workplace, more likely to face false assumptions that they are lazy,
82
that they're going to take more sick days, all because they exist in a larger body.
83
Which, like, inaccurate.
84
That is in -fucking -accurate.
85
And one thing about me, if I'm talking about it, there is data to back it up.
86
There's a 2024 study that happened in Spain that will haunt me for years to come.
87
A group of researchers sent out a bunch of fake resumes with different headshots of women on them.
88
And all of these women were set at different body weights.
89
There was a 29 % lower callback rate, meaning you got 29 % less interviews if you were heavier set,
90
especially if you were a woman applying to a male -dominated industry.
91
Are you crazy?
92
The point of this is that your qualifications could be identical to the next person,
93
but if your body is seen as less small or less ideal, You might not get the interview.
94
And the crazy thing is this discrimination doesn't stop after you get the job.
95
Folks in larger bodies on average tend to earn 5 to 9 % less than their straight body peers.
96
With the exact same qualifications by the way.
97
So what do we do?
98
Gym memberships, fitness classes, personal training, diet programs, wearable technology.
99
And for the record, taking care of your health, that is a great thing.
100
But what is so messed up about this is the size of your body is often not an indicator of your health.
101
So let's just do the math, shall we?
102
A gym membership, that's about 60 bucks a month.
103
Call it $720 a year.
104
You do fitness classes, that's about $100 a month, give or take $1 ,200 a year.
105
I recognize that not everyone is doing both of these things.
106
Weight management programs, that's about $50 a month.
107
Should someone decide to do that, call it $600 a year, which brings us to a total of $2 ,520 annually, give or take.
108
The hair growing out of our heads is often used to determine how professional and palatable we are.
109
We're told to show up to work looking neat and clean and polished and professional, but where did those standards come from?
110
Why, pray tell, is sleek, straight, fine hair determined to be professional?
111
For Black women and women of color, this is especially meaningful and true.
112
Because how can something growing out of someone's head naturally be unprofessional?
113
It is all rooted in racism.
114
Black women's hair is two and a half times more likely to be seen as unprofessional in a work environment.
115
And over 66 % of black women say they've changed their hairstyles specifically for an interview out of fear of this.
116
Did you know more than 20 % of black women have been told to go home from work because of their hair?
117
The thing is, there are laws to protect people from outwardly discriminating on the basis of race, including hair
118
but the reality is a lot of these biases
119
and discriminatory practices aren't as explicit as telling someone to go home and leave the office.
120
It's them quietly not being taken as seriously, not being given opportunities to present, not being given the raise or the promotion,
121
and those things are a lot harder to track and prove.
122
So how much are women spending on our hair?
123
This is just a rough estimate.
124
Everyone is a little bit different.
125
But let's say you spend $100 every eight weeks for a trim, about $250 on any styling that might be hair products as well,
126
and potentially around $400 every eight weeks for any protective styles or hair treatments.
127
Again, these are estimates.
128
But that would bring us to about $2 ,600 a year.
129
That is crazy.
130
We're talking recurring expenses.
131
And for some women, the pressure to spend is reinforced by the very real risk of discrimination and exclusion if they don't.
132
Hair is truly one of the most clear examples of how workplace discrimination is not experienced equally across all women.
133
I guess the bigger question is if I can do my job without being done up, why can't I?
134
Why do I need to exist for your viewing pleasure in order to be taken seriously?
135
Because the truth is, even if I posted this YouTube video without wearing makeup, I know for a fact I would get less views.
136
Okay, so let's add up the total of what it could cost the average woman to maintain their employability every year.
137
Not gonna lie, I might even be more than this.
138
Makeup, hair, professional clothing.
139
We didn't even get into that.
140
Fitness, mind you, that's almost $44 ,000 every decade.
141
What's so frustrating is we're told all of these things are a choice.
142
But if we choose to not participate, well, we see how that financially impacts women.
143
So what are our options?
144
Not give a shit and take the financial hit?
145
Or give a shit and take a slightly different financial hit?
146
Being a woman at work is powerful, empowering, exciting, and apparently bloody expensive.
147
Thank you so much for being here.
148
I appreciate you, and I'll talk to you in the next one.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
C113
37 sentences
Fast Fashion: Is My Wardrobe the Problem?
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
204 sentences
What Women Choose When Given a “Dating Budget”
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
195 sentences
My Wharton MBA is Useless in This Market
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
338 sentences
The *Ultimate* Beginner's Guide to ACTIVATING FEMININE ENERGY
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
304 sentences
I Modeled for 10 Years. These Habits Are Making You Ugly
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
134 sentences
The Dangerous Myth Of The #Girlboss
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
60 sentences
15 Ways To Appear Smarter Than You Really Are
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
165 sentences
How Weight Gain Affected Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer's Character On Pretty Little Liars
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2274 sentences
How to Look Chic at Work (Without Breaking the Dress Code)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2358 sentences
Asking a Billionaire Woman How She Got Rich!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
569 sentences
What Makes ADHD in Women Different
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B213
31 sentences
Why Small Luxuries Thrive During Recessions (The Lipstick Effect)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Why Are Women Spending So Much Money Just to Go to Work?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: makeup, hair, wearing, professional. This video has 148 sentences and 1884 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:38. The speaker talks fast, about 196 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 |
|---|---|---|
| discrimination noun | /dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/ | Discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things, with the intent to understand rightly and… |
| promotion noun | /pɹəˈmoʊʃn̩/ | An advancement in rank or position. |
| hire verb | /ˈhaɪɹ/ | To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment. |
| fitness noun | /ˈfɪt.nəs/ | The condition of being fit, suitable or appropriate. |
| membership noun | The state of being a member of a group or organization. | |
| experiment noun | /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/ | A test under controlled conditions made to either demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of… |
| reward noun | /ɹɪˈwɔɹd/ | Something of value given in return for an act. |
| estimate noun | /ˈɛs.tɪ.mət/ | A rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something. |
| employer noun | /ɪmˈplɔɪə/ | A person, firm or other entity which pays for or hires the services of another person. |
| annually adverb | /ˈæn.jʊə.li/ | Once every year without fail, yearly |
| mathematics noun | /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/ | An abstract representational system studying numbers, shapes, structures, quantitative change and relationships between them. |
| resume verb | /ˈɹɛz.ə.meɪ/ | To start (something) again that has been stopped or paused from the point at which it was stopped or paused; continue, carry on. |
| facial adjective | /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/ | Of or affecting the face. |
| workplace noun | /ˈwɝkˌpleɪs/ | The place where someone works. |
| buck noun | /ˈbʌk/ | A male deer, antelope, sheep, goat, rabbit, hare, and sometimes the male of other animals such as the hamster, ferret, salmonid, shad, skunk and kangaroo. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| grow out of verb | To emerge from (something); to take a particular shape as a result of (something); to come to exist from (an origin). |
| add up verb | To take the sum of; to total. |
| come out with verb | To say (something) unexpectedly. |
| do up verb | To fasten (a piece of clothing, etc.); to tighten (a nut etc.) |
| put together verb | To assemble, construct, build, or formulate. |
| send out verb | To issue, dispatch or transmit. |
| wash up verb | To clean the utensils, dishes etc. used in preparing and eating a meal. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'm gonna keep it a buck with you.
- I've seen this happen firsthand.
- You know what's bad when I get a list.
- So let's just do the math, shall we?
- We didn't even get into that.
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 | be seen · are seen · were seen |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | we've gained · I've seen · I've had |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | thinking, which is · women who were · someone who was |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 42 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, clothing /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: discrimination /dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/, promotion /pɹəˈmoʊʃn̩/, facial /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/, qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, wash /wɑʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: discrimination /dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/, experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/
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 discrimination, promotion, hire.
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.