Shadowing Practice: Why hard work won't get your promoted - Learn English Speaking with Video
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30 sentences
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1
Your education can only take you so far and unfortunately a lot of people have been lied to.
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There is nothing more frustrating than watching other people get opportunities that you wanted,
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especially if you feel like you're equally or more qualified than they are.
4
This might be within the same company or externally,
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but you keep seeing other people get jobs that you want or get promoted or land clients and you're like, why not me?
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I know what they know, I know more, I work harder and it's especially frustrating
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when you did everything that you were told you were supposed to do.
8
You got the education, you were a good sport, you had good work ethic and yet you realize
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that being out in the working life or having a career is not the same as taking a school exam.
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Like no one is sitting there adding up all of your answers
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and then just handing the biggest opportunity to the smartest person.
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And like I'm not saying that competence and education is not important, of course it's important.
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I mean very rarely they're going to give it to someone that is not qualified at all but it's not enough.
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If you want a really good career, if you want to get to a leadership position, or if you want to run your own successful business,
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it's just simply not enough.
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People need to trust you, they need to remember you, and they need to feel, you know, comfortable putting you in front of,
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alone in front of really important clients, in front of executives, in front of external partners.
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And unfortunately, a lot of really ambitious people, they respond to this frustration of doing more of the things that they're already doing.
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They will get another qualification maybe another degree
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they will stay longer work harder be friendlier at work help
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out take up responsibility thinking like this is what's going to set me apart
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and i've seen this hundreds of times because these are the people
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that i usually coach after they've done everything
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they have done for years again realizing doing the same thing gets them the same result
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they come to me what you've done
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so far has not been a waste in any way it's crucial it's important like without
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that you have nothing but now
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that you've got the job you've got to a certain level
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and you want to get like you know further up you also need these social skills
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and you need to learn how to play corporate politics otherwise you're going to be out run by the ones that
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Why hard work won't get your promoted”. This video has 30 sentences and 442 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:04. The speaker talks fast, about 215 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 91% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| qualify verb | /ˈkwɑ.lɪ.faɪ/ | To describe or characterize something by listing its qualities. |
| rarely adverb | /ˈɹɛəɹli/ | Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often. |
| 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. |
| equally adverb | /ˈiːkwəli/ | In an equal manner; in equal shares or proportion; with equal and impartial justice; evenly |
| crucial adjective | /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/ | Essential or decisive for determining the outcome or future of something; extremely important; vital. |
| examination noun | /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ | The act of examining. |
| frustration noun | /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The feeling of annoyance at impossibility from resistance or inability to achieve something. |
| ambitious adjective | /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/ | Having or showing ambition; wanting a lot of power, honor, respect, superiority, or other distinction. |
| qualification noun | /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | The act or process of qualifying for a position, achievement etc. |
| competence noun | /ˈkɑm.pə.təns/ | The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role. |
| ethic noun | /ˈɛθ.ɪk/ | A set of principles of right and wrong behaviour guiding, or representative of, a specific culture, society, group, or individual. |
| frustrate verb | /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ | To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired. |
| externally adverb | on the surface or the outside |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| add up verb | To take the sum of; to total. |
| take up verb | To pick up. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, you've, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: crucial /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, frustration /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, ambitious /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/, qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
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 qualify, rarely, skill.
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.