Shadowing Practice: Work / Business English Expressions | British Pronunciation - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello everybody, this is Elliot from ETJ English.
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Today I have an interesting video for you.
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We're going to be learning some very common and very useful British expressions
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which I think are most often used in the workplace or in a business environment.
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However, some of these can be used and transferred into daily life also.
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So, we're going to learn quite a few.
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I want to get straight into the video.
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Just so you know, because I mainly focus on pronunciation,
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I'm a pronunciation teacher, we will be focusing on also how to connect our speech with some of these phrases
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and also how to just make things sound very nice, okay, in a British style.
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Thank you.
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Off the top of my head I'd say we have about 300 employees.
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Okay, so the expression I'm talking about, "off the top of my head" Notice how the word 'of' becomes 'of'.
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It's what we call a function word, it's not important.
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Top of my head.
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off the top of my head Sometimes it will even become "uh" top of my head.
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- Yeah.
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The of is not important.
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The important words are top and head mainly.
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Of the top of my head I'd say we have about 300 employees and what it means is
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without thinking too much or without really thinking about it then you make your statement.
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So I don't know that we have exactly 300 employees, but off the top of my head the first thing I can think of is that we have about 300.
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The next sentence, have a listen here.
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I leave for work at about 6am.
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and I get off work at about 5 :00 p .m.
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I leave for work.
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Firstly, let's look at that.
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I leave for work.
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So we've got the schwa on the word for.
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Once again, for is not important.
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So we say for work.
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I leave for work.
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A lot of my students, they get confused.
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They think that to leave for work actually means to go home from work.
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Because I said the time is 6am, maybe it's a bit clearer for you.
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I leave for work at 6am means I leave my house to go to work.
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At 6 :00 a .m.
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I leave for work.
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Okay?
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And I get off work That's when I finish work, when I leave work.
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Get off work, connected speech, get off, get off work.
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That is when you finish work, you go home.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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I leave for work at about 6 a .m.
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and I get off work at about 5 p .m.
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Another one, very, very, very, very common one, I'll drop you an email later.
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I'll drop you an email later.
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Now listen to my pronunciation.
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I'll drop you one email, you one email.
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Connected speech happening there, a wha sound.
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I'll drop you an email later.
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Now the word drop is used here and that literally just means I will send, I will give you an email later.
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Sometimes people also say, "I will ping you an email later." Or even,
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"I will ping you later." And I think the word ping has come from the sound when we receive a message, you know, that kind of ding sound.
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"I'll drop you an email later." "I'll ping you an email later." Whichever one is best for you, really.
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But that's more common than saying, "I will send you an email." Next one, I use this a lot with my friends, as well as in business terms.
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Give me a shout.
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For example, give me a shout when you're free.
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Give me a shout is a bit like saying, let me know or tell me.
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Give me a shout when you're free.
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Okay, so it's just like saying tell me when you're available.
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And also related to email, I could say give me a bell later.
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Give me a bell later.
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And that also means call me, call me later.
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Give me a bell.
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Some people do also say give me a ring, give me a call, and those can also be used in the same situation.
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Give me a ring, give me a bell, give me a call.
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Whatever you want.
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This one's a good one to use if you're, uh, if you like talking about other people in the office.
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He's been sucking up to the manager all week.
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I think he's a bit of a kiss arse.
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Okay, let's take a look at the first part of the sentence.
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He's been sucking up to the manager all week.
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To suck up means to be really nice to someone, to really compliment them.
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"Oh, you're an amazing boss.
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Oh, you're so good at your job.
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Oh, you're fantastic.
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He's sucking up." Okay?
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To tell someone how great you think they are, maybe even if you don't think it's true.
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Okay, so he's been sucking up to the manager or the boss all week.
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I think he's a bit of a Bit of the.
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Kiss us.
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A kiss ass is a name we give to someone who likes to suck up.
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So now you know what suck up means.
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A kiss ass is someone who sucks up.
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Imagine they are kissing someone's bottom.
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And you'll find the office business work jargon really Bad language is not a problem,
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but you need to feel comfortable with the people that you're talking to to use the bad language.
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So the word 'arse' is not that bad.
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if you're in a comfortable office environment.
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If you're talking to your boss, maybe don't use the word "arse" or other words.
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There are worse phrases, some quite rude expressions, but This is a family show.
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I've got two expressions in this next sentence, so listen closely.
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Everything is a bit up in the air right now.
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I think I need to put off our meeting.
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Everything is a bit up in the air right now.
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Up in the air.
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So lots of connected speech here.
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Up in the air.
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up in the air.
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Now if things are up in the air, imagine you have loads of plans, loads of ideas, but they're not coming together, that you're not organised.
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That would mean that your plans or things are up in the air, not very organised, a bit kind of confusing at the moment.
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So everything is a bit up in the air right now.
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Notice how I use the word a bit as well.
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This is very common put off.
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put off "our meeting".
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So I think we need to put off our meeting.
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So connected speech, put off, put off.
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If you need to put something off, Very simple.
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Postbone.
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"Change to another day." So, this guy's plans, they're a bit up in the air,
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not organised, so he needs to put off, reschedule, change the meeting.
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One which is very similar to put off, so put off means postpone, and call off means cancel, just so you know.
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So I could say I need to call off our meeting.
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Notice the pronunciation of this.
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An American would say "Carl".
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We say "Cool".
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Notice where my tongue is, I'm doing a very round shape with the mouth and the tongue goes back.
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Ooh, cool.
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I need to call off the meeting.
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"Call off" means cancel.
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The best way to remember: put off, begins with P and so does postpone.
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Cancel begins with C, and so does cool off.
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Finally, last one.
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So we got two in this one.
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We need to knuckle down and finish this project or else it will all go down the drain.
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First thing we need to knuckle down.
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Knuckles, these things, knuckle down.
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That means, get your hands on the table and start working.
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Or else, so if we don't knuckle down and finish the project soon, It will all go down the drain.
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This is such a British expression.
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If things all go down the drain, that means it all goes wrong, it finishes, it's over, no chance of continuing, it's finished.
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It's all gone down the drain.
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Okay, so you failed.
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And that's just like water when it goes down the drain, when we're draining water.
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There you go.
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There's your expressions.
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I hope you found them useful today.
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This was one of the most requested videos.
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Last week I said, what do you want me to make a video about?
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you wanted this.
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So I hope you're happy.
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Please leave me a comment and tell me if you found this useful.
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And if you have any pronunciation ideas for the next lesson next Thursday, please let me know.
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Thank you for watching.
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If you haven't already, please remember to press the subscribe button.
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Give me a thumbs up.
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Write a comment below.
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Tell me how much you love me.
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And I will see you in the next lesson next Thursday.
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Cheers guys.
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Bye.
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Context & Background
In the video titled "Work / Business English Expressions | British Pronunciation," Elliot, a pronunciation teacher, presents a focused lesson aimed at improving English language skills, specifically in a professional setting. The dialogue highlights common British expressions frequently used in the workplace, while also demonstrating the nuances of British pronunciation. By directly addressing how function words can be softened in speech, listeners gain insight into natural conversational patterns. This type of content is essential for learners who wish to seamlessly integrate these expressions into both their professional and everyday life.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Off the top of my head” - This phrase is used when providing an answer quickly without much thought or preciseness, making it useful in casual conversations as well as formal discussions.
- “I leave for work” - A common expression to indicate the time one starts their commute. Remember, it focuses on leaving the house, not leaving work.
- “Get off work” - This signifies the time you finish your job for the day. It’s a useful phrase to discuss your daily schedule.
- “I’ll drop you an email later” - A casual way to communicate that you will send someone an email in the future, emphasizing a friendly tone.
- “Have a listen here” - A phrase used to redirect someone's attention to the speaker's point or explanation, which is often accompanied by examples.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively employ the shadowing technique for the phrases presented in the video, follow these steps:
- Listen Carefully: Start by watching the video attentively. Pay close attention to Elliot's pronunciation and intonation.
- Pause and Repeat: After each phrase, pause the video and try to repeat exactly what you heard. Focus on getting the pronunciation and rhythm as close to Elliot’s as possible.
- Use a Dictionary: If you encounter unfamiliar words or phrases, use an English dictionary or online resources to learn their meanings and usage.
- Practice Regularly: Incorporate these phrases into your English speaking practice sessions. Use them in conversations with friends or language partners.
- Record Yourself: Record your speech while practicing these phrases. Listen to the playback to identify areas where you can improve English pronunciation.
By utilizing a shadowing site or resources such as this video, you can refine your speaking abilities and gain confidence in using business expressions in English. This method is not just beneficial for professional settings; it also enhances your overall language fluency, making daily interactions smoother and more natural. Start your journey to learn English with YouTube today and make these expressions a part of your vocabulary!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | He's been sucking |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who likes · someone who sucks · One which is |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | The best · the most requested |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will be · will even become · I'll drop |
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.