time audit
a careful record of how you spend your time to find patterns and wasted minutes
Example: After a time audit, Lena realized she spent an hour a day checking social media.
Intermediate listeningTime management workshopDuration 00:02:04
English Listening Practice (Intermediate) - Planning Your Week at the Riverside Workshop
In this workshop at the Riverside Community Center, facilitator Nadia Cho explains practical ways to manage time during a busy week. She starts at 09:05 with a quick check-in and uses a simple example: a team meeting at 10:30 and a report due by 16:00. You will hear her describe a time audit, how to use time blocking, and why a buffer time matters when plans change. A participant, Marco Ruiz, asks about emails and interruptions, and Nadia suggests a two-minute rule for tiny tasks. Listen for specific numbers, like the 25-minute focus sprint, and for the steps she gives for choosing top priorities.
Topic focus: A workshop facilitator leads a short training session on time management, and a participant asks questions about how to apply the techniques at work.
Audio
1) Listen once for the main idea. 2) Answer questions. 3) Study the transcript.
Questions
Answer each question based on the audio. Use Practice Mode to test yourself without the transcript.
0 of 8 answered0%
Transcript
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Nadia
Good morning, everyone. I’m Nadia Cho, and it’s 09:05 here at the Riverside
.437 Nadia: Community Center, Room 204. Today’s topic is time management.
.656 Marco: Hi Nadia, I’m Marco Ruiz from the city library. I’m always busy, but I still
.034 Marco: feel behind.
.961 Nadia: That’s common. First, do a time audit for two days. Write down what you do every 30
.182 Nadia: minutes. Many people discover they lose 60 to 90 minutes to small interruptions.
.175 Nadia: Next, choose your top priorities. For example, if you have a team meeting at
.222 Nadia: 10:30 and a report due by 16:00, those are fixed points.
.389 Marco: I get stuck in an email... I answer one message..., then another..., and suddenly
.439 Marco: it’s noon.
.784 Nadia: Try time blocking. Put email into two blocks, like 11:30 to 11:50 and 15:10 to
.584 Nadia: 15:30. Outside those blocks, close your inbox.
.558 Nadia: Also, build buffer time. I recommend at least 10 minutes between tasks, because
.120 Nadia: calls run late and people stop you in the hallway.
.614 Marco: What about quick tasks, like replying to a simple question?
.654 Nadia: Use the two-minute rule. If it truly takes under two minutes, do it now. If
.281 Nadia: not, schedule it.
.574 Nadia: For focused work, use a focus sprint: 25 minutes working, then 5 minutes break. Do
.538 Nadia: three rounds, and then take a longer break.
.630 Marco: Okey... My manager changes priorities fast. How do I plan when things
.017 Marco: change?
.235 Nadia: Keep one flexible block each day, maybe 30 minutes after lunch. That way you can
.089 Nadia: handle surprises without destroying your whole plan.
.223 Nadia: Finally, watch for task switching. When you jump between tasks, your brain needs
.683 Nadia: time to restart. So group similar tasks together.
.000 Marco: Aha... So the goal isn’t to do more, but to do the right things at the right time.
.062 Nadia: Exactly. Before you leave at 17:30, write tomorrow’s first task on a sticky note.
.736 Nadia: It reduces stress in the morning.
Vocabulary
Key terms from this listening practice with meanings and examples.
top priorities
the most important tasks that should be done first
Example: His top priorities were finishing the budget and calling the supplier.
time blocking
planning your day by setting specific time periods for specific tasks
Example: With time blocking, she studies from 19:00 to 20:00 and relaxes after.
buffer time
extra time added between tasks to handle delays or unexpected problems
Example: He added buffer time so a late train would not ruin his schedule.
two-minute rule
a rule that says you should do a task now if it takes less than two minutes
Example: Using the two-minute rule, I washed my cup instead of leaving it in the sink.
focus sprint
a short period of concentrated work followed by a short break
Example: During a focus sprint, she turns off notifications and writes without stopping.
flexible block
a planned time period left open for unexpected tasks or changes
Example: He keeps a flexible block on Fridays for urgent requests.
task switching
moving back and forth between different tasks, which can reduce efficiency
Example: Too much task switching made it hard for her to finish the report.
Learning tips
Apply these focused strategies to get more value from the audio and questions.
- Listen again and write down all the times and numbers you hear (for example, 09:05, 10:30, 16:00, 25 minutes).
- After listening, summarize the steps in your own words using the vocabulary phrases from the list.
- Practice shadowing: repeat one line after the speaker to copy rhythm and clear pronunciation.
Post-listening questions
Use these reflection prompts to summarize what you heard and practice speaking or writing.
- 1
Which technique from the workshop would help you most right now, and why?
- 2
What kinds of interruptions do you face during a normal day, and how could you reduce them?
- 3
How could you create a flexible block in your schedule without falling behind on important work?
- 4
Do you prefer working in focus sprints or in longer periods? Explain your reasons.