Shadowing Practice: Actions Speak Louder Than Words - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
Now, what would you think if you heard this?
3
Actions speak louder than words.
4
If you are just beginning to learn English, this might not make sense.
5
Let's listen and see if we can find out what this phrase means.
6
You keep saying that you'll help me.
7
I'm going to help you.
8
Really, I am.
9
You just have to wait a little while a while.
10
Well, we'll just wait and see.
11
Actions speak louder than words.
12
It sounds like she needs to see action instead of words.
13
And that's exactly what this phrase means.
14
Actions speak louder than words means what you do is more important than what you say.
15
And if you say you are going to do something, then you need to do it.
16
This is a casual phrase, but it does have a strong meaning, especially in American business, where results are important.
17
And that's English in a Minute.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two thingslouder than
Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certainmight not make
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing formkeep saying
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessaryhave to wait · needs to see · need to do

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 →