Shadowing Practice: Do This if You Understand But Can't Speak - Learn English Speaking with Video
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123 sentences
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Today, I want to talk about something that I hear quite often, and that is people who say, I understand well, talking about their ability in a foreign language,
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but I can't speak.
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And I hear that a lot.
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So I want to talk about what can be done
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and what can be some strategies in order to help people who claim to understand well, to help them to speak better.
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So it depends on your situation.
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Obviously, if you're in a situation where you need to speak, then this is quite important.
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If you're like me learning, you know, Arabic and Farsi as a dilettante or Turkish and I don't need to speak, then it doesn't bother me.
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I continue with my input activities, building up my capability in the language.
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But the reason I raised this is because the other day I met someone who is a Canadian politician who, while he's a local politician, but he lives in Ottawa for much of the year.
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He's involved in national politics therefore he should be able to speak French and he has an opportunity to speak French.
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But when I asked him about his ability in French, he said, well, I understand well, but I can't speak.
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So that's kind of my starting off point on this subject.
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So there's two sides to this.
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One is that person or people like him have an identity which says, I can understand well, but I can't speak well.
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That's kind of their vision of themselves.
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Let's look at the first part of that, which is the I understand well part.
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My first question is, you know, is that really so?
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I've always said, you know, in learning a language, I feel I have a good level of comprehension when I can read a book, paper book from cover to cover.
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When I can understand an audio book, when I can watch movies and understand most of it without subtitles.
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That's real comprehension.
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So my question is, first of all, the person, say this person who works as a political operative in Ottawa, he's familiar with certain themes,
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certain discussions, presumably, which he hears over and over again that are relevant to his work.
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So he says, I understand, but he doesn't really understand the language.
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And what I'm going to say here is that when it comes to ramping up your comprehension,
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which is extremely important, I've always said you need a solid base of comprehension you need a large passive vocabulary.
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That's your reservoir.
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That's your knowledge of the language that's going to enable you to ramp up your speaking ability.
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So the first thing I say about your stated, you know, ability to comprehend the language is broaden it.
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You have to have a wide level of comprehension.
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It's not enough to be able to understand a limited range of content with subjects that are familiar to you.
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You have to challenge yourself.
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And I mean, the extreme version of this is people who believe that, you know, the teachers who say we're going to teach these scenarios, how to be a clerk in a store.
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The thing is, it's been my experience that you cannot anticipate what kind of conversation will arise.
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So actually you need a broader level of comprehension than that narrow level that I'm assuming this person had.
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It's like I once met with some immigrants here in Vancouver who said, yes, I would like to be able to speak English better,
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just well enough to communicate with my child's teacher at school
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or if I get stopped by a policeman while driving my car.
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Okay, you can't, you cannot anticipate what that conversation will be.
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You cannot narrow your level of comprehension to such a small bit.
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You have to broaden your comprehension. And in
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that regard, you're better off to have an imperfect understanding of a broad range of subject matter where you miss 60,
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70% of the words, but you expose yourself to, you know, hours of listening and reading.
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And so you need that broad range of comprehension.
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That's absolutely important.
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Number one.
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However, my next bit of advice is a bit contradictory.
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And you'll see that when I talk about getting to speaking, you'll see I go the other way.
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So when it comes to comprehension, you have to have this broad range of comprehension.
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But then you have to deliberately narrow it down in preparation for speaking.
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Because when you speak, you're going to use a small subset of the words that you know of your passive vocabulary.
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And you need to have these handy that they come quickly.
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certain structures, certain words that get you speaking.
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You need a smaller subset.
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And that's why when I'm learning a language, while I listen to, you know, political podcasts in Arabic or Farsi, I also spend time with the many stories.
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I spend time even doing those political podcasts.
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I will slow down my listening
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and reading in order to get myself into sentence mode so that I can mine the material, pay more attention, focus more on specific words and structures.
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So broaden the base, but at the same time, spend some time focusing in on more specific bits and pieces.
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Maybe that's 20% of your time.
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And that's kind of been my strategy.
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And particularly if I'm getting ready to have a conversation in Arabic, I will then spend more time with the mini stories, even though I've heard them many, many times, because it's that repetition
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that enables me to start to grab a hold of some of the words that I'll be able to use, hopefully, in a conversation.
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So you say you understand and speak well.
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Well, you have to make sure that that base of comprehension is broad.
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Watch movies even if you only understand 60%.
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It's that exposure to massive, a wide range of content, even imperfectly understood, which is building up your capability.
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But then you have to go back in there and mine the nuggets, the bits and pieces.
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So that's with regard to the I understand well.
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Let's make sure you do understand well.
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Now, the second part of that person's identity is that he or she can't speak.
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We need to change that.
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If that's your identity that you can understand, but you can't speak, that's not useful if you're in a situation where you need the language,
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which is not my case as a dilettante language learner here in Vancouver.
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But if you need the language for your work or for your family relations or whatever, then you can't just continue to be a person who understands and can't speak.
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You have to change your image of yourself.
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So here again, the strategy in my view and in my experience is a little different.
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It's not so much a matter of starting with a widening of your range of material.
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It's more a matter of beginning with a narrower range.
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So when I start into speaking in, say, Persian, I will use the mini stories circling questions where I'm given the answer.
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And so I know what the answer is.
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I'm asked the question.
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I'm reading in Arabic and Farsi it's very difficult and I can answer the question because I've heard the answer.
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So it's not really a genuine, I'm not retrieving meaning.
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I'm responding to a prompt.
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So that's sort of the very first, that's your narrowest possible base.
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The next would be a question, a genuine question about the content that you just finished listening to or reading.
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And our AIBotItLink does this, asks you a question about the content that you just listened to.
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Or you could even have it ask a question about the sentence, the specific sentence in sentence mode.
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So you start narrow.
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So you're dealing with a limited range of material you have to answer the question.
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But then you want to move to where you're answering a broader range of questions.
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Alahe, my Persian tutor, she always saves 15-20 minutes where she asks me difficult questions of history and philosophy and environment, whatever it might be.
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And I have to really think for an answer and I have to find words to express my meaning.
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But it's a genuine, authentic conversation.
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So you'll progress from an almost automatic reflex answer to a question or
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interaction to one where you are now dredging your knowledge and trying to express your ideas in the language.
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So you go from narrow to broader.
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And then if you're able to do that, as you gradually build up your confidence using circling questions
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or using AI or using the sheltered conversation
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that you have with a tutor and you start to prove to yourself
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that actually you are a person who speaks the language now you have to change your habits you have
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that habit of accepting that your identity is i'm someone who understands
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but can't speak every time you conform to
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that image being in a meeting and not interacting not speaking you are confirming
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that identity and you have to break
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that through habit you have to start speaking difficult at first
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but gradually you start to create these habits where your identity becomes i'm someone who understands well
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and speaks somewhat less well but i'm also a person who speaks the language
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so you have to change your self-image
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so i think that's what i would suggest don't sort of with pride say well i understand
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but i can't speak that's not good enough you probably at some level would like to speak.
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So you need to make sure that this is your goal.
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I want to go through these various steps initially somewhat sheltered
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and eventually I'm going to speak because it's important to me to speak.
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It's important to the image that I want to have of myself in that language as someone who understands and speaks.
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And remember every time you speak and you make mistakes you are strengthening your knowledge of the language.
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You are engaging with the language.
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So the fact that you make mistakes is not a negative.
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You have to have that as a part of your identity.
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I am someone who understands the language, not perfectly, and who speaks the language, not perfectly.
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So I hope that's helpful.
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Bye for now.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 123 sentences and 1735 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:29. The speaker talks fast, about 183 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% 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 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- comprehension /ˌkɑmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/ (noun) — A thorough understanding.
- narrow /ˈnæɹəʊ/ (adjective) — Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.
- habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/ (noun) — An action performed on a regular basis.
- genuine /ˈd͡ʒɛn.juˌɪn/ (adjective) — Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native.
- mini /ˈmɪn.i/ (adjective) — Miniature, tiny, small.
- regard /ɹɪˈɡɑːd/ (noun) — A steady look, a gaze.
- enable /ɪˈneɪ.bəl/ (verb) — To make somebody able (to do, or to be, something); to give sufficient ability or power to do or to be; to give strength or ability to.
- shelter /ˈʃɛltə/ (noun) — A place where a person or animal may find protection from the elements (especially rain, storms, or cold) sometimes as a place to sleep (such as a cave).
- gradually /ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəli/ (adverb) — In a gradual manner; making slow progress; slowly.
- politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/ (noun) — One engaged in politics, especially an elected or appointed government official.
- podcast /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ (noun) — A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on…
- capability /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ (noun) — The power or ability to generate an outcome.
- passive /ˈpæs.ɪv/ (adjective) — Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction.
- vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ (noun) — A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
- anticipate /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/ (verb) — To act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
- build up (verb) — To erect; to construct.
- read in (verb) — To accept as input.
- deal with (verb) — To handle verbally or in some form of artistic expression; to address or discuss as a subject.
- go through (verb) — To travel from one end of something to the other.
- live in (verb) — To reside on the premises of one's employer (used especially of domestic staff such as nannies, cooks, maids, etc.)
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
- meet with (verb) — To have a meeting with (someone).
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 44 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, authentic /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/, strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: comprehension /ˌkɑmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/, shelter /ˈʃɛltə/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/, exposure /ɪkˈspəʊ.ʒə(ɹ)/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/
- Long words — get the stress right: politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/, capability /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, anticipate /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/, automatic /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/
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 comprehension, narrow, habit.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who say · people who claim · someone who is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've always said · it's been · I've heard |
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.