Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: When it Rains, it Pours - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Welcome to English in a Minute.
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When it rains heavily, we often say it is pouring.
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When it rains, it pours.
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I think something is going around the office this week.
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You mean, like, the flu?
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No, not the flu.
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I mean bad luck.
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Maria's bike was stolen, Jack broke his arm, Doug lost $300.
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That is a lot of bad stuff happening.
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When it rains, it pours.
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When it rains, it's never just one raindrop.
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Many raindrops fall.
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So this idiom means that when something bad happens, other bad things usually happen too.
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You can also say, when it rains, it pours, if a lot of good things are happening to you.
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But more often than not, it's about bad things.
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And that's English in a Minute.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "English in a Minute: When it Rains, it Pours" 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.

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 →