Introducing the Shadowing Technique for English Learning

Introduction

Hello! It’s Kristine here with the Express to Impress podcast. Do you want to sound more like a native English speaker? In today’s episode, I will tell you about a free and fun language learning method that will help you improve your English pronunciation, intonation, tone, stress, and rhythm. This method isn’t only for English learning; it will work for all languages. So language lovers, stay tuned!

If you like my podcast, don’t forget to subscribe to receive notifications whenever I post a new episode. You can subscribe anywhere you download podcasts like Apple Podcasts, on my YouTube Channel, or my website at www.express-to-impress.com. 

Now, let’s begin!

In this episode, I will show you how to use the Shadowing Technique to accelerate your English learning. 

What is the Shadowing Technique?

The shadowing technique is not just for English learning. Professor Alexander Arguelles developed the Shadowing Technique to improve one’s speaking skills in any other language. Shadowing involves repeating someone’s speech immediately after they say it. It’s like you’re following them as your shadow follows you. The beauty of this technique is that anyone can do it alone. Since most people learning a second language don’t have the opportunity to speak with native speakers often, speaking it on your own is the next best thing. 

It’s such a fantastic technique because it allows you to speak English exactly as a native speaker. Bam! Just like that, you are communicating with perfect English grammar! And you feel what it’s like to move your voice up and down like a native speaker. You get to feel what it’s like to pronounce vowels and consonants in new ways–what it’s like to make your voice louder and to drag-out sounds. And you get to pause sometimes. When we read or speak in another language, these are really hard things to do on our own. 

My Experience Using the Shadowing Technique

Now, I’ll tell you about my experience using the shadowing technique. I love podcasts, so I usually use the shadowing technique while listening to Spanish or Portuguese podcasts with a female speaker whose voice I like. I always slow down the speed to a reasonable pace for me, like 85%. First, I listen to the audio for the joy of it and to learn something new. Then, I listen to it again and use the shadowing technique. Right after the podcast host starts talking, I start repeating her. Honestly, I feel rushed and must focus intently because the host talks so quickly. Even at 85%, the host speaks faster than I do naturally in Spanish or Portuguese. 

I must try to change my voice to sound like the native speaker, pronouncing words differently. I have to say some words very quickly and link them with others.  In some cases, I say a word I know in a new way, with the stress in a new place. I’ll discover I’ve been saying a word wrong. I also use vocabulary that I don’t usually use, even though I may understand it when I hear it. And I say things in new, more natural ways for native ears. It never fails –I always discover errors I’ve been making! In a short amount of time, my mouth becomes tired, and my brain is fried. After all, I’ve been forcing it to move quickly and in new ways. But for me, it’s really fun!

Story

Today I want to tell you the story about when I met a Chinese professional early in his career who came to me for help expressing himself clearly at work. I was so surprised by his native English sounding accent that at first, I couldn’t believe he wanted my help. I told him his accent was incredible and asked how he learned to speak English. Perhaps he had a native English-speaking parent or had spent many years during his childhood in the United States? No, that wasn’t the case. He loved the English language and was also obsessed with American Cinema. When he was a teenager, he spent countless hours watching American films and learning his favorite actors’ lines. He figured out how to change his voice to sound like Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, and Leonardo DiCaprio. It was a fun pastime for him.

So, in effect, he was a lot like a young professional in the US – he knew how to speak English well. Still, he wanted some help navigating new business situations like disagreeing with others politely and presenting his ideas convincingly. I was amazed!

By that point, I had worked with hundreds of non-native English speakers and thought he was an exception. But then, I meant a Spanish woman who also had a near-perfect American English accent. I began the same line of questioning. “How did you learn to speak English so well?”  Well, it turns out that she was obsessed with American pop stars. She memorized all the lyrics to Carrie Underwood, Katie Perry, Alicia Keys, and more. Not only that, but she also sang all their songs and tried to make her voice sound like theirs. 

These two non-native English speakers blew me away with their accent. They effortlessly used near-perfect pronunciation of consonants and vowels, word and sentence stress, intonation, and linking. 

These students convinced me that the Shadowing technique could be an incredibly powerful English learning tool!

Tips to Implement the Shadowing Technique 

Alright, so now I’m going to tell you HOW to practice the shadowing technique for English learning. The good news is it easy to use, AND you can do it without supervision. 

You just need to follow two simple steps: 

Step 1: Listen. Choose a podcast, movie, TV series, song, or any other audio recording. The audio has to be narrated by a native English speaker. At this stage, your main goal is to UNDERSTAND the main sense of the audio. Listen to it several times if you need to.

Step 2: Repeat. Listen to the audio and repeat, following the speaker like a shadow. Try to mimic the sounds, intonation, pauses, and pitch exactly. You do not need to understand what the speaker is saying. It’s not the time to stop, analyze, and look up definitions. Your only goal is to act like a parrot that repeats everything it hears.

 Now, I’ll tell you about some variations of the shadowing technique that may help you get more enjoyment and benefit from the exercise. 

Some people find the constant flow of audio too distracting, so they pause the audio after each phrase or sentence and repeat it. Listening and talking at the same time is hard, after all! For me, I don’t expect perfection with this technique, so I don’t mind if I miss some words here and there. Plus, I often shadow the same audio multiple times, and I pick up more words each time I hear it. 

Other people do the shadowing technique while reading a transcript. I think this is totally cheating! The point of the exercise is to improve your listening and speaking skills, not to read what you see.  

Tips to Make Shadowing More Effective

Now, here are some tips to make shadowing more effective: 

• Choose audio you like. This tip is extremely important because it will keep you motivated and interested. 
• Use your imagination. When you’re doing this exercise, imagine you are the speaker. Try to follow him or her like a shadow and imagine that you’re a professional actor playing a role.
• Practice up to 10-15 minutes, regularly. Short sessions are more effective. Plus, remember I told you how my mouth hurts after just a few minutes of doing the shadowing technique?
• If you repeated the audio but feel like you could’ve done better, repeat it. Think quality over quantity, and don’t be too hard on yourself!
• In the beginning, this exercise may feel a little weird. If you feel strange doing it, isolate yourself. It won’t feel as strange when you’re on your own. Or if you are doing it outside, wear headphones, and people might think you’re talking on the phone or practicing for a presentation. 
• Keep yourself accountable. Add shadowing exercises to your English learning plan. Check a box every day you’ve practiced. 
• Compete–with yourself! Record yourself at the beginning. Practice regularly for 30 days, and then re-record yourself repeating the same audio you used for day one. Then, compare the recordings. You’ll be surprised by how much your English has improved!
• Practice with an English coach or teacher. Wait, didn’t I just tell you that you could do this exercise on your own? This exercise produces amazing results for many people. Still, many factors influence a person’s ability to repeat what they hear in English – the person’s native language, the person’s exposure to different languages, the person’s musical and theatrical training, and more. Some people are better at hearing subtle nuances in English, which is a prerequisite to copying what they hear. So, while everyone can make progress with this technique, some people need a teacher to detect problematic areas and help them develop their listening and pronunciation skills. 
• And the final tips come from the creator of the technique, Professor Arguelles, himself. Walk outside swiftly, maintain good posture, and repeat what you hear in a loud, articulate manner. 

Now you’re all set for some English learning! Now, it’s your chance to implement the shadowing technique to take your English speaking skills to the next level!

How to Land Your Next Job Online Video Course

I work with students and professionals who want to work in English-speaking environments. Many of them are non-native English speakers. So, when I created an online course for job seekers, I did my best to convey the information clearly, with a focus on communication skills training for success in the job search process. So, of course, I’m happy when people who take the course tell me I succeeded. Here’s a course review from Jarrod, an English teacher in Dallas, TX.

There are so many things to consider when searching for a job. I found this course very helpful because it clearly and concisely guides you through the process. The first module, “Envisioning the Future,” was the most useful part for me personally. Now I have a better sense of what I want out of an “ideal career.” The instructor did an excellent job of imparting a lot of information in a clear, concise, and straightforward way.

To learn more about my How to Land Your Next Job course, visit my website at www.express-to-impress.com. You can get 15% off by using the coupon code podcast15 at the checkout. 

Leave A Comment

Next week, tune in again to improve your English skills. You’ll learn definitions of phrases and idioms from this episode. If you’re a non-native English speaker working with native English speakers, you won’t want to miss it!

I invite you to leave a comment about this episode. Have you used the Shadowing Technique? What other techniques do you use for learning languages? Leave a comment with your answer. If you liked this episode, remember to rate my podcast and subscribe! Every week, I will post a new episode with stories and tips on communicating clearly, confidently, and effectively for success in job interviews and the workplace. 

And if there is a communication topic you want me to discuss on the podcast, write me an email to tell me about it. You can reach me at hello@express-to-impress.com.

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Express to Impress. See you next time. Bye!

 

Music By Lucas Knutter