The secret to learning English communication using the Shadowing method

1. What is learning English using the Shadowing method?

What is Shadow in English? First we need to understand the concept of “Shadowing”. This phrase literally translates as "shadow", Shadowing is a language learning technique developed by American Professor Alexander Arguelles, first in Germany and then in Korea, in foreign language learning. it is a form where you listen and repeat the text you heard immediately afterwards.

The basis of the English shadowing method is the sounds in the language you are learning. This repetition is practiced to shorten the gap between listening and repeating until the practitioner can speak at the same time as the listening material. While listening, you try to repeat what you hear as quickly as you hear it.

2. The role of Shadowing method in English communication

What makes the Shadowing method included in almost all teaching programs? Because it plays an important role in creating reflexes in learning English communication.

 

 

The role of Shadowing learning method in communicative English

• Firstly, practicing the Shadowing method helps us eliminate the back and forth translation in our heads. One of the problems that slows down communication ability that most people encounter.

• The second is to increase the ability to reflect in learning English communication. We can answer coherently because we have practiced many times with available conversations.

3. Advantages and disadvantages of the Shadowing method of practicing English speaking

If we want to apply a method to learn English communication, we need to clearly understand that method, both its advantages and disadvantages. Only then can we best apply that method. As for the English Shadowing method, there are advantages and disadvantages that must be mentioned as follows:

Benefit

Shadowing learning brings benefits from different angles in English communication such as:

• Pronunciation becomes more accurate

• Know how to use appropriate tones for real-life situations

• Practicing increases fluency and confidence in English communication

• The ability to think in language develops, making the communication process unhindered because the speaker has to spend time translating in his or her mind.

• The ability to form one's own phrases, creating one's own speaking style.

• Memorizing conversations helps you increase your accuracy in grammar usage.

• Practice better listening ability

Drawbacks

Anything has two sides, people often talk about its benefits, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its limitations. The Shadowing method also has its limitations, although very few.

Boredom when having to repeat the same text over and over, boredom can easily reduce motivation and make the results not as desired.

 

Learn the secret of Shadowing to have the most proficient communication ability

4. When should you use this method?Shadowing

What we're talking about by stopping practice is switching to a new learning material, not stopping this learning method completely. The amount of time a person needs to practice is different, so each person's stopping point is also different.

Keep practicing shadowing with that recording until you can hear the recording spoken at a normal speed and you understand what you're hearing. At this point, you can stop and find yourself the next recording and repeat the training process as above.

5. Steps to apply English speaking practice method according to Shadowing

Below is a detailed system of steps to practice speaking English with Shadowing to learn to communicate most effectively:

Step 1: Listen to the text

This first listening step is also quite important, this listening helps you recognize the type of text you will use to perform the Shadowing method, grasp the content and form of that text. The advice for you is to listen from 5 to 7 times before Shadowing to learn English communication.

Step 2: Play the text and repeat

When repeating, you need to say the text you hear loudly. Speaking loudly helps the process of forming awareness of English phrases to be more easily engraved in your brain. You need to imitate the intonation and tone of the words, this not only makes your words closer to native speakers, but also helps you recall that English sentence when encountering a situation. English communication has similar properties in reality.

Step 3: Adjust the speed when repeating

In the early stages of using the Shadowing method to learn English communication, it will take you a while to be able to repeat after listening. You need to practice to shorten this time period, until you can confidently listen and speak the text at the same time.

Step 4: Apply the use of scorecards to learn from experience and improve

Learning English communication through Shadowing, just listening and repeating like a parrot is not enough, you need to know whether you have repeated correctly, and whether you have corrected the way you speak correctly.

You can do this by recording the process of performing the Shadowing method, then listen to that recording again to compare with the original, finding areas where the pronunciation is not accurate. After correcting the mistake, record it again and continue listening to compare to see if you corrected it correctly. Make a score sheet to grade yourself and record errors that need to be continued to be corrected in future documents.

Step 5: Practice until you are confident and transfer to another text

Practice until you are confident when you can listen and repeat a text at the same time. Also when you listen to the recording again and feel that you have fixed the mistakes that you noted, and you also see that you can give yourself a score that is not bad, you can move on. next text and repeat the above steps.

Notes during skill practice

Using the Shadowing method to learn communicative English requires a reasonable process. You should start applying this Shadowing method  with phrases, short sentences, or sentences with simple grammatical forms. This way you can quickly apply it in real communication situations in real life. As you progress, you can use audio texts and sentences with more complex grammatical forms.

6. A few tips for practicing the shadowing speaking practice method

 

 

A few tips for practicing the shadowing speaking practice method

• Should only practice for a short time:The best length is about 10 to 15 minutes.

• Repeat a few times.With the same audio/conversation, you should repeat it 2-4 times to master it.

• Make sure you are familiar with the Content: If you hate sports, how can a football news report ‘keep’ you focused, right? Finding topics that suit your level and interests will help you study for a long time without getting bored.

• Combine with other activities: Although the best way is to sit at your desk and practice, you can also incorporate Shadowing when doing other things during the day. For example, on the way to school/work, while jogging or even while taking a shower.

7.Shadowing speaking practice application

Simply put, we use eJOY English App. This is an English shadowing app with videos. With rich resources including:over 60,000 videosbelongmany topicshas been divided into thedifferent levels, you will always find a video that makes you excited to practice the Shadow technique.

You just need to find a video you like, select speaking mode (shadowing) in sectionStudyingit can be practiced. Listen once, pressrecord button(microphone icon) in the middle of the screen to record, press the red record button again to stop recording. eJOY will evaluate the accuracy of your recording with the sample and show you the results instantly. Remember to download the eJOY App to practice Shadowing.