Kayhan Language School
Shadowing technique and its effect on strengthening English conversation skills
In this article we are going to talk about the cider technique. In this article we are going to talk about the shadowing technique (Shadowing) and its effect on strengthening English speaking and listening skills. The shadow technique is a very, very important method that if you want to make real progress in these two skills, you have to use it regularly. (Shadowing) and its effect on strengthening English speaking and listening skills. The shadow technique is a very, very important method that if you want to make real progress in these two skills, you have to use it regularly
Shadow technique - definition
The simplest definition of the shadow technique is when you are listening to a speaker, as soon as he says each word, you repeat it quickly after him. Like accompanying your favorite music song. That is, you repeat exactly what you hear, trying to mimic changes in the speaker's voice, tone of voice, mood, and even the speaker's physical movements. Of course, you do not have to speak loudly. You can do this process in your mind as well. Just like your favorite song that you sometimes go through in your mind. So when you are in a public place listening to an English conversation and you want to implement the shadowing technique as well, you can do it in your mind
Advantages of Shadow Technique in Speaking English
The shadow technique has many benefits for enhancing English conversation. The first advantage is getting better pronunciation and English melody. Just like when we are playing music, English conversation has its own melody and melody. Speaking English, like our mother tongue, is not like talking to a robot with no ups and downs. Conversation is a living skill. Somewhere one word should be emphasized, somewhere else something should be said slowly and…. The shadow technique can help us get a good idea of the tone of a language. If we go hand in hand and just listen passively, we will never have the opportunity to actually practice this melody. And when we are in a real conversation, we can not speak English properly.
This is why most language learners have an unrealistic, robotic tone when speaking English. Because they are usually less able to speak; And they have not used this unique technique to cover this shortcoming as much as possible. But a learner who uses this technique not only gets a better and more accurate pronunciation, but also learns the subtlety of sound, stress, melody, melody, flow, and generally everything he needs to better convey his message. This technique may seem difficult at first, but the more you practice it, the more your mind gets used to it. With this technique you will not only have a much higher engagement with English and its conversation, but you can also increase the speed of your conversation, and learn to speak English subconsciously
Advantages of using shadow technique in strengthening Listening listening skills
In addition to the above, the shadowing technique can amazingly enhance your listening skills. Just start this technique to see what incredible effects it has on your listening skills. Most people are very passive when it comes to listening. They do not pay enough attention to the audio. They usually sit and listen and try to understand the whole point. Of course, I have mentioned in the passive listening post that I linked to above that this is not a problem in itself, but it is not enough. If you want to really improve your listening skills in a short amount of time, you have to listen with a lot of focus. Using the shadow technique, because you have to do something practical, you have to subconsciously listen more carefully. Of course, it is not just a matter of listening, but as mentioned above, the soundtrack and other related items are also included. So this technique not only strengthens your listening skills, but also makes you more focused and better listen to others, which is very useful in strengthening your communication skills. There is another important point about listening with the shadow technique. You may be able to recognize and understand English words alone. But when different words in a sentence are said together and in combination by a professional speaker, or a native speaker; The pronunciation of those words undergoes many changes. This is something that most language learners have trouble with. When they listen to an English speaker, they feel that their conversation speed is very high; So that the power of recognizing and understanding words and phrases is out of their hands. Sometimes this is true, but it is not always so. The main problem is that the learner is not accustomed to the way phrases are expressed in conversation. Let me give you a very simple example to better understand this: I’m going to. No one has a problem with the phrase "I'm going to" if it is pronounced the same way it is written. As fast as you can think of. So if you're listening to a conversation and the speaker says, "Tomorrow, I'm going to go to the park." This sentence is very easy to understand. But the truth is that most professionals and native speakers do not speak like that at all. Instead, they use the phrase "I'm gonna" or "I'mmonna". In fact, when an English speaker says, "Tomorrow, I'm going to go to the park," faster than when he says, "Tomorrow, I'm going to go to the park." He does not speak. Both of these sentences have the same speed. But the way they are pronounced and the way English phrases are stuck together makes the former a major difference from the latter, which naturally becomes more difficult to understand. This is exactly why the shadow technique can make you a better listener. Because your effort in listening to English is to mimic what the speaker is saying as it is, and to stick the phrases together as the native speakers use them. This will make you better understand the language.
Given the above benefits, it is strongly recommended that you incorporate the shadow technique into your training program on a regular basis. Remember that you do not have to repeat everything you hear out loud. If you are not in the right situation (you were in a public place or your surroundings were full of people) try to do this technique mentally. Because this technique has a lot of effects, even mentally. So start the shadow technique today and continue to see its amazing effects in a short time.
Where is the shadow technique used ?!
In general, you can practice everything you hear with the shadow technique. In previous posts for learning English with the film, it was mentioned that the shadow technique can be very suitable for watching the film. Also, since English short stories are presented in audio format on the Linguist Web site, the use of the shadow technique in these stories is highly recommended
How can the shadow technique be implemented?
The shadow technique can be implemented in three ways, which becomes more difficult but more effective at each stage
The first stage is selective shading
The selective shadow or semi-shadow technique is the simplest form of the shadow technique. Because to use it, you do not need to pay full attention to what you hear. All you have to do is listen to a conversation or an audio message and choose phrases that you feel are valuable and repeat them either aloud or in your mind. We also call this technique an enjoyable shadow because it does not require a lot of hard work and a lot of focus on what you are hearing
The second stage, full shadow
If you have used the shading technique before or have been prescribed it, this is probably the perfect shading technique. In general, the full shadow technique means repeating everything you hear at the same time as the speaker. This can be done in several ways:
One way is to have the text of what you hear and talk about it with the speaker. This method naturally has its own advantages, but in my opinion it is not as effective as when you can use this technique without using text. At least in the case of listening skills, it can be much more effective if you can use this technique without looking at the text.
The next method is called the intermittent shadowing technique, which you may have used before. That is, you hear something; You pause the speaker; And you repeat the same thing yourself. This method is good for when it is really difficult for you to accompany the speaker and you need more time to repeat what he said.
I hope we have been able to provide you with a very good method and use this method to improve your English speaking and listening skills in a desirable way.