What does shadowing do? (Advice Center) Language Learning Forum

What does shadowing do?
Tags: Polyglot Live Recording \| Shadowing
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13 messages over 2 pages: 1 2 Next >>

seemewoo
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United Kingdom
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Message 1 of 13

11 January 2014 at 3:23pm | IP Logged

Sorry if this had already been asked, but I couldn't find a answer when searching.

What does shadowing set out to improve? For example when you do srs it's to help you to Learn vocab, and
listening to the radio helps with listening comprehension.

So what does shadowing improve? Would it help me to stop the translation that goes into my head every time
when I read or hear Spanish?

Many thanks
1 person has voted this message useful

Julie
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Message 2 of 13

11 January 2014 at 3:48pm | IP Logged

In my opinion, it mostly improves pronunciation and, partly, listening comprehension. It might also help you to remember words and expressions. I don't think it helps a lot to stop the 'translation'. For this purpose, I would recommend e.g. trying some really easy materials, and reading them very fast. If you use SRS or word lists, some would say it is important to use TL definitions and examples instead of equivalents (translations) in your native language.

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seemewoo
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United Kingdom
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Message 3 of 13

11 January 2014 at 4:26pm | IP Logged

Ah thanks a lot hadn't a clue what it did
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Hungringo
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Message 4 of 13

11 January 2014 at 4:29pm | IP Logged

I know that walking around is more or less just a by-product of shadowing, but I had been walking around while learning a language much before I even heard of shadowing. Walking around briskly and saying aloud what I read helped me a lot to concentrate and keep my wandering thoughts under control and also to retain the information, be it vocabulary or grammar.

Edited by Hungringo on 11 January 2014 at 4:31pm
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daegga
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Message 5 of 13

11 January 2014 at 4:35pm | IP Logged

I've used it as a quick fix for fluidity of speech and accent. The results were quickly
available, but were lost again after I stopped shadowing. I only used it for a few days
though.
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jeff_lindqvist
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Message 6 of 13

11 January 2014 at 4:54pm | IP Logged

Professor Arguelles himself:

Quote:

Obviously I sit down to write, but for imprinting meaningful new sound systems in your mind, this is what works best. In doing this, you not only kill the proverbial two birds with one stone, you kill four:

1)     you acquire a new language in the most efficient fashion
2)     you get physical exercise in nature
3)     you overcome the normal and natural psychological and physical inhibitions against speaking your new language aloud
4)     you bring language learning out of the closet, as it were, and while some make think you are strange (most, in truth, are too caught up in their own lives and concerns to really pay you any mind), occasionally at least you just may inspire others to study as well.

(From Shadowing demonstration video)

And if I may quote myself:

Quote:

Listen, speak along, read, comprehend (vocabulary and grammar!) - all at the same time, and at fairly natural speed (only your sources set the limit). And you can do it without going to classes. Basically I see it as the language version of my own "musical shadowing" (just playing along until it sounds right) - the intonation/tone/whatever isn't the focus but rather getting up to speed, and for that matter, improve your "listening comprehension".

There are probably better alternatives to practicing pronunciation (if that's at all something that shadowing does).... individual sounds, prosody, (reading, comprehension etc.), but when you're on your own, this is a method to "save time", and get your speech up to speed.

In all my years since I became interested in languages, no teacher has ever spoken about prosody. You can spend hours on individual sounds (or words) - something I belive that some people are doing with "tone intense" languagese like Mandarin - and still not be able to say (nor understand) a single sentence, since things happen as soon as you put words together. If you never try saying sentences out loud, at roughly the same speed as natives do, you might end up not even sounding like you're speaking their language.

(From Getting rid of my accent)

Edited by jeff_lindqvist on 11 January 2014 at 4:55pm
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schoenewaelder
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Message 7 of 13

11 January 2014 at 6:25pm | IP Logged

Hungringo wrote:

I know that walking around is more or less just a by-product of shadowing...

The Prof says it is an absolutely essential element, which, he says, can't be emphsized enough.

Edited by schoenewaelder on 13 January 2014 at 1:23pm
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Serpent
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Message 8 of 13

11 January 2014 at 7:12pm | IP Logged

Maybe it depends on the person though? And the individual circumstances? As an introvert Russian who lives in a flat on the 8th floor and loves to study at night... going outside for 10 min of shadowing is a ridiculous thought, especially in winter. And if I artificially force myself to walk around my room, it just makes it worse.

I mean it clearly works best like that for Prof Arguelles, and I have a HUGE respect for him, but we're all different.

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