{"id":38586,"date":"2018-05-09T16:55:22","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T14:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=38586"},"modified":"2020-09-29T15:51:46","modified_gmt":"2020-09-29T13:51:46","slug":"shadowing-improve-fluency-at-c2-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/shadowing-improve-fluency-at-c2-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Shadowing: A New Way to Improve Fluency at C2 Level"},"content":{"rendered":"

Speech shadowing is an advanced language learning technique. The idea is simple: you listen to someone speaking and you repeat what they say in real time<\/em><\/span>, with as little delay as possible.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re preparing for the C2 Proficiency certificate<\/a> (formerly CPE), this is an important tool. It\u2019s something you can practise anywhere, anytime. And, once you\u2019ve mastered the skill of shadowing, not only will your spoken fluency improve, but you\u2019ll also pick up<\/em><\/span> more natural pronunciation<\/a> and intonation.<\/p>\n

But, before we show how to become a master-shadower, let\u2019s think about what it means to speak a foreign language fluently and accurately.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why is speaking a foreign language such a challenge?<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Students are often better at listening<\/a> and reading<\/a> than they are at speaking.<\/p>\n

To start with, these are very different skills. Listening and reading are what we call receptive skills, whereas speaking (and writing) are productive. Your receptive skills are used to process and comprehend language that is presented to you. But, with speaking, there\u2019s a lot more going on<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n

In fact, speaking isn\u2019t really a single skill; it\u2019s a whole system of processes. Here\u2019s a diagram to give you an idea of what happens in our brains every time we speak.<\/p>\n

\"Shadowing:<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t worry, (fortunately) it\u2019s not necessary to understand all these processes to be able to speak. However, it does explain why we occasionally make mistakes when speaking a foreign language. When you think how complex speech is, it\u2019s impressive that we don\u2019t slip up<\/em><\/span> more often!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What makes shadowing such a handy<\/em> tool?<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

When it comes to speaking fluently and accurately, practice makes perfect<\/strong>. Think about your native language. How old were you when you started to speak? How many hours do you spend a week speaking this language? Your articulators<\/em><\/span> (e.g. tongue, lips, teeth) have had thousands of hours of practice, moving around and making the specific sounds of your native language.<\/p>\n

Typically, in formal school settings – with many students in a class and limited hours per week – not much time is dedicated to speaking. This is one reason why a learner may not have very clear pronunciation, nor a good level of spoken fluency. When preparing for language certificate, you mustn\u2019t overlook these aspects of your language.<\/p>\n

So what can you do? It\u2019s true that there are plenty of opportunities to practise your English in Barcelona<\/a>, but there are also some possible barriers. Maybe you live somewhere very remote, maybe your schedule doesn\u2019t allow you to go along to language exchanges or maybe you just don\u2019t feel comfortable starting up a conversation with a complete stranger.<\/p>\n

With shadowing<\/strong>, you have none of these issues. You can do it at home, in the office, even on the beach! You can do it on your own – all you need is your mobile and some earphones<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 
\n\"Shadowing:
\n <\/p>\n

Step by step guide to shadowing<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you imagine you\u2019re a tennis player and that the act of speaking is tennis match, then shadowing is a workout<\/em><\/span> session in the gym.<\/p>\n

Shadowing allows you to train your articulators to produce sounds more accurately<\/strong>. In a real conversation, you have to organise your ideas, find the right words and formulate phrases. But by imitating someone else\u2019s speech, you can just focus on the sounds of the language.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the theory, now it\u2019s time to put it into practice:<\/p>\n

1. Select a piece of audio<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n