The role of shadowing techniques in enhancing the speaking ability of EFL Learners
Kaljanova Gulmira
EFL teacher of Uzbekistan State World Languages University
Olimova Shahina Botirjon qizi
Student of Uzbekistan State World Languages University
Abstract: The article investigates the effectiveness of innovative approach through using shadowing technique on teaching speaking skills to students learning English as a second language. Shadowing technique plays a vital role in improving speaking abilities of EFL learners. It is a language learning method that involves listening to audio materials and simultaneously repeating what is heard, improves pronunciation, fluency, and overall communication.
Key words: ELF teachers, shadowing technique, language method, feedback, innovative approach.Introduction: Many EFL teachers try to use shadowing technique during their lessons to help students to speak as native speakers. Shadowing is a language technique that involves following and imitating a native speaker while they are talking. Shadowing is not only improves speaking ability, but also helps to make listening skill better. There some steps that teachers should pay attention more in term of using this method.
How students can do shadowing effectively?
Step 1: Find favourite people or movie. Students need to know their interests and try to find out engaging videos depend on it. For example, if they love watching documentaries, they may select one episode that continues about 2 minutes. The most important thing there is that the lengths of episode should be less, because it would be boring, if students imitate long without break.
Step 2: Listen actively In this part, students should analyze the overall speech of character or celebrity and pay attention to their pronunciation, intonation, rhythm. In the first time if needed, students can switch on subtitle of the movie or video.
Step 3: Repeat.While a native speaker is talking, repeating not only their speech, but also movements is more effective. This means doing the same mimics, using the same intonation and mimicking their pronunciation.
Step 4: Recording part After preparing, students should record their speech, and compare it with video. Recording is useful for checking grammatical and pronunciation mistakes. Students need to try to match their speech with a native speaker did.
Step 5: Checking.Listening the original audio and recording, and comparing the differences between it is vital for this part. This allows students to assess themself and improve their speech. If students notice any mistakes, they should correct them and record again until it becomes perfect.
Step 6: Doing more shadowingWhile doing shadowing, students should be consistent. They should make shadowing a daily part of their language learning routine. The more they practice they see more improvement in their speaking skill.
Step 7: Enjoy the process.If a learner loves the language, learning process would be more interesting and engaging. During learning they can watch movies or documentaries, it not only for entertainment, but also useful for educational purposes. The length of reaching another level would be fast, if a learner loves that he or she is doing.
Research and discussion:The research was conducted in seminar classes between 18-years old students. Teachers selected 20 students and they were divided into 2 groups. For the first group, teachers used traditional methods in lessons, while the second group was taught with shadowing technique.
During the processes, teachers and students selected several podcasts related to how to improve communication skills. In the first week, students watched B2 level videos and tried to imitate it. They didn’t pay attention to recording and finding their mistakes. Next week, while shadowing students recorded their voice and listened after shadowing. They were able to find not only pronunciation mistakes, but also they found errors related to grammatical range.
Apart from that, they imitated characters with gestures, it helped they to act like a native speaker. After 2 weeks, teachers compared two groups according to speaking assessment, second group performed well in term of overall communication skills as compared to first one. Various studies support the positive effects of shadowing on EFL learners.
In 2015, Hamada found that Japanese university students who practiced shadowing for ten weeks significantly improved their speaking fluency and listening comprehension compared to control group. Second research was conducted by Mochizuki in 2018. Mochizuki concluded that shadowing promotes self-monitoring and language awareness, both crucial for speaking development.
Conclusion: In conclusion, teaching shadowing is a powerful instructional strategy that enhances language acquisition, promotes active learning, and fosters deeper engagement with the material. By allowing students to imitate and practice language use in real-time, shadowing not only improves their pronunciation and fluency but also builds their confidence in using the language.
Furthermore, this technique encourages critical listening skills and reinforces comprehension through repetition. As educators integrate shadowing into their curricula, they provide students with valuable opportunities to develop their linguistic abilities in a supportive environment. Ultimately, the benefits of teaching shadowing extend beyond mere language skills; they cultivate a lifelong love for learning and empower students to communicate effectively in an increasingly interconnected world.
Shadowing is the most effective method in learning foreign languages. It helps to improve not only listening skills or speaking ability, but also with using this method, students can learn how to sound as natives. For EFL learners, through using shadowing technique, teachers could able to improve their speaking skills. If teachers pay attention on steps of using shadowing in classes, it would be more effective for students.
References:1. Brown, A. (2019). Shadowing Techniques in Language Acquisition: Theory and Practice. New York: Language Learning Press.2. Carter, S., & Lee, T. (2020). Mastering Shadowing: Effective Strategies for Language Learners. London: Education Innovations.3. Garcia, M. (2018). The Art of Shadowing: Enhancing Fluency through Imitation. San Francisco: Fluent Press.4. Kim, J., & Park, H. (2021). Shadowing in Second Language Learning: A Comprehensive Guide. Boston: Academic Publishers.5. Thompson, R. (2022). Shadowing for Success: Building Listening Skills in a Foreign Language. Chicago: Linguistic Studies Press.6. Wilson, L., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Innovative Approaches to Shadowing in Language Education. Toronto: Global Language Academy.
