Shadowing

Overview Shadowing is a language learning technique which was first developed by the American Professor Alexander Arguelles while in Germany which he later refined, over time, while living in Korea. The basis of the method is to have audio in the language you are learning and while listening, one attempts to say what is being said as quickly as one hears it. While doing this, it is most beneficial for one to be walking swiftly to maximize alertness and oxygenation. There are two different types of shadowing which are best used at different stages in the learning of a foreign language. The first is best done at a beginning level with a course such as Assimil, Linguaphone or the Cortina Method. A. Arguelles considers Assimil to be the best possible series for the beginner shadowing style. Audio books are used for the advanced method.

Beginner shadowing What is required: 1. 2. 3. 4. Texts in the language you are learning (L2); A translation of this texts, in either your native language, or otherwise one which you are highly proficient in; A recording of the L2 text; Walking at a swift pace while doing the method.

The use of Assimil; 5. 6. 7. 8. The texts are given in both the learning language and that being learnt; Complete audio for the L2 texts; You can study the grammar and do exercises; Far less editing is required to use the method than other courses.

The steps of beginning shadowing: 9. Blind shadowing - In this first step, one listens and repeats the L2 audio as soon as possible;

10. While listening and repeating the L2, one reads The learning language (L1); 11. Holding the book, put your thumbs under corresponding sentences of both texts. Shadow the audio, read L1 and take a quick look at L2; 12. Reverse this last step. Shadow the audio, read L2 and take a glance at L1; 13. Shadow L2 and read L2 simultaneously; 14. Analyse the text and read notes (optionally do any exercises); 15. Read the L2 text aloud (multiple times if required);

16. Use the scriptorium method on the L2 text;

17. Type the lesson out; 18. Correct the lesson which you have typed out; 19. Read text silently (multiple times if required); 20. Listen to the audio (in the future use the audio as immersion/comprehensible input. Active and/or passive listening. Schedule The aim is to progress through an entire Assimil book in approximately a 3 month period. Each day one should add one lesson to achieve this. At one time, one should be doing 10 lessons of blind shadowing. As you add a new lesson each day, former lessons have the next step applied to them. Example schedule: (Lesson 7 is a review lesson in the Assimil courses so it is not included here) Day 1 Lesson 1 - Blind shadowing

Day 2 Lessons 1 and 2 - Blind shadowing

Day 3 Lessons 1, 2 and 3 - Blind shadowing

(continue adding one lesson daily...)

Day 6 Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - Blind shadowing

Day 7 Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, - Blind shadowing

Day 8 Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 - Blind shadowing

Day 9 Lesson 1 - Shadowing + reading English Lessons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 - Blind shadowing

Day 10 Lesson 1 - Shadowing + reading English Lessons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 - Blind shadowing

Day 11

Lesson 1 - Shadowing + reading English Lesson 2 - Thumbs, L1 dominance Lessons 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, 11, and 12 - Blind shadowing

You go through all the steps and take the finished lessons off.

Advanced/Audio-book shadowingEdit OverviewEdit This level of shadowing, as recommended by Professor Arguelles, is to be done when one is fairly comfortable in understanding the language. Perhaps at what some call the intermediate level. This term is rather subjective between different people so you must experiment to find when you feel it is most beneficial to use this method. The processEdit Similar to beginner shadowing, one repeats audio as close to simultaneous as one can. There are several ways to do this:

21. Shadow the audio while walking. 22. Shadowing and reading while walking.

23. It is possible to do the method while sitting, making it closer to a later stage of
the Listening-Reading Method. Tools neededEdit 24. Text for L2 25. Text for L1 26. Unabridged audio recording for the L2 text

Videos illustrating the methodEdit

Video 1 - Shadowing a foreign language

(Chinese)

Added by WikiaBot

Video 2 - Shadowing Discussed

Added

by WikiaBot

Video 3 - Shadowing Step by Step

Added

by WikiaBot

Read more

There are two kinds of parallel text: side-by-side and interlaced. The name of side by side is... Interlaced parallel texts

When you reach a certain level in your target language, you can start to read books without... Strategies for Reading Books

Hyperliteral translations are translations from language A to language B that try to stick to to... Hyperliteral translations