[Complete Guide] How to Practice English Shadowing & Create Free Materials

I want to know how to do shadowing!

Shadowing is a highly effective practice method when learning English or other languages.

For those looking to improve their English listening skills and pronunciation, shadowing is an extremely effective learning technique.

In this article, we will explain in detail how even beginners can practice shadowing, from the basics to advanced applications!

Of course, it can be used for languages other than English, such as French, German, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean.

Let's gain a correct understanding and master the practice of shadowing to efficiently improve your English proficiency.

[Free] AI Text-to-Speech Service "Ondoku" Recommended for Shadowing Materials

The most important part of shadowing is preparing the audio for the material.

In such cases, we recommend "Ondoku".

"Ondoku" is an AI service that can read text aloud with native pronunciation.

Because it can read English and other languages with native pronunciation, you can create the perfect audio for your materials!

Since you can turn text that fits your specific purpose into learning material, it is also ideal for boosting learning motivation.

Furthermore, "Ondoku" allows you to read up to 5,000 characters for free, so you can create shadowing materials right away.

Why not try using "Ondoku" for your English or foreign language studies?

What is Shadowing? Basic Knowledge & Reasons Why It's Highly Effective for English Learning!

First, let's briefly explain shadowing.

What are the Features of Shadowing? Recommended for English and Foreign Language Study

Shadowing is a learning method where you listen to audio and repeat it almost simultaneously.

It is a highly effective method for studying listening, speaking, and pronunciation in English and other foreign languages.

It is also known as a training method for interpreters, and it gets its name from the way you follow the incoming audio like a "shadow."

The big difference from general reading aloud is that you speak relying only on the audio coming into your ears, without looking at the text.

It might feel like simple pronunciation practice, but it actually has the effect of comprehensively training listening, speaking, pronunciation, and sense of rhythm!

By performing "input" and "output" simultaneously during the English learning process, it can be said to be a learning method that makes language acquisition more efficient.

Why is Shadowing Effective? English Learning and the Brain's Language Processing Mechanism

The reason why English shadowing is effective is closely related to the brain's language processing mechanism.

Our brains go through multiple processes—listening, understanding, and speaking—when processing language.

In normal conversation, these processes occur sequentially, but in shadowing, they occur simultaneously, which activates the brain more.

Shadowing is also said to strengthen "working memory" (short-term memory), which helps you memorize English sentences and expressions more efficiently.

In this way, shadowing is a learning method whose effectiveness is backed by neuroscience.

4 English Skills Trained Through Shadowing

By practicing English shadowing consistently, four important skills will effectively improve.

First is listening ability.

Because it develops the ability to immediately understand and process English audio, you will become able to handle the natural speaking style of native speakers.

Next is pronunciation.

By repeatedly imitating native pronunciation, you will acquire natural pronunciation and intonation.

Additionally, you will gain fluency in speaking.

By getting used to speaking English, your reaction speed and smoothness in actual conversation will improve.

And you can also acquire the rhythm specific to English.

English has unique rhythms and patterns, and you can internalize these through shadowing.

These skills are interrelated.

With shadowing, you can strengthen these four skills simultaneously.

You can study English and other foreign languages in a comprehensive and balanced way.

That is the reason why shadowing is so effective.

Effects of Shadowing by English Learner Level

English shadowing is effective regardless of the learner's level, but the way the effects manifest differs by level.

For beginners, it has a significant effect on getting used to the sounds of English and improving basic pronunciation.

Since you can learn the sounds and rhythms of English through physical practice, you will naturally acquire the flow of sounds unique to English.

For intermediate learners, you will become able to use words and expressions you already know more naturally, improving conversation speed and fluency.

Listening ability will also improve dramatically, allowing you to keep up with the speed of natural English.

For advanced learners, it is effective for acquiring pronunciation and intonation close to that of a native speaker, as well as subtle nuances.

Since you will become able to immediately understand and use complex grammatical structures and expressions, you can further refine your advanced English skills.

In this way, English shadowing brings different effects depending on the learner's level.

Shadowing is an optimal study method for continuous growth.

[Explained using English learning as an example] What is the Flow of Shadowing?

How specifically do I study English with shadowing?

Now, we will explain the specific method of shadowing using English study as an example!

1. Prepare Audio Materials for Shadowing

When starting English shadowing, the first important thing is to prepare audio materials.

There are three points to consider when preparing audio materials:

• Content slightly above your own level (too easy or too difficult is no good)
• Easy-to-hear pronunciation
• Appropriate speed

Specifically,

• Beginners: Radio language programs, introductory book CDs
• Intermediate and above: TED Talks, podcasts, segments of movies or dramas

These are standard materials.

Furthermore, there is a recommended method that can be utilized by everyone from beginners to advanced learners!

That is creating audio materials from English text using an AI text-to-speech service.

It's often hard to find shadowing audio that perfectly fits your purpose, such as travel, business, or hobbies.

In such cases, by using an AI text-to-speech service like "Ondoku", you can create English audio for specific fields of interest.

"Ondoku" can be used for free, so you can get materials as soon as you want to study.

We also introduce example sentences perfect for shadowing in this article, so please take a look!

[Must-Read] Improve Your English! 100 Recommended Example Sentences for Reading Aloud - A Curated Collection for Beginners to Advanced Learners

Introducing 100 carefully selected example sentences for effective reading aloud in English learning. Includes texts useful for mouth exercises, pronunciation practice, business, TOEIC, and university entrance exams. A must-read article for anyone from beginner to advanced aiming to improve their English through reading aloud. With a variety of sentences ideal for daily practice, your speaking skills and overall...

[Free] The Flow of Creating English Audio for Shadowing with "Ondoku"

"Ondoku" is an AI service that allows anyone to easily create English audio.

For example, anyone can immediately generate high-quality audio like this!

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it...
(From the beginning of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland")

Now let's see specifically how to create audio for shadowing with "Ondoku"!

First, open the Ondoku top page.

Paste the English text into the text box.

Select English from "Language."

In "Ondoku", you can choose from four types:

• English (USA)
• English (United Kingdom)
• English (Australia)
• English (India)

You can choose according to the pronunciation you want to study, such as American English or British English.

Next, select the voice used for reading, such as female or male.

You can listen to samples of the voices available for English reading on this page.

For English listening study! Listen to native pronunciation from 92 speakers, including female, male, girl, and boy voices!

Ondoku is a text-to-speech service that can pronounce languages from all over the world. You can listen to samples of Ondoku's 92 types of English voices.

Adjust the reading speed and pitch as needed.

Now you're ready.

Click "Read" to generate the English audio.

Processing will be completed quickly, and the audio will play automatically.

In addition to playing it on the on-screen audio player, you can also save it in MP3 format.

If it's too fast, try lowering the speed and generating it again.

"Ondoku" allows you to change the playback speed freely.

Amazingly, "Ondoku" allows you to lower the reading speed to 0.3x, making it ideal for shadowing!

You can practice pronunciation thoroughly.

In this way, with Ondoku, anyone can easily create English audio with native pronunciation for free.

Why don't you start shadowing using "Ondoku"?

2. Practice Slowly While Looking at the Text

Now you have the audio ready for shadowing.

When starting shadowing, let's begin with basic training.

First, play the created audio.

As the audio starts flowing, pronounce the same words about 0.5 to 1 second later.

Don't worry if there are parts where pronunciation is difficult or you can't keep up; keep reading without stopping the flow.

At this stage, it's okay to read while looking at the text.

Once you get used to it, gradually try to read without looking at the text.

By practicing repeatedly with the same material for about 10 to 15 minutes every day, you can gradually acclimate your body to English sound patterns.

At first, you might tend to follow word by word, but you will gradually become able to grasp it in units of phrases (meaningful chunks).

3. Once You Get Used to It, Try Full-Scale Shadowing!

Once you are used to basic training, challenge yourself with more authentic shadowing.

First, try shadowing at normal speed, such as 1.0x, without looking at the original text.

At this stage, aim to follow the audio while understanding the meaning.

Once you can shadow smoothly, record your own voice and compare it with the original audio.

Pay particular attention to intonation, rhythm, and the accuracy of individual sounds.

If you created the material with "Ondoku", it is also effective to broaden your practice by using the same text but changing to a different voice, speed, or accent (e.g., from American English to British English).

By gradually increasing the difficulty level, you can effectively improve your English skills.

In this way, when shadowing English, it is recommended to create materials with "Ondoku".

English shadowing is a learning method that surely shows results when continued in the correct way.

Why not use this method to prepare materials with "Ondoku" and start English shadowing?

How to Shadow More Effectively? English Learning Points

There are several points to increase the effectiveness of shadowing.

Here are some specifically important points.

Setting Up the Ideal Learning Environment for Shadowing

To perform English shadowing effectively, it is important to set up an appropriate learning environment.

First, secure a quiet place where you can concentrate.

If there is ambient noise, you won't be able to concentrate on the English audio, and the effectiveness of shadowing will be halved.

It is also important to be able to play the materials with good sound quality.

Prepare devices such as a smartphone, computer, or tablet, along with earphones or headphones.

Using earphones or headphones prevents the material's sound from being recorded along with your own voice when you check your recording.

If you cannot record while playing music, we recommend playing it on a computer while recording with a smartphone.

Since you will be making noise during shadowing, consider choosing an environment or time of day that does not disturb family or those around you.

Points for Recording and Checking Your Shadowing

There are several points to be conscious of when recording and checking your own shadowing.

First, regarding pronunciation, check if you are accurately pronouncing sounds that Japanese speakers especially struggle with, such as /r/ and /l/, /th/, and /v/ and /b/.

Also, pay attention to word stress positions, sentence intonation, and rhythm.

Since English has a clear strong-weak rhythm, check if the words that should be emphasized are correctly stressed.

In terms of speed, how well you can keep up with the model without delay is also an important indicator.

Check if you are pronouncing all words without omission or elision.

Keeping notes on these points will clarify areas for improvement in your next practice session.

By recording and comparing shadowing of the same material about once a week, you can feel your own growth.

By being conscious of these points when recording and checking your own voice, you can further enhance the effectiveness of your English shadowing.

Recommended Daily Shadowing Practice Time and Frequency

To perform English shadowing effectively, it is important to set appropriate practice times and frequency.

For beginners, it is ideal to start with about 10 to 15 minutes per session.

Shadowing is a practice that requires concentration, so continuing for a long time will accumulate fatigue and decrease effectiveness.

Regarding frequency, doing it for a short time every day is most effective.

Even 5 to 15 minutes every day is far more effective than doing it once a week for a long time.

Consistency is key, and regular stimulation is necessary to form English circuits in the brain.

Intermediate and advanced learners can extend a single practice session to 20 or 30 minutes, but keep it within the range where concentration lasts.

Also, repeating the same material at least five times or more will increase retention.

If you practice multiple times a day, it's effective to leave some time between sessions, such as morning and night.

It is recommended to approach English shadowing with a long-term perspective of three months or more, rather than expecting immediate results.

Don't quit just because you don't see immediate results; take your time to study.

The secret to studying English with shadowing is to make a plan that you can continue within a reasonable range.

Practical Techniques for Improving English through Shadowing

To improve your English with shadowing, it is recommended to be conscious of practical techniques.

From here, we will introduce more practical tips for shadowing.

Tips for Focusing on Prosody (Intonation, Rhythm, and Stress)

What's important in English shadowing is not just pronouncing words, but paying attention to prosody, which refers to English intonation, rhythm, and stress.

Unlike Japanese, English is a language with stress accents that emphasize specific words or syllables.

When shadowing, be conscious of which words are pronounced strongly and where the tone of voice rises and falls.

For example, content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) tend to be pronounced strongly, while functional words (articles, prepositions, conjunctions, etc.) tend to be pronounced weakly.

Also, English has a "strong-weak-strong-weak" rhythm pattern, and it is effective to practice so that you feel this rhythm with your body.

A practical tip is to mark the parts being pronounced strongly or keep rhythm with your hand when first listening to the model audio.

Regarding intonation, be conscious of patterns such as rising at the end of Yes/No questions and falling in questions starting with interrogatives or in declarative sentences.

By shadowing while being conscious of prosody, you will acquire more natural, English-like pronunciation, and the impression you give listeners will change significantly.

Techniques for Grasping Chunks (Meaningful Units)

Equally important are "chunks," which are meaningful units.

When shadowing English, aim to grasp English in "chunks" rather than word by word.

A chunk is a group of words or a phrase normally used together, and the brains of people who have mastered English process language in these chunk units.

Examples of chunks include:

• "I'd like to"
• "as soon as possible"
• "in the morning"

By being conscious of such chunks during shadowing, you can grasp the natural flow of English and speak more smoothly.

As a specific method for being conscious of chunks, before starting shadowing, try inserting slashes (/) at every meaningful unit when reading the text.

For example, you could divide it like: "I'd like to / have dinner / at that restaurant / if possible."

Also, when listening to the model audio, pay attention to where the speaker takes subtle breaths and how they group phrases.

By shadowing in chunk units, you can acquire natural English expression patterns while not just imitating pronunciation.

It will also help with understanding and memorizing long sentences, and you will be able to speak smoothly in actual English conversations.

Tips and Breathing Methods for Continuous Speaking in English

In English shadowing, it is also important to continue speaking smoothly without interruption.

To do so, you need to acquire appropriate breathing methods and speaking techniques.

First, as a basic rule, take a deep breath before shadowing to relax your body.

When you are tense, your throat tightens, making smooth speech difficult.

When actually shadowing, be conscious of breathing naturally between chunks (meaningful units).

Breaths should be taken at points where native English speakers naturally pause (usually at commas or periods, or between meaningful units).

Also, you don't need to aim for the same speaking speed as a native speaker from the start.

Start at a speed you can comfortably maintain and gradually increase it.

If you get stuck, don't dwell on that part and prioritize catching up with the audio you hear.

Maintaining the flow is more important than aiming for perfection.

Also, performing vocal exercises to loosen mouth muscles or stretching the tongue and lips beforehand will allow for smoother speech.

By consciously practicing these techniques, continuous English shadowing will become possible, allowing you to have actual conversations more fluently.

Common Obstacles in English Shadowing and How to Deal with Them

There are several points where many learners commonly stumble in English shadowing.

First is not being able to keep up with the speed.

In this case, it is effective to use a tool like "Ondoku" that allows you to lower the audio playback speed.

It is also recommended to start with short phrases and gradually increase the length.

Next is having sounds you can't hear or pronounce.

In this case, pronunciation practice focusing on specific sounds is effective.

For example, for sounds that Japanese speakers struggle with, such as "th" or "r," try practicing while being conscious of the shape of the mouth and the position of the tongue.

There are also many cases of stumbling on long sentences or complex syntax.

In this case, breaking down the sentence into meaningful chunks to reduce the amount of information processed at once will allow you to read more smoothly.

To maintain motivation, it's important to build a habit of continuing every day, even for a short time.

Shadowing is a study method that improves step by step.

Practice with the feeling of accumulating small successes over time.

By knowing these countermeasures, you can continue English shadowing practice more effectively and without giving up.

What is the Applied Technique "Para-shadowing"?

Once you are used to English shadowing, try the more advanced practice method of "Para-shadowing."

Para-shadowing is not just imitating audio, but shadowing while paraphrasing what you heard into different words.

It is a method that can further enhance language processing ability and is also used in interpreter training.

For example, if the original sentence is "I'm really excited about the upcoming concert," in para-shadowing, you would express the same meaning in different words, such as "I'm very happy about the concert that will happen soon."

If you're trying para-shadowing for the first time, it's best to start with simple paraphrasing.

For example, changing an affirmative sentence to a negative sentence ("It's hot." → "It's not cold."), changing active voice to passive voice, or replacing words with synonyms.

As you get used to it, you will be able to change the sentence structure itself or challenge yourself with more complex paraphrasing.

The big advantage of para-shadowing is that it trains the ability to think in English beyond mere imitation.

Through this practice, you will be able to express yourself more flexibly in actual conversation, and your vocabulary will also improve at the same time.

However, since para-shadowing is an advanced technique, we recommend challenging it after becoming sufficiently accustomed to basic shadowing.

At first, by incorporating it once or twice a week even for a short time after normal shadowing, you can further enhance your English proficiency.

Why Not Try Studying English with Shadowing Yourself?

English shadowing is a study method that is effective at all stages, from beginner to advanced.

By continuing in the correct way, you can improve your listening skills, pronunciation, speaking fluency, and overall English proficiency all at once.

Why not start shadowing practice using the various techniques and resources introduced in this article?

Of course, shadowing can be utilized in the same way for language learning other than English.

When challenging yourself with languages of interest such as French, German, Spanish, Chinese, or Korean, we recommend incorporating shadowing.

Why don't you start shadowing today by creating audio materials with an AI text-to-speech tool?