Fantastic Foreign Language Learning Technique - Shadowing

1. Fantastic Language Learning Tip: Shadowing A Foreign Language Have you ever tried shadowing a foreign language? Shadowing is a language learning technique developed by the American Professor and language specialist, Alexander Arguelles. It’s a great technique for anyone learning a foreign language to try. http://www.qlanguage.com.hk/fantastic-language-learning-tip-shadowing-foreign-language

2. All you need is some sort of portable listening device like an iPod or a decent mobile phone, a set of headphones and a good (and preferably interesting) recording of your target language. You simply go outside and walk around briskly whilst listening to the recording of a native-speaker dialogue and repeat in a loud, clear voice, exactly what you hear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdheWK7u11w To make it easier, you could try holding and reading a transcription of what you are listening to at the same time. It is advised to be walking briskly, in a good, upright posture, as you listen and repeat the dialogue, as this boosts oxygenation and alertness of the brain, which in turn maximizes the overall learning process. http://www.qlanguage.com.hk/fantastic-language-learning-tip-shadowing-foreign-language

3. Watch the ‘Shadowing A Foreign Language – Chinese video’ here (screenshot of video below) to get an idea of this unorthodox language learning technique in action and note how useful one language learner (asterexcel) found the technique, by commenting on You Tube: “ Prof Arguelles is spot on with this approach. I thought it was crazy at first, but then used it — and it makes a HUGE difference to the way you absorb language.Slouch around and your body relaxes, feeling no need to learn or adapt. Get moving, and your body is more alert, ready, and capable of taking in information. Thanks, MrArguelles, for making a big difference to my learning! ” http://www.qlanguage.com.hk/fantastic-language-learning-tip-shadowing-foreign-language

4. The technique of “shadowing” may seem a little odd to you and you may think others may find you strange, but here are some added benefits according to author and language writer Michael Erard (as written here): • It gets you used to people looking at you when you’re doing something new, so it reduces the embarrassment factor. • It also hooks up kinetics to the language, so it engages those gross motor skills and makes you less focused on what’s going on with your mouth and tongue. • It exercises your working memory, which is key to learning a foreign language. • Another key is making the experience enjoyable. To acquire any language, you need to repeat words and phrases often, so repeat things you like. When we do something pleasurable, dopamine is released in the brain and that makes us want to do it again. ” http://www.qlanguage.com.hk/fantastic-language-learning-tip-shadowing-foreign-language

5. What To Do If You Don’t Like the Idea Of Shadowing In Public If you don’t feel bold enough to walk around ‘shadowing’ outside, as Alexander Arguelles does in the video mentioned previously, you could perhaps try it indoors in the privacy of your own home, although you won’t get all the benefits as described above. Another variation on the theme of shadowing is to try and find online videos with captions and repeat word for word what you hear the native speaker say. Click here to see examples of this type of video and further information.