Shadowing for pronunciation

[CardiffGiant]

After listening to a couple of language podcast(Ollie Richards and Manu Venditti-Italy Made Easy) regarding how to do Shadowing, I am wondering whether others have employed a similar method when doing this technique. Both podcasts recommend utilizing a transcript in L2, and essentially reading along simultaneously or just after the spoken audio to attempt to duplicate the pronunciation and the cadence of the spoken audio. I found it quite difficult to do this at 100% speed so I have utilized a podcast app(for the selected shadowing passage) to slow down the speech with the hope that I will progressively increase speed after becoming more familiar with the passage and speech to ultimately be able to reach 100%, and then attempt to repeat without the transcript. As I understand it based upon a search of this site, this is a bit different than how others have employed the shadowing technique(e.g. some seem to not use a transcript at all and just repeat the phrases that they hear after pausing).

My question is this: has anyone employed the shadowing technique as I have explained it above and if so, did you find it to be worthwhile in terms of improving pronunciation and flow of speech? Also, I would be interested to hear whether anyone has utilized a podcast app or an other audio program to slow the speed of the audio to assist in acquiring the correct pronunciation, and whether this technique was worthwhile. If there are any other suggestions regarding techniques, whether it be shadowing or otherwise, to assist in improving pronunciation. Thanks.

[mattf789]

This thread seems pertinent https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =shadowing

[Flickserve]

Use an app like audacity to play your mp3.

If it's hard, you can break it down into looping individual sentences or even smaller phrases. The repetitive listening with the looping will help you elucidate the small details. Depending on your starting point with L2, be prepared for a couple of hundred reps of each individual sentence.

[CardiffGiant]

What was missing from that previous thread in shadowing is whether others have used something like audacity, or a podcast app, to slow down the audio initially to assist with shadowing until one can shadow at full
speed, and whether people use a transcript of the audion to shadow. If others have tried shadowing in this way, I would be interested to hear whether they found it worthwhile.

[jeffers]

The Ear2Memory app is designed for exactly this: you can have it repeat small sections of a larger audio file, slow them down, etc. The author of Ear2Memory describes shadowing as repeating afterwards, but I'd call that parroting.

As for effectiveness, I hadn't done much shadowing before, but when preparing for a trip to India a few years ago I began to shadow Assimil Hindi while taking walks. I credit doing that for being much more ready to speak as soon as I hit the ground in India.

[CardiffGiant]

The Ear2Memory app is designed for exactly this: you can have it repeat small sections of a larger audio file, slow them down, etc.

Is this apple available for iphones? I could not find an IOS version.

[rdearman]

Workaudiobook app and desktop program does this and is very intuitive and being constantly worked on and upgraded.

[tommus]

Workaudiobook app and desktop program does this and is very intuitive and being constantly worked on and upgraded.

The latest version is 4.3.1 from 2015.

Version History

But I agree. WorkAudioBook is very good.

[rdearman]

Workaudiobook app and desktop program does this and is very intuitive and being constantly worked on and upgraded.

The latest version is 4.3.1 from 2015.

Version History

But I agree. WorkAudioBook is very good.

I believe he stopped on the desktop to concentrate on the mobile apps. But haven't spoken to them.

[thevagrant88]

To piggyback on this thread, does anybody do shadowing in the upper-intermidiate to advanced level? I shadowed my way all through Assimil Spanish with Ease and about half of Using Spanish and found it supremely helpful.