Maybe you’ve heard of “shadowing” or “echoing” as a language study method before, but you’re not sure what the point of this method is.

You might have questions such as, what is shadowing? How do you do it? How long should you do it? Is it effective for learning English? What materials should I use for shadowing?

Well, if you’re curious, you’re in the right spot.

“Shadowing” is an overlooked study method that can be quite effective when used well and intentionally.

Let’s dive into it.

What is shadowing (echoing)?

Simply put, shadowing (also known as echoing) is a study method where you repeat out loud something you’re listening to.

It’s a great way to practice listening and speaking, creating connections in the brain and positively improving your learning experience.

And what’s more, it’s a terrific method of naturally obtaining a language as you mimic native speakers’ voices and words.

Textbook English and native conversational English are vastly different, and it can be hard to adapt to conversational English unless you expose yourself to native speakers’ speech.

The repetition, repeating a phrase over and over again, allows you to say a phrase or sentence until it feels right to you.

However, there are many ways you can do shadowing.

How do you practice shadowing?

There are two simple ways to do shadowing.

The first is to listen to what’s said and repeat it simultaneously.

The second is a slight variation where you repeat a sentence after listening to the whole sentence.

For both of these, you can repeat the sentences as much as you like for the desired effect.

There are some alternative methods to shadowing you can incorporate:

Listen without the script first to familiarize yourself with the content.

Mumbling: focus on the sounds of the words rather than the words themselves

Focus on the difficult parts: notice which parts are tricky to pronounce and repeat them.

We asked our CEO, Jay, what his method is for shadowing on the English listening app, RedKiwi.

Here’s his response:

Step 1:

I listen to a sentence several times first. Then, I begin solving the quiz.

I like to listen to it (the sentence) before solving the quiz to check how much I can understand at first.

While I'm solving the listening quiz, I get stuck at some point. When that happens, I keep listening to it until I can decipher what it is.

Step 2:

Then, I repeat the sentence until I mimic the sound exactly like the speaker.

Usually, repeating multiple times lets me become familiar with the sound.

Just to note, RedKiwi is one of the only tools that lets you repeat a sentence without manually rewinding it every time.

Step 3:

Once I get used to each sentence, I usually practice shadowing from the beginning to the end of the content until I can follow along confidently.

How many minutes per day should you practice shadowing?

For effective learning, it’s crucial to find your sweet spot. Not too long and not too little.

Spending too much time shadowing could leave you feeling discouraged if you don't see significant improvement during that period.

On the other hand, if the session is too short, you might not fully benefit from its advantages.

We recommend around 5-20 minutes as an appropriate practicing time.

If you measure it per sentence, you could try repeating the sentence 3-6 times or as you see comfortable.

Is shadowing or reading aloud more effective?

Shadowing and reading aloud have different effects.

When you read, there’s something called a “reading voice,” which is different from your natural tone when speaking.

So, when you learn just from reading, it might sound unnatural.

Whereas with shadowing, you are listening to native speakers talk, so it’ll sound more natural.

In that sense, shadowing is more effective than reading aloud for conversational English.

How much delay should there be when mimicking for shadowing?

There’s no set amount for delay when mimicking. It depends on what you’re comfortable with.

Some people prefer to have as little delay as possible, others like to listen and then pause and repeat a sentence.

It might take some practice to get comfortable mimicking with minimal delay, so find the pace that suits you best!

What speed should you do shadowing?

Speed can be an important factor depending on your level and the speaker’s speaking pace.

For beginner to pre-intermediate learners, we recommend starting at a slower pace and then trying to increase the pace bit by bit.

This will help you with initial comprehension of the content and achieving accurate sounds.

For most audio-related apps and software, you can adjust the speed manually to choose a comfortable speed for yourself, such as 0.5x speed, 1x speed, and 1.5x speed.

For intermediate to advanced learners, we recommend listening at a general or faster speaking speed as your comprehension is slightly higher, and you can focus on the sounds.

Is shadowing effective?

Shadowing is effective for both listening and speaking skills. Research has proven this to be true.

Listening and speaking at the same time allows your brain to create connections and enhance your language learning experience.

Not only that, it’s also effective as it helps you sound like a native speaker.

This can help improve your fluency, assist in learning accents, enhance your pronunciation, and boost your conversational English skills.

With continuous practice, the effects will show up clearly over time.

Free shadowing resources and materials

There are numerous free apps and online resources available to practice shadowing!

Here are a few we recommend:

1. RedKiwi

RedKiwi is a YouTube-based English learning app. You can follow along with hand-picked videos of your favorite TV shows, news broadcasts, and celebrities.

Complete listening quizzes, and repeat sentences as many times as you’d like with ease! You can also ask the AI Coach questions.

2. Podcasts

There are plenty of podcasts online and streaming sites for free!

You can pick topics that interest you and pause and rewind to repeat sentences you want for shadowing.

3. YouTube

YouTube is a great place to find a variety of videos and exciting content.

A lot of videos these days include closed captions or automated captions, which could be helpful for you.

4. YouGlish

YouGlish is also a YouTube-based service. If you want to find and practice specific words or phrases, you can use their search bar and go through all the videos containing that word or phrase.

Conclusion

Now that you’re equipped with the “how-to” and knowledge for shadowing, you’re well prepared for listening practice.

Shadowing lets you have fun while learning since you can choose from a wide variety of content, including TV shows, social media, music, and podcasts.

Play around with it for a bit and see what speed and level of repetition works well for you!

Improve your English and learn how shadowing works: Tips for shadowing