Let’s review: in the previous e-mails you learned:
- to practice minimal pairs in order to differentiate similar sounds
- to pay attention to the “music” (rhythm of stress) in words/sentences
- to speak faster & more continuously by linking or connecting words
Today I’m going to teach you how to do “shadowing.”
It works like this:
- Get an audio recording + transcript of a native speaker talking at normal speed.
- Listen to ONLY the first sentence (or phrase), then pause the audio and try to repeat the phrase exactly, imitating the native speaker’s rhythm and the “flow” of the words
- Continue – listen, pause, repeat after each phrase
- Want a bigger challenge? Try to do this WITHOUT looking at the text. This is difficult and it’s possible you won’t understand everything – but it will be even more effective in improving your pronunciation.
Why does “shadowing” work?
Because it helps you learn the correct pronunciation with your EARS (hearing and imitating), not with your EYES (seeing the word and reading it aloud).
You’re practicing everything – the sounds, the “music” of English, connecting the words – without interference from seeing the written form of the word. This is especially important because many English words are written differently from the way they are pronounced.
This technique is the closest way possible for training your pronunciation in the same way that native English-speaking children learn to talk!
Why don’t you try it today?
In the American English Pronunciation Course, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to repeat after a native speaker… and I also have a course called Shadowing with Shayna to give you even more practice.
And guess what – BOTH of these courses are on sale for 50% off right now! It’s the best price available all year, and the sale ends soon. Don’t miss your chance to get two courses for the price of one.
One amazing benefit of improving your pronunciation is that your confidence to speak English also improves. Why? Because you know that other people will understand you when you speak!
My student Marcia is originally from Brazil and now lives in the U.S. This is what she said about her experience in the pronunciation course:
“When I came to the U.S. I didn’t speak English very well. My English was poor, just for survival. I started to study by myself. In 4 years my English improved a little bit, but my pronunciation was terrible and I had lots of difficulty understanding spoken English.
When I took the American English pronunciation course, finally I found exactly what I needed. Shayna is an excellent teacher, she gives you all the tips, she knows the difficulty the person has. In 30 days my pronunciation improved fast, my English is much better and I’m feeling more confident. Everybody noticed my performance.”
Wouldn’t you like to feel more confident about your spoken English?
Click here to sign up and start improving your pronunciation today!
Tomorrow I’ll send you my final tip!
