Shadowing guides

Shadowing works, but almost nobody explains the mechanics: how long a clip should be, how many repetitions actually help, what to listen for when you play your voice back. These are the answers, written to be used in a session rather than admired.

• What is shadowing? The technique interpreters use to learn languages

  Where the technique came from, what it actually trains, and the honest case for and against it.

  7 min read

• How to shadow: a step-by-step method for your first session

  A repeatable routine: clip length, repetitions, what to listen for, and when to move on.

  9 min read

• How to shadow with podcasts (and which episodes actually work)

  Picking episodes that work, cutting them into phrases, and practising away from a screen.

  8 min read

• Shadowing vs. listen-and-repeat: which one should you be doing?

  Two exercises that look alike and train different things — and when to use each.

  6 min read