Though some what obsessive in approach, in my experience many of the points raised here are very advantageous for acquiring ability in a target language to be spoken. . I tend to be more free range as regards materials. using at transcriptions and translations of audio news clips to effectively "shadow" as explained here. In addition I suggest wearing strong and intense colours .. to improve purposefulness , attention and focus. How whacky is that!
At 33 minutes into this video when you talk about converting all your internal dialogue to the target language, I started translating everything you said into Spanish, my target language.
Professor Arguelles, I really want to follow your shadowing system to learn Korean but I once heard from Steve Kaufman that the Assimil course for Korean was not good at all. Do you have any idea why he might have said that? Does your opinion differ? I'd appreciate it if you should reply. This is very important to me. Thanks.
When shadowing if you are first starting out is it more important to know the meaning of whats being said or to know each and every word used? What im asking is should i be more focused on trying to pin point the words in the sentence or should i focus on the sentence as a whole?
I understand the point is that shadowing is supposed to provide a corrective device that simple repetition does not, but how is it different than just simply repeating the phrase a few times until it is correct? Speaking for myself, I usually can hear the sounds correctly when they're said, but the stumbling block may be a difficult sound within a sentence, which prolongs the time required for me to say it (because I'm focused on that sound, not necessarily the whole phrase).
I have a question... Would this variation of your method work? 1. Listen to assimil lesson 2 times... 2. open book and listen to lesson looking at TL.... 3. Listen to target language while looking at L1... 4. Start "shadowing" by reading along with TL trying not to refer back to the L1.
I have another question... Is it wrong to read along with the recording, instead of repeat after the recording?
I've tailored this technique to my own needs and I find it very useful in the early stages of learning a language. Mine varies in that I juggle a comfortable 3 ball pattern whilst repeating or answering the recorded dialogue. Doing something that my muscle-memory can perform with little to no effort means that my hands are occupied and therefore free from distraction. The movement also helps to alleviate the classroom-feel associated with learning, thus allowing the info to sink in naturally...
Multi-tasking is certainly possible. You just have to concentrate only on one (more important) task, the second being in the background. For example you can listen to ipod while running, and focus only on listening.
"watch other two...." wait , wait, WAIT! where can I find them, maybe link in the subscription? no, maybe in the vid ? no, so hey, maybe you're going to fix it ?
its funny because, i discovered it because i was desperate to perfect my pronunciation which is not perfect however, its HUGELY better. it didn't know it was already being used by someone else until i saw this video. however, for french i had alot of audio books, so i read a lot of audio books. its method that i was going to use. one thing i did for my french however was before every chapter. i would find every word i didn't know and look it up then start the chapter. that was my prep stage.
this is interesting because, i discovered this method on my own when i was frustrated with french pronunciation however i did it with audio books. however, what did was read ahead of the narrator, then listened to how she or he read it. it helped me alot with understand the pronunciations and the many discrepancies that exist in french spelling and change in phonetic. i did notice that it did augment my vocabulary. it did cause me to utilize different muscles in my mouth for pronunciation.
Ok, yes, I have tried it and it is unfeasible and unworkable to repeat something I haven’t had the suitable and appropriate time to listen carefully, I just repeat the final sounds because the speed of the speaker does not allow me time to listen completely the word. Also, why if is so good your method, it has so many detractors? And repetitions are widely known...
your life sounds so interesting. thank you for sharing your expertise, i hope to be more or less fluent in spanish in the next year or. i will definitely implement the techniques i have seen you outline in many of your videos.
@phonicsquest Is that your experience? I emphatically discourage multi-tasking when it comes to trying to do two different mental activities at once. However, when it comes to combining a mental activity (such as studying) with a physical activity (such as walking) into an exercise such as shadowing, my experience, offered here, is that it is both possible and highly profitable to do so. Have you actually tried it?
@ProfASAr what I consider correct is repetition when the student has a minimum time to reproduce the target sound,but "shadowing" is wrong, you do not have the time to fix in your mind the requested ,previous sound...so the result is not accurate..
@phonicsquest My own results, in terms of both segemental and suprasegmental reproduction, are much more accurate than when I "listen and then repeat." Upon first trying it, some students are stymied by the novelty of the technique, but thereafter my observations match my experience. So again I ask: have you tried it? It seems that you have not, but are basing your critique upon theory alone.
When learning a new language, do you do...say... assimil, teach yourself, and colloquial all at the same time? or do one book, finish it, do the next, etc.? Thanks :)
This method appears wonderful. However, I don't think it takes into account how much of a klutz I am. I can just imagine walking whilst reading and then colliding with something to disastrous effect....
It would seem that there are many youtubers out there who are attempting to teach students the shadowing method. One thing I've noticed is that most are going about it in such a way as to skew the original method and often leave out key steps that assist learners in grasping the intention of the method. I am glad that you have outlined the technique in great detail and look forward to giving it a shot in the near future. Thank you.
One aboriginal Austrialian tribe has the word "Dog" for DOG. Just like us in English. What are the chances of that happening?? But it is true. It is even spelled the same and means the exact same animal subject. I beleive any given language/dialect etc can be related and have similarities with any other language(s) and dialect(s) in the world that exist and ever have existed.
I fail to see how that implies that English and Australian language X are in any way related. Not to mention that all Australian languages had some level of interaction with English, so you'd first have to demonstrate that they used that word at least 200+ years ago, which would be very hard to do because those languages are strictly oral. And even then, a coincidence is still just a coincidence.
I like the term shadowing more than echoing because, if you are trying to speak simultaneously with the speaker your are acting more like a shadow than an echo.
While I agree shadowing is a useful technique, Keeping in mind that our time is limited,
I feel that doing it blindly without comprehension wastes time. If you are going to repeat something, it is better that you understand what it is you are repeating. Meaning increases retention. I remember back in the 7th grade when the latest and greatest in pedagogy was to teach us French with a book that had no English. I was so turned off by this approach at the time. Phrases like Est-ce que vous etes fatique, etc. (Never mind the accents) made no sense.
If only someone had said, Is it that you are tired, I would have understood the basis of the phrase so much faster and been able to remember it so much more easily. It is easier to wrap your head around an odd way of saying something than to have no idea of what is really being said and simply parroting. It takes children years to understand what is going on. If you already have a framework to build on, why go back to square one? It simply is not efficient.
I would just like to take a moment to thank you for your informative videos. I learned a lot by watching them. While I may not agree entirely with you methods, I have found your reviews of language learning materials to be very helpful. I've not seen the same depth of information elsewhere so far on the Internet.
Same. I'm 24 and never even considered another language. I'm from Wales and speak solely English and haven't even bothered to learn the other national language of Wales which is Welsh.
Recently though, I've had a burning desire to learn another language, so I've been watching this gentleman's videos and I have been completely absorbed. I could listen to his lessons all day - in fact, I have done! lol
This shadowing method definitely makes a lot of sense and I will do it.
I just thought of a simple way to prove that this is possible...
While watching this you mentioned that people thought it would be hard or nearly impossible to speak on top of someone else and repeat verbatim what they are saying.
If you want to prove to yourself this is possible, just speak on top of him in English. As soon as you hear a word say it back.
I knew I'd be able to copy him but it's amazing how you can repeat a word without consciously hearing it. It becomes like an echo.
Loved the video. Though instead of, or in conjunction with your aforementioned personal tutouring via webcam, I wish that you would create a correspondence course. Perhaps make a dvd series. I would definately take this course. J
Do you know how much it would cost to sit in a lecture hall and listen to him ramble on about applied linguistics? I'll listen (for free mind you) as long as he's willing to talk.
What's your opinion of the William T Tardy books such as 'Easy Spanish Reader' as shadowing tools? There are CD-ROM versions available(with MP3s). There is no full English translation, but each new word is introduced as it appears.
I have a question concerning language learning and age. You have learned many languages so I'm assuming you've done so over the course of at least ten years. Is there any noticable decline in speed or efficiency of study between, say, 20, and your own age?
Quite the contrary: there is a very noticeable increase in speed and efficiency of study with the experience that comes with age. This is emphatically true for the ability to master new grammatical systems and to build vocabulary. It may not be true for the ability to develop a decent accent, however. Many of my own accents are confessedly bad, and while I suspect that this is mainly due to do with the fact that I have never had any active exposure to them, it may also be due to age.
My belief is that accent related to identity and that adults are more attached to their identity. Peter Sellers and had an ability to take on characters, he made his own personality a blank, and that allowed the characters to inhabit him. I'm considering acting classes. They'd be scary, but I believe they might help with learning accents.
so what should i do, use blind shadowing then shadowing with the teaching laguage ect. for 1 chapter then move to the next one or blind shadow the whole book then shadow in the teaching language the whole book?
In regards to Assimil, is it best to shadow one lesson at a time, going through all of the stages, or is it best to have sort of a batch of lessons built up?
In these three videos I have given as much detailed information about this technique as I possibly can. If it intrigues you and you want still more personal advice about implementing it, please consider signing up for an individual consultation/tutorial session on my coaching site.
Yer a genius! I been shadowing songs in German, and I notice that song structure is similar to language lesson structure, in that songs feature linguistic elements repeated with slight variations. Coincidence? Maybe not--singing may have evolved in part as the first foreign language lessons, back in neolithic times....
Wow, I actually did (and still do) something like this before I knew that you had this technique. I wanted to get the rhythm/tone/intonation of the langauges I'm learning down and be able to hear the sounds, so I found a bunch of audio material where someone would just be speaking/sining in the langauge continously for awhile. I listen to them while I'm taking a walk or drawing or right before I go to bed and try to repeat their phrases...this has worked extremely well for me so far.
I read on a message board that you were one of the top 10 most intelligent people in the world. I have no idea how the ranking system for that works by the way.
Again personal question you definitely dont have to answer.
I wonder, have you ever tried a system where each sentence is played twice in a row? In other words, the student listens to the first play and then does the shadowing on the second play. This way the student can really listen intensely to the audio and so make a much better stab at getting it right during the second play.
After the second play, the first play of the next sentence would occur, and so on.
After a while, the student would get to a point where one play per sentence is sufficient.
I'm not really interested in going that route because I would have to publish it as it now is and I am not satisfied with that. Again, what I need is for a professional editor to show interest in it and to work on getting it into shape with me.
If one has a foothold in the language, do you think it would still be profitable to make use of shadowing? Or would it be better to simply read native-level texts for hours on end?
Shadowing is more of a beginner's technique for actually learning a language you do not know. However, if you enjoy the procedure, you can certainly adapt it to the intermediate stages of maintaining and improving your languages by using bilingual texts or texts with translations plus audio. This would be particularly indicated if you have learned in such a fashion that you have never had much speaking practice. At any rate, you need to be more advanced that a foothold to read for hours on end.
If by "use an SRS" you mean utilize a computerized program to space out kanji, individual words, or sentences, then no. However, the basic principle of spacing out review sessions at ever greater intervals so as to get material deeper and deeper into one's long term memory is an integral and fundamental element of all effective language learning. I just prefer to control the process myself rather than let a computer program run it.
What you suggest is indeed attractive. For proximity to a confluence of languages, the other side of the Atlantic would be a better locale. However, as I understand citizenship, visas, work permits, etc., I cannot just get up and go on my own: I need a formal invitation. If anyone cares to offer one, I would eagerly and carefully consider any proposition.
Why don't you do this yourself and post it as a response? I wouldn't be able to do this because I find more like, well, 55 minutes of information here. I think most of the 932 people who saw it before me and gave it 27 ratings and 15 favorites in 48 hours, would agree. We understand that not everything can be reduced to a 2 minute sound-bite, and we don't want that because we are coming here to listen to a university professor give a detailed lecture in his special area of expertise.
OK, with audio cassettes just convert it to mp3 using a tape player, a microphone, a computer and the software "Audacity," which is free. Then it's easy to remove the gaps becasue they are represented visually, it's as easy as cut and paste!
Nice long look at beginning! RE the razor, seems to me that songs sung in the target language are the old-school razor, superior function without ridiculous plastic gimmickry, yer right, all that plastic stuff is quite superflous. Way easier to shadow a song, it's got sweet tunes that make it fun to listen to and easier to remember the lyrics. And notice that even adults are able to learn to sing a second language accent-free. Music is the razor!!!!
My new distance coaching site should go live any day now. Please consider signing up for a consultation session so that I can literally walk you through the procedure.
Everything you write is very true and I would love nothing more than to do just this. Please facilitate/enable this by providing some real supportive contacts and I will be there ASAP.
I must admit I was confused at first about this method, because of misunderstanding the terminology of repeating "immediately" or "simultaneously", which of course is impossible to do the first time without some form of psychic ability!
Anyway, thank you for your new video. I always feel extremely motivated to achieve my goals after watching your videos, despite rarely talking to you directly. Thank you for all your efforts.
The name does not ring an immediate bell (perhaps a pseudonym?), but several people have recently proposed working with me in several different ways... Please provide a link to that forum so I can see this for myself!
I found the Michael Thomas forum and immediately found him talking about what I said about the MT method in my audio-only review, and as soon as I did that, I did indeed recall corresponding with him on several occasions not long ago. Our exchanges were certainly amicable, but I don't remember making any particular plans beyond mutual support of multilingualism and more efficient language teaching, nor did I see on the MT forum that he said we had done so...
Prof. A, I love your videos and I was actually excited about the length of this one. Your lectures are always of interest and immediately put "a shot in the arm" of my language study. After having some notion of how shadowing works, I started to "make improvements" to get it to work better for me and I now know these are the "correct" method anyway. So, I'd just like to say thanks for going into such detail and clearing up the fog. Can't wait for the book and other diagrams on language families!
Professor, not to go off-topic here.... but what has happened to your Polyglot book? Have you ever got to publish it? It is not mentioned on your website. Regarding shadowing, you wrote on the forums back in 2005: "I devote an entire lengthy chapter to it in my book." I would still love to read it.
I have indeed written a book containing everything I know about language learning; I don't list it on the publications page of my website because I haven't published it yet, but I do describe it on the polyglottery page. Basically, it is still in manuscript form and every time I try to "finish" it on my own I end up adding more and more. I need to have a professional editor work with me on this, but I don't have one yet.
You will never finish it, if you keep reviewing it yourself. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. The point is that, if ninety per cent is good, then publish. As you learn more it can be included in later editions. Knowledge is never static. If you would like someone to look it over, I'd be happy to.
I'm thinking about using the Foreign Service Institute "Korean 2" course for shadowing.
I've got it in mp3 format, so I can easily cut out the sounds of the 아저씨 calling out the drills, leaving just the dialog.
The best thing in my opinion about the course is the fact that they speak very fast and very formally, even if it is very old fashioned. My casual Korean ability is satisfactory, but I need the formal language for work.
Good luck with this! If you edit out the spaces between the pattern drills, this will give you some of the most intense training imaginable. As for the dialogs, be sure to just save one complete set (usually introduced as "for listening" at the beginning or "for comprehension" at the end) and to delete the other, together with all the build up and repetition in the "for learning" and "for fluency" sections. You only want/need one version.
Though some what obsessive in approach, in my experience many of the points raised here are very advantageous for acquiring ability in a target language to be spoken. . I tend to be more free range as regards materials. using at transcriptions and translations of audio news clips to effectively "shadow" as explained here. In addition I suggest wearing strong and intense colours .. to improve purposefulness , attention and focus. How whacky is that!
SYNTHPAINTANN 1 month ago
you like your frightened by something, like someone is off screen with a gun forcing you to talk about languages!
ramblinevilmushroom 2 months ago
can shadowing be used to learn your own language better?
Bregowald 3 months ago
Wow.
At 33 minutes into this video when you talk about converting all your internal dialogue to the target language, I started translating everything you said into Spanish, my target language.
WHAT AN AMAZING experience. Thanks!
Crashof2008 4 months ago 2
Professor Arguelles, I really want to follow your shadowing system to learn Korean but I once heard from Steve Kaufman that the Assimil course for Korean was not good at all. Do you have any idea why he might have said that? Does your opinion differ? I'd appreciate it if you should reply. This is very important to me. Thanks.
Nevertoto 5 months ago
The walking at a brisk pace really does help get your attention focused.
TheNonsubscribable 5 months ago
When shadowing if you are first starting out is it more important to know the meaning of whats being said or to know each and every word used? What im asking is should i be more focused on trying to pin point the words in the sentence or should i focus on the sentence as a whole?
TheNonsubscribable 5 months ago
Would you recommend this technique for learning Chinese, for someone with only a very basic knowledge of the language?
RollTheDice00 5 months ago
this is a long video
crystalinthemirror 5 months ago
I understand the point is that shadowing is supposed to provide a corrective device that simple repetition does not, but how is it different than just simply repeating the phrase a few times until it is correct? Speaking for myself, I usually can hear the sounds correctly when they're said, but the stumbling block may be a difficult sound within a sentence, which prolongs the time required for me to say it (because I'm focused on that sound, not necessarily the whole phrase).
bradcasali 6 months ago
I was honored to be your student at RELC! You are an expert in teaching foreign languages. Best wishes
trungtrinhc3 6 months ago
I have a question... Would this variation of your method work? 1. Listen to assimil lesson 2 times... 2. open book and listen to lesson looking at TL.... 3. Listen to target language while looking at L1... 4. Start "shadowing" by reading along with TL trying not to refer back to the L1.
I have another question... Is it wrong to read along with the recording, instead of repeat after the recording?
watupboy101 6 months ago
Comment removed
allarmsfall 7 months ago
I've tailored this technique to my own needs and I find it very useful in the early stages of learning a language. Mine varies in that I juggle a comfortable 3 ball pattern whilst repeating or answering the recorded dialogue. Doing something that my muscle-memory can perform with little to no effort means that my hands are occupied and therefore free from distraction. The movement also helps to alleviate the classroom-feel associated with learning, thus allowing the info to sink in naturally...
allarmsfall 7 months ago
I like to do the shadow technique when I'm watching japenese animes :)
Kaorisnowboard 9 months ago
Thank you for your description of how to shadow and go through the Assimil books! It has helped me tremendously :)
darkmatter88 9 months ago
Multi-tasking is certainly possible. You just have to concentrate only on one (more important) task, the second being in the background. For example you can listen to ipod while running, and focus only on listening.
marckami 10 months ago
"watch other two...." wait , wait, WAIT! where can I find them, maybe link in the subscription? no, maybe in the vid ? no, so hey, maybe you're going to fix it ?
sjeine19 11 months ago
its funny because, i discovered it because i was desperate to perfect my pronunciation which is not perfect however, its HUGELY better. it didn't know it was already being used by someone else until i saw this video. however, for french i had alot of audio books, so i read a lot of audio books. its method that i was going to use. one thing i did for my french however was before every chapter. i would find every word i didn't know and look it up then start the chapter. that was my prep stage.
charmides1 11 months ago
this is interesting because, i discovered this method on my own when i was frustrated with french pronunciation however i did it with audio books. however, what did was read ahead of the narrator, then listened to how she or he read it. it helped me alot with understand the pronunciations and the many discrepancies that exist in french spelling and change in phonetic. i did notice that it did augment my vocabulary. it did cause me to utilize different muscles in my mouth for pronunciation.
charmides1 11 months ago
Ok, yes, I have tried it and it is unfeasible and unworkable to repeat something I haven’t had the suitable and appropriate time to listen carefully, I just repeat the final sounds because the speed of the speaker does not allow me time to listen completely the word. Also, why if is so good your method, it has so many detractors? And repetitions are widely known...
phonicsquest 1 year ago
your life sounds so interesting. thank you for sharing your expertise, i hope to be more or less fluent in spanish in the next year or. i will definitely implement the techniques i have seen you outline in many of your videos.
Slayer100 1 year ago
shadowing is wrong,you cannot do two things at the same time
phonicsquest 1 year ago
@phonicsquest Is that your experience? I emphatically discourage multi-tasking when it comes to trying to do two different mental activities at once. However, when it comes to combining a mental activity (such as studying) with a physical activity (such as walking) into an exercise such as shadowing, my experience, offered here, is that it is both possible and highly profitable to do so. Have you actually tried it?
ProfASAr 1 year ago
@ProfASAr what I consider correct is repetition when the student has a minimum time to reproduce the target sound,but "shadowing" is wrong, you do not have the time to fix in your mind the requested ,previous sound...so the result is not accurate..
phonicsquest 1 year ago
@phonicsquest My own results, in terms of both segemental and suprasegmental reproduction, are much more accurate than when I "listen and then repeat." Upon first trying it, some students are stymied by the novelty of the technique, but thereafter my observations match my experience. So again I ask: have you tried it? It seems that you have not, but are basing your critique upon theory alone.
ProfASAr 1 year ago 9
You can find perfect material for shadowing described here on lingq.com. There is a story there "Who is she?" in 9 different languages.
marckami 10 months ago
When learning a new language, do you do...say... assimil, teach yourself, and colloquial all at the same time? or do one book, finish it, do the next, etc.? Thanks :)
darkmatter88 1 year ago
Maestro, what do you think about "Méthode 90" courses?
Francydpp 1 year ago
This method appears wonderful. However, I don't think it takes into account how much of a klutz I am. I can just imagine walking whilst reading and then colliding with something to disastrous effect....
VirFortunaeLucisque 1 year ago
It would seem that there are many youtubers out there who are attempting to teach students the shadowing method. One thing I've noticed is that most are going about it in such a way as to skew the original method and often leave out key steps that assist learners in grasping the intention of the method. I am glad that you have outlined the technique in great detail and look forward to giving it a shot in the near future. Thank you.
krazykraut 1 year ago
You don't think that you could make this lecture avaliable for mp3-download from your website?
svsimon 1 year ago
hi. How do I make my shedule with podcast with their transcripts and videos?. I dont realy followed your video, things are not clear for me.
gmg186 1 year ago
Prof. Arguelles over 35:28 you say "Writing the text down in two distinct phases", What are those distinct phases?
wanakumbuka 1 year ago
i agree with you
MediumSalterWorld019 1 year ago
Do you think that I would be able to use german and slovak radio material for this or would you recommend some other type of material?
blindedbyforce 1 year ago
One aboriginal Austrialian tribe has the word "Dog" for DOG. Just like us in English. What are the chances of that happening?? But it is true. It is even spelled the same and means the exact same animal subject. I beleive any given language/dialect etc can be related and have similarities with any other language(s) and dialect(s) in the world that exist and ever have existed.
xhemexx 1 year ago
@xhemexx
Probably there was no dog in that area before the coming of the European settlers.
beauvoir1949 1 year ago 3
@xhemexx
I fail to see how that implies that English and Australian language X are in any way related. Not to mention that all Australian languages had some level of interaction with English, so you'd first have to demonstrate that they used that word at least 200+ years ago, which would be very hard to do because those languages are strictly oral. And even then, a coincidence is still just a coincidence.
kanadanoarekkusu 1 year ago 2
@kanadanoarekkusu It's purely coincidence. The language is Mbabaram I believe and yes the word is "dog" and it was before settlers.
kmj2000 9 months ago
And the next step is tracking--something the applied linguists have been using for quite some time
christopheclugston 1 year ago
I wonder what negative effects does having to learn many languages brings forth?
migomigz 2 years ago
Ummm... none
bohica31812 2 years ago
I like the term shadowing more than echoing because, if you are trying to speak simultaneously with the speaker your are acting more like a shadow than an echo.
While I agree shadowing is a useful technique, Keeping in mind that our time is limited,
hugstablebear 2 years ago
I feel that doing it blindly without comprehension wastes time. If you are going to repeat something, it is better that you understand what it is you are repeating. Meaning increases retention. I remember back in the 7th grade when the latest and greatest in pedagogy was to teach us French with a book that had no English. I was so turned off by this approach at the time. Phrases like Est-ce que vous etes fatique, etc. (Never mind the accents) made no sense.
hugstablebear 2 years ago
If only someone had said, Is it that you are tired, I would have understood the basis of the phrase so much faster and been able to remember it so much more easily. It is easier to wrap your head around an odd way of saying something than to have no idea of what is really being said and simply parroting. It takes children years to understand what is going on. If you already have a framework to build on, why go back to square one? It simply is not efficient.
hugstablebear 2 years ago
I would just like to take a moment to thank you for your informative videos. I learned a lot by watching them. While I may not agree entirely with you methods, I have found your reviews of language learning materials to be very helpful. I've not seen the same depth of information elsewhere so far on the Internet.
hugstablebear 2 years ago
Lol kinda looks like Col Hans Landa
tusepagliacco 2 years ago
This man is a genius, and I could listen to him discuss the topic for hours on end. If you can't then you truly dont appreciate his genius.
AMansGottaHaveACode 2 years ago
@AMansGottaHaveACode
Same. I'm 24 and never even considered another language. I'm from Wales and speak solely English and haven't even bothered to learn the other national language of Wales which is Welsh.
Recently though, I've had a burning desire to learn another language, so I've been watching this gentleman's videos and I have been completely absorbed. I could listen to his lessons all day - in fact, I have done! lol
This shadowing method definitely makes a lot of sense and I will do it.
AstuteClass 1 year ago
I just thought of a simple way to prove that this is possible...
While watching this you mentioned that people thought it would be hard or nearly impossible to speak on top of someone else and repeat verbatim what they are saying.
If you want to prove to yourself this is possible, just speak on top of him in English. As soon as you hear a word say it back.
I knew I'd be able to copy him but it's amazing how you can repeat a word without consciously hearing it. It becomes like an echo.
LanIost 2 years ago
fwetja güse fiseuây. ij eunjuyeus fwetja mühy ijtë. yaü häfeu iyn nätwetäle gicrtë crüet äl staë wuetlset länugaugued, pet ecän üneuztaens dete sreu yaü?
ajmp1981 2 years ago
i am really bored anyone wanna play
SexyyAamberr 2 years ago
Loved the video. Though instead of, or in conjunction with your aforementioned personal tutouring via webcam, I wish that you would create a correspondence course. Perhaps make a dvd series. I would definately take this course. J
templje 2 years ago
Thnx for sharing your technique.
FeelOfFriction 2 years ago
I only speak English and Spanish. This guys knowledge is impressive.
FeelOfFriction 2 years ago
Very very interesting !!! I have some part of this method without knowing that it's a particular method
loki2504 2 years ago
Your videos are very interesting and instructive, but please try to get to the point faster in the future and not drift off on so many tangents.
calderwis 2 years ago
He is a professor, so its the law. They have to go on tangents.
KomonHouseholdObjex 2 years ago 19
This guy is a PhD.
Do you know how much it would cost to sit in a lecture hall and listen to him ramble on about applied linguistics? I'll listen (for free mind you) as long as he's willing to talk.
Hoopermazing 2 years ago 3
What's your opinion of the William T Tardy books such as 'Easy Spanish Reader' as shadowing tools? There are CD-ROM versions available(with MP3s). There is no full English translation, but each new word is introduced as it appears.
northanortha 2 years ago
I have a question concerning language learning and age. You have learned many languages so I'm assuming you've done so over the course of at least ten years. Is there any noticable decline in speed or efficiency of study between, say, 20, and your own age?
inkstersco 2 years ago
Quite the contrary: there is a very noticeable increase in speed and efficiency of study with the experience that comes with age. This is emphatically true for the ability to master new grammatical systems and to build vocabulary. It may not be true for the ability to develop a decent accent, however. Many of my own accents are confessedly bad, and while I suspect that this is mainly due to do with the fact that I have never had any active exposure to them, it may also be due to age.
ProfASAr 2 years ago 8
My belief is that accent related to identity and that adults are more attached to their identity. Peter Sellers and had an ability to take on characters, he made his own personality a blank, and that allowed the characters to inhabit him. I'm considering acting classes. They'd be scary, but I believe they might help with learning accents.
cathrynm 2 years ago
so what should i do, use blind shadowing then shadowing with the teaching laguage ect. for 1 chapter then move to the next one or blind shadow the whole book then shadow in the teaching language the whole book?
darthvaderyoda 2 years ago
The former. He plainly said that... O.o
jmichaelrout 2 years ago
Professor,
In regards to Assimil, is it best to shadow one lesson at a time, going through all of the stages, or is it best to have sort of a batch of lessons built up?
stephen0731 2 years ago
In these three videos I have given as much detailed information about this technique as I possibly can. If it intrigues you and you want still more personal advice about implementing it, please consider signing up for an individual consultation/tutorial session on my coaching site.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
Yer a genius! I been shadowing songs in German, and I notice that song structure is similar to language lesson structure, in that songs feature linguistic elements repeated with slight variations. Coincidence? Maybe not--singing may have evolved in part as the first foreign language lessons, back in neolithic times....
alto5alto 2 years ago
If you do develop a course, please do so like the earlier Assimil. Where the texts/lessons are the same no matter which language you pick up.
kaikai1504 2 years ago
Wow, I actually did (and still do) something like this before I knew that you had this technique. I wanted to get the rhythm/tone/intonation of the langauges I'm learning down and be able to hear the sounds, so I found a bunch of audio material where someone would just be speaking/sining in the langauge continously for awhile. I listen to them while I'm taking a walk or drawing or right before I go to bed and try to repeat their phrases...this has worked extremely well for me so far.
notacommunist 2 years ago
Personal quesiton Prof.
What is your IQ?
I read on a message board that you were one of the top 10 most intelligent people in the world. I have no idea how the ranking system for that works by the way.
Again personal question you definitely dont have to answer.
cr2026 2 years ago
I wonder, have you ever tried a system where each sentence is played twice in a row? In other words, the student listens to the first play and then does the shadowing on the second play. This way the student can really listen intensely to the audio and so make a much better stab at getting it right during the second play.
After the second play, the first play of the next sentence would occur, and so on.
After a while, the student would get to a point where one play per sentence is sufficient.
samadhiboy 2 years ago
I'm not really interested in going that route because I would have to publish it as it now is and I am not satisfied with that. Again, what I need is for a professional editor to show interest in it and to work on getting it into shape with me.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
If one has a foothold in the language, do you think it would still be profitable to make use of shadowing? Or would it be better to simply read native-level texts for hours on end?
DandyPayday 2 years ago
Shadowing is more of a beginner's technique for actually learning a language you do not know. However, if you enjoy the procedure, you can certainly adapt it to the intermediate stages of maintaining and improving your languages by using bilingual texts or texts with translations plus audio. This would be particularly indicated if you have learned in such a fashion that you have never had much speaking practice. At any rate, you need to be more advanced that a foothold to read for hours on end.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
If by "use an SRS" you mean utilize a computerized program to space out kanji, individual words, or sentences, then no. However, the basic principle of spacing out review sessions at ever greater intervals so as to get material deeper and deeper into one's long term memory is an integral and fundamental element of all effective language learning. I just prefer to control the process myself rather than let a computer program run it.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
What you suggest is indeed attractive. For proximity to a confluence of languages, the other side of the Atlantic would be a better locale. However, as I understand citizenship, visas, work permits, etc., I cannot just get up and go on my own: I need a formal invitation. If anyone cares to offer one, I would eagerly and carefully consider any proposition.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
This was about 5 minutes of information in a 55 minute video. This needs to be condensed and focused.
Interlingua 2 years ago
Why don't you do this yourself and post it as a response? I wouldn't be able to do this because I find more like, well, 55 minutes of information here. I think most of the 932 people who saw it before me and gave it 27 ratings and 15 favorites in 48 hours, would agree. We understand that not everything can be reduced to a 2 minute sound-bite, and we don't want that because we are coming here to listen to a university professor give a detailed lecture in his special area of expertise.
Jonzwelet 2 years ago 32
OK, with audio cassettes just convert it to mp3 using a tape player, a microphone, a computer and the software "Audacity," which is free. Then it's easy to remove the gaps becasue they are represented visually, it's as easy as cut and paste!
alto5alto 2 years ago
Nice long look at beginning! RE the razor, seems to me that songs sung in the target language are the old-school razor, superior function without ridiculous plastic gimmickry, yer right, all that plastic stuff is quite superflous. Way easier to shadow a song, it's got sweet tunes that make it fun to listen to and easier to remember the lyrics. And notice that even adults are able to learn to sing a second language accent-free. Music is the razor!!!!
alto5alto 2 years ago
My new distance coaching site should go live any day now. Please consider signing up for a consultation session so that I can literally walk you through the procedure.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
Everything you write is very true and I would love nothing more than to do just this. Please facilitate/enable this by providing some real supportive contacts and I will be there ASAP.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
I must admit I was confused at first about this method, because of misunderstanding the terminology of repeating "immediately" or "simultaneously", which of course is impossible to do the first time without some form of psychic ability!
Anyway, thank you for your new video. I always feel extremely motivated to achieve my goals after watching your videos, despite rarely talking to you directly. Thank you for all your efforts.
robgillon 2 years ago
ProfASAr, On a different forum this person, Carl dundas is saying both of you are currently discussing the possibility of a future collaboration.
Just want you to confirm or deny, since this person seems to be making alot of language statements which are hard to confirm
theprophe 2 years ago
The name does not ring an immediate bell (perhaps a pseudonym?), but several people have recently proposed working with me in several different ways... Please provide a link to that forum so I can see this for myself!
ProfASAr 2 years ago
I tried to post the link a couple times, but its seems its not allowed, so just google michel tomas forum and you'll find him talking about you
theprophe 2 years ago
I found the Michael Thomas forum and immediately found him talking about what I said about the MT method in my audio-only review, and as soon as I did that, I did indeed recall corresponding with him on several occasions not long ago. Our exchanges were certainly amicable, but I don't remember making any particular plans beyond mutual support of multilingualism and more efficient language teaching, nor did I see on the MT forum that he said we had done so...
ProfASAr 2 years ago
Prof. A, I love your videos and I was actually excited about the length of this one. Your lectures are always of interest and immediately put "a shot in the arm" of my language study. After having some notion of how shadowing works, I started to "make improvements" to get it to work better for me and I now know these are the "correct" method anyway. So, I'd just like to say thanks for going into such detail and clearing up the fog. Can't wait for the book and other diagrams on language families!
jmichaelrout 2 years ago 2
Professor, not to go off-topic here.... but what has happened to your Polyglot book? Have you ever got to publish it? It is not mentioned on your website. Regarding shadowing, you wrote on the forums back in 2005: "I devote an entire lengthy chapter to it in my book." I would still love to read it.
sebtuber 2 years ago 4
I have indeed written a book containing everything I know about language learning; I don't list it on the publications page of my website because I haven't published it yet, but I do describe it on the polyglottery page. Basically, it is still in manuscript form and every time I try to "finish" it on my own I end up adding more and more. I need to have a professional editor work with me on this, but I don't have one yet.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
Well, I certainly hope that you find one soon, and a good one too.
I'm looking forward to this book! :)
sebtuber 2 years ago
You will never finish it, if you keep reviewing it yourself. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. The point is that, if ninety per cent is good, then publish. As you learn more it can be included in later editions. Knowledge is never static. If you would like someone to look it over, I'd be happy to.
hugstablebear 2 years ago
55 mins? am i dedicated enough to my languages to do such a thing?... while it's you, professor, i think i shall.
anglaismoyen 2 years ago 3
I'm thinking about using the Foreign Service Institute "Korean 2" course for shadowing.
I've got it in mp3 format, so I can easily cut out the sounds of the 아저씨 calling out the drills, leaving just the dialog.
The best thing in my opinion about the course is the fact that they speak very fast and very formally, even if it is very old fashioned. My casual Korean ability is satisfactory, but I need the formal language for work.
drhanyang 2 years ago
Good luck with this! If you edit out the spaces between the pattern drills, this will give you some of the most intense training imaginable. As for the dialogs, be sure to just save one complete set (usually introduced as "for listening" at the beginning or "for comprehension" at the end) and to delete the other, together with all the build up and repetition in the "for learning" and "for fluency" sections. You only want/need one version.
ProfASAr 2 years ago
You missed the 'm' in your website URL in the information side box.
Thanks for the video. This really cleared it up.
jonmahoney04 2 years ago 2
For anybody who wants to edit audio on their computer, download a program called Audacity, (just google the name). It's free, and very easy to use.
Walshyman 2 years ago
Wow. If there are any more problems after watching this, I think I'd better look for another hobby. ; - )
Walshyman 2 years ago