How to improve your English Speaking and Fluency: shadowing

Http://www.juliankitagawa.com/learn_english

Shadowing: 'training' for English fluency

People often come to me asking 'how can I get good at speaking?' Well, first the most important thing is plenty of listening practice. Second, understand that speaking has to be learnt physically.

It is important to get practice actually speaking English. Actually moving your mouth. I've been teaching in Japan for a quite a long time now, and people often say 'great. But this isn't an English speaking country -- how can I get a lot of speaking practice?'

But I don't mean "conversation practise". I mean the same type of practise that gets you good at riding a bike. Training your mouth.

It's much easier than you probably think.

You don't need other people to practice speaking. Just use your listening materials.

I always recommend these 'penguin readers' to my students, because they come as a book/ CD set, they're cheap, really well made and above all interesting. The important part is the CD, but the book also has an important use. I really do recommend these books.

This technique is called shadowing, and maybe like many people you've heard of it, but don't actually use it. Now is a good time to start!

Listen to the book as many times as you can.
Read the book and check any words you don't know in your dictionary.
Listen to the book again.
Listen and read (out loud!) the book together. Practice section by section until you get really good at it.
Shadow the CD without the book.

It's a really good idea to record yourself doing this too, so you can tell where you're making pronunciation mistakes.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• shadowing
• learn
• english
• julian
• kitagawa

[RnBandCrunk]

go to google > type bbc radio > open their site and radio

get best at english pronounciation

[JulianKenglish]

@RnBandCrunk Yes! I'm totally with you on this.

[shutatran]

Why don't you come to Vietnam to teach me English? :P never mind, I'm just kidding

[JulianKenglish]

@shutatran Actually I'd love to have the chance one day!

[sojvarghese]

at 0.52, is it "often" or "offen" which is correct pronunciation?

[JulianKenglish]

@sojvarghese the 't' in often silent, so 'offen' ~

[caohongfei881]

am i the only one who though he was a woman?

[420xwaytoomanyx420]

listen to this fake-head authenticate all of his words all super clear..fuck you dude

[xBloodXGusherx]

@LuisBR1910 Ya dude. I thought he was a short haired hot chick. FUck !

[curiouselvin]

my skype : elvin.huseyneliyev who wants to practice add me

[Naruto19183]

@shutatran just kidding？

[Naruto19183]

it is a good idea！thank for your advices，it is very useful for me to overcome the listening and speaking！

[LuisBR1910]

I tought he was a hot girl.. but he disapointed me

[themisbehaved]

Cool video..I will take the advices!!