Shadowing Practice: Do This if You Understand But Can't Speak - Learn English Speaking with Video
Elige un modo de práctica
Cada modo abre una sala de práctica a pantalla completa.
123 oraciones
Si las oraciones son demasiado cortas o largas, haz clic en Editar para ajustarlas.
1
Today, I want to talk about something that I hear quite often, and that is people who say, I understand well, talking about their ability in a foreign language,
2
but I can't speak.
3
And I hear that a lot.
4
So I want to talk about what can be done
5
and what can be some strategies in order to help people who claim to understand well, to help them to speak better.
6
So it depends on your situation.
7
Obviously, if you're in a situation where you need to speak, then this is quite important.
8
If you're like me learning, you know, Arabic and Farsi as a dilettante or Turkish and I don't need to speak, then it doesn't bother me.
9
I continue with my input activities, building up my capability in the language.
10
But the reason I raised this is because the other day I met someone who is a Canadian politician who, while he's a local politician, but he lives in Ottawa for much of the year.
11
He's involved in national politics therefore he should be able to speak French and he has an opportunity to speak French.
12
But when I asked him about his ability in French, he said, well, I understand well, but I can't speak.
13
So that's kind of my starting off point on this subject.
14
So there's two sides to this.
15
One is that person or people like him have an identity which says, I can understand well, but I can't speak well.
16
That's kind of their vision of themselves.
17
Let's look at the first part of that, which is the I understand well part.
18
My first question is, you know, is that really so?
19
I've always said, you know, in learning a language, I feel I have a good level of comprehension when I can read a book, paper book from cover to cover.
20
When I can understand an audio book, when I can watch movies and understand most of it without subtitles.
21
That's real comprehension.
22
So my question is, first of all, the person, say this person who works as a political operative in Ottawa, he's familiar with certain themes,
23
certain discussions, presumably, which he hears over and over again that are relevant to his work.
24
So he says, I understand, but he doesn't really understand the language.
25
And what I'm going to say here is that when it comes to ramping up your comprehension,
26
which is extremely important, I've always said you need a solid base of comprehension you need a large passive vocabulary.
27
That's your reservoir.
28
That's your knowledge of the language that's going to enable you to ramp up your speaking ability.
29
So the first thing I say about your stated, you know, ability to comprehend the language is broaden it.
30
You have to have a wide level of comprehension.
31
It's not enough to be able to understand a limited range of content with subjects that are familiar to you.
32
You have to challenge yourself.
33
And I mean, the extreme version of this is people who believe that, you know, the teachers who say we're going to teach these scenarios, how to be a clerk in a store.
34
The thing is, it's been my experience that you cannot anticipate what kind of conversation will arise.
35
So actually you need a broader level of comprehension than that narrow level that I'm assuming this person had.
36
It's like I once met with some immigrants here in Vancouver who said, yes, I would like to be able to speak English better,
37
just well enough to communicate with my child's teacher at school
38
or if I get stopped by a policeman while driving my car.
39
Okay, you can't, you cannot anticipate what that conversation will be.
40
You cannot narrow your level of comprehension to such a small bit.
41
You have to broaden your comprehension. And in
42
that regard, you're better off to have an imperfect understanding of a broad range of subject matter where you miss 60,
43
70% of the words, but you expose yourself to, you know, hours of listening and reading.
44
And so you need that broad range of comprehension.
45
That's absolutely important.
46
Number one.
47
However, my next bit of advice is a bit contradictory.
48
And you'll see that when I talk about getting to speaking, you'll see I go the other way.
49
So when it comes to comprehension, you have to have this broad range of comprehension.
50
But then you have to deliberately narrow it down in preparation for speaking.
51
Because when you speak, you're going to use a small subset of the words that you know of your passive vocabulary.
52
And you need to have these handy that they come quickly.
53
certain structures, certain words that get you speaking.
54
You need a smaller subset.
55
And that's why when I'm learning a language, while I listen to, you know, political podcasts in Arabic or Farsi, I also spend time with the many stories.
56
I spend time even doing those political podcasts.
57
I will slow down my listening
58
and reading in order to get myself into sentence mode so that I can mine the material, pay more attention, focus more on specific words and structures.
59
So broaden the base, but at the same time, spend some time focusing in on more specific bits and pieces.
60
Maybe that's 20% of your time.
61
And that's kind of been my strategy.
62
And particularly if I'm getting ready to have a conversation in Arabic, I will then spend more time with the mini stories, even though I've heard them many, many times, because it's that repetition
63
that enables me to start to grab a hold of some of the words that I'll be able to use, hopefully, in a conversation.
64
So you say you understand and speak well.
65
Well, you have to make sure that that base of comprehension is broad.
66
Watch movies even if you only understand 60%.
67
It's that exposure to massive, a wide range of content, even imperfectly understood, which is building up your capability.
68
But then you have to go back in there and mine the nuggets, the bits and pieces.
69
So that's with regard to the I understand well.
70
Let's make sure you do understand well.
71
Now, the second part of that person's identity is that he or she can't speak.
72
We need to change that.
73
If that's your identity that you can understand, but you can't speak, that's not useful if you're in a situation where you need the language,
74
which is not my case as a dilettante language learner here in Vancouver.
75
But if you need the language for your work or for your family relations or whatever, then you can't just continue to be a person who understands and can't speak.
76
You have to change your image of yourself.
77
So here again, the strategy in my view and in my experience is a little different.
78
It's not so much a matter of starting with a widening of your range of material.
79
It's more a matter of beginning with a narrower range.
80
So when I start into speaking in, say, Persian, I will use the mini stories circling questions where I'm given the answer.
81
And so I know what the answer is.
82
I'm asked the question.
83
I'm reading in Arabic and Farsi it's very difficult and I can answer the question because I've heard the answer.
84
So it's not really a genuine, I'm not retrieving meaning.
85
I'm responding to a prompt.
86
So that's sort of the very first, that's your narrowest possible base.
87
The next would be a question, a genuine question about the content that you just finished listening to or reading.
88
And our AIBotItLink does this, asks you a question about the content that you just listened to.
89
Or you could even have it ask a question about the sentence, the specific sentence in sentence mode.
90
So you start narrow.
91
So you're dealing with a limited range of material you have to answer the question.
92
But then you want to move to where you're answering a broader range of questions.
93
Alahe, my Persian tutor, she always saves 15-20 minutes where she asks me difficult questions of history and philosophy and environment, whatever it might be.
94
And I have to really think for an answer and I have to find words to express my meaning.
95
But it's a genuine, authentic conversation.
96
So you'll progress from an almost automatic reflex answer to a question or
97
interaction to one where you are now dredging your knowledge and trying to express your ideas in the language.
98
So you go from narrow to broader.
99
And then if you're able to do that, as you gradually build up your confidence using circling questions
100
or using AI or using the sheltered conversation
101
that you have with a tutor and you start to prove to yourself
102
that actually you are a person who speaks the language now you have to change your habits you have
103
that habit of accepting that your identity is i'm someone who understands
104
but can't speak every time you conform to
105
that image being in a meeting and not interacting not speaking you are confirming
106
that identity and you have to break
107
that through habit you have to start speaking difficult at first
108
but gradually you start to create these habits where your identity becomes i'm someone who understands well
109
and speaks somewhat less well but i'm also a person who speaks the language
110
so you have to change your self-image
111
so i think that's what i would suggest don't sort of with pride say well i understand
112
but i can't speak that's not good enough you probably at some level would like to speak.
113
So you need to make sure that this is your goal.
114
I want to go through these various steps initially somewhat sheltered
115
and eventually I'm going to speak because it's important to me to speak.
116
It's important to the image that I want to have of myself in that language as someone who understands and speaks.
117
And remember every time you speak and you make mistakes you are strengthening your knowledge of the language.
118
You are engaging with the language.
119
So the fact that you make mistakes is not a negative.
120
You have to have that as a part of your identity.
121
I am someone who understands the language, not perfectly, and who speaks the language, not perfectly.
122
So I hope that's helpful.
123
Bye for now.
Descargar app
Todo lo que necesitas para hablar con fluidez
Pronunciación con IAEvalúa cada oración
Práctica de IPADomina cada sonido
VocabularioConstruye tu banco de palabras
Juego de vocabularioAprende mientras juegas
📺 Mismo canal
B21
Apprendre une langue, c’est s’y habituer
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
To get fluent in a language… find another interest
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C1Task-Based Language Learning
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
How To Improve Your Listening Skills
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B24
How To Improve Your Reading Comprehension
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B25
The Key to Improved Listening Comprehension
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C11
Can we learn to sound native in another language?
University StudentsWorking Adults
B22
Learn any language with point-of-view stories
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B26
Chunking: the secret to fluency?
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C1Why reading is the KILLER APP for language learning
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
7 tips for staying motivated when learning a language
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
My Method for Learning Languages from Scratch
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2Should you learn low-frequency words? My approach as a polyglot
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B27 reasons to listen before you read
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C1Want to learn faster? Reduce cognitive load
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B1My Top 7 Tips For Improving Your Listening Skills
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
✨ Recomendar Video
B21
106 oraciones
Why Some People Become Fluent — and Others Stay Stuck
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
563 oraciones
Speak With Me: 30 Minute English Speaking Practice
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B26
234 oraciones
Steve Kaufman | Meeting and Chatting in Osaka
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C15
170 oraciones
How to go from B1-C1 in English | 10 Steps to follow
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C12
78 oraciones
【VIETSUB + PINYIN】Làm thế nào để đạt được trình độ tiếng Trung bản ngữ | Luyện Nghe Tiếng Trung每日中文课
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B26
217 oraciones
Why People Still Don’t Understand Your English (Even If You're Fluent)
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C16
44 oraciones
The Real Secret to English Fluency
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
24 oraciones
Sound American With Shadowing Exercises in English
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B27
249 oraciones
How to Be Disgustingly Articulate And Well Spoken
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B227
380 oraciones
How to Talk About Yourself with Confidence in English | English Conversation Practice (B1-B2)
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B26
254 oraciones
How She Became Fluent in English 2
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Este vídeo tiene 123 frases y 1735 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 9:29. El hablante habla rápido, unas 183 palabras por minuto, así que espera sonidos enlazados y reducidos. El 84 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés; conviene repasar el resto antes de empezar.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
15 palabras menos comunes del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
- comprehension /ˌkɑmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/ (sustantivo) — comprensión, entendimiento. A thorough understanding.
- narrow /ˈnæɹəʊ/ (adjetivo) — estrecho, angosto. Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.
- habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/ (sustantivo) — costumbre, hábito. An action performed on a regular basis.
- genuine /ˈd͡ʒɛn.juˌɪn/ (adjetivo) — genuino, auténtico. Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native.
- regard /ɹɪˈɡɑːd/ (sustantivo) — miramiento, reguardo. A steady look, a gaze.
- enable /ɪˈneɪ.bəl/ (verbo) — habilitar, posibilitar. To make somebody able (to do, or to be, something); to give sufficient ability or power to do or to be; to give strength or ability to.
- shelter /ˈʃɛltə/ (sustantivo) — abrigo, amparo. A place where a person or animal may find protection from the elements (especially rain, storms, or cold) sometimes as a place to sleep (such as a cave).
- gradually /ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəli/ (adverbio) — gradualmente, paulatinamente. In a gradual manner; making slow progress; slowly.
- politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/ (sustantivo) — político, política. One engaged in politics, especially an elected or appointed government official.
- podcast /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ (sustantivo) — podcast, pódcast. A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on…
- passive /ˈpæs.ɪv/ (adjetivo) — pasivo. Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction.
- vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ (sustantivo) — vocabulario. A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
- anticipate /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/ (verbo) — anticiparse. To act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.
- tutor /ˈtjuːtəː/ (sustantivo) — tutor, protutor. One who teaches another (usually called a student, learner, or tutee) in a one-on-one or small-group interaction.
- subset /ˈsʌbˌsɛt/ (sustantivo) — subconjunto. A set A such that every element of A is also an element of S.
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
- talk about (verbo) — hablar de, hablar sobre. Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
- deal with (verbo) — tratarse de, ocuparse. To handle verbally or in some form of artistic expression; to address or discuss as a subject.
- go through (verbo) — atravesar. To travel from one end of something to the other.
- look at (verbo) — mirar, funar. To observe or watch.
- slow down (verbo) — desacelerar, decelerar. To decelerate.
- stop by (verbo) — visitar brevemente. To pay a visit briefly and informally.
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 44 contracciones y formas reducidas, como I'm, can't, you're. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “th”: bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, authentic /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/, strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: comprehension /ˌkɑmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/, shelter /ˈʃɛltə/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/, exposure /ɪkˈspəʊ.ʒə(ɹ)/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/, capability /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, anticipate /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/, automatic /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Empieza a velocidad 0,75×, haz shadowing frase por frase y vuelve a la velocidad normal cuando te resulte fácil.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como comprehension, narrow, habit.
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Oraciones de relativo who / which + oración — información extra sobre una persona o cosa | people who say · people who claim · someone who is |
| Present perfect have/has + participio pasado — una acción pasada que sigue importando ahora | I've always said · it's been · I've heard |
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.