Shadowing Practice: How to Get Rid of Your Accent - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
C1
Today you're going to learn about how to sound like a native speaker and get rid of your accent.
89 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Today you're going to learn about how to sound like a native speaker and get rid of your accent.
2
But I have to make this remark first.
3
It's actually impossible to get rid of your accent completely,
4
as a native speaker will always be able to tell the difference.
5
But you can do your best in order to sound as native as possible.
6
I first got interested in English as a teenager,
7
and at that point of my life I was actively listening to Hollywood and Dad.
8
And at some point I just went on the internet,
9
looked up their songs, the lyrics and the translation to that.
10
And I also recommend doing that
11
because this way you can learn a lot of swear words
12
and also a lot of real colloquial vocabulary that you normally do not find in the textbooks.
13
Right, but basically just sing along, right?
14
That's the first tip.
15
It sounds easy, but you will see how quickly you might get out of breath.
16
And that doesn't only have something to do with the fact
17
that you're not really a singer maybe you're not right
18
but also with the fact that you're singing in in a foreign language right
19
and when you speak a foreign language the times
20
when you have to pause when you have to inhale
21
or exhale they're different right compared to your native language
22
so um if you don't listen to music
23
that has a lot of lyrics in it or
24
that is rather slow right find i actually recommend you to explore
25
and like find something that is more energetic
26
because it will make you keep up with the tempo and it can help you with your fluency as well.
27
This can sound very trivial to many people but these many people also tend to ignore it.
28
I recommend focusing on pronunciation from the very beginning of your learning journey
29
because this way you can ensure that you don't have to at some point,
30
right, you don't have to go back and relearn it or learn it again or start learning it.
31
I know if you're a you might think something like well
32
but I have to speak well right I have to focus
33
on my grammar I have to focus on my vocabulary because
34
and I understand that right you want to be understood you want to understand the other person speaking
35
but at the same time
36
if you want the other person to understand you just as
37
well as you understand them you should maybe pay attention to your pronunciation because sometimes it does matter a lot, right?
38
And now what is your pronunciation?
39
Your pronunciation is how your mouth organs work, right?
40
And now depending on what your native language is,
41
they will work differently compared to the language you're learning.
42
Now if I manage to convince you to improve your pronunciation,
43
the first thing I recommend you to do is to focus on the articulation of native speakers.
44
Whenever watching a video on YouTube,
45
try to pay attention to how a native speaker is actually speaking,
46
and by that I mean how they articulate Because it is exactly Their tongue positioning.
47
It is exactly their lip positioning.
48
It is exactly how wide you open your mouth or something What creates an accent?
49
Or helps you to get rid of it,
50
right now depending on what your native language is
51
you will see that it might be rather easier
52
or rather more difficult for you to actually imitate what the other person is saying
53
or imitate how the other person is speaking
54
because our mouth organs are actually built differently i mean differently compared to the
55
speakers of a foreign language
56
um and now mouth organs usually consist of muscles
57
and you can train your muscles first by imitating and then by actually actually practicing
58
the way you can practice is also
59
that you can find some tongue twisters right so
60
if you think your accent is actually okay and or there are just a couple of sounds that you can
61
you want to focus on, right?
62
You can always find a tongue twister for that and just practice it.
63
Now that you know that accent training depends a lot on how well trained your mouth organs are,
64
you actually have to train them.
65
You should also know that in the beginning it will not always be easy.
66
If you're actually starting to practice your pronunciation,
67
to practice accent training, you might notice that your mouth organs actually hurt, right?
68
That your vocal cords are getting tired, that your jaw hurts.
69
Why?
70
Because you've been speaking your native language for your whole life, right?
71
You are used to that.
72
Your mouth organs are used to that.
73
And now you're doing something new.
74
And this is stressful for your body.
75
But none of this helps as much as shadowing,
76
because shadowing focuses specifically on stress patterns,
77
on intonation, on the rhythm,
78
as you mimic the speaker in real time, right?
79
And once you start doing that,
80
you will see how the speaker's voice either rises or falls, right?
81
How the speaker emphasizes words to convey some meaning or maybe just because it is like that in the language, right?
82
So it is quite complicated to do,
83
not gonna lie, but this technique is actually actively used when learning or practicing interpreting,
84
but you can also apply it in language learning.
85
So if you want to learn more about what it actually is and how to do it properly,
86
you can watch my next video.
87
Because I swear that I could actually take a little more to work on the Monday night.
88
Maybe before it it came up.
89
Maybe people never scored!
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
About This Lesson
In today's lesson, you will learn strategies to improve your English pronunciation and work towards sounding more like a native speaker. While it's important to note that completely eliminating your accent may not be feasible, this lesson will help you enhance your skills through enjoyable activities and focused practice. By incorporating techniques such as singing along to English songs and paying close attention to the articulation of native speakers, you can significantly boost your pronunciation. This will ultimately aid you in becoming a more fluent and comprehensible speaker.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Accent: The unique way in which people pronounce words, often influenced by their native language.
- Pronunciation: The way in which words are spoken, including the sounds of individual letters and syllables.
- Articulation: The clarity and effectiveness of speech; it involves how you use your mouth, tongue, and lips to produce sounds.
- Lyrics: The words of a song, which can be useful for practicing language skills.
- Colloquial vocabulary: Informal words and phrases commonly used in everyday spoken language.
- Fluency: The ability to speak a language smoothly and effortlessly.
- Shadow speech: A practice technique where learners mimic a speaker's pronunciation and intonation to improve their own speaking abilities.
Practice Tips
To effectively improve your pronunciation using shadowing techniques, consider the following tips:
- Use a shadowing app: Look for an application designed for shadowing practice that includes recordings of native speakers. This can help you adapt to the speed and rhythm of natural speech.
- Begin with slower content: Initially, focus on songs or videos with clear and slow delivery. This allows you to gradually adjust to the nuances of English pronunciation.
- Choose energetic songs: Opt for upbeat songs that motivate you to engage and practice speaking at a lively pace, thereby improving your fluency over time.
- Repeat and mimic: Play a portion of the video or song, pause, and repeat what you hear. Pay attention to tongue and lip positions, as these are crucial for mastering sounds that might not exist in your native language.
- Record yourself: After practicing shadow speech, record yourself and compare it to the original. This self-evaluation helps you identify areas needing improvement.
- Engage with shadowspeaks communities: Join online platforms or forums that focus on shadowing practice. Engaging with others who share your goals can provide valuable feedback and support.
By actively implementing these tips and continuously practicing through shadowing techniques, you can enhance your English pronunciation and move closer to sounding like a native speaker.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏