Shadowing Practice: Why reading is the KILLER APP for language learning - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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The killer app when it comes to language improvement is massive concentrated reading.
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The killer app when it comes to language improvement is massive concentrated reading.
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I'm gonna explain how this works regardless of your level in the language.
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This came to my mind when I noticed how after spending an hour with a relatively difficult for me podcast in Persian, that my sense of control of the language significantly improved.
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And it reminded me that whenever I have read a book, a paper, print book, in a language that I was learning, that not only was that a milestone for me, but it represented a noticeable leap forward in acquiring that language.
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So some things to consider.
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First of all, obviously, the world of reading has changed.
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Today, we are bombarded with distractions, so we need to stay clear of these.
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We need to avoid the distractions, and I will explain some of the main distractions and how we avoid them.
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So first of all, during the hour that it took me to go through this 20-minute Persian language podcast in sentence mode at LingQ, I made sure that I didn't check my email, and I didn't go to Twitter, and I didn't go anywhere else.
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Concentrated massive involvement in reading, predominantly reading and some listening at LingQ to this Persian podcast, I felt I made a big improvement.
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And also, as you can see, historically, when I've reached a certain level in a language, not necessarily a level where I can fully understand a book, but where I feel comfortable attempting to read a book, print book, I have done so, and I've always felt it has propelled my learning forward.
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Reading, to me, is kind of like the central digestive system for acquiring the words and phrases of a new language.
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It's a natural process.
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Therefore, amongst the distractions we need to avoid are the distractions presented by well-meaning language teachers.
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Pre-reading activities, training ourselves to infer meaning Analyzing what the writer meant, summarizing what was said, or comprehension questions, all of these things detract from the enjoyment of reading.
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We need to avoid the comprehension trap.
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We read for enjoyment.
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We read to inquire the words and phrases of the language, to get used to the language.
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We don't read for the purpose of understanding everything that's in the text that we are reading.
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We don't need to understand it all.
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We need only to consume it, as much of the language as possible.
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I've mentioned before we don't need to be perfectionist when it comes to speaking the language.
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We don't need to be perfectionist when it comes to understanding the language.
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It's a bit like going to the gym.
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We are training our muscles.
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Some people are stronger than we are, some people are faster than we are, but we are still benefiting from the training activity at the gym.
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Reading is a form of training activity for acquiring a language.
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It's not about whether we understood every possible intention the author had or are able to summarize what took place in the text that we read.
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Reading is changing.
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So it used to be that reading meant reading a print book, but nowadays we have e-books, we have digital texts where we can access online dictionaries and text-to-speech.
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These are tools that I use at an early stage in learning a language in order to make it easier to access material of interest to me.
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I've always preferred to read things that are a little difficult, but that I'm interested in with the help of these other benefits of, of reading online as opposed to reading easy readers, simplified fiction, which I'm not very interested in.
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So reading has changed.
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E-books are available, audiobooks are available, and to me, audiobooks are also an extension of reading.
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And this reminds me of what was explained about reading in the book that I read by Stanislas Dehaene a French cognitive scientist who writes about reading and how we read.
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And he explained that, of course, from an evolutionary perspective, since human beings have been reading only for the last, say, few thousand years, and even then only a small percentage of humans could read, that our brains are not set up for reading.
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So what happens is that we ... The brain reconfigures the sort of phonological stream in our brains in order to process the written word.
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It turns out that a capability in the brain for recognizing faces is what's used to decode the written language, and it then piggybacks on the sort of sound, the phonological stream within the brain to create meaning.
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And apparently this kind of goes both ways.
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The more we read, the more that relationship between the written word and the spoken word is strengthened.
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But they are, in a sense, part of the same process, and we need to do a lot of reading in order to strengthen this connection between what we hear and what we read on paper.
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So given this connection between reading and listening, people often ask me, "Should we read first or listen first? Should we read at the same time as we listen, or should we read and listen separately?" All of this depends on what you like to do.
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But typically, in my case, I prefer to listen first because it triggers, especially at an early stage in the language, it triggers my curiosity.
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It gives me some momentum to get into my reading, which might otherwise be more difficult.
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I also read and listen at the same time, again, at an early stage in the language in sentence mode at LingQ because I'm dealing with a very small sort of volume of text, uh, six, seven, eight words.
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However, once I've achieved a certain level in the language, or even after having reviewed a text in sentence mode, I then will listen separately, and I also read separately.
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In fact, I've often felt it would be great if I could take some of the material that I am listening to and, and working on at LingQ, if I could somehow convert that into a handy little book using Lulu or some self-printing service to create little pocket book-sized books that then I could read without the distraction of being in a digital environment.
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I, I believe that would improve my connection and reinforce my connection to the language.
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But regardless of how you do it, regardless of what you're interested in, the key thing is to concentrate, to give yourself a chance, whether it be reading a book from cover to cover, or committing yourself to spending an hour reading in a foreign language online without distractions.
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It's that willingness to commit to the process, and that will create the habit that will ensure that you continue doing that.
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And if you continue with massive concentrated reading, hopefully also combined with listening, you will notice a significant improvement in your language ability because it drives that core capability in your brain, that ability to anticipate, the ability to project the next word, which we need in order to be able to communicate in the language.
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It doesn't take away from the fact that you still need to speak in order to become good at speaking, but you first have to have that base of the language within you, and that's where massive concentrated reading can be so important.
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Thank you for listening.
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Bye.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with the video "Why reading is the KILLER APP for language learning" provides an excellent opportunity for English speaking practice. The speaker emphasizes the importance of concentrated reading, which not only enhances vocabulary but also strengthens overall language acquisition. By actively shadowing the speaker’s rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation, you can deepen your understanding of English while developing your speaking skills. Utilizing the shadowing technique allows you to mimic the nuanced expressions and phonetics, ultimately leading to more fluent speech.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

  • Concentrated Reading: The phrase "massive concentrated reading" highlights the focus needed when learning a new language. Structuring your practice around this concept can help streamline your learning process.
  • Understanding vs. Consuming: The speaker notes, "We don’t need to understand everything." This conveys the idea that comprehension is not always necessary for effective learning. Using this structure in your speaking practice can help convey nuanced thoughts.
  • Training Activity: The analogy between reading and physical training implies consistency is key. You can use phrases like "just like going to the gym," which demonstrates the comparison effectively in your conversations.
  • Avoiding Distractions: The recommendation to eliminate distractions when reading is crucial for language learners. You might say, "I avoid checking my email while practicing," reinforcing your commitment to focused practice.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing the content of this video, pay attention to tricky phrases and words that might challenge your pronunciation. Terms like "concentrated," "comprehension," and "milestone" may require extra attention to articulate clearly. The speaker's distinct pronunciation of "Persian" can also serve as a useful point of reference for practicing English phonetics. Utilize tools or resources available through the shadowing app to listen repeatedly to these terms, which will boost your confidence in using them in everyday conversations.

By incorporating these strategies into your practice, you can enhance your speaking skills while gaining insights from the video content and effectively using the shadow speak method.

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.

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