Shadowing is a technique for enhancing L2 acquisition, in which learners repeat speech aloud, while listening attentively to the incoming speech. Of the four effects of shadowing (i.e. input, practice, output, and monitoring) proposed by Kadota (2019), my focus here is on input and output effects in this featured presentation.
Shadowing is a technique for enhancing L2 acquisition, in which learners repeat speech aloud as they hear it, as precisely as possible, while continuing to listen attentively to the incoming speech. Of all the four effects of shadowing (i.e. input, practice, output, and monitoring effects) proposed by Kadota (2019), my focus here is on input and output effects in this presentation. As to the input effect, which is to help develop listening comprehension skill, particularly the attainment of automatization of L2 speech perception, there has been a relatively large accumulation of empirical data until now. Specifically, the collected data suggest the following findings: 1) Shadowing promotes English-as-L2 listening among university (Tamai, 2005) as well as high school students (Mochizuki, 2006) learning English as a FL in Japan. 2) It promotes Korean learners’ listening span for Japanese as an L2 (Sakoda, 2006). In this presentation, a motor theory of speech perception by Liberman as well as mirror (neuron) system hypothesis are to be discussed as a promising theoretical background underlying this input effect of shadowing. The second output effect of shadowing is concerned with how speech production is to be improved among L2 learners. Here I first focus on outlining the major types of speech encoding errors or “slips of the tongue”, which provide us with useful insights into human language production process. Then I will discuss briefly the Kormos (2006) model of L2 speaking, based on Levelt’s famous model, which consists of the three major stages: 1) conceptualization, 2) formulation, 3) articulation. Considering Kojima’s (2006) multiple route model of oral repetition based on the detailed analysis of conduction aphasia syndromes, I hereby propose that, although shadowing is not related to the 1st stage of conceptualization, the task may simulate the 2nd and 3rd stages of L2 speech production.
