ANALYZING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SHADOWING TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING PRONUNCIATION IN ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDENTS

Аннотация

This study indicates how shadowing techniques are essential in shaping the pronunciation of English as a Foreign Language students. The research employed a Quantitative method: "Quantitative research is the process of collecting and analyzing numerical data. “It can be used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal relationships, and generalize results to wider populations." (Bhandari, 2023, para. 1) with a Pre-Test/Post-Test Design among 30 EFL students in a particular learning center. The researcher divided students into two groups (15 for the control group and 15 for the experimental group). Throughout the research, the experimental group was asked to follow the rules of shadowing, such as repeating every word right after a native speaker on a YouTube video, while the control group used traditional methods, such as reading aloud, teacher modeling, and dictation exercises. The current results are satisfactory: 1) after two months of practicing shadowing techniques, students can pronounce almost all English words accurately and fluently without difficulties; 2) students with poor pronunciation skills have been improved to an average level now; 3) they have benefited from shadowing to improve not only pronunciation or intonation but also listening skills. Hence, at the end of the research, the results have demonstrated that shadowing techniques can significantly improve both students’ speaking and listening skills.