Using the shadowing technique to improve ecuadorian english learners’ speaking intelligibility

This research article examined the effects of intensive guided use of the technique known as shadowing to improve overall English pronunciation, intonation, word stress, and sentence stress in the EFL classroom. The research participants were 20 level A1 students from an Ecuadorian university. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed utilizing an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design. Qualitative data were gathered through structured interviews. Quantitative data were collected analyzing videotapes recorded by the chosen sample. Both data collection methods were intended to investigate the pronunciation, intonation, word stress, and sentence stress of the respective participants. The findings demonstrated that intensive guided use of English shadowing is an effective technique that can be utilized to help EFL learners improve their overall speaking intelligibility in terms of pronunciation and sentence stress. As far as pedagogical implications is concerned, this study suggests that incorporating the use of the shadowing technique under instructors’ guidance may be beneficial to English learners to boost their spoken English skills.