Shadow reading

Procedure

1. Teacher reads the text aloud and students follow, marking the text for stress.
2. Teacher reads the text a second time and the students mark for connected speech.
3. Individual chunks of language that show good examples of connected speech or problematic pronunciation can then be drilled.
4. Students practise these aspects of pronunciation by reading the text to themselves before the teacher reads the text aloud again and they listen.
5. Then the students read the text with the teacher and they have to start and finish at the same time as the teacher, who reads the text at normal speed.

This works well after some exposure to the rules of pronunciation – connected speech, stress and intonation.