ISSN 3103-1129
Septiembre, 2026
Vol. 4, No. 8, 143-156
https://doi.org/10.53877/fjwq5468
KIRIA, 4(8), 2026 Revista Científica Multidisciplinaria
https://revistasfiecyt.com/index.php/kiria
The effect of applying the Shadowing technique on the development of
speaking in efl students
El efecto de la aplicación de la técnica ‘Shadowing’ en el desarrollo de la
habilidad de expresión oral en estudiantes efl
Josue Daniel Ortiz Brito
Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica. Ecuador.
jlae.josue.ortiz@lasalleambato.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9073-8559
Olga Cárdenas Guanoluisa
Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica. Ecuador.
ocardenas2@indoamerica.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6828-1801
Fecha de recepción: 11 de julio de 2026
Fecha de aceptación: 24 de agosto de 2026
Fecha de publicación: 15 de septiembre de 2026
Como citar: Ortiz Brito, J. D. y Cárdenas Guanoluisa, O. (2026). The effect of applying the Shadowing technique
on the development of speaking in efl students. KIRIA: Revista Científica Multidisciplinaria. 4(8), pp. 143-156.
https://doi.org/10.53877/fjwq5468
ABSTRACT
This study examined the effect of the Shadowing Technique on the development of speaking
skills among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students.The study aimed to determine
whether implementing the Shadowing Technique could significantly improve students’
speaking skills. A quantitative approach with a pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test
design was employed. The sample consisted of 34 first-year Bachillerato General Unificado
(BGU) students aged 14 to 16. Speaking proficiency was assessed before and after the
intervention using a speaking test that included an interview and a discussion task. Students’
performance was evaluated through an analytic rubric adapted from Brown (2004).
Participants completed ten structured Shadowing Technique sessions designed by the
researchers. The results showed a significant improvement in speaking performance, with the
mean score increasing from 14.29 to 18.94. A paired-samples t-test confirmed statistically
significant differences, t(33) = -16.249, p < .001. These findings indicate that the Shadowing
Technique is an effective pedagogical strategy for improving speaking skills and
strengthening communicative competence in EFL secondary school students.
KEYWORDS: shadowing technique, speaking skills, oral proficiency, fluency,
pronunciation.
RESUMEN
Este estudio analizó el efecto de la aplicación de la técnica de shadowing en el desarrollo de
la habilidad de expresión oral en estudiantes de inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL). La
investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar si la implementación de la técnica de shadowing
mejoraba significativamente sus habilidades de expresión oral. Se empleó un enfoque
The effect of applying the Shadowing technique on the development of speaking in efl students
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cuantitativo con un diseño preexperimental de un solo grupo con pretest y postest. La muestra
estuvo conformada por 34 estudiantes de primer año de Bachillerato General Unificado
(BGU), con edades entre 14 y 16 años. La competencia oral fue evaluada mediante una prueba
de speaking de dos partes, una entrevista y discusión, utilizando una rúbrica analítica
adaptada de Brown (2004). Los participantes participaron en diez sesiones estructuradas
basadas en la técnica de shadowing. Los resultados evidenciaron un incremento significativo
en el desempeño oral, con un aumento de la media de 14,29 a 18,94 y diferencias
estadísticamente significativas (t(33) = -16,249; p < .001). Se concluye que esta técnica
constituye una estrategia pedagógica eficaz para fortalecer la expresión oral y la competencia
comunicativa en estudiantes de EFL.
PALABRAS CLAVE: técnica de shadowing, expresión oral, competencia oral, fluidez,
pronunciación.
INTRODUCTION
Currently, the mastery of the English language has become a fundamental competence in
academic, professional, and scientific contexts worldwide. The ability to communicate
proficiently in spoken English is essential for professional advancement, intercultural
interaction, and English language learning in foreign language (EFL) settings. Nevertheless,
despite years of formal English instruction, a substantial number of learners of English as a
foreign language continue to experience persistent and significant difficulties when
developing their oral communication skills. These barriers are manifested primarily in
different areas, which are critical to determine the traits of effective communication, such as
pronunciation, fluency, comprehension, interaction, and even grammar and vocabulary,
particularly in the case of Spanish-speaking learners.
Pronunciation refers to the manner in which speech sounds are produced and
perceived, while fluency pertains to the flow, speed, and temporal smoothness in speech (Yan
& Yang, 2024). Moreover, comprehension/interaction concerns the speaker’s ability to
understand spoken input and engage in communicative exchanges through appropriate
responses, turn-taking, and negotiation of meaning. Regarding grammar, it is associated with
the system of morphological and syntactic rules; and, last but not least, vocabulary involves
the lexical resources available to a language user. The adequate integration of these
components is therefore essential for learners to express themselves excellently in real
interpersonal situations. From this perspective, many EFL learners, especially in the
Ecuadorian context, tend to command theoretical knowledge of the language, but struggle to
articulate their ideas orally; thus, experiencing a lack of confidence and anxiety. Although
speaking plays a central role in communicative competence, the development of speaking
skills in the English as a foreign language setting has been restrained. One common problem
faced by learners is the inherent cognitive demands of oral production. In this sense, these
requirements involve the simultaneous processing of several linguistic and mental operations,
including retrieving vocabulary, organizing ideas, applying grammatical constructions, and
producing speech sounds in real time while interacting with a listener. Furthermore, the fact
that instructional procedures provide insufficient opportunities for sustained and meaningful
spoken interactions limits learners’ opportunities to actively practice and develop their oral
communication skills.
Currently, many EFL classrooms are mainly centered on emphasizing grammar
accuracy and written language, giving way to minimal exposure to authentic spoken language
and a restricted practice in real-time speech processing. Consequently, these systemic
conditions hinder the students’ development of fluency, pronunciation, and overall
Josue Daniel Ortiz Brito / Olga Cárdenas Guanoluisa
© 2026, Fundación Internacional para la Educación la Ciencia y la Tecnología, “FIECYT”
ISSN 3103-1129
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communicative ability. Hence, these limitations underscore the need for students to
familiarize to pedagogical techniques specifically designed to support their speaking skills
development through continuous auditory input and active oral engagement in an EFL
classroom. One pedagogical technique that has gained considerable scholarly attention in the
field of second language acquisition is the Shadowing Technique, which engages learners
with the target language; while increasing their awareness of prosodic features such as
rhythm, stress patterns, and connected speech. Besides.
The Shadowing Technique strengthens the oral production, principally where English
learners exhibit only partial understanding of grammatical structures and lexical items.
Previous research has demonstrated that this technique enhances fluency and pronunciation,
leading to considerable improvements in learners’ overall speaking performance. (Suyadi,
2024; Doan, 2025; Dewi & Aswadi, 2025). Notwithstanding, the documented benefits of the
Shadowing Technique, limited empirical research has examined its effectiveness in
developing speaking competences among Spanish-speaking EFL learners, particularly in
Ecuadorian educational backgrounds. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of
applying the shadowing technique on the development of speaking skill in EFL students.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Speaking skills in EFL context
The speaking skills are widely recognized as a central component of communicative
competence in second and foreign language learning. According to Shamim (2021), the
speaking skill refers to the ability to express ideas effectively in real-life communicative
situations. Besides, it involves the appropriate use of linguistic resources to convey meaning
and organize discourse coherently, allowing speakers to present ideas in a fluent and logically
sequenced manner. This process demands the real-time integration of ideas, encompassing
lexical selection, grammatical structuring, and accurate pronunciation. (Richards &
Renandya, 2002, as cited in Doan et al., 2025). Similarly, speaking skills demand simultaneous
processing of listening comprehension, linguistic formulation, and speech articulation under
time pressure. Correspondingly to its relevance, this speaking skill proficiency remains a
significant challenge for many EFL learners. (Leonita et al., 2023). The gap between the
linguistic knowledge and communicative performance is particularly perceptible among
Spanish-speaking EFL learners, who frequently make a great effort with fluency,
pronunciation, and confidence when engaging in spoken interaction in the EFL classrooms.
As a result, memorization and repetitive exercises in which accuracy is the primary
focus do not adequately prepare students for real-life communication; instead, effective
speaking instruction should provide interactive and meaningful learning experiences (Fu,
2021). This occurrence can be observed in both public and private institutions, where
traditional practices such as memorizing dialogues or repeating sentences are still commonly
used despite their limitations (Velez et al., 2023). For example, students may correctly repeat
a sentence like this, “I have visited Paris,” but struggle to use it in spontaneous
communication. In contrast, through the Shadowing Technique, learners are exposed to such
expressions in authentic contexts, including movies, interviews, podcasts, and recorded
conversations where speakers discuss personal experiences. Repeatedly listening to and
reproducing these utterances helps students understand how grammatical structures are used
in real communication, improving not only their pronunciation and fluency but also their
ability to retrieve and use language spontaneously during interactions.
Likewise, interactive activities such as role plays or pair work allow learners to express
their own ideas more successfully. In addition, effective speaking activities are centered on
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developing different components such as pronunciation, fluency, comprehension,
vocabulary, and grammar. Pronunciation is indispensable for developing and consolidating
expertise in the speaking skill in the case of non-native speakers. Through training, they have
a greater likelihood of improving their speaking proficiency (Taufik & Nasrullah, 2023).
Fluency refers to the ability to use a language smoothly, easily, and accurately, and the
development of fluency is an ongoing process that demands sustained dedication and
perseverance from both professors and learners (Nazarie & Beigzadeh, 2025). In the context
of English for specific purposes, comprehension is an essential skill that supports learners’
ability to process and apply specialized language accurately (Zoitova & Khalimova, 2024).
Alshumrani (2024) note that vocabulary knowledge comprises multiple interconnected
components that learners must acquire to achieve mastery in language use.
Finally, grammar in speaking proficiency functions as an organizing framework that
governs how words combine to convey meaning, and accurate grammatical use contributes
to more natural and confident spoken language. Accordingly, native speakers may not
consciously reflect on grammatical rules, they apply them intuitively in communication
(Khamrayeva, 2024). Providing this, English language professors need to employ teaching
techniques that promote both accuracy and fluency to enhance students’ speaking skills.
Shadowing technique
The shadowing is a language learning method that involves immediate repetition of spoken
input, initially used in psycholinguistic research to study speech processing (Chistovich &
Kozhevnikov, 1950s). In the early 2000s, ‘Shadowing’ was introduced and popularized by the
American linguist and polyglot Alexander Arguelles as a technique that consists of listening
to spoken language and repeating it immediately to improve fluency and pronunciation.
According to Rahayu et al. (2025), the Shadowing technique is an emerging approach that is
increasingly being adopted. It requires learners to listen to a model speaker and
simultaneously attempt to reproduce the speech in real time.
Shadowing enhances oral proficiency by strengthening learners’ ability to process and
reproduce language in meaningful chunks, a skill fundamental for fluency. Furthermore, it
allows learners to internalize linguistic structures, intonation patterns, discourse markers, and
the cultural pragmatics of authentic communication (Zafarova, 2023). Similarly, G’ulomov
(2025) highlights that Shadowing proves effectiveness as it activates various cognitive and
physical processes essential for language learning such as phonetic and prosodic training,
development of automaticity, cognitive processing speed, and the auditory feedback loop in
EFL contexts. To begin with, phonetic and prosodic training refers to learners’ ability to
perceive and reproduce the sounds, rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns of the target
language.
Furthermore, the development of automaticity involves the gradual ability to produce
language with less conscious effort, allowing learners to speak more fluently and naturally.
Similarly, cognitive processing speed relates to the learner’s capacity to quickly decode
spoken input and formulate a response during communication. Finally, the auditory feedback
loop enables learners to monitor their own speech by listening to their pronunciation and
adjusting it to approximate the model they hear. Arboleda et al. (2023) concludes that
Shadowing also improves listening comprehension and the replication of native-like rhythm
and enhances learners’ confidence and self-efficacy.
Several types of shadowing have been suggested. Firstly, Norman (1969) introduced
the shadowing technique into Phonemic shadowing and Phrase shadowing. Meanwhile,
Murphey (2001) classified shadowing into three categories complete, selective, and
Josue Daniel Ortiz Brito / Olga Cárdenas Guanoluisa
© 2026, Fundación Internacional para la Educación la Ciencia y la Tecnología, “FIECYT”
ISSN 3103-1129
147
interactive. Shadowing technique can be categorized into four types: mumbling, synchronous
reading, prosody, and content shadowing (Kadota & Tamai, 2004). Kadota and Tamai (2004)
proposed a procedure for applying shadowing technique in seven steps: 1) learners first listen
to a passage to understand its overall meaning, 2) they then engage in mumbling one or two
times, softly shadowing the sounds while focusing on auditory perception rather than precise
pronunciation, 3) learners shadow aloud while reading the text of the passage (parallel
reading), 4) they silently review the written text to verify comprehension, 5) learners shadow
the passage three times, striving to keep up with the speaker’s pace, 6) they examine the text
for any sounds or meanings they missed during shadowing, and 7) in content shadowing,
learners focus on both shadowing and interpreting the meaning of the passage, prioritizing
comprehension over individual word pronunciation.
In conclusion, empirical evidence supports the efficacy of the shadowing technique as
an innovative and evidence-based pedagogical approach in EFL contexts. For instance, a
quasi-experimental study with 39 learners reported statistically significant improvements in
pronunciation and oral performance after a 10-week intervention (Rivadeneira et al., 2025).
Similarly, systematic reviews have shown that shadowing enhances fluency by reducing
pauses, improves comprehensibility and prosody, and fosters confidence and communicative
competence, particularly when applied over extended periods of instruction (Macias &
Álvarez, 2025).
RESEARCH APPROACH
The present study adopted a quantitative research approach, as numerical data were collected
and statistically analyzed to determine the effect of the Shadowing Technique on the
development of EFL students’ speaking skills. Consequently, this approach provided
objective evidence of participants’ performance and enabled the comparison of their speaking
proficiency before and after the instructional intervention.
Furthermore, the study followed a pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test
design. Initially, participants completed a pre-test to determine their baseline level of speaking
proficiency. Subsequently, they participated in ten instructional sessions based on the
Shadowing Technique, implemented through a teaching manual developed by the
researchers. Finally, a post-test was administered to assess the changes in participants’
speaking performance after the intervention.
Regarding its research modality, the present study is explanatory in nature, as it seeks
to determine the effect of the Shadowing Technique on the development of EFL students’
speaking skills. By implementing an instructional intervention and comparing participants’
performance before and after its application, the study aims to explain the causal relationship
between the independent variable (Shadowing Technique) and the dependent variable
(speaking skills).
PARTICIPANTS
The participants were first bachelor’s level from a private institution located in Ambato,
Tungurahua Province. A total of thirty-four students, comprising 22 males 12 female students,
aged between 14-16 years old. The group was selected based on applying a simple random
sampling technique, ensuring that all five groups have an equal probability of being selected.
This procedure enhanced the representativeness of the sample and minimized selection bias.
Even though the students received six hours of English classes per week, the opportunities
for speaking practice had been limited.
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Despite the fact that these youngsters had regular English instruction, most classroom
activities focused mainly on grammar and writing rather than oral communication. As a
result, students had minimal opportunities to practice speaking and develop fluency, which
showed a clear need for improvement in this skill. Therefore, the implementation of the
Shadowing Technique was considered a suitable strategy to improve these participants’ oral
performance.
INSTRUMENTS
This study implemented multiple instruments for data collection. The primary instrument
consisted of a two-part structured speaking assessment aimed at measuring students’
speaking skills. During the first phase, each student completed the task individually, whereas
in the second phase, they were required to perform a conversation in pairs. Both phases were
audio-recorded for subsequent analysis. The second instrument involved an adapted
evaluation rubric developed by Brown (2004) with over 25 points which was employed to
assess students’ performance across relevant criteria, including fluency, accuracy in
pronunciation, grammar, comprehension and interaction skills. Finally, observational
techniques and field notes were employed to systematically capture students’ levels of
engagement and participation during the shadowing sessions.
PROCEDURE RESEARCH
The study was conducted over ten sessions, each lasting 120 minutes, and was structured into
three main stages. In the initial stage, a speaking assessment was administered to establish
students’ baseline level of speaking proficiency. It was followed by the intervention stage,
participants engaged in activities based on the shadowing technique during this stage.
Throughout the ten sessions, students were exposed to short video samples produced by
native speakers and learners were required to reproduce the speech simultaneously, both
individually and in random pairs. The activities were implemented following the seven-step
procedure proposed by Kadota and Tamai (2004). These steps are focused on accurately
replicating fluency, pronunciation, and interactional features. In the final stage, a post-test
was distributed using a comparable speaking task with the aim of evaluating any
improvements achieved as a result of the shadowing intervention.
RESULTS
The findings of this study were derived from a correlation of students’ pre-test and post-test
performances across five key components: fluency, pronunciation, grammar, comprehension,
and interaction, following instruction through the shadowing technique. The speaking
assessment was conducted both individually and in pairs, and students’ performance was
evaluated using an adapted rubric designed to measure these specific aspects.
Table 1
The score of the Pre-Test
N. Group
N. Student
F
P
G
C
I
T
G1
Student 1
1
2
3
2
1
9
Student 2
1
4
1
1
3
10
G2
Student 3
4
3
1
1
1
10
Student 4
4
1
2
1
1
9
Josue Daniel Ortiz Brito / Olga Cárdenas Guanoluisa
© 2026, Fundación Internacional para la Educación la Ciencia y la Tecnología, “FIECYT”
ISSN 3103-1129
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Table 1 illustrates the results of the pre-test administered to 34 first-year Baccalaureate
students, in which five key dimensions of speaking performance were assessed: fluency (F),
pronunciation (P), grammar (G), comprehension (C), and interaction (I). The total score (T)
showcased to the cumulative sum of these components. Overall, the data suggest that students
exhibited a moderate level of proficiency, given that a considerable number of scores are
positioned above the midpoint of the scale. Nevertheless, a closer examination reveals a
notable variability across the different criteria; while some learners performed relatively well
in certain areas, others showed limitations in specific aspects of oral production.
Consequently, although the general performance cannot be considered low, it still reflects an
uneven development of speaking skills. Therefore, prior to the implementation of the
shadowing technique, students had not yet attained a consistent or fully integrated command
of the evaluated competencies.
G3
Student 5
2
5
3
3
5
18
Student 6
3
1
1
5
5
15
G4
Student 7
2
1
2
1
5
11
Student 8
2
2
2
1
5
12
G5
Student 9
2
2
5
1
9
19
Student 10
4
5
4
1
5
19
G6
Student 11
3
5
3
1
6
18
Student 12
3
5
2
1
6
17
G7
Student 13
5
1
2
4
5
17
Student 14
5
3
2
1
1
12
G8
Student 15
3
3
5
2
1
14
Student 16
5
4
4
2
1
16
G9
Student 17
1
3
3
1
1
9
Student 18
1
1
5
3
3
13
G10
Student 19
2
4
3
3
2
14
Student 20
4
3
5
3
4
19
G11
Student 21
1
2
5
1
7
16
Student 22
4
4
3
2
2
15
G12
Student 23
3
5
5
2
4
19
Student 24
5
1
1
1
1
9
G13
Student 25
5
1
3
5
2
16
Student 26
3
2
5
3
1
14
G14
Student 27
2
5
1
5
1
14
Student 28
3
1
2
3
3
12
G15
Student 29
5
1
1
4
9
20
Student 30
5
4
1
1
1
12
G16
Student 31
3
5
1
1
1
11
Student 32
4
3
1
2
3
13
G17
Student 33
1
1
3
1
10
16
Student 34
3
2
3
4
6
18
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Table 2
The score of the Post-Test
Source: Josue Ortiz (2026)
Table 2 shows the results of the post-test administered to the same group of 34 first-year
Baccalaureate students after the implementation of the shadowing technique. As in the pre-
test, five core dimensions of speaking performance were assessed: fluency (F), pronunciation
N. Group
N. Student
F
P
C
I
T
G1
Student 1
2
2
2
3
12
Student 2
3
3
2
3
13
G2
Student 3
2
3
2
3
13
Student 4
3
2
2
3
12
G3
Student 5
5
5
5
5
25
Student 6
4
4
5
4
20
G4
Student 7
3
2
4
5
18
Student 8
4
2
3
3
15
G5
Student 9
5
5
5
5
25
Student 10
5
5
5
5
25
G6
Student 11
5
5
4
5
24
Student 12
4
4
5
5
22
G7
Student 13
4
5
5
5
23
Student 14
3
3
3
3
15
G8
Student 15
4
4
4
4
20
Student 16
5
4
4
5
22
G9
Student 17
2
2
1
2
9
Student 18
3
3
4
4
17
G10
Student 19
4
4
4
4
20
Student 20
5
5
5
5
25
G11
Student 21
4
4
4
5
21
Student 22
4
4
4
4
20
G12
Student 23
5
5
5
5
25
Student 24
2
2
2
2
10
G13
Student 25
4
4
5
5
22
Student 26
4
4
3
4
19
G14
Student 27
4
4
3
4
19
Student 28
3
3
3
3
15
G15
Student 29
5
5
5
5
25
Student 30
3
3
4
4
16
G16
Student 31
2
3
3
3
14
Student 32
3
3
4
4
17
G17
Student 33
4
4
5
4
22
Student 34
4
5
5
5
24
Josue Daniel Ortiz Brito / Olga Cárdenas Guanoluisa
© 2026, Fundación Internacional para la Educación la Ciencia y la Tecnología, “FIECYT”
ISSN 3103-1129
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(P), grammar (G), comprehension (C), and interaction (I), with the total score (T) representing
the aggregate of these components.
In contrast to the initial assessment, the post-test results reveal an observable
improvement in overall performance. A significant proportion of students achieved higher
scores, many of which are situated near the upper limit of the scale. Furthermore, the
distribution of results appears more consistent across the evaluated criteria, suggesting a more
balanced development of speaking skills.
Additionally, the data indicate that learners not only enhanced their individual sub-
skills but also demonstrated greater integration of these competencies during oral production.
Consequently, these outcomes suggest that the application of the shadowing technique
positively influenced the advancement of students’ speaking proficiency, fostering both
accuracy and fluency in a more cohesive manner.
Figure 1
Pre-test and Post-test Mean
Source: Josue Ortiz (2026)
Figure 1 illustrates the comparison between the pre-test and post-test mean scores across the
five speaking criteria assessed during the study: fluency, pronunciation, grammar,
comprehension, and interaction. Thus, the results demonstrate a noticeable improvement in
students’ oral performance after the implementation of the shadowing technique.
First, fluency, the mean score increased from 3.06 in the pre-test to 3.82 in the post-test.
Hence, this improvement suggests that students developed greater confidence and continuity
while speaking, reducing pauses and hesitation during oral production. Likewise,
pronunciation showed a considerable rise from 2.74 to 3.85, indicating that repeated exposure
to authentic language models through shadowing positively influenced learners’ articulation,
intonation, and phonological accuracy. Similarly, grammar scores improved from 2.76 in the
pre-test to 3.82 in the post-test.
Consequently, this progression reveals that students were able to produce more
grammatically accurate utterances after the intervention. Although grammar was not the
primary focus of the technique, continuous oral repetition and imitation appear to have
reinforced learners’ internalization of grammatical structures in meaningful contexts.
Accordingly, a particularly significant improvement was observed in comprehension, which
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increased from 2.12 to 3.88. This criterion presented the lowest initial mean score; however,
after the treatment, students demonstrated a substantially better ability to understand spoken
input and respond appropriately during communicative tasks.
Such findings underscore that shadowing contributed not only to productive skills but
also to listening comprehension and real-time language processing. Finally, interaction
obtained the highest post-test mean, rising from 3.68 to 4.15. This result indicates that students
became more capable of maintaining communicative exchanges, responding spontaneously,
and participating actively in oral interactions. In addition, the interactive nature of the
shadowing activities may have fostered greater engagement and communicative competence
among participants.
Overall, the comparison between pre-test and post-test results provides strong
evidence that the application of the shadowing technique had a positive effect on the
development of speaking skills in EFL students and the consistent increase across all assessed
criteria confirms that the strategy enhanced multiple dimensions of oral communication,
particularly comprehension, pronunciation, and interaction.
Figure 2
Pre-test and Post-test Mean
Source: Josue Ortiz (2026)
Table 3
Paired Sample Statistics
Mean
Std.
Deviation
Std.
Error
mean
95% Confidence
interval of the
Difference
t
df
Sig (-2
tailed)
Pair
1
Pretest -
Posttest
-4,647
1,668
,286
Lower
Upper
-16,249
33
,000
-5,229
-4,065
Source: Josue Ortiz (2026)
14,29
34
3,416
0,586
18,94
34
4,824
0,827
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Mean N Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Paired T-test
Pair 1 Pretest Pair 1 Posttest
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DISCUSSION
Based on the statistical analysis presented in the paired samples figure and tables, it can be
inferred that there is a substantial improvement in students’ speaking performance after the
implementation of the shadowing technique. The mean score for the pre-test was 14,29,
meanwhile 18,94 in the post-test, having a a result in a mean difference of -4,647. The t-value
of -16,249 with 33 degrees of freedom demonstrated better results after the intervention after
applying the treatment. Furthermore, the significance value (Sig. 2-tailed) is below 0.05,
confirming that the improvement is statistically meaningful rather than a product of chance.
The effectiveness of the shadowing technique lies primarily in its capacity to promote
immediate and synchronized language processing. By requiring learners to listen and
reproduce speech almost simultaneously, this approach reduces the time available for
translation or overthinking, thereby encouraging more automatic and fluent language
production. Consequently, students are pushed to internalize sound patterns, stress, and
intonation more naturally, which leads to measurable improvements in pronunciation and
overall fluency.
According to Amila (2023) shadowing is effective because it integrates both receptive
and productive skills in a single activity. As learners actively engage with authentic spoken
input, they develop sharper listening discrimination while simultaneously refining their
speaking output. Similarly, Muman and Hendra (2025) asserts that dual engagement in
shadowing accelerates the development of oral proficiency, as students are consistently
exposed to correct language models and are required to imitate them in real time. Over time,
this repeated practice enhances learners’ confidence, reduces hesitation, and fosters a more
natural flow of communication, making it a highly effective technique for improving speaking
skills in EFL contexts.
Therefore, the statistically meaningful results obtained in this study provide strong
evidence for the effectiveness of the shadowing technique in enhancing the speaking abilities
of EFL learners. These findings highlight its value as a meaningful instructional strategy that
can be integrated into classroom practice to strengthen students’ communicative competence,
particularly by fostering greater fluency, more precise pronunciation, improved grammatical
accuracy, appropriate intonation, and more effective interaction.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that the implementation of the
shadowing technique had a categorical impact on the development of speaking skills among
first bachelorette level students. The pre-test results indicated that students initially exhibited
a moderate level of oral proficiency across the five assessed components: fluency,
pronunciation, grammar, comprehension, and interaction, thus confirming the need for
targeted pedagogical intervention. Besides, the structured application of the shadowing
technique enabled learners to engage in repeated exposure to authentic spoken input while
simultaneously reproducing it. This process promoted active listening and immediate
production, which contributed to the refinement of key aspects of oral performance.
Additionally, the integration of both individual and pair-based tasks facilitated not
only autonomous practice but also collaborative interaction, thereby enhancing students’
communicative engagement. Moreover, the comparison between pre-test and post-test results
revealed a measurable improvement in students’ overall speaking performance. The increase
in scores across all five components suggests that participants were able to develop greater
fluency, improve pronunciation accuracy, and demonstrate enhanced grammatical control,
comprehension, and interactional ability. These results support the effectiveness of the
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shadowing technique as a pedagogical tool for fostering oral language development in EFL
contexts. In conclusion, the study underscores the value of incorporating shadowing into
English language instruction, as it stocks learners with meaningful opportunities to
internalize the phonological and rhythmic features of the target language.
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