Shadowing - Revive Your Danish with This Technique
Hello friends!
We've all been there. You spend considerable time learning Danish, feel confident, and then — bam — a few weeks back in your home country or just a short break from studying and suddenly, it feels like the language is slipping away.
But just because it feels like you've taken a step back doesn't mean you've lost it all. It's just that the language has taken a little nap in your brain. What we need is a gentle, effective wake-up call, and I might just have the perfect technique for you: shadowing.
So, what's shadowing?
Imagine walking in someone's footsteps, mirroring their every step. Now, let's bring that imagery to language learning. Shadowing is essentially 'following' along with a native speaker. You'll listen to them and then immediately echo what they say, aiming to imitate their pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. It's a bit like mimicking, but in a very structured and positive way.
Advanages:
Rapid Recall: It activates those dormant words and phrases you thought you'd forgotten.
Active Listening: You're retraining your ears to recognize spoken Danish nuances.
Builds Fluency: It's like a gentle stretch for your language muscles, helping you find that rhythm once more.
How to start? Dive into a Danish podcast, pick a short Danish YouTube video, or revisit some of your old lessons. The key is to choose audio that's clear and at a comfortable pace (good one, right? They talk so fast! Stay with me a sec, I will give you options.)
And you don’t even have to repeat everything that is being said. Just voice out the expressions or chunks of language that resonate with you - those that sound easy, intriguing, or ones you wish you'd thought of yourself.
So, how can you find content where they don't talk too fast? It might seem like there's no chance. However, on my Instagram, I've saved a few Reels that you can play repeatedly. And here's a tip: when you have a Reel open, you can even pause it by placing your finger on the screen. This gives you a moment to get your sentence out. I've made an effort to find content with subtitles and at a manageable speed. HERE
Taking a break from studying is completely natural. After all, you need to use your mother tongue and keep it alive too!
But it's never too late to pick up Danish again.
Good luck!
Daniela
