Learning English

5 Days of tips and challenges to help you improve your speaking

Welcome to Day 3 - Today's challenges

Here is Tim's challenge for you today:

• Practise shadow speaking 

Tim has suggested two options for this challenge. The first is to have the role of Algernon in a scene from the BBC Learning English adaptation of a famous play by Oscar Wilde called The Importance of Being Earnest. The character Algernon has a conversation with the character Jack, played by Tim himself.

OPTION 1 - The Importance of Being Earnest

The second option is a reading related to the Jane Austen novel, Emma.

OPTION 2 - Emma

Instructions for shadow speaking

Shadow speaking is a useful technique for practising speaking when you are by yourself. It can help to build familiarity with spoken English and also develop your own confidence in speaking. 

1. Find some audio in English which has subtitles or a transcript.
2. Listen a number of times following the text so you are very familiar with it. Check the meaning of any words/expressions you don't know.
3. Play the audio and at the same time speak along trying to copy as exactly as possible the original English.
4. Play the audio sentence by sentence. After each sentence, repeat what you have just heard while recording yourself.
5. Listen to your recording and compare with the original. 

Next

Did you miss the beginning of the course? Don't worry! Here's Day 1.

Don't forget to come back for Day 4 for more tips to improve your speaking.