Extended Effects Of Shadowing Exercise On Foreign Language Learning

This paper focuses on the extended effects of shadowing exercise, which is itsfacilitation to foreign language learning.The important role of shadowing exercise in simultaneous interpretation has beenidentified with Gile’s Effort Model by many scholars. Besides, in countries like Japan,schools have been vastly implementing shadowing exercise in English classes since1970s. However, in China, shadowing exercise is still being viewed as merely atraining method for SI. In this study, the author tries to explore the relationshipbetween shadowing exercise and cognitive psychology and endeavors to find out:(i)cognitive property and functions of shadowing exercise;(ii) its extended effects onforeign language learning. Also, the thesis attempts to analyze the differences betweenthe shadowing exercise in SI training and that in language learning, the way weimplement it in classroom teaching and self-learning, as well as the way differentkinds of shadowing exercises are applied in different learning stages.Based on cognitive theories regarding Alan Baddeley’s working memory model, thisthesis attempts to analyze these two issues with the support of researches on effects ofshadowing exercise on SI training, predecessors’ researches in Japan, the empiricalstudy and students’ feedbacks. The major findings are as follows:(i) shadowingexercise seems to have a much obvious cognitive functions and facilitation to foreignlanguage learners,(ii) shadowing exercise’s extended effect, its support to languagelearning, seems to mainly lie in improving listening skills, pronunciation, vocabularyand reading skills, as well as accelerating the output of foreign language.