Speaking is the most difficult part of learning any language, but there’s no reason to be intimidated. If you want to speak Spanish fluently with a good accent, shadowing is the best way to get there. Shadowing will get you used to the sounds and patterns of Spanish without the pressure of talking to a native speaker. After just a few weeks of practice, you’ll notice your speech is much more fluid and natural and it’s easier to recall Spanish vocabulary and make sentences. All you need to get started is a device to record your pronunciation so you can compare it to a native’s. You can use any recording software, but I included some recording programs below if you’re unsure what to use.

Recording Programs

PC

Audacity is the best free audio recording software for computers. Start by downloading it from the Audacity website and installing it.

Once the program is open, you can start recording by pressing the red record button on the toolbar at the top of the screen. You can pause, continue, or stop your recording from the toolbar as well. To export the file, go to “File” and the “Export” from the top left corner of your screen. Do note that you need a microphone to be able to use this program. If you are on a laptop, you will have a built-in microphone, but if you are on a desktop, you need to connect an external microphone. To listen to your recording, go to the location of your exported file and click on it to open it in your computer’s music player.

Mobile

If your phone already has recording software that you like, then use that. Otherwise, download an audio recording app from the App Store. I like AudioLab, but there are many other similar apps.

When you start recording audio, there should be no need to mess around with the settings, just name the file with what you are shadowing, so you can keep track of it later.

After you have finished recording your audio and saved it, go to your audio player of choice to listen to it, here I’m using Pi Music Player.

Getting Started

The process of shadowing is pretty straightforward. Listen to a native speaker and copy what they say exactly. However, when you try to do this, you may find it’s harder than you thought. They may speak too quickly for you to catch everything, or you might get lost part way through and forget what you were supposed to say. This is why you should always use material you can easily understand for shadowing. Easy material will allow you to focus on your speaking and pronunciation. When you pick a source to shadow, start by listening to it all the way through while paying attention to the rhythm and sound of the language. This is called silent shadowing. Next, listen to it again but whisper it out loud to yourself, you’re still mostly focusing on the flow and intonation here. Finally, you’ll record yourself repeating what the native speaker says to the best of your ability. Listen back to your recording and take note of where your pronunciation or intonation is off. If you missed several things, go back and record yourself one more time. Shadowing is a draining activity, so I recommend doing it for no more than 20 minutes at a time. As you progress, you will create your own shadowing schedule and workflow that works best for you.

When you first start shadowing, using resources with accompanying text can make it easier to follow along. However, I recommend not looking at the text while recording yourself. If you rely on the text while shadowing, you’ll end up reading instead of actively listening to and repeating what is being said.

If you want to develop a consistent native-like accent, consider finding what’s called a “language parent.” A language parent is someone whose speech you shadow exclusively to maintain consistent pronunciation and tone. To be an effective language parent, they should have plenty of content where they speak naturally. YouTubers, streamers, podcast hosts, and celebrities can all make excellent language parents. Ideally, your language parent should be the same gender as you and have the accent you want to emulate.

Shadowing Sources

Before you start shadowing, it’s a good idea to review the basics of Spanish pronunciation. Spanish Dictionary has a great series on Spanish pronunciation, and you can reference the video below for common mistakes native English speakers make with their Spanish pronunciation so you know what to look out for. You can record yourself saying the alphabet and practicing simple words and phrases then focus on the sounds you have the most trouble with. If you feel confident in your Spanish pronunciation, you can go straight to shadowing more complex Spanish.

Shadowing videos are a great place to start as they will walk you through the process. Check out the two videos below for some guided shadowing practice! The first video is intended for beginner and low-intermediate learners, while the second is intended for intermediate to advanced learners.

Podcasts and reading material with audio are great sources for shadowing, especially as you get more advanced. Websites like Snappy Spanish and Lawless Spanish are great places to start. When I first start shadowing a language, I will choose audio with a transcript and pause the audio after every sentence to give myself time to repeat what was said. In my audio recording, the host will say a sentence, and then I will repeat the same sentence. This allows for easy comparison. It is best not to do an entire podcast in one sitting, but rather just 15 or 20 minutes of shadowing at a time. As you get more advanced, you can use audio with no transcript for shadowing so you can practice your listening skills while you practice your speaking skills.

When I start shadowing a podcast as a beginner, I like to have the transcript open in one tab and the audio in another, making it easy to switch between the two. First, I listen to the podcast without the transcript to gauge my understanding. Then, I practice shadowing the host, using the transcript only as a reference when I struggle to recall a word or phrase. Rather than reading directly from it, I glance at the transcript to familiarize myself with tricky sentences, then close it and return to the audio, focusing on mimicking the host rather than just reading aloud. Cuéntame is a great podcast for shadowing as beginner because the episodes are short and easy to follow, and there is also a transcript available.

I follow the same process for articles as I do for podcasts. First, I listen to the audio all the way through. Then, I record myself repeating each sentence after the native speaker, again only using the text as a reference, not reading from it. Finally, I listen to my recording and compare it to the native speaker’s pronunciation, noting any mistakes. If I can pronounce most of it correctly, I move on to a new text.

That’s everything you need to know to get started shadowing. You should practice shadowing a few times a week until you are at an advanced level and can comfortably speak Spanish with proper pronunciation. You’re now on your way to having a great accent and fluent Spanish!