Another Speaking Hack: Parroting

Let's look at another fantastic way to boost your speaking skills that you can do wherever you are, whether or not there's a native speaker around. This is called Parroting.

Like the Cicero Method, this one is pretty straightforward. There are no fancy techniques or flashy technology involved. It's you, your ear, your voice, and an audio of your choice.

The difference is that in Cicero we practice repeating texts aloud, while in Parroting we practice repeating audios aloud. As such, Cicero boosts your ability to translate text into speech, while Parroting sharpens your ear and helps you reproduce words and phrases you hear. 

This is also perfect for intermediates, but it can work for beginners, so long as you can understand the audio. A transcript is always handy.

In Parroting, we repeat everything we hear. After each clause or sentence, we pause the audio and repeat aloud what the speaker says, like a parrot does!

Here's the exact method I use:

1. find an audio or audios that I understand pretty well,
2. if I have the transcript, I read it, making sure I know all the characters and vocabulary, looking up what I don't know,
3. I start the audio,
4. after each clause or phrase, I pause the audio and repeat aloud I you heard (parrot), using the transcript to help if needed,
5. I repeat until I complete the audio,
6. I parrot each audio three times.

Simple, right? But like the Cicero Method, Parroting is powerful for several reasons:

• you practice speaking without the need to create the language yourself, meaning you practice pure pronunciation and vocalising,
• it tests and boosts your listening skills, because you can't skip over words you don't know, and you listen to the audio several times without realising you're doing so,
• repeating it several times helps to ingrain the vocabulary, punctuation and sentence structures,
• this method grows with you: the better your vocabulary and listening skills, the more complex audios you can tackle, meaning this method can serve you for years,
• you can practice this whether or not you have an exchange partner or teacher,
• it's free!

This is like eating your vegetables! Sometimes it's not the most exciting method around, but it's up there with the best.

I only started using this method a few months ago, but I've already noticed a jump in my ability to speak at length, to hear little words and details, and to speak with less effort.

To get the most out of this method, follow these extra steps:

• read the transcript first, if you can,
• use the Cicero Method before parroting the audio,
• make sure you understand the vast majority of the audio or video,
• space out the repetitions: for example, if you have 10 audios and want to parrot each three times, start with number 1 and parrot each audio once in turn, then go back to 1. This gives you spaced exposure,
• write down the time code of words or phrases that you struggle with and practice them in isolation between repetitions,
• record your voice on another device to get feedback.

That's all there is to Parroting, folks. Remember to add it to your routine: one hour every week for a year, and you'll notice a big shift in your listening and speaking.