Effects of Shadowing on Adult EFL Learners’ Oral Communicative Competence: A Systematic Review
Resumen
This literature review synthesizes empirical evidence on the impact of shadowing on the oral proficiency of adults learning English as a foreign language (EFL), with the aim of identifying which aspects fluency, comprehensibility, and prosody are improved, and under which teaching conditions. A systematic review of publications from 2019 to 2025 was conducted in multidisciplinary and specialized databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Dialnet and Redalyc. Studies with adult EFL learners that implemented shadowing and reported on oral performance were included, while theoretical essays and works without performance measures were excluded. The selection process involved a transparent series of steps: identification, screening, eligibility assessment and inclusion. Standardized data extraction covered design, sample, implementation, instruments and results. The findings demonstrate consistent enhancements in fluency (decreased pauses and increased continuity) and comprehensibility/prosody when interventions surpass 6–8 weeks and incorporate shadowing alongside modelling and feedback. In contrast, the effects on segmental accuracy are mixed, particularly in the absence of explicit phonetic feedback. Affective benefits (increased confidence and decreased anxiety) were also observed, being modulated by the speed and authenticity of the input. Moderators include the duration of the intervention, the type of shadowing (prosodic vs. echo), the difficulty of the materials and the degree of teacher scaffolding. Overall, shadowing emerges as an effective strategy for enhancing fluency and prosody in adult EFL learners, with variable effects on segmental accuracy.
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Derechos de autor 2026 Blanca Lucia Cely Betancourt , Jineth Karina García Cendales, Anthony Josué Mago Cumana

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