Effects of Shadowing and Repetition Techniques on Vocabulary Performance Among Grade 10 Students

Vocabulary competence is a critical determinant of second language proficiency, shaping communicative effectiveness, academic literacy, and self-confidence in English communication (Vocabulary Instruction for English Learners: A Systematic Review Connecting Theories, Research, and Practices, 2023). This study investigated the comparative effectiveness of shadowing and repetition techniques in improving vocabulary performance among Grade 10 students at Mindanao State University–University Training Center, Philippines. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was implemented, with 30 purposively matched participants equally assigned to shadowing and repetition groups (n = 15 each) for a four-week intervention. The shadowing group engaged in synchronous audio-visual listening and speaking imitation activities designed to enhance phonological encoding, lexical internalization, and fluency development (Zebiniso, 2025). The repetition group participated in structured, drill-based vocabulary reinforcement exercises aimed at strengthening memory consolidation and retrieval accuracy (Strong, 2023, pp. 185-190). Vocabulary achievement was measured using a validated 30-item instrument assessing synonym recognition, antonym identification, and contextual vocabulary application (Widhiarso & Haryanta, 2015, pp. 419-431). Data analysis comprised descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-test, independent-samples t-test, Levene’s test, and Cohen’s d effect size estimation. The results confirmed baseline equivalence between groups (shadowing: M = 13.27, SD = 1.62; repetition: M = 13.40, SD = 1.68; t = 0.221, p = 0.827). Post-intervention analysis revealed significant improvement in vocabulary performance, with the shadowing group attaining higher scores (M = 27.20, SD = 1.37) than the repetition group (M = 23.07, SD = 1.58), t(28) = 7.647, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.97, indicating a large effect size. Thematic analysis showed that shadowing enhanced motivation, listening comprehension, and pronunciation fluency, while repetition primarily supported lexical recall and accuracy. These findings align with input-processing and socio-cognitive language acquisition theories, indicating that interactive auditory imitation strategies promote deeper le