Speak German like the people in your favourite YouTube videos
Turn any German YouTube video into shadowing practice: sentence loops, pauses to repeat, word-by-word pronunciation scoring and exact Whisper subtitles.
Start shadowing with Schatten — free
How it works
- Paste a German YouTube link; subtitles become practice-sized sentences, or Whisper transcribes the audio in your browser.
- Listen, then speak: Echo mode pauses for you, Shadow mode lets you speak along.
- See every word: your attempt is scored word by word and you can compare your recording with the original.
Frequently asked questions
What is shadowing in language learning?
Shadowing means listening to a native speaker and repeating what they say right after them, copying rhythm, melody and pronunciation. It trains your ear and your mouth at the same time, which is why it improves speaking faster than reading or vocabulary drills alone.
Which YouTube videos can I use?
Any video that plays in the embedded YouTube player. If the video has German subtitles, Schatten uses them immediately. If the subtitles are missing or automatically generated, you can let Whisper transcribe the audio in your browser to get clean, punctuated sentences.
Is Schatten free?
Yes, you can practise for free. Your progress, recordings and saved words stay in your own browser.
Is my voice uploaded anywhere?
Your recordings stay in your browser. The Whisper transcription also runs on your own computer, so no video audio is sent to our server. Pronunciation scoring uses your browser's built-in speech recognition (in Chrome this is processed by Google).
Which browser do I need?
Chrome or Edge on a computer gives you every feature, including in-browser Whisper. Safari works for practice and scoring. For shadowing along with the speaker, wear headphones so the microphone only hears you.
How long should I shadow every day?
15 to 20 focused minutes a day beat a long session once a week. Work on one video for several days until you can say its sentences smoothly at normal speed.