Pratique du Shadowing: American English Connected Reading | IELTS Topic: Describe an occasion when you lost sth - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

Création de la leçon...
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Hey, what's up?
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It's Alex.
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Today, I'd like to look at the connected sounds in a short text to answer the question, describe an occasion when you lost something.
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Let's take a look.
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It's funny.
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The first thing that comes to mind isn't something very expensive.
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It's funny.
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When you begin a sentence with the word it's, I sometimes notice that people completely drop the i part,
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and they just begin with it's funny, it's funny, it's funny.
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They kind of connect the it's to the next word.
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It's funny.
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Now this doesn't always happen.
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If someone's speaking a little bit more clearly, they wouldn't do this, and it wouldn't happen quite so obviously in the middle of a sentence.
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It's funny, the first thing that comes to mind, the first thing, you know, the t in first thing gets deleted,
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the first thing that comes to mind, that, the T in that, turns into a glottal stop, that, that comes to mind,
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isn't something very expensive, isn't, the T in isn't also turns into a glottal stop, isn't something, isn't something.
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And now if I say this faster, I might say isn't something, and remove the T entirely, no glottal stop, isn't something, isn't something.
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Or if I'm speaking a little slower and clearer, I'll say isn't something.
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Isn't something with a glottal stop.
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But I just happen to have.
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But I just happen to have.
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But I, that T in but turns into a tap before I, and the T in just gets deleted because it's in front of a consonant.
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Just happen.
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But I just happen to have.
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But I just happen to have a very strong memory about it. About it.
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Here about that T turns into a tap. About it. About it.
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I was waiting for a bus.
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I was waiting for a bus once. For a.
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Here for a turns into for a.
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I was waiting for a for a bus once and I left some sunglasses.
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An-ni.
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That D in and disappears a lot of a time.
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And I, and I, and I left some.
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So here the T in left some gets removed.
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Left some sunglasses.
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And I left some sunglasses on the bench.
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On the, on the bench.
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That N and TH connect together.
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On the bench.
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Once I was in the bus and driving away, in the bus, just like on the, we connect in the.
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The N and TH connect together.
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In the bus and driving away.
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Here, and, because it's between two consonants, we remove the A and the D sounds.
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N driving becomes bus and driving.
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Once I was in the bus and driving away, bus and driving away, it's just an N sound.
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I saw them out the window.
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Now here, I saw them.
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That's a little bit extra clear.
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We could say, I saw him.
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I saw him out the window.
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Saw him.
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We could remove the th entirely.
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That's okay.
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I saw him out the window.
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Here, out the, we connect that sound together, and you could think of it as a glottal stop plus th,
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out the, or you could think of it as the t connecting into th, out the.
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Both are fine.
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I saw him out the window and knew they were gone forever.
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Window, new.
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Here, window.
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Well, this consonant's a little bit softer than s, so we have a little bit of an e sound.
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Window, and it's not just an end sound.
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So I'm removing the d.
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It's not just window, n, new.
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It's window, when, when, when.
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So we have a small uh sound.
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Window-wen-nu.
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Now the d gets removed.
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Window-wen-nu.
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And the two n sounds, after the d gets removed, the two n sounds get connected.
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And new they were gone forever.
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It's been almost 15 years.
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Almost 15?
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The t disappears between s and f.
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Almost 15 years since then.
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And I still try to take.
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And I still...
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We remove the D in AND I.
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And I still try to take.
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Here to gets reduced quite a lot.
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Try to.
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Try to.
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That T is kind of a very light dd sound.
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Try to.
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Try to take.
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And the vowel is reduced too.
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Try to take better care of my sunglasses.
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Here of turns into uh before an M sound.
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Better care of my sunglasses.
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care of my sunglasses.
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It's funny, the first thing that comes to mind isn't something very expensive, but I just happen to have a very strong memory about it.
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I was waiting for a bus once and I left some sunglasses on the bench.
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Once I was in the bus and driving away, I saw them out the window and knew they were gone forever.
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It's been almost 15 years since then, and I still try to take better care of my sunglasses.

Context & Background

In this engaging video, Alex dives into the intricacies of connected speech in American English, focusing on how sounds blend together in natural conversation. The exercise revolves around a common IELTS speaking question: "Describe an occasion when you lost something." This context allows learners to not only practice describing personal experiences but also to grasp the nuances of pronunciation that are crucial for effective communication. By emphasizing the link between sounds, learners can enhance their fluency and coherence, key components of the IELTS speaking assessment.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • It's funny – A great way to introduce a light-hearted anecdote.
  • First thing that comes to mind – Useful for discussing spontaneous thoughts.
  • Happen to have – A casual phrase to indicate possession or occurrence.
  • Left some sunglasses – Helps to narrate a personal incident effectively.
  • I saw them out the window – Perfect for describing visual experiences.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To tackle the pronunciational challenges highlighted in this video and improve your English pronunciation, follow these steps for an effective shadowing practice:

  1. Listen carefully: Start by watching the video without any distractions. Focus on how Alex pronounces connected phrases.
  2. Repeat after Alex: Utilize the shadowspeak technique by mimicking Alex’s intonation and rhythm. Pay special attention to how he connects words, like "first thing" and "but I just happen to have."
  3. Slow it down: When encountering tricky phrases, slow down the playback speed. This will help you catch each sound connection before speeding it back up.
  4. Practice with clarity: Initially, emphasize clarity when repeating. Once you feel comfortable, gradually increase your speed to sound more natural.
  5. Record and compare: Record your practice and compare it to the original. This will help you identify areas that need improvement, ensuring that your shadowspeaks are evolving.

By incorporating these techniques into your IELTS speaking practice, you'll not only enhance your speaking skills but also gain confidence in delivering well-connected and fluid responses, crucial for achieving a high score in the exam. Embracing shadow speak methods will significantly contribute to your overall language mastery.

Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?

Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.