Pratique du Shadowing: Rhythm for English Speaking (How British People Really Speak English) - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo
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Hello lovely students and welcome back to English with Lucy.
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Today I have a pronunciation lesson for you.
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We're going to be focusing on rhythm, but what do we mean by rhythm in language?
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If we say that intonation, that is the way your voice rises and falls as you speak, is the melody or the tune,
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rhythm is the beat, you know, the bit you tap your foot or click your fingers to.
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And why is rhythm so important in English?
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Well, it's key to making your message clear, natural and fluid.
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Today, I'm going to show you how you can get into the rhythm of English
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and what I'm modelling today fits my modern RP accent.
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There are, of course, so many other wonderful varieties of English which will all be spoken a little bit differently.
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Speaking English clearly isn't just about rhythm, There's also word stress, individual sounds, intonation and so much more.
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I can help you with all of these things and
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if you would like to know how you measure up when it comes to pronunciation, you might like what I have just developed.
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I have created a free online pronunciation level test.
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It's quite in-depth.
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There are 45 carefully designed questions.
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It moves from beginner to advanced helping you discover how clear
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and accurate your pronunciation really is using this test you'll be
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able to pinpoint the exact areas you can improve to make your english sound even better
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if you'd like to take this test for free all you
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have to do is click on the link in the description
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or scan that qr code right there complete the test
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and we'll send you your results straight to your email inbox
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okay let's get started with today's lesson the The key to rhythm is the way we switch between stressed
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and unstressed syllables in a sentence.
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And let's just check that you know what a syllable is.
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It's a unit of speech with a single vowel sound usually.
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Cat, dog, fish, frog all have one syllable.
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And see how we have a vowel sound surrounded by consonant sounds.
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Each syllable is like one beat tiger, donkey, hamster, camel, all have two syllables or two beats.
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But in English, not all syllables are created equally.
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Some syllables are given more energy.
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They're often pronounced louder and longer.
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Did you notice how I emphasised the first syllable in all
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of these words tiger donkey hamster camel the first syllable is the stressed syllable
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and what happens to the second unstressed syllable well i pronounced it more quickly
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and quietly many unstressed syllables contain weak vowels and the most famous of all is the schwa
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That's the very lazy sound at the beginning of about and at the end of tiger and hamster.
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I'm going to say some more animals now.
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And before I do, try and identify the stressed syllable in each word.
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Here we are.
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Pause the video if you need a bit more time.
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If not, let's check together.
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Elephant and crocodile have three syllables and are both stressed on the first syllable.
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Elephant, crocodile.
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Chimpanzee has three syllables but is stressed on the last syllable.
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Chimpanzee.
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There are four vowel sounds in alligator, later, so that's four syllables, and the main stress is on the first syllable.
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And finally, we have gorilla with three syllables stressed on the second syllable.
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Got it?
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Okay, so now we know the difference between stressed and unstressed syllables, let's get back to rhythm.
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Rhythm in music is the regular repetition of a pattern over a period of time.
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In language, rhythm is the regular repetition of stressed syllables.
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What does that sound like?
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Repeat after me as I read these sentences.
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I want to have a drink.
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She went to see her friend.
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We need to call our boss.
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They liked the gift I bought.
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Okay, not too difficult, I hope.
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In a sentence, we usually stress the words that carry meaning, like verbs and nouns.
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In the first sentence, want, have, and drink were stressed.
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We don't generally stress pronouns like I, she, we, and they, or other, often short, grammar words.
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In these examples, the stressed syllables occur at regular intervals.
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One stressed syllable and one unstressed syllable.
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Let's see what that sounds like with some longer words.
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Repeat after me again.
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The song you heard on Monday made you smile.
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That meal you cooked last Friday tasted yummy.
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The email sent this morning never reached you.
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Don't forget to close the door behind you.
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And the last one, can't they fix the problems any faster?
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Okay, so notice how we have this regular alternation between stressed and unstressed syllables.
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Now, in English, we absolutely love this steady rhythm we get by switching from stressed to unstressed syllables.
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But there's a problem which you may have already noticed.
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Not many sentences follow this precise pattern of one stressed syllable and one unstressed syllable.
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Take a look at this sentence that I said to my husband, Will, earlier today.
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Well, I say this to Will most days, to be honest.
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Do you think we should take Diego for a walk before it starts to rain?
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It rains a lot in England.
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Between each stressed syllable, we have one, two, or three unstressed syllables.
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It's all over the place.
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So what do we do to try and keep the rhythm?
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Simple.
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We just say the unstressed syllables more quickly to squeeze them in.
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Listen and repeat.
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Do you think we should take Diego for a walk before it starts to rain?
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What do you notice about those unstressed syllables?
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Do you think we should take Diego for a walk before it starts to rain?
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That's right.
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Most of them are pronounced with the schwa.
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Do you becomes dj or dj.
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Four a becomes furor and two becomes t.
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Now, we wouldn't be able to keep the English rhythm if I pronounce these full, strong versions of these short grammar words.
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Listen to what happens when I try to do this.
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Do you think we should take Diego for a walk before it starts to rain?
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It's very hard for me to do this.
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It doesn't feel natural.
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I naturally want to follow that English rhythm and that was in the English rhythm as well.
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So contractions and weak forms with the schwa are key to English rhythm.
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Let's practice squeezing those unstressed syllables in between the stressed ones now.
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I'll start with the content words which will be the main beat.
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Then I'll gradually add in more function words.
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They'll squeeze in between the content words.
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Are you ready?
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Make dinner now.
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I'll make dinner now.
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I'll make some dinner now.
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I'll make some for dinner right now.
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We followed the beat.
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It was the same speed, but we fitted the function or grammar words in.
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Let's try another.
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Live, house, road.
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He lives in a house down the road.
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He's living in a house down the road.
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He's been living in a house down the road from me.
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So here we can see that in English, the length of time it takes to say something often depends
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on the number of stressed syllables rather than the total number of syllables.
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Isn't that cool?
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Should we try a few more?
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See if you can shadow me and speak along with me.
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Okay?
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Send text home.
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Send a text when you're home.
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Send me a text when you're home.
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Can you send me a text when you're home?
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Okay, last one.
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Let's do it.
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Try and shadow me now.
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Order, pizza, go.
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Order a pizza to go.
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Could you order a pizza to go?
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I'll be ordering that pizza to go.
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Someone should make a remix out of that.
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Now, obviously, we don't always speak like this.
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It's not always going to be possible or particularly comfortable to keep this steady rhythm,
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but I encourage you to try and notice the rhythm of common phrases you hear and copy it to sound more natural.
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Let's practice that now.
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I've marked the stressed syllables.
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Try to speak along with me.
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I haven't seen you for ages.
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Do you fancy a quick coffee?
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Shall we head to that place on the corner?
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I went there last week and it was great.
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Put your phone away, it's my turn to pay.
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Other great ways to pick up and practise English rhythm are, of course, through songs and poems.
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And in fact, I'd like to end today's lesson with a limerick.
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Limericks are short, usually funny poems of five lines in total.
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Lines one, two and five usually have three stressed syllables and lines three and four usually have two.
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Here's an example.
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Shadow me if you can.
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There once was a teacher named Lucy who taught with a sense of duty.
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Her grammar was slick, her accent did click and her lessons were simply a beauty.
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I would love to see your very own examples of limericks in the comments.
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Bonus points if the last words in lines one, two, and five rhyme.
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Have a go.
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I really look forward to reading through them.
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Okay, that brings us to the end of today's lesson.
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I hope you enjoyed it.
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And remember, the rhythm of speech is the key to sounding more fluid, you see.
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With stress and the schwa, you'll go very far.
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Now use it to sound more RP.
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I very much enjoyed that lesson.
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I hope you did too.
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I will see you soon for another one.
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Mwah!
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice mastering the rhythm of English, an essential aspect of fluent speaking. This involves understanding how to switch between stressed and unstressed syllables within words and sentences, which helps make your speech clearer and more natural. By focusing on rhythm, you will improve your overall communication skills, allowing you to express yourself more effectively in both casual conversations and formal settings, such as IELTS speaking practice. You’ll also discover how intonation and word stress contribute to the melody of English, enhancing your pronunciation skills as you learn English with YouTube.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Rhythm: The beat or flow of speech, crucial for clear communication.
- Syllable: A unit of speech that contains a vowel sound, forming the building block of words.
- Stressed syllable: The syllable that is emphasized, pronounced louder and longer.
- Unstressed syllable: The syllable that is less emphasized, usually pronounced quicker and quieter.
- Intonation: The variation in pitch while speaking, which adds meaning to sentences.
- Schwa: The weak vowel sound often found in unstressed syllables, marked by an upside-down 'e' symbol.
- Word stress: The emphasis placed on certain words in a sentence, influencing its meaning.
- Improve English pronunciation: The process of refining how you articulate words in English.
Practice Tips
To effectively improve your English pronunciation and rhythm, try using a technique known as shadowing. This involves listening to the video and repeating what you hear in real-time, mimicking the speaker's intonation and rhythm. Start by watching sections of the video at a slower pace to grasp the nuances of stress and syllable emphasis. Gradually increase the playback speed as you become more comfortable. Pay particular attention to how Lucy modulates her voice: notice when she emphasizes certain words or syllables and practice replicating that style.
Utilize pauses in the video as an opportunity to practice speaking aloud. For instance, after Lucy mentions a new animal, pause the video and try to identify the stressed syllable of that word before checking your answer. This method not only helps in understanding English rhythm but also in enhancing your overall pronunciation skills.
Incorporating these techniques into your daily practice will help you improve English pronunciation and develop a more natural speaking style, especially useful for situations like the IELTS speaking test. Additionally, you can make use of Shadowspeak, a helpful approach where you shadow native speakers, allowing for repetition and reinforcing your learning experience.
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.