Pratique du Shadowing: What happens to the æ sound when you speak fast? - 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 we're going to look at this pronunciation rule for connected speech
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and then see how it works in the context of a longer text
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that I wrote that's part of an example response for a speaking test.
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Let's take a look.
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So the rule here is that we're going to reduce a or an in short words in rapid speech.
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So again, this doesn't happen all the time.
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It's just when you're speaking very quickly.
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Air fryers are.
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So a short word, a function word like this, Air fryer zur, zur.
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Kind of taking out the ah here in R.
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Air fryer zur, air fryer zur.
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Next, a in an also gets reduced.
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It ends up kind of sounding like an i in in.
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Get them an air fryer.
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Get them an air fryer.
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Get them an in in.
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Get them an air fryer.
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It's a really short and unstressed sound, and it kind of shifts toward i as opposed to an.
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Get him an air fryer.
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Something like that.
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So let's see how this and other pronunciation rules work in context.
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This is a sample answer for a question asking you to describe something interesting in your home.
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This is talking about an air fryer.
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First, air fryers are cheap.
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Air fryers are cheap.
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So this is what we saw in the rules, right?
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We're kind of just going straight from that Z in friars to R in R.
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Air fryers are cheap.
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First, air fryers are cheap.
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You see a lot of people write sometimes apostrophe R E to show that this vowel is taken out,
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but this is actually not standard for American English.
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We don't write like this when we follow the American rules of English writing.
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It seems a little bit unusual.
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So even though we say it, we always write A-R-E.
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First, air fryers are cheap.
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You can get a low-end model for like 50 bucks.
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You can get a, you can get a, so here can gets really reduced and it blends with get.
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You can get a, it's kind of just like kuh, n.
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You can get a, you can get a, you can get a low-end model, a low-end model, low-end model.
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And we take out that d in end.
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You can get a low-end model for like $50.
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For gets reduced to for.
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For like $50, you can get a low-end model for like $50.
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Or a high-end one for $1 or $200.
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Or a high-end one for $1 or $200.
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High-end one.
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So here that D before the W, it's a little bit stronger than before the M.
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Before the M, it really disappears.
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We can call it a reduced D.
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A high-end one.
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High-end one for $1 or $200.
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For $1 or $2.
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Here that's just an er instead of an or sound.
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That's a price range where you could easily buy it for
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someone is a nice gift that's a price range where you could easily buy it for someone
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so here this beginning of the sentence doesn't really have any
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changed sounds just remember to blend the words together instead of
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saying them one at a time that's a price range where you could easily buy it for someone.
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Here though, at it, we definitely turn that into a colloidal stop, and we apply the same rule where we have for turning into for.
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Buy it for someone is a nice gift.
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Here that a in as gets turned into the i that we were talking about earlier.
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Someone is a nice gift.
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Again, don't clearly and slowly say someone is a nice gift.
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It's not the word is, it's the word as.
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Just remember that as turns into something closer to is in very rapid speech, but it's very reduced too.
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So whoever you're talking to shouldn't mishear it as is instead.
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For someone is a nice gift.
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So if someone moves in somewhere, so if someone, so if, so if, here the so with, we have a very reduced i there.
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So if someone, so if, so if someone moves in somewhere and throws a housewarming party and throws, take off the D and and,
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and throws a housewarming party one of their friends might get
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him an air fryer one of their friends take off the in of one of their friends no d there
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and friends one of their friends might get him might get him glottal stop here get him
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Here we take off the TH in them.
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Get them.
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Now that T turns into that tapping T.
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Get them.
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Get them an air fryer.
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That's a little tapping T symbol there.
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Get them.
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It's not an R.
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Get them an air fryer.
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Here that an air fryer gets turned into that I sound.
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Might get them an air fryer.
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Get them an air fryer.
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Let's read the whole thing all the way through.
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First, air fryers are cheap.
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You can get a low-end model for like 50 bucks or a high-end one for $100 or $200.
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That's a price range where you could easily buy it for someone as a nice gift.
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So if someone moves in somewhere and throws a housewarming party, one of their friends might get them an air fryer.
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If you thought this video was helpful, then check out the link I put in the description in the comments where I have the full video.
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That goes into a lot more detail with more pronunciation rules, a lot longer of an example text, and I even talk about things like intonation, vocabulary, and organization.
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If that sounds like fun, then click the link and I'll see you there.
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And also let me know in the comments, what other sounds and words you want me to analyze in American English.
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I'll see you next time.

Why practice speaking with this video?

In the world of English learning, understanding how native speakers pronounce words during rapid conversations can significantly enhance your speaking abilities. This video, featuring Alex, focuses on connected speech, which is crucial for anyone engaging in IELTS speaking practice. By practicing the nuances highlighted in this video, learners can improve their fluency and sound more natural when speaking English.

Additionally, mastering these pronunciation reductions, such as how "a" and "an" shift under high-speed conditions, can greatly benefit your shadow speak exercises. Speaking in a way that mirrors native pronunciation patterns makes it easier for listeners to understand you, helping you to communicate more effectively and confidently.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, several expressions and grammatical structures arise that are particularly beneficial for learners:

  • “Air fryers are cheap.” - Here, Alex showcases an example statement that introduces a subject concisely. This simple sentence structure is effective for both speaking tests and everyday conversations.
  • “You can get a low-end model.” - The use of "can" indicates ability, which is a common expression in English. This phrase also illustrates the difference between "low-end" and "high-end" models, helping learners to describe varying quality levels.
  • “For like $50.” - Notice the phrase "for like," which is often used in casual speech. It reflects how speakers often truncate words for efficiency, a technique that is crucial for shadow speak practice.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you engage with the material presented in this video, be mindful of these tricky aspects of pronunciation:

  • The reduction of "a" and "an": In rapid speech, "a" can often sound more like "ə" or may simply vanish. This can lead to confusion when articulating sentences, especially for learners.
  • “Get them a” reducing to “Get 'em a”: This exemplifies how native speakers often link sounds together, making the speech fluid but potentially difficult for non-native speakers to follow.
  • Stronger consonant reductions: Notice how consonants like "d" and "n" disappear in certain contexts, which can make specific phrases sound entirely different. These reductions, if not practiced, can lead to misunderstandings.

To conquer these pronunciation challenges, consider integrating learn English with YouTube as a method in your learning journey. By shadowing Alex's speech, not only can you improve English pronunciation, but you also become proficient in navigating everyday conversational speeds.

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.