Shadowing Practice: 美音连读练习 American English Connected Reading | A trip to a forest - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hey, what's up?
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It's Alex.
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Today I'd like to talk about the connected readings in a passage I wrote about a trip
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that I took to a forest on an island.
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Let's take a look.
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I was quickly and completely bewitched by the incredible beauty of the forests.
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I was, was, we say was very quickly here
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because it's the beginning of the sentence and the stress is on quickly bewitched.
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I was quickly and completely bewitched by the incredible beauty of the forests.
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And come, and completely.
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In this whole passage, you'll see that and loosens its de at the end of the word.
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And completely, and completely, and completely bewitched by the incredible.
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The incredible, we kind of add a y between the and incredible.
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The incredible beauty of the forests.
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The air was perfectly crisp.
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The air, we add a ya here as well, the air was perfectly crisp.
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Now, perfectly has a t in it when it's written out, and if you're speaking very carefully, you would pronounce the t perfectly.
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But in rapid speech, that turns into perfectly.
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There's no t.
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Perfectly.
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The air was perfectly crisp.
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The grass was astonishingly green.
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Was a, was astonishingly.
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was astonishingly connect those two words together.
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And when I, and when I, again, that d disappears, and when I stopped walking,
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I could just hear trees and wind.
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I could just, that d at the end of could connects to the j at the beginning of just.
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Could just, You don't need to separate them, so you don't need to say could just.
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I could just hear.
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That sounds a little bit too artificial.
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It's better to say I could just.
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I could just hear trees and wind.
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And again, we drop the d at the end of and. And wind.
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The main path branched off into smaller paths.
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Branched off.
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Connect the d to the a in off.
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branched off into smaller paths.
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Into.
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Not into, but into.
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Into smaller paths.
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And I saw, and I saw dozens of huge orb wavers in their webs.
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In their, in their webs.
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In there, in there.
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When I say the nuh in in, it connects to the the, so my tongue stays between my teeth.
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In there, in their webs.
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Evidence that the larger part of the tourists had stopped tramping about for the season. That the...
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Here the T at the end of that turns into a glottal stop, and we reduce the vowel in that.
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It turns into that...
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That the larger part of the tourists...
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Part of the...
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The T in part turns into a tap.
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Part of the...
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Part of the... of the.
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And the F in of disappears.
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Part of the.
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Part of the tourists.
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The larger part of the tourists had stopped tramping about. Had stopped.
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Had gets reduced in its vowel, and the D connects to the S in stopped. Had stopped.
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Had stopped tramping.
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Stop tramping.
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Let D and T connect together.
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Stop tramping about for the season.
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Now the T in about turns into a glottal stop.
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About, about for the season.
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It doesn't disappear.
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We don't say about for the season.
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We say about for the season. About for the season.
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And for the becomes very small and very short and connects together.
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For the, for the, for the season.
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I saw very few people at all except when I was near the beaches. At all.
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We say those very quickly. At all.
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Very few people at all.
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People at all.
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Except when I was.
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Except when I.
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Except.
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That T at the end of except disappears.
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We just keep the P.
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Except when I was near the beaches. When I. When I. When I.
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Near the beaches.
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The beaches.
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Here I'm saying the very quickly and kind of connecting it to the b in beaches.
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The beaches.
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Near the beaches. And surely. And surely.
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Now that D disappears and we connect the N in and to S in surely. And surely.
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And surely they were only a fraction of those who come at the height of summer. At the. At the. At the.
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So here at turns into an at glottal stop, at the, at the height of summer.
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At the height of summer.
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I was quickly and completely bewitched by the incredible beauty of the forests.
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The air was perfectly crisp, the grass was astonishingly green, and when I stopped walking I could just hear trees and wind.
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The main path branched off into smaller paths, and I saw dozens of huge orb weavers in their webs,
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evidence that the larger part of the tourists had stopped tramping about for the season.
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I saw very few people at all except when I was near the beaches, and surely they were only a fraction of those who come at the height of summer.

Context & Background

In this engaging video, the speaker Alex shares a vivid recollection of his enchanting trip to a forest on an island. Through his descriptive narrative, viewers not only learn about the beauty of nature but also gain insights into the nuances of American English pronunciation and connected speech. Alex emphasizes the importance of how native speakers naturally link words and sounds, which can enhance your understanding and fluency as you learn English with YouTube.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • I could just... - This phrase is commonly used to express ability or a simple thought.
  • The incredible beauty of... - A phrase that showcases admiration for something beautiful.
  • The air was perfectly crisp. - Describing pleasant and refreshing conditions.
  • Branched off into smaller paths. - Used to indicate choices or different options available.
  • Evidence that the larger part of... - A formal way to discuss conclusions or observations based on facts.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively practice shadowing with Alex's speech, follow these steps to improve your pronunciation and fluency:

  1. Listen closely: Start by watching the video without subtitles. Pay attention to how Alex connects words. This is key to mastering shadow speech.
  2. Repeat phrases: After each sentence, pause and repeat what Alex says, mimicking both the rhythm and intonation. For instance, try saying "The air was perfectly crisp." in a similar flow.
  3. Focus on linking sounds: Notice how certain sounds are blended together. For example, in "I could just hear," the “d” connects to the “j.” Practice this connection to develop fluidity.
  4. Record your voice: Use a recording device to capture your practice sessions. Listen to your pronunciation against Alex’s to identify areas for improvement.
  5. Regular practice: Consistency is crucial. Set aside time daily to practice using this shadowing technique. The more you engage in shadowspeak, the more natural your speaking will become.

By following this guide and incorporating the phrases highlighted, you can significantly enhance your conversational skills and seamlessly integrate into casual American English dialogues.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.