Shadowing Practice: American English Connected Reading | Business English: Tech meeting (Part one) - 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 where somebody is in a meeting at a tech company.
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Let's take a look.
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I'm pretty swamped on my end.
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Pretty.
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I'm pretty swamped.
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This T in pretty is a tap.
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Pretty.
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Pretty.
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I'm pretty swamped on.
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Swamped on.
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Now here we have pt.
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Swamped on.
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The ed is just pronounced t and the t connects to on.
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Swamped on my end.
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Swamped on my end.
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We definitely have to have the p and the t.
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On my end.
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Now here if I say this quickly on my turns into just on my.
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the N disappears and it just becomes M.
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I'm pretty swamped on my end.
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I've been working on...
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I've been turns into just I've been.
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I've been.
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Now if you say this slowly, it doesn't sound good.
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I've been, as a connected reading for I've been, only sounds good when it's at the beginning of a sentence and it's unstressed.
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I've been working on getting, again, getting is a tapped T in the middle there.
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I've been working on getting the new APIs ready, getting the new APIs ready for Python and Java.
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For, for Python, turns into for Python.
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And in Python and Java, turns into just un, Python and,
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Python and Java, Python and Java.
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But I ran into a few issues.
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But I, but I, there's a tapped T there. But I.
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But I ran into a few issues yesterday that I'm still trying, that I'm...
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So here, that, with a strong a sound, turns into just a thet thet.
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That I'm still trying. That I'm.
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That I'm still trying to get fixed.
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To get fixed.
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Trying to get fixed.
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There's a glottal stop for the t in get before the f in fixed.
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And at the end of fixed, we need to have all three sounds.
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We can't say fist or anything like that.
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We have to say fixed.
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Fixed.
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E-D is here pronounced t-fixed.
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I'll keep everyone posted, but I think, but I think, here the T is tapped in but I, but I think I'm going to have to.
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So going to have to.
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If you speak it at medium speed or slower, it sounds fine.
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Going to have to.
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But in rapid speech, it'll be, gonna have to, gonna have to, but I think I'm gonna have to, but I think I'm gonna have to.
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So if you increase the speed, you do more connections here.
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But I think I'm gonna have to.
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Gonna have to.
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And remember have to, it's written have to, but it's always pronounced have to. Have to.
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Gonna have to.
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Gonna have to.
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That last to gets reduced into to. Have to.
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Have to push the release date for these tools.
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Release date for, date for after 8 that glottal stop there replaces the t in date.
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Release date for these tools back to next Tuesday.
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Next Tuesday.
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Here we don't say next Tuesday, the two T sounds connect together.
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Next Tuesday.
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I'm pretty swamped on my end.
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I've been working on getting the new API's ready for Python and Java, but I ran into a few issues yesterday that I'm still trying to get fixed.
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I'll keep everyone posted, but I think I'm going to have to push the release date for these tools back to next Tuesday.

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Practicing speaking with this video offers an engaging context for learners immersed in the tech industry. Utilizing a real-world scenario—specifically a tech meeting—helps English learners relate the language to their professional environments. This video captures common phrases and expressions used in business English, allowing you to enhance your vocabulary and fluency. Additionally, the speaker's relaxed conversational style promotes an authentic understanding of American English, making it easier for you to pick up the nuances of daily communication. With techniques like "shadowspeak," learners can mimic the speaker’s intonation and phrasing, enabling you to develop a natural rhythm in your speech.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several grammar structures and expressions are prominently featured:

  • “I’m pretty swamped on my end.” - This phrase conveys a sense of being busy. Note the use of "pretty," which softens the sentiment, making it less formal.
  • “I’ve been working on getting...” - This structure demonstrates the perfect continuous tense, which is useful for discussing ongoing actions. It combines the auxiliary verb "have" with the present participle “working.”
  • “I ran into a few issues.” - This idiomatic expression is useful when discussing problems, emphasizing the casual tone of the conversation. “Ran into” can be replaced with other phrases like “came across” for variety.
  • “I think I'm going to have to…” - This phrase demonstrates a future intention and is commonly used in business discourse to express decisions that need to be made.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice with the video, be mindful of certain pronunciation traps that can hinder clarity:

  • “swamped on” - This connected phrase can be tricky; the “t” in “swamped” should closely connect with “on.” Remember to tap the "t" for a more natural sound.
  • “I’ve been” - The connection here is fluid, transforming into "I've been" instead of distinct words, making it essential to practice the linkage to maintain clarity.
  • “fixed” - Watch out for the glottal stop that occurs before the "f." The "t" is often dropped in quick speech, creating a challenge for non-native speakers to pronounce it correctly.
  • “but I think” - The “t” in “but” can also be tapped, leading to a smoother transition into the following word. This connection is frequently overlooked.

By focusing on these pronunciation elements through effective use of shadow speech techniques, you can greatly enhance your speaking skills, making your communication in meetings more effective and confident.

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.