Shadowing Practice: American English Connected Reading | Business Metrics Report - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Hey, what's up?
2
It's Alex.
3
Today, let's look at the connected sounds in a short passage that involves using statistics in a work conversation.
4
Let's take a look.
5
We've been doing really well recently.
6
Doing really well recently.
7
I could change this to doing if I wanted to.
8
Personally, I prefer to say ing a little bit more than in in most conversations.
9
But when I speak quickly, or if I'm happy or excited about the thing I'm talking about, maybe I'll say doing instead.
10
We've been doing really well recently.
11
We've been doing really well recently.
12
We've been doing really well recently with the new website content. With the. With the.
13
So here the TH sounds connect together into just one. With the.
14
With the new website content.
15
Website content.
16
So here the T sounds here in website and content turn into glottal stops.
17
Website content.
18
The ending T sounds get completely cut off in my throat website content.
19
Take a look at this.
20
Take a.. so here we'll connect the uh to take and look at this.
21
We connect together.
22
So look at this.
23
The T turns into the TH sound in this.
24
Take a look at this.
25
I use this sentence all the time, so I think it's a useful sentence to practice on its own.
26
Take a look at this.
27
Take a look at this.
28
Two or three months ago, two or three months ago, so two or three, we have OR turning into ER, two or three, two or three months ago.
29
In months, we can take out that TH sound completely.
30
Now it's important to learn this word with the full pronunciation, months, because when you're speaking slowly you have to say the THS.
31
But when we speak quickly we all say months here in the US.
32
Months.
33
Two or three months ago, two or three months ago we were averaging about 200 hits a day.
34
Averaging.
35
So that e, a-v-e-r, right, in averaging we take out that e, right?
36
There's no sound there.
37
Averaging.
38
Averaging about.
39
Averaging.
40
We connect that ng to the following uh sound.
41
Averaging about two.
42
Here we connect those two T sounds together. About two.
43
Averaging about 200 hits a day on our blog articles.
44
But that was actually, but that was, here we'll connect the T and TH,
45
and we'll connect the T to the W by turning the T into a glottal stop.
46
Before a W, a T usually turns into a glottal stop.
47
But that was, but that was actually, but that was actually after a downward trend.
48
Actually, we don't say actually, we say actually.
49
But that was actually after a downward trend.
50
Downward trend.
51
The D and the T connect together.
52
Downward trend.
53
So that means, so that means, that means, glottal stop there for the T in that, so that means we were regularly,
54
were regularly, that's a long r sound, we were regularly, we were regularly getting 300 hits a day before that.
55
Before that.
56
Glottal stop there at the end of the sentence.
57
Before that.
58
Now though, check this out.
59
Now though, check this out.
60
Another glottal stop there in out.
61
Check this out.
62
You can see, you can see, these vowels in you and can turn into very, very quick sounds.
63
You can see, you can see, you can see we're up to four up to, up to.
64
Here the two turns into to.
65
You can see we're up to 400 views per day.
66
400 views per day.
67
400 views per day on average this month.
68
So for 400 views per day, this is the main point of my sentence.
69
I'm not going to connect any sounds here.
70
400 views per day.
71
I keep my voice smooth and steady.
72
400 views per day.
73
I'm not adding any glottal stops or breaks in my voice there, but I'm also being very clear with all the consonants and vowels.
74
400 views per day on average. On average.
75
Now I'm connecting those sounds together.
76
On average this month.
77
This month.
78
Of course, month ends in the th sound.
79
There's no s there, so we have to say nth at the end of the word.
80
this month.
81
We've been doing really well recently with the new website content.
82
Take a look at this.
83
Two or three months ago we were averaging about 200 hits a day on our blog articles, but that was actually after a downward trend,
84
so that means we were regularly getting 300 hits a day before that.
85
Now though, check this out.
86
You can see we're up to 400 views per day on average this month.

Context & Background

In this engaging video, Alex discusses the intricacies of American English pronunciation, specifically focusing on connected sounds that often occur during fast-paced conversations in a business context. The dialogue revolves around analyzing statistics related to website performance metrics. Understanding how these sounds blend together can help learners enhance their English speaking practice and improve their overall communication skills in a professional environment. This type of dialogue is not only relevant for business professionals but can also greatly benefit anyone looking to boost their everyday conversational skills.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “We've been doing really well recently.” - A great way to express positive outcomes in any discussion.
  • “Take a look at this.” - Useful for directing attention to specific information or data.
  • “Averaging about 200 hits a day.” - Good for discussing metrics and performance in a work setting.
  • “But that was actually after a downward trend.” - Helpful for explaining changes in performance over time.
  • “Two or three months ago.” - Perfect for referencing past events and time periods.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively enhance your shadow speech skills from this video, follow these steps:

  1. Listen Carefully: Start by watching the video once without subtitles, focusing solely on the audio. Pay attention to how Alex connects sounds.
  2. Repeat and Imitate: Play a small segment of the video and try to mimic Alex’s pronunciation. Use phrases like “Take a look at this.” Practice saying it until you can replicate the connected sounds accurately.
  3. Zoom in on Connected Speech: Notice specific examples of connected speech, such as “with the” pronounced quickly as “withe.” Take note of phrases where certain sounds are dropped or altered, like “months” becoming “munts” in fast speech.
  4. Record Yourself: Use your phone or a voice recorder to capture your voice as you practice these phrases. This can help you identify areas where you can improve your pronunciation and pacing.
  5. Practice Regularly: Incorporate these phrases into your daily conversations. The more you practice, the easier it will become for you to naturally use them during spoken interactions, whether in a business meeting or personal conversation.

By utilizing the shadowing site techniques outlined here, you can enhance your IELTS speaking practice and improve your agility and fluency in American English conversational skills.

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.