Shadowing Practice: American English Connected Reading 美式英语连读（上）｜Healthy activity （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 we're going to look at a sample IELTS part 2 answer to the question, Describe a healthy activity you enjoy doing.
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Let's take a look.
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I love running.
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It's definitely my favorite hobby.
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Love running.
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Love running.
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We want to connect that v and r together.
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Love running.
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It's definitely my favorite hobby.
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Definitely.
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That T in definitely gets turned into a glottal stop.
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Definitely.
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Favorite changes its vowel.
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It's not favorite.
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It's favorite.
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It's definitely my favorite hobby.
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Every morning when I go for a run, I feel so fresh and alive.
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Every morning, when I, when I, when I, we want to connect the n together with the I, when I.
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Go for a run.
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It's a little bit hard to say for a run, but that's how we reduce for a.
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Go for a run.
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Go for a run.
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I feel so fresh and alive.
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It also wakes me up.
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It also.
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That T turns into a tap.
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It also.
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It also.
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It also.
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It also wakes me up, me up.
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When we connect those two words, we add a ya, wakes me up, me up.
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It also wakes me up and gets me ready for the day ahead.
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And gets, and gets, we don't say the duh here for and.
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And gets me ready for the day ahead.
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the for the we connect those two words together
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and we delete the vowel in for for the for the
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day ahead now we'll connect those vowels day day ahead there's already a y written there
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but we want to connect the sounds together instead of saying
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day ahead day ahead day ahead ready for the day ahead
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i usually go running alone but when i started running in high school usually we don't say
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usually it's usually i usually go running alone but when i
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but when i that t in but turns into a glottal stop
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but when i and again we'll connect when i the na
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and i connect together but when i When I started running in high school, I was part of a track team.
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Part of a.
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So we'll connect part of a together as if it's almost one word.
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Part of a.
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Part of a.
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That T turns into a tap, and the vowels connect together.
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Part of a.
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Part of a track team.
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Since I run alone now, since I run alone now, run a, the N and the A connect together,
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run alone now, and now alone ends with a N sound, and now begins with a N sound, so we'll connect those together.
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Run alone now.
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It's totally up to me.
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Up to.
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Up to me.
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We've reduced the vowel in to.
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Up to me.
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It's totally up to me where I want to run.
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Want to turns into wanna.
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Where I want to run.
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It's totally up to me where I want to run.
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And I like to.
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And I like to.
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So, and I, the D in and disappears, like to.
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That K in like to disappears, and it connects with the to to become like to.
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Like to.
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And I like to.
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And I like to vary my roots, so I don't just get in the habit.
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Get in the.
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Get in the.
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Now, the T in get turns into a glottal stop.
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Get in the habit.
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and the N in IN and the TH in THE connect.
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Get in the habit.
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Get in the.
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Get in the.
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Get in the habit.
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Get in the habit of running the same way every time.
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Again, the Y is written here, so we want to connect those vowels together.
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Same way every time.
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Way every.
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The same way every time.
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Running is healthy for me because it keeps my heart and lungs strong and active.
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Healthy for me.
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for that vowel gets reduced healthy for me
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because it keeps will connect those sounds together and we'll make
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that T into a cloddle stop because it keeps
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because it keeps my heart and lungs strong and active heart lungs the vowel and the D in AND disappear.
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Heart and lungs.
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Heart and lungs, strong and active.
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Here we still have that A in AND.
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Strong and active.
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Strong and active.
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I love running.
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It's definitely my favorite hobby.
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Every morning when I go for a run, I feel so fresh and alive.
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It also wakes me up and gets me ready for the day ahead.
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I usually go running alone, but when I started running in high school, I was part of a track team.
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Since I run alone now, it's totally up to me where I want to run, and I like to vary my routes so I don't just get in the habit of running the same way every time.
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Running is healthy for me because it keeps my heart and lungs strong and active.

Context & Background

In this engaging video, Alex discusses his favorite healthy activity: running. He shares personal insights and demonstrates how to articulate phrases to enhance English speaking skills. By focusing on connected speech, Alex highlights important features such as vowel reduction and glottal stops, which are crucial for fluent American English pronunciation. This video is particularly beneficial for learners aiming to improve their spoken English through the shadowing technique, allowing them to mimic natural speech patterns effectively.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Love running. - A simple expression of enthusiasm.
  • It definitely wakes me up. - Expressing certainty about an effect.
  • I feel so fresh and alive. - Describing a positive feeling post-activity.
  • Ready for the day ahead. - Indicating preparedness for what lies ahead.
  • Part of a track team. - Sharing past experiences related to the activity.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively utilize the shadowing technique with this video, follow these steps to improve your English pronunciation and speaking skills:

  1. Watch the Video: Start by watching Alex’s video without focusing on the transcript. Pay attention to his pronunciation and rhythm.
  2. Listen and Repeat: Play segments of the video, and repeat what you hear. Focus on connecting words and mimicking Alex's speech patterns. For example, practice saying “love running” as a single phrase.
  3. Identify Key Sounds: Notice how sounds blend together. For instance, “it also” becomes “it also” rather than sounding distinct. These nuances are essential for smooth pronunciation.
  4. Record Yourself: Use your device to record your shadow speech. Listen back to assess how closely you replicate Alex's delivery and make notes on areas needing improvement.
  5. Practice Regularly: Regular practice will help solidify your understanding. Try to integrate these phrases into your daily conversations. Utilize the “shadow speak” method to enhance fluency and naturalness in your speech.

By following this step-by-step guide, you will effectively learn English with YouTube, utilizing shadowing as a powerful technique to improve your English pronunciation. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become in using connected speech and engaging in daily conversations.

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.