Shadowing Practice: American English Connected Reading | IELTS Topic: Stay up late - 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 be looking at a sample part three answer for the IELTS question,
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what are some situations where people have to stay awake even though they're tired?
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Let's take a look.
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I think most people, I think,
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I think most people, so here that 可 and マ connect, and 得 and ぱ connect.
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I think most people who force themselves to stay awake,
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to force themselves to stay awake, the two becomes very small,
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force themselves to, force themselves to stay awake.
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This r also becomes very small.
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stay awake are high school or college students, because they tend to have,
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tend to have, this d and t connect, tend to have lots of work,
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lots of, this of becomes very short,
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lots of work that this that becomes extremely fast,
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lots of work that they have to.
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Have to becomes hafta, that they have to complete on their own time.
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The N and TH connect. On their.
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On their own time.
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Quick question, how would you say this?
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It's not for an hour.
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It's for an hour.
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Do you hear the difference?
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There's actually a rule here.
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In rapid speech, we de-stress for and reduce the vowel to just for.
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Not for an hour, but for an hour.
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For an hour.
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So if you want to learn the American English accent, if you want to master these rules and patterns in a systematic way
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so that you can be confident in your own speech, you can join my American English accent training program on Patreon.
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Each week, step by step, I'll teach you new rules and how to apply them to real-life English situations and then give you lots of practice.
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I'm confident that your English speaking and listening will improve significantly by the end of the course.
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Now, I've put the link in the description, so I'll see you there.
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But first, let's get back to our video.
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If they can't manage, can't manage, this T before the M disappears.
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Can't manage.
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If they can't manage their time well, they might leave.
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This T and the L does the same thing.
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They might leave.
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It's a glottal stop.
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They might leave.
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They might leave all their work until the last minute.
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This T and M connect, and it just sounds like last minute.
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Last minute.
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There's no glottal stop.
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Last minute.
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Until the last minute.
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And then stay up all night finishing it.
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All night, night finishing.
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Again, a glottal stop, the T before the F.
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Night finishing it.
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Most adults with regular jobs don't have to make.
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Don't have to.
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Don't have to.
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So don't, this T disappears.
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Have to becomes have to.
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Don't have to make them.
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And then make before T or before th in themselves disappears.
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Don't have to make themselves.
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Don't have to make themselves stay up late though.
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And now this late though, that t and th connect, stay up late though.
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Usually they can go home.
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Usually.
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It's not usually, it's usually.
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I have another video about that.
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They can go home.
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This can just becomes a very short sound.
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They can.
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It's like a back of your throat kind of na.
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They can kind of .
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Go home after work and do other things.
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And do becomes and do other things.
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An exception might be, this T as a glottal stop,
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might be, might be people who run small businesses or freelancers.
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They might have to, again might, glottal stop, and have to, have to.
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Might have to stay up late to finish.
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This to becomes very short.
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Stay up late to finish.
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They might have to stay up late to finish their workloads as well.
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And as well kind of becomes one word.
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Finish their workloads as well, as well, as well.
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Instead of as well, it's very short as well.
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I think most people who force themselves to stay awake
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or high school or college students because they tend to have lots of work
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that they have to complete on their own time.
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If they can't manage their time well, they might leave all their work until the last minute and then stay up all night finishing it.
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Most adults with regular jobs don't have to make themselves stay up late though.
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Usually they can go home after work and do other things.
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An exception might be people who run small businesses or freelancers.
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They might have to stay up late to finish their workloads as well.

Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing your speaking skills with this video is an excellent way to enhance your English communication abilities. The focused IELTS topic of "staying up late" provides real-life context that many English learners can relate to, making it ideal for english speaking practice. By engaging with the material, you'll learn how to articulate thoughts around common situations where individuals may need to stay awake despite feeling tired. This skill is not only useful for IELTS speaking practice but also helps in daily conversations where timing and context are crucial.

The Benefits of Connected Speech

As you shadow the speaker, you will notice how connected speech makes English sound more fluid and natural. Understanding these patterns is essential for effective communication. Regular practice using a shadowing app can help reinforce these concepts, making it easier to express ideas clearly and confidently. The progress you make through this method strengthens your overall speaking and listening skills.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, several key structures and expressions are used that highlight natural spoken English:

  • “Force themselves to stay awake” - This phrase emphasizes the necessity that high school and college students often feel during busy periods.
  • “Tend to have” - This expression indicates a common behavior, making it useful for discussing habits or trends.
  • “Have to” becomes “hafta” - This transformation showcases how native speakers often simplify phrases, a crucial aspect of shadow speak that learners should master.
  • “Last minute” - A commonly used idiom that describes procrastination and urgency, perfect for situations involving deadlines.
  • “Can’t manage” - A natural way to express difficulty, it also exemplifies how quickly pronunciation can change in conversational English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Pronunciation can often be tricky, especially in rapid speech. Here are some common traps to be aware of when practicing with this video:

  • “For an hour” vs. “For an hour” - The unstressed vowel in rapid speech can be confusing. Focus on how the speaker reduces the vowel sound.
  • “Might leave” - Pay attention to how the T and L sounds connect, creating a more fluid expression.
  • “All night finishing” - Look for the glottal stop that occurs here, as it changes the flow of the sentence.
  • “Last minute” - Listen for the absence of a glottal stop and how connected sounds make this phrase smoother.

By practicing these pronunciation nuances, you will greatly improve your clarity and confidence in english speaking practice. Utilizing a shadowing strategy through this video can help reinforce these concepts while developing your conversational skills for the IELTS and beyond.

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.