Shadowing Practice: American English Connected Reading 美式英语连读（上）｜TV（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 TV show that you watched but didn't enjoy.
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Let's take a look.
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Honestly, I don't watch a lot of TV.
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Honestly.
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We don't say honestly, that T disappears.
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Honestly, honestly, I don't watch a lot of TV. So don't watch.
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Don't watch.
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That T becomes a glottal stop.
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I don't watch a lot of TV.
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A lot of.
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So here I mentioned in a previous video that you can say a lot of TV or a lot of TV, depending on your mood and how formal you're being.
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Here, I'm not speaking very formally.
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This is a more relaxed answer, and it might be better to speak a little more formally in an IELTS exam.
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Here I'm saying a lot of TV, just to give you an example of relaxed, casual speech.
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A lot of TV.
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Honestly, I don't watch a lot of TV, and I actually can't remember the name of this particular show.
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An-I-actually.
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An-I-actually.
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So we're not saying and I.
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We're linking and I to an I, and we're putting a y here.
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I actually, I actually.
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And I actually can't remember.
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Can't remember.
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That T becomes a glottal stop.
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Can't remember.
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The.
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This the is spoken in a very low tone and it's reduced.
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Can't remember the name.
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Can't remember the name of this particular show.
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Of this particular show.
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Here I could say, the name of this, but that's a little bit too informal even for me.
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The name of this particular show.
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Particular.
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Particular.
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It's not particular, it's per.
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Particular.
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The name of this particular show.
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But I do remember, but I.
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These words are connected together, but I, with a tapped T, but I.
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But I do remember that a few years ago, that a, same thing, the T is tapped, it's not a glottal stop.
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I'm not saying but I, or that a, I'm saying but I, that a.
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I do remember that a few years ago, I was watching TV with my friend, and we came across.
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So the D in friend doesn't disappear.
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It's not a glottal stop, but it's spoken really lightly.
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Friend-en.
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Friend-en.
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But the d in and does disappear.
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Friend and we came. And we. And we.
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With my friend and we came across a new show.
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Came across a.
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Came across a.
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This a connects to a cross.
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Came across a new show that both of us just hated.
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That both of us just hated.
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That, here the word that is reduced.
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That both of us, of us, is connected together.
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Both of us just hated.
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Just hated.
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Since hated is stressed in the sentence, I don't reduce anything around it.
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Just hated.
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Full full pronunciation of just, just hated.
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It was a cartoon about a family in the 1970s.
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It was, this it is a glottal stop.
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It was, it was a cartoon about a family, about a.
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This t in about connects to the a, and it's a tap. About a. About a.
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About a family in the 1970s.
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In the is reduced.
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In the 1970s. In the.
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A family in the 1970s.
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And I think the dad might have been a factory worker.
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and I think the dad might have been a factory worker.
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Might have been a.
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I don't say might have been a.
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I'm speaking more informally.
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Might have been a factory worker.
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Might have been a factory worker.
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You can use this in a lot of sentences.
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Might have been a.
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I think the dad might have been a factory worker.
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I don't remember much of the plot.
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I don't remember.
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Don't remember.
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That's a glottal stop.
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Don't remember.
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Much of the.
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I'm not saying much of the.
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I'm saying much of the.
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Much of the plot.
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This is more reduced because much of the is de-stressed in the sentence.
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Much of the plot.
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But I do remember.
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But I do.
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But I do.
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Those words are connected together. But I.
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That's a tap.
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But I do remember.
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But I do remember that none of the characters were interesting at all.
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That, remember that, it's not that, remember that, that, that none of the characters,
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I'm not saying none of the, none of the, none of the, none of the characters were interesting at all.
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It's not interesting, interesting, interesting,
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interesting at all, at all, at all.
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It's not at all, it's at all, at all, with a tap for the T, at all, at all.
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And none of the jokes, same thing, none of the becomes none of the.
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None of the jokes really landed.
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If a joke lands, it means that it has a good reaction from the audience.
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None of the jokes really landed.
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We sat through a few episodes.
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We sat through.
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There's a glottal stop first here, then I say through.
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Sat through.
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Sat through.
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Sat through-a.
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Through-a.
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I add a wuh here.
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Sat through-a.
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Sat through a few episodes to see. To see. To. To see.
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It's not to see. To see.
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to see if it would get better.
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It would.
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Another glottal stop for it.
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It would get better.
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Get better.
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Another glottal stop for get.
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It would get better.
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And instead, the D here disappears.
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It's not a glottal stop.
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It's not an instead.
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It's an instead.
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An instead.
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An instead, it just got worse.
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So just got becomes just got in a glottal stop, the T disappears.
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Just got worse.
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The T in got becomes a glottal stop.
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Got worse.
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Got worse.
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Honestly, I don't watch a lot of TV, and I actually can't remember the name of this particular show.
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But I do remember that a few years ago I was watching TV with my friend, and we came across a new show that both of us just hated.
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It was a cartoon about a family in the 1970s, and I think the dad might have been a factory worker?
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I don't remember much of the plot, but I do remember that none of the characters were interesting at all, and none of the jokes really landed.
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We sat through a few episodes to see if it would get better, and instead it just got worse.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will enhance your English speaking skills by focusing on the connected speech used in American English, particularly in casual conversation. By analyzing a sample answer related to an IELTS speaking question, you will learn to recognize how native speakers seamlessly link words and phrases. This practice will not only help you to understand spoken English better but also improve your pronunciation and fluency as you engage in IELTS speaking practice.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Honest - a word used to express sincerity.
- A lot of - a phrase indicating a large quantity.
- I actually - a connected form that provides emphasis.
- Can't remember - a colloquial way of saying you have forgotten.
- Particular show - a way to specify a specific television program.
- Friend and we - an example of linked speech showing how sounds meld together.
Practice Tips
To effectively learn English with YouTube and improve your speaking through the shadowing technique, follow these tips:
- Watch and Listen: Play the video and pay close attention to how the speaker connects words. Notice the glottal stops and reduced forms such as "can't" and "a lot of."
- Shadow Speaking: Practice shadow speech by repeating phrases immediately after the speaker. This method helps you mimic the natural rhythm and intonation of American English.
- Slow it Down: Use playback speed controls to slow down the video if necessary. Focus on clear articulation and gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable.
- Record Yourself: Record your shadowing sessions and listen to your pronunciation. Compare your speech to the original to identify areas for improvement.
- Practice Regularly: To master these phrases, incorporate them into your daily speech. Consistent practice will aid retention and enhance your overall speaking ability.
By engaging with this content and utilizing these strategies, you'll significantly improve your English pronunciation and fluency in both casual and formal settings, thereby boosting your readiness for the IELTS exam.
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.