Shadowing Practice: COPY MY AMERICAN ACCENT! 🇺🇸 (How to 100% Improve Your Speaking Fluency) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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I'm going to teach you all about the American accent, which is my English accent because I am from the United States.
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And this is a practice lesson, so I want you to participate and actually say these words and sentences with me.
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And if you are someone who wants to improve and develop your speaking fluency, please subscribe, turn on notifications, that way I can become your teacher.
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My name is Wes, the channel is Interactive English.
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It's all about trying to help you reach your fluency goals.
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So we're going to do this step by step.
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And really, we're just going to build on top of things as we go along.
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And again, I want you to practice.
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So let's start with a couple of super common reductions.
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And these are reductions that you absolutely need to learn
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because you will hear them all the time and you will also use them all the time.
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And I'm talking about probably the two most common reductions, gonna and wanna.
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So going to and want to, when those phrases are followed by a base verb, we can reduce reduce them and going to is going to get reduced to gonna
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and want to will get reduced to wanna.
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Now, you may already be familiar with these reductions and you may already be using them as well and that's great.
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It's all about developing a nice rhythm and flow.
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So I'm going to give you some sentences and I just want you to repeat after me, say these reductions out loud, but I'm not going to spell the reduction.
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I really want you to get in the habit, even when you're reading and you see going to followed by a verb that you're just going to change it already.
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And in your mind, you're going to say gonna or wanna.
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Now, keep in mind, these are reductions.
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You're not going to emphasize these words.
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So just repeat after me.
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We're going to be late.
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We're going to be late.
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Are you going to go?
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Are you going to go?
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I'm not going to eat that.
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I'm not going to eat that.
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He's going to start a new job.
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He's going to start a new job.
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It's going to rain tomorrow.
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It's going to rain tomorrow.
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Excellent.
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Easy enough.
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And you really just move right through the sentence using these reductions.
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So let's practice a few more sentences, this time with the reduction wanna.
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I want to go home.
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I want to go home.
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What do you want to do?
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What do you want to do?
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I don't want to be late.
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I don't want to be late.
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Do you want to play a game?
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Do you want to play a game.
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We just want to relax.
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We just want to relax.
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All right, well done.
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I trust that you are saying these out loud and practicing your speaking skills because just saying them out loud,
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even with simple sentences, it's really going to help you get more comfortable so that you can start using them naturally.
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Now, speaking of reductions, let's continue and talk about some single word reductions and I'm talking about the words to,
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for, and and.
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So these words are commonly used, but they're not really content words.
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They're not words that you're going to emphasize.
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And when they get reduced, the vowel sound can change slightly.
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So each of these words has two different pronunciations.
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So like the word to, it may sound like the number, but when it's reduced, It may sound much softer.
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And you're really going to hear more of a schwa sound, that unstressed vowel sound.
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The word for is going to sound like fur.
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And and we're just going to reduce that.
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That D is going to go away and it's going to sound like N.
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I really want to emphasize the idea that these words are unstressed because I want to practice them.
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And typically when people end up focusing on them, they emphasize the word.
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And that is not the case.
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The whole idea is that these words are unstressed and that is why that vowel sound is going to change.
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Let's look at this first sentence.
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But there's something I want to mention before we practice.
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I'm going to the dentist.
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Now, this does not mean you're always going to reduce this word.
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There may be situations, depending on the tone and the conversation that you're having, it may sound like two.
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Maybe you're not paying attention and I'm trying to emphasize that this is something I'm doing.
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I'm going to the dentist.
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And you hear two.
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But quite often, you're just going to say this casually without giving it too much thought.
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And two is going to get reduced and it's going to sound like a softer tu.
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I'm going to the dentist.
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I want you to say this after me.
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Let's say it slowly.
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I'm going to the dentist.
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Now let's say it at a normal speed.
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I'm going to the dentist.
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I'm going to the dentist.
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And then this one, slowly.
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She's planning to travel to France.
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She's planning to travel to France.
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She's planning to travel to France.
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Now, let's practice with some sentences using FOR, but we're going to reduce it to FOR.
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Once again, we'll say it slowly and then at a normal speed.
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I went for a walk in the park.
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I went for a walk in the park.
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I went for a walk in the park.
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And then this last sentence, I'm going to throw in a reduction.
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What are you gonna do for lunch?
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What are you gonna do for lunch?
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What are you gonna do for lunch.
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And finally, let's practice reducing AND to N.
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She's healthy and fit.
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She's healthy and fit.
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She's healthy and fit.
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We're having chicken and rice for dinner.
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We're having chicken and rice for dinner.
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We're having chicken and rice for dinner.
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You're doing great.
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And I hope that as I was saying those sentences, you can hear the reduction, that it's a much softer sound.
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And I also hope that when you were saying them, you're keeping that in mind, that it's a softer sound, it gets reduced.
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And this is really important.
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Like I said, it's about developing a nice rhythm and flow.
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And we're going to talk about that in just a moment.
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But the next thing that I want to tell you about is something that is a distinct part of the American accent.
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And I'm talking about the flap T.
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So the flap T, it really sounds like a soft D
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and they say flap because your tongue really is just coming up and flapping against the top part of your mouth.
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So there are three times when this occurs and you should be aware of all three.
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The first one, which I think is the most common, and that is when the T comes between two vowel sounds.
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And there are many words that that you would use a flap T.
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Just repeat after me.
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Water, city, better.
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I also want you to keep in mind that when you have a phrase
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and the T comes at the end of the word
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but it's between two vowel sounds you're also going to pronounce that as a flap T.
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I want you to repeat these phrases after me.
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Put up,
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get over start out you hear those flap T's you're also going to use a flat T
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when the T comes before or after a dark L
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so once again repeat these words after me little bottle battle
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and finally you're going to pronounce the T as a a flap T when it comes before or after a controlled R.
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Say these words after me.
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Daughter, party, turtle.
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One way that I love practicing the flap T is with a tongue twister, Betty Botter.
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Now, most of these T's, they come between two vowel sounds, and I want you to repeat after me.
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Let's do this line by line.
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So just repeat after me.
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Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter.
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If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter.
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Again, you're pronouncing all those flap T's.
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Let's say it one more time.
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Let's say the whole thing.
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And I want you to shadow.
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So in this case, I want you to say it with me.
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Try to maintain that same speed and really use that flap T.
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Are you ready?
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Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter.
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If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter.
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So this is a great way to practice the flap T
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because there's so many of them and you're just saying that soft D sound.
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Now another distinct part of the American accent, which is a sound, and I want you to master it, and that is the American R.
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So let's talk about how to pronounce the American R.
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We'll just call it that.
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And I'll tell you how to position the tongue in your mouth.
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So your tongue is going to be pulled back a little bit, and the sides of your tongue are going to be touching the insides of your upper teeth.
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The tip of your tongue is going to be pointed up and it's really gonna be fixed in a fixed position.
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Your lips are gonna be a little rounded.
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So this is what it sounds like that.
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It reminds me of a Frosted Flakes commercial.
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Tony the Tiger would say the word great but really emphasizing that R sound.
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Give it a try and really emphasize that R sound.
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Great!
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Let's practice with some individual words.
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And this is really important because it's all about fine-tuning your pronunciation
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because the R sound in other English varieties is not always the same.
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So I want you to say these words after me, and I'm going to emphasize that R, and I want you to do the same.
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Are you ready?
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Ready?
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Red.
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Right.
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Around.
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Car.
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Star.
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And you're really going to pronounce that R sound.
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The next thing that I want to share with you is incredibly important when talking about rhythm and flow.
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You've heard me mention this several times already.
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But you need to keep in mind that English is a stress time language,
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and this is what's going to help you develop that rhythm and flow in a more natural way of speaking.
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So what does it mean when we talk about stress timing?
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It means that the stress syllables or words are said at approximately regular intervals,
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and then the other words or syllables may get reduced in order to fit that pattern.
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And because of this, the English language may sound mellifluous, which is a great adjective which means something is pleasing or soothing to hear.
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So because English is a stress time language, it can sound a little musical.
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You could take any sentence and really create a melody.
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And that's what I want to do right now.
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And I want to say these sentences with a melody, and I'm going to throw a lot at you right now.
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So let's just look at this first one.
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He's going to go to the gym.
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time I clap, that is the stressed syllable or word.
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He's gonna go to the gym.
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Think about what else is going on in the sentence.
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Going to, I'm gonna reduce that to gonna, to the gym.
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To, it's reduced, so that vowel sound's gonna change to the gym.
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However, that T, it comes between two vowel sounds, so I'm gonna pronounce it as a flat T.
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So to the gym, it's actually gonna sound like to the gym.
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Go to the.
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You hear that flat T along with that reduced sound.
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Go to the.
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Go to the.
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And you will hear this all the time with the American accent.
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Go to the gym, go to the mall, go to the store.
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So I told you I'm gonna throw a lot at you right now.
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So think about that melody, he's gonna go to the gym.
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And I want you to say it just like that.
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So repeat after me, he's gonna go to the gym.
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One more time with that melody, he's gonna go to the gym.
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And even if I'm just saying this casually at a normal speed, you can still pick up on that stress timing.
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He's gonna go to the gym.
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He's gonna go to the gym.
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Let's practice the next sentence.
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Where do you want us to put this?
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Again, every time I clap, that's that stress timing, that's the rhythm.
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Where do you want us to put this?
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At the end of the sentence, we have that reduced to, to put this, to put this.
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Where do you want us to put this?
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I want you to repeat after me, think about that melody.
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Where do you want us to put this?
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One more time.
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Where do you want us to put this?
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And now let's just say it at a regular speed but still using that stress timing.
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Where do you want us to put this?
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And now let's practice this last sentence.
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I'm gonna get an uber and go home.
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And there's several things going on.
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We're gonna reduce going to to gonna and and to end.
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I'm gonna get an uber and go home.
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I want you to repeat after me.
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I'm gonna get an uber and go home.
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I'm gonna get an uber and go home.
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And now let's say it at more of a normal speed.
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I'm gonna get an uber and go home.
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I would really encourage you to practice this and you can practice on your own.
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What I would suggest is that you read something out loud
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and I think it would be more beneficial to read some poetry.
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Probably even better, read a children's book.
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In that way, you can really create that melody.
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Because the way that you read to a child, it's gonna be different than just reading any old book or article out loud.
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And you're trying to create that melody, make it sound a little more like a song, and you're using that stress timing.
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So this is something that I think is really going to help you to create a more natural rhythm and flow.
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Let's move on to the next thing, which is, well, also very common, and that is linking your words.
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And really, this is a part of connected speech.
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And Americans will often link words together because it helps make our speech faster and smoother.
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And when you think about it, many languages use linking.
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And the first time that you start learning a language, You hear it and it just sounds like one long word.
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This is really because of linking.
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So specifically, linking is
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when you link the final consonant sound of one word with the beginning vowel sound of the next word.
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I want to practice with some simple sentences and we are going to link two or more words together.
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Let's look at our first sentence.
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And the way I would say this is, can you give us an update?
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And we're going to link several words together.
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I'm not going to pronounce the words individually.
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Can you give us an update?
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When thinking about linking and connected speech, the idea is that you're not pronouncing the individual words, but you're pronouncing them together as a phrase.
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So the phrase that we're going to link is give us an update.
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So let's say this slowly and I want you to repeat after me.
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I'm going to emphasize that consonant sound that gets moved over.
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Give us an update.
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Say it again give us an update now let's say the
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question repeat after me can you give us an update can
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you give us an update here's the next one I'm gonna take it away
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so I'm gonna reduce going to to gonna take it away
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that is the phrase that I'm gonna link and
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that final T in it I'm gonna I'm gonna pronounce it as a flat T.
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Take it away.
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Repeat after me.
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Take it away.
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Take it away.
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Now let's say the sentence, I'm going to take it away.
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And you can even hear that melody.
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I'm going to take it away.
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One more time, just for good measure.
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I'm going to take it away.
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Let's try this one.
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I just got out of the meeting.
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The phrase that I'm going to link, got out of, you hear those flat T's, there are two of them,
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and then I'm gonna link them over with that vowel sound.
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Got out of, got out of.
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I really want you to think about this phrase
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because we use this quite often and I think if you're not really familiar with linking,
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this is a good starting point because we will use this phrase in a variety of contexts.
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Get out of, got out of, I get out of bed, you get out of the car, you can get out of trouble.
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So quite often you can use this phrase and just practice this and say it with a variety of sentences.
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So let's say our sentence right here.
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I just got out of the meeting.
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One more time.
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I just got out of the meeting.
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Some other common phrases that I want to highlight. And if.
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And, we'll get reduced to N and then we can link it. And if. But I.
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But, that T, I'm going to pronounce it as a flat T and then when I link it, it's going to sound like but I.
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And if, but I.
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One thing I would encourage you to do is just listen to the way
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that native speakers are talking and then try to say things in the same way.
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And I'm going to talk about that in just a little bit, but really try to let your ears do all the work.
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Don't think about the individual words, but think more about the sounds.
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It'll make things easier for your mouth.
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Something else I want you to do is focus on common sound changes.
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And really, I'm talking about assimilation.
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So sounds may change when two words meet.
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And assimilation occurs when two sounds really sound more like each other because they're spoken consecutively.
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And there are some common phrases, specifically when asking questions, and you can use assimilation.
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So let's talk about them right now.
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First, we'll begin with the T and Y.
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When those two sounds assimilate, you get a bit of a ch sound.
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Think about the phrase, don't you.
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That T and Y, if they blend together, you get a ch.
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We can practice this question.
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Why don't you give me a hand?
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Can you hear?
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It's like that slight ch sound.
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We're putting it between the two words, and that is what really allows us to connect them together.
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Don't you?
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Why don't you give me a hand?
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I want you to say it after me.
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Why don't you give me a hand?
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Why don't you give me a hand?
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Here's another question.
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Don't you want to get out of the pool?
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So, don't you, you hear me say, don't you, I'm going to reduce want to to wanna, and then there's our linked phrase, get out of.
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And once again, you can hear that melody.
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Don't you want to get out of the pool?
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So, I want you to repeat after me.
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Don't you want to get out of the pool?
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One more time.
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Don't you want to get out of the pool?
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Another common sound change is with the D and Y.
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So when these two sounds assimilate, you get more of a juh sound.
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Think about the phrase, did you?
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When I pronounce this, I'm going to say, did you?
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You can hear that slight juh sound, did you?
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So we have our question, what did you eat for breakfast?
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Once again, for, let's reduce it to fur.
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So repeat after me.
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What did you eat for breakfast?
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What did you eat for breakfast?
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And again, I hope you can hear that stress timing.
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Here's another question.
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Where did you go last night?
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Where did you go last night?
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So when it comes to common sound changes, this is a great place to start.
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And notice that these were all questions.
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And quite often, you're talking to somebody and you're asking them a question.
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Consider that last phrase, did you?
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So instead of pronouncing the individual words, you could say, what did you, where did you, why did you, how did you?
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Now it's going to allow you to ask a question just more easily and naturally, but that doesn't mean assimilation is always going to occur.
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You may hear somebody say, what did you?
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But if you want to connect them and really just move right through the question, what did you, where did you, why did you, how did you, this is a great way to practice.
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else I want you to work on and practice is American intonation.
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And really this is more about tone and the way that you're expressing your thoughts, opinions, and ideas.
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It's just more natural.
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So in its simplest terms, let's just talk about statements and yes, no questions.
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So statements, really going to have a falling intonation at the end, and yes, no questions, you're going to have a rising intonation.
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And I think a great way to practice this right now is by changing some statements to questions.
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So let's have a look at our first one.
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He's looking for a job.
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Now, this is a statement, so you have that falling intonation at the end.
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He's looking for a job.
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I want you to repeat after me.
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He's looking for a job.
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Now, if I change this statement to a question, which is really a yes-no question, now I'm going to have a rising intonation at the end.
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He's looking for a job. Can you hear that?
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He's looking for a job.
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I want you to give it a try.
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He's looking for a job.
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One more time.
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He's looking for a job.
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Here's our next sentence.
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As a statement, repeat after me.
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She's 25 years old.
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She's 25 years old.
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And now as a question, she's 25 years old.
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She's 25 years old.
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And then one more as a statement.
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Repeat after me.
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They live in this building.
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They live in this building.
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Now, as a question with a rising intonation, they live in this building?
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They live in this building?
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Now, I know when you heard me say these sentences, you could really tell a difference between falling and rising intonation.
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But I really hope that as you were saying them, you could also feel that difference.
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between rising and falling intonation.
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I also want you to make your speech more dynamic, if possible.
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Now, this can be a little more challenging and may even get you outside your comfort zone, but I'm talking about using pauses,
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emphasis, changing the speed of your speech to make it more dynamic and captivating for the listener.
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And not all native speakers are able to do this, especially in a pressure situation like you're giving a presentation,
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but more casually, I think a lot of people are able to do this
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and really expressing emotions and you can tell if somebody's happy, sad, or frustrated because they're using dynamic speech.
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And sometimes I will hear second language speakers using a more monotone voice.
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So this is an ad for Goldfish Crackers, but it's an ad that would play on the radio.
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And because of that, there's no visual, so the delivery really matters matters.
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And you don't want to say this in just a monotone voice.
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Keeping an eye on the trans fat in your family's diet, goldfish crackers have zero grams per serving, the snack that smiles back.
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Okay, you're probably falling asleep right now.
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It's not very dynamic.
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But I want to practice this and say it in a more dynamic way.
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And I want you to try to say it with me, but you can just listen to the way I'm going to say it right now.
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Keeping an eye on the trans fat in your family's diet, goldfish crackers have zero grams per serving.
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The snack that smiles back.
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That sounds a little more lively, more dynamic.
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So let's practice this.
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I would like you to shadow and say it with me in a dynamic way.
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Are you ready?
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Keeping an eye on the trans fat in your family's diet, goldfish crackers have zero grams per serving.
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The snack that smiles back.
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All right, good.
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I hope you felt comfortable doing that.
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Like I said, maybe it gets you outside of your comfort zone, but developing a more dynamic way of speaking is,
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I think, incredibly important, especially when you want to convey all of these different emotions.
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Now, if you really want to practice the American accent, then you need to mimic native speakers.
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And you can do this with shadowing.
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We actually just did this with that radio ad.
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I asked you to say it with me.
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That's what shadowing is.
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You're saying something at the same time, using the same intonation, the same emphasis, the same speed.
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You are linking words together using the flap T.
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So you've probably already done this and maybe you didn't know that you were shadowing.
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Think about singing a song.
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You're not just saying the words, you're trying to say it in the exact same way.
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And there is so much content out there that you can use to practice shadowing.
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You could use a short video clip.
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You can practice with an American TV show like Friends or The Office.
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You can practice with presentations, TED Talks.
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and you're just trying to mimic native speakers, use the American accent and say things in the exact same way.
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I've had people tell me that they've used my videos
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and they try to shadow and say things with me in the exact same way.
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So yeah, feel free to use my video lessons if you want.
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If you enjoyed this lesson and you learned something new about the American accent, you can let me know by hitting that like button.
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As always, thank you so much for watching and I will see you next time. So long.
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ADVANCED COURTROOM VOCABULARY 👨⚖️ | Incredibly Useful Words & Phrases
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Master American Accent & Fluency: Your Friendly Practice Guide
Ever wanted to sound more natural in English, like a native? The video we’re diving into today is your key—taught by Wes, a U.S.-based tutor, it’s all about practical, interactive practice to boost your speaking fluency. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to chat confidently, this lesson breaks down real-world skills you can use today.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication (With Reductions!)
Reductions like "gonna" and "wanna" are the secret to smooth, natural speech. Here are 5 must-practice phrases from the video to start with:
- "We're going to be late" → "We're gonna be late" (casual, everyday use)
- "Are you going to go?" → "Are you gonna go?" (flowing conversation)
- "I want to go home" → "I wanna go home" (relaxed, natural)
- "What do you want to do?" → "What do you wanna do?" (common in chats)
- "Do you want to play a game?" → "Do you wanna play a game?" (friendly tone)
These phrases are perfect for shadowing technique—repeat them out loud, mimicking the rhythm and stress to build muscle memory.
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide: Nail the Accent & Fluency
Shadowing (or "shadow speech") is a proven way to improve. Here’s how to use the video effectively:
- Listen first: Watch the video once to get the flow. Notice how "going to" becomes "gonna" and "want to" becomes "wanna"—no stress, just smooth transition.
- Repeat immediately: Pause after each sentence and repeat it exactly as Wes says it. Focus on reducing the words naturally, not forcing them.
- Record yourself: Compare your version to the video. Are you moving through the sentences smoothly? Adjust until it feels natural.
- Practice daily: Spend 5-10 minutes with these phrases. Over time, you’ll use "gonna" and "wanna" without thinking—key for fluency!
Pro tip: Use a shadowing site to slow down the audio if needed, but aim to keep up with the natural pace. The more you practice, the easier it gets!
Remember, fluency comes from doing—so hit play, speak up, and let’s make your English sound amazing. You’ve got this!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are followed · are unstressed · be pulled |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | accent, which is · someone who wants · mellifluous, which is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | You've heard · you've probably already done · I've had |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may already be · may sound · may be |
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.