Shadowing Practice: English Pronunciation Study: What did you do Today? (Ben Franklin Exercise) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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In this American English pronunciation exercise,
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In this American English pronunciation exercise,
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we're going to study some conversation.
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Today it's going to be a Ben Franklin exercise,
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where we analyze the speech together.
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Today's topic, what did you do today?
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Great.
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Let's get started.
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Tom, what did you do today?
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Tom, what did you do today?
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Lots of interesting things happening here.
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I noticed first of all that I've dropped the T here.
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What did?
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What did?
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What did you do?
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I'm also noticing I'm getting more of a J sound here.
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Ju, ju, what did you, did you?
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So the D and the Y here are combining to make the J sound.
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So we have, what did you,
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what did you, what did you?
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Tom, what did you do today?
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The other thing I notice is that the T here is really more of a flap sound, a D.
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Do-da, do-da, do-da-day.
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This is most definitely a schwa,
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so we're reducing this unstressed syllable to be the schwa.
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Today, today, do-da-day, do-da-day.
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Tom, what did you do today?
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Tom, what did you do today?
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Today.
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Today.
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Today I woke up.
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Now here we have today three times.
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Always the first syllable is reduced to the schwa sound,
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but I'm noticing that these T's are all true T's and not flap T's.
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That's because they're beginning sentences.
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So we're not going to reduce that to a flap T.
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In the case up here,
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do today, it came, the T in today came between a vowel,
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do, the oo vowel, and schwa sound,
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and that's why we made this a flap sound.
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But here, we're beginning a sentence,
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so we're going to go ahead and give it the true T sound,
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though we will most definitely reduce to the schwa.
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Today.
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Today.
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Today.
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Today.
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Today.
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Today.
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Today.
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Today.
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Today.
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I woke up.
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Everything was very connected there,
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and I know that when we have something ending in a vowel or diphthong sound,
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and the next word beginning in a vowel or diphthong sound,
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that we want that to really glide together.
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Today I, today I, today I.
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And any time we have a word that begins with a vowel,
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we want to say, hmm,
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does the word before end in a consonant sound?
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It does.
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It ends in the K consonant sound.
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Woke up, woke up.
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So to help us link,
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we can almost think of it as beginning the next word.
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Woke up.
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Today I woke up.
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Today.
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Today.
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Today I woke up, and I went for a run.
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And I went for a run.
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Tom dropped the D here,
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connected this word and to I,
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and I, and I, and I.
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This was the schwa sound.
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So he's reduced and, and I, and I.
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And I went for a run.
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Fura, fura.
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Tom reduced the vowel in the word for to the schwa,
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and we've connected these two function words together.
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Fura, fura, fura.
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This is also a schwa.
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Fura, fura, fura run, fura run,
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and I went for a run.
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Can you pick out the two stressed words here?
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Went, run.
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Those are the two words that have the most shape in the voice, the most length.
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And I went for a run.
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And I went for a run.
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Again, he's got the intonation going up here at the end because,
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comma, he's giving us a list here.
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And there's more information about to come.
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Today I woke up and I went for a run,
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and I went for a run,
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and I went for a run,
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and then I just worked.
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And now here Tom did pronounce the D,
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he linked it to the next word beginning with a vowel,
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which is just this thought word that we say when we're thinking.
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And, and, again, the intonation of the voice is going up at the end,
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and signaling, comma, not a period, more information coming.
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And, and, and, then I just worked.
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Worked, worked, then I just worked.
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Here finally we have the intonation of the voice going down at the end so we know period,
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end of the sentence, end of the thought.
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Then I, he connected this ending consonant to the beginning vowel,
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the diphthong I, I, to smooth that out.
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Then I, then I, then I just worked.
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Did you notice Tom dropped the T here?
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We did not get just worked.
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Just worked.
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He didn't release it.
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This happens often when we have a word that ends in a cluster with a T,
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when the next word also begins with a consonant.
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In these cases often, the T will get dropped.
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I just worked.
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I just worked.
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I just worked.
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Do you notice that the ED ending here is pronounced as a T sound?
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That's because the sound before, The K is unvoiced.
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So this ending will also be unvoiced.
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Worked.
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Worked.
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And I went for a run,
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and then I just worked.
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And then I just worked.
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And then I just worked.
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So where do you run?
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So where do you run?
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Now this is a question,
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but did you notice the intonation went down at the end?
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Run.
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Run.
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That's because it's a question that cannot be answered with just yes or no. Yes,
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no questions go up in pitch at the end.
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All other questions tend to go down in pitch at the end.
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Where do you run?
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Do you hear the stressed words in that question?
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Where?
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Run.
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So where do you run?
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Longer words, more up, down shape of the voice.
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Where?
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Run.
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So where do you run?
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I run in Fort Greene Park.
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What do you hear as being the stressed syllables there?
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I run in Fort Greene Park.
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I run in Fort Greene Park.
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I hear da-da-da-da-da-da.
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Definitely I hear Fort, Greene,
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and Park all being longer,
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all having that shape in the voice.
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I run in Fort Greene Park.
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Also I is a little bit more stressed than runnin'.
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I, I, da-da-da, da-da-da.
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I runnin'.
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I runnin'.
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Runnin'.
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Runnin'.
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So those two words are really linked together because we have an ending consonant and a beginning vowel.
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Runnin', runnin', I runnin'.
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I runnin' Fort Green Park.
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I runnin' Fort Green Park.
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I runnin' Fort Green Park.
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I runnin' Fort Green Park in Brooklyn.
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In Brooklyn.
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Brooklyn, a two-syllable word.
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One of the syllables will be stressed.
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What do you hear as being stressed?
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Brooklyn.
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Brooklyn.
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Definitely it's that first syllable.
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Brook.
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Brooklyn.
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Brooklyn.
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In Brooklyn.
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In Brooklyn.
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In Brooklyn.
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So what are you doing after this?
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So what are you doing after this?
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How was I able to say so many words quickly but still be clear?
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First of all, I'm dramatically reducing the word R to the schwa R sound, er, er.
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That means the T here is now coming between two vowel sounds,
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and I'm making that a flap T sound,
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which sounds like the D between vowels.
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Water, water, water.
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Also the word you is unstressed.
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So it's going to be in that same line,
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what are you, what are you,
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what are you, what are you.
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Very fast, quite flat, lower in volume.
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What are you doing?
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Now here we have a stressed word.
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Do, doing, doing.
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What are you doing?
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Do you hear how the syllable Do.
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Sticks out of that phrase more than anything else.
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What are you doing?
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What are you doing?
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After this.
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Another stressed word here.
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So what are you doing after this?
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So what are you doing after this?
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So what are you doing after this?
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After this, nothing.
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Tom's speaking a little bit more slowly than I am here.
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After this, nothing.
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We have two, two-syllable words here.
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Which syllable is stressed?
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Let's take first the word after.
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If you think you hear the first syllable as being stressed, you're right.
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AF.
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After.
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Der, der, der.
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The second syllable, very low in pitch, flat and quick.
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After.
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What about the word nothing?
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Again, it's the first syllable.
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ING endings, even though this isn't an ING verb, will be unstressed.
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Nothing.
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Nothing.
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Nuh.
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Nuh.
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Nothing.
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After this, nothing.
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After this, nothing.
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After this, nothing.
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No plans.
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No plans.
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Nothing reduces in this phrase.
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I'm really hearing this as two different stressed words.
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They're both one syllable.
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No plans.
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No plans.
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No plans.
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No plans.
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No plans.
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No plans.
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No plans.
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No plans.
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Should we get dinner?
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Yeah.
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Should we get dinner?
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One of the things I notice is I'm dropping the D sound.
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Should we, should we, should we get,
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should we get, should we get.
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That's helping me say this less important word even faster.
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Should we get dinner?
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I notice that the T here is a stop T.
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I don't release it.
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It's not get dinner.
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It's get, Get, get, get dinner, get dinner.
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Should we get dinner?
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Should we get dinner?
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Should we get dinner?
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Should we get dinner?
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Should we get dinner?
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Do you notice in this question,
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my voice does go up in pitch at the end.
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Dinner, dinner.
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That's because this is a yes, no question.
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Pitch goes up.
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Should we get dinner?
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Should we get dinner?
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Yeah.
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As you probably know, a more casual way to say yes.
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Should we get dinner?
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Yeah.
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Should we get dinner?
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Yeah.
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Working this way with any video or audio clip can help improve your listening comprehension and your pronunciation.
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That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.
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Don't stop there.
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Keep learning with my fun American English in Real Life playlist,
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my Reduction in Lincoln playlist,
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or any of the playlists on my channel.
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And don't forget to check out rachelsenglish.com,
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where there's lots more to work with.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will enhance your American English pronunciation by engaging in a series of exercises based on the conversation starter, "What did you do today?" The focus will be on the nuances of natural speech patterns, including the blending of sounds and the reduction of syllables. By practicing these elements, you'll not only become more aware of common pronunciation challenges but also improve your overall fluency. This lesson incorporates the concept of shadow speech, allowing you to repeat after the speaker in real-time, enhancing your own speaking abilities.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- What did you do? - A common conversational opener.
- Today - A word often used to refer to the current day; note its reduction to the schwa sound.
- Did you - The combination that often softens into a "J" sound in spoken English.
- Flap T - The pronunciation where 'T' sounds like a 'D' in casual speech.
- Schwa - The unstressed vowel sound that appears frequently in English.
- Do-da - An engaging way to practice the rhythm of speaking, especially with vowel combinations.
Practice Tips
To effectively practice and improve your English pronunciation, follow these tips utilizing the shadowing technique:
- Start Slow: Initially, listen to the conversation at a slower pace. This can help you comprehend the pronunciation and intonation better.
- Repeat After Each Phrase: After listening to a few seconds of dialogue, pause the video and repeat what you've heard, mimicking the tone and rhythm. Focus on the blending of sounds, especially in phrases like "What did you" or "Did you."
- Use the Schwa: Practice reducing unstressed syllables to the schwa sound. Notice how "today" changes in casual conversation and incorporate this into your shadow talk.
- Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your voice and play it back. Compare the flow and pronunciation with the original video to identify areas for improvement.
- Engage Regularly: Consistent practice will yield results. Use this lesson frequently on your journey to better speech, whether through shadow speak or regular practice on a shadowing site.
Remember, the more you practice speaking like a native, the more natural your English will sound. Enjoy the process of learning and embrace the rhythm of the language!
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.
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