Shadowing Practice: How the English language would sound if silent letters weren’t silent - BBC - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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The English language was created by English people.
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The English language was created by English people.
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I don't know when, but we decided to get letters to form words so we can communicate,
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but we also decided to sprinkle,
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for no apparent reason, letters within these words.
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They are silent forever.
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How?
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Why?
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Like the word hour, for example.
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Why is the word hour spelt with an H?
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Why is there an H?
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The silent H.
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Nobody has ever said, I'll see you in a hour.
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I'll still have a hour.
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I'm just going to pick up the sandwich.
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I'll be back at a hour.
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Half a hour.
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Half, even half has an L in it.
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Half, half a hour.
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How long is the journey?
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About half a hour to a hour.
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The sandwich shop is half a hour away.
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It's a waste of everybody's time.
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The word subtle, would anybody object if it was spelt S-U-T-L-E?
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Not a single person would.
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But there's a bee in the middle going, shh, just ignore me.
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Just ignore me.
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I'm silent.
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I have left here, left behind.
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I don't know, I was destined for another word,
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baboon, but here I am with you.
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How I long to be in the word baboon where I have a purpose.
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Like all those words that should begin with N,
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but have a K of all the letters.
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Why would a K be silent?
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Knickers, why is it knickers?
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Knuckles, knuckles.
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So I've been thinking about this,
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as you can probably tell,
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and I think we should have a day.
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We should have a day.
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A silent letter day.
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We would all come out to play.
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It would be on a Wednesday.
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A Wednesday.
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Sometime in the autumn...
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In the autumn...
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In the autumn...
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In the autumn...
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Could be in February.
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I haven't promised you a day.
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We'll do the civilian or the ottoman.
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And we'll send the day together,
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families together, talking, talking, and walking, we'll do the walks.
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And climbing, climbing, climbing, climbing,
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knitting, a lot of knitting.
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People will save up their knitting to do on Silent Letter Day.
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And the knife is the only cutlery that you're allowed to use, the knife.
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No other cutlery is allowed on Silent Letter Day.
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Food is buffet style, buffet style.
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You'll go along with your knife.
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There's salmon and swordfish and sandwiches and a yoghurt.
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Yuck-heart, yuck-heart, and you use yuck and eye.
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All the flavours are very subtle, very subtle flavours.
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And the gnome will be the symbol of Silent Letter Day.
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And Father Christmas, at Christmas,
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the gnome, everybody gives each other a gnome to celebrate.
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Happy Silent Letter Day, I got you a gnome.
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I kept it hidden in the cupboard for months.
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I wrapped it up.
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Do you like it?
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I wrapped it up.
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I cut the wrapping paper with scissors.
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I used scissors to cut the wrapping paper.
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I'm so sorry, I forgot.
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I didn't realise.
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Is it really silent?
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Is necessary?
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Is it honesty?
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Is it honesty?
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You mean honestly?
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Yes, it is honestly.
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You should have Gnome.
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You're never Nisten.
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I'm not giving you a Gnome.
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I'm sorry, I'm taking it back to the shop.
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I've given the receipt.
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I've given the receipt.
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And at the end of the day...
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And at the end of the day,
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we will celebrate with champagne.
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Go for it.
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Can I have you some champagne?
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Happy Santa Lettid Day.
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Just a drop.
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Maybe just a splash.
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Oh, there's a knock at the door.
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Oh, it's Chloe and Isla.
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Sorry, Chloey and Isla.
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My friends from school.
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Friends from school.
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Fascinating.
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Grab a knife.
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Help yourself to Lazagna.
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The Lazzagna.
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The Lazzagna.
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And at the end of the day,
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when we are knackered, we go to sleep at half past the hour.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This engaging video, which humorously explores the quirks of the English language, provides an excellent opportunity for English speaking practice. The speaker's lively delivery and relatable examples make it easier for learners to connect with the material. By practicing speaking along with the video, you can enhance your pronunciation and intonation while grasping the playful nature of the language. Using humor, the speaker draws attention to the often confusing silent letters, allowing you to become more comfortable with English’s complexities.

Furthermore, as you imitate the speaker, you improve your oral skills, making your speech sound more natural and fluent. Engaging with content that prompts you to think critically about language helps solidify your learning experience, making it a fun way to improve English pronunciation.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, various grammatical structures and expressions emerge that are essential for learners:

  • Interrogative Sentences: The speaker poses questions like "Why is the word hour spelt with an H?" This structure encourages learners to formulate their own questions in English, enhancing their conversational skills.
  • Present Simple Tense: Phrases such as "we decided" and "nobody has ever said" showcase the use of the present simple tense to talk about habitual actions and general truths.
  • Conditional Statements: The speaker humorously suggests a "silent letter day," which can lead learners to explore conditional phrases, such as "if we had a silent letter day." Practicing these structures enhances fluency in hypothetical discussions.

Common Pronunciation Traps

English learners often encounter tricky words influenced by silent letters. The transcript highlights specific examples that can serve as pronunciation challenges:

  • Hour: Despite the 'H', the word is pronounced as "our," prompting practice with silent letters.
  • Subtle: The silent 'B' can confuse new learners, so emphasizing the correct pronunciation ("sutl") is crucial.
  • Knickers and Knuckles: The 'K' in these words is silent, making them ideal for honing your comprehension of silent consonants.

To tackle these pronunciation traps effectively, consider using a shadow speak technique. This approach allows you to repeat phrases from the video, helping to solidify correct pronunciation while developing fluency.

By focusing on these aspects, you can significantly enhance your skills through dedicated practice with this informative video. Visit our resources for additional shadowing sites to further advance your English learning journey.

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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