Shadowing Practice: How to Understand FAST Spoken English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Can you understand this clip?
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On this wonderful day when we are gathered together to celebrate your academic success.
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And what about this one?
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So I go in, this is like, I'm on S -Cinerant Live, I guess, or something, I don't remember really when it was.
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And what about this one?
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The point is, when you are the speaker, you are the captain for that journey.
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And how you show up really matters.
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Okay, one more for you guys.
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You got a whole lot of nerve to come inside and ask me where I'm going.
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I come and go as I please.
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I bet these clips were easy to understand.
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But with these ones, you had trouble.
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So why does it happen?
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Why can't we understand native speakers, especially when they talk fast?
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Let's break it down.
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You understood clips 1 and 3 because they were public speeches.
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And such speeches are made to be clear.
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clear pronunciation pauses nice structured sentences but clips two
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and four was spontaneous natural the way natives speak in real life in this video we'll learn five tricks
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and once you master them you'll finally open the door to the magical world of understanding native speakers
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spoiler slowing the video down isn't the answer so get comfy grab some tea and let's get started
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and we'll start with the first trick linking sounds this is
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one of the main reasons natives sometimes sound like aliens they're just really good at linking blending words together
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and once you start doing it too everything becomes
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so much easier to understand let's break down the main types of linking with examples.
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And we'll start with double consonants.
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Sometimes two same consonants at the end of one word and the start of the next blend together.
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Let's look at some examples.
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Stop pushing becomes stop pushing.
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Stop pushing big game becomes big game big game
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and take care becomes take care
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take care take care best time becomes best time best time
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but it's not always the same consonant sometimes different consonants merge
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or the first one drops so most people becomes most people most people
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and fast runner becomes fast runner fast runner
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and old man sounds like all men all men all
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right moving on to the next one consonant plus ball it
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is the most common Lincoln here a word ending in a
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consonant blends straight into vowel at the start of the next word it's super common
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and let's look at some examples pick it
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pick it turn on turn on make it make it in a minute
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in a minute and finally vowel plus vowel
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when one words ends in a vowel
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and the next one starts with a vowel speakers often add
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tiny sounds to link them smoothly for example go out sounds like go out.
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W. Go out.
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Go out. Do it.
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Sounds like do it.
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Again with a W. Do it.
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Just do it, man.
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fly over sounds like fly over fly over fly over she asked sounds like she asked
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she asked and go in go in go in go on go in and the most important i
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am i am i am two apples two apples two apples do you hear this tiny dub sound
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or a w
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but you may ask julie how to practice linking my advice
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use phrasal verbs linking sounds the most natural with them let's
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look at some examples take it off take it off take it off
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put it on put it on put it
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on put out put out put
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out go away go away go away check it
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out my favorite one it becomes check it out check it out
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and break it down break it down break it down
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and guys you may start with separate chunks like at all at all at all
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or give up give up give up
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and then move on to sentences for example i have no
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idea what he said i have no idea what he said
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i have no idea what he said i have no idea what he said
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or take it off and put it on
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that table oh my god such a long sentence take it off
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and put it on the table sounds like a robot
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instead try to say it like take it off and put it on the table
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take it off and put it on the table take it off
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and put it on the table yes shadowing after a speaker
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is pure magic for your ears i have a separate video
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on how to practice speaking with shadowing definitely check it out
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in the meanwhile write down your favorite linkings in the notebook
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and do a daily mini workout just like with real exercise a little
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but regularly and you'll see real results all right let's move on and trick number two diversify your listening practice
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to understand different types of speech you need to listen to
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different kinds of english how will you suddenly understand movies in the original
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if the only thing you listen to is educational videos on
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youtube i get it you want to stay in your comfort zone but
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if you want to understand real english you need to go
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beyond it here's a ready -made plan start with six minute english from bbc learning english
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and then add two three minutes of your favorite show podcast movie interview
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listen consistently and combine slow educational content with fast speech get your ear flexible
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i also have a video on the best youtube channels to learn english definitely check it out
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and guys don't forget to choose material you actually enjoy all
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right trick number three learn common contractions natives simplify speech how
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do you speak your own language you don't pronounce every word
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clearly English works the same we think natives talk fast
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but in reality they use contractions reduce sounds
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and drop syllables let's go through the most
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common contractions one two wanna wanna going
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to going not go going going going
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to gonna gonna got to
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gotta gotta let me lemme
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lemme give me gimme kind of kind of kind of sort off sort of
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Sort of.
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Out. Of.
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Out of.
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Get out of here.
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Out of. Have to. Have to. Have to.
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Do you dare?
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Dare?
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Like, do you know here?
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What are you?
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Whatcha?
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Whatcha doing here?
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Whatcha?
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and trying to try now try now don't know the now
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do now now let's level up and try them in sentences I'm gonna go I'm gonna go
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i'm gonna go i'm gonna go guys don't forget to repeat after me let me see let me see
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let me see i'm kinda tired i'm kinda tired i'm kinda tired practice them regularly
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and trust me your brain will get used to it by
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the way i have even more of this in my video how to speak fast
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and understand natives where you'll find 20 minutes of practice and 10 amazing tips
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so after this video go check it out okay tip number
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four be ready for chaos don't expect native speakers to talk in textbook perfect sentences they interrupt themselves interrupt each other
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change their thoughts mid -sentence talk fast with no pauses
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and of course they use slan feelers contractions
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and guys it's normal at first it feels uncomfortable
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and that's exactly how it should be you need to be like water adaptive
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and flexible for example you're talking about weekend plans
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and your brain is already tuned into certain words
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and grammar then suddenly the other person remembers some story from work
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and starts telling it with a ton of details don't panic
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relax stay present my advice focus on the main idea not every single word even
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if you miss a few details your brain will gradually catch more
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and more and finally trick number five use slang
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and fillers these days knowing slang is almost as important as knowing the basics of grammar words like sick
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and i don't mean feeling ill slay vibe they're everywhere
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so i definitely recommend getting comfortable with slang here are some common examples with alternatives you can use
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she looks good she's got aura she's got aura i'm going to sleep i'm a slump
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I'm a slump.
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He's charming.
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He's got a riz.
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He's got a riz.
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I like vibe more.
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Riz.
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Such an ugly word.
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I wanna get some coffee.
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I wanna grab some coffee.
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I wanna grab some coffee.
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It's not important it's not a big deal it's not a big deal
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let's relax let's chill
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or relax take it easy take it easy take it easy
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this party is amazing this party is sick this party is
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sick for a party all right i'm too old for this
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use feelers let's get down to feelers feelers give your brain a second to think
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and make your speech sound casual some examples are um um
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like you know i mean again let's look at some examples
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i was like walking to the store and you know i ran into an old friend old friend he's um
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not really sure what to do next i was going to call her i mean
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if she's free maybe we can meet
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again guys pause rewind the video and practice saying them out loud with me
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and please don't overdo it a few feelers here
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and there make your speech natural but too many can make it messy
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and that's it for today start practicing these tips
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and i promise your english will sound way more natural in no time pick one
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or two to focus on at first
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and slowly add the others keep listening keep speaking
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and don't forget to have fun with it thank you guys
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for being with me today don't forget to like subscribe to my channel and i'll see you in the next video
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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?
Mastering fast spoken English is key to real-world communication, and this video is your ultimate tool for english speaking practice. It breaks down why native speakers sound "too fast"—spontaneous speech, linking, and natural pauses—and gives you actionable tricks to decode it. By practicing with these examples, you’ll not only understand faster speech but also improve your own fluency using techniques like shadow speech. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or daily conversations, this video turns confusion into confidence.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The video uses everyday structures that native speakers rely on. First, "I guess" softens statements (e.g., "I'm on S-Cinerant Live, I guess"), a common way to sound natural. Second, "The point is" frames key ideas, helping you organize thoughts in discussions. Third, "You got a whole lot of nerve" shows informal directness, useful for casual conversations. These phrases aren’t just grammar—they’re tools to connect with others. Practice shadowing technique with these lines to internalize their rhythm and tone.
Common Pronunciation Traps
Fast speech hides tricky pronunciation patterns. The biggest trap? Linking sounds. For example, "most people" becomes "mospeople" (dropping the "t"), and "old man" sounds like "all man" (merging consonants). Vowel linking is another hurdle: "go out" adds a "w" sound ("go-w-out"), and "do it" becomes "do-w-it". These aren’t mistakes—they’re how natives speak. Use shadowspeaks to mimic these links; repeat the clips aloud, matching the speed and blending. Over time, what once sounded like "aliens" will sound like second nature.
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.