Shadowing Practice: 英语美音连读教程 | 雅思口语Part2: Famous people difference（上） - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Hey, what's up?
2
It's Alex.
3
Today we're going to look at an IELTS sample answer to the question, what do you think are the differences between celebrities today and in the past?
4
Let's have a look.
5
I don't know if there are any particular differences, certainly not in looks or personality.
6
I don't know.
7
I don't know that T in don't disappears.
8
If there are any particular differences, particular.
9
We don't say particular.
10
It's per, per, particular differences.
11
And with differences, we don't say differences.
12
It's just differences.
13
Differences.
14
Certainly not in looks or personality.
15
Certainly.
16
Certainly.
17
That T becomes a glottal stop.
18
Certainly.
19
Certainly.
20
Certainly.
21
Certainly.
22
Certainly not in looks or personality.
23
Celebrity culture has probably been the same for a long time.
24
Probably.
25
We don't say probably, it's probably.
26
Has probably been the, been the, the N and TH connect.
27
Been the same.
28
Been the same.
29
For a long time.
30
For a are de-stressed, and so they just become for a.
31
For a long time.
32
For a long time.
33
Though I suppose, though I suppose today it does seem like there are more celebrities, and more of them are famous just for being famous.
34
Though I suppose, though I, there's a little bit of a wuh here, though I, though I suppose.
35
Today it does seem, does seem, that does, the z at the end, and the s in seem connect together.
36
It does seem like there are more celebrities, and more of them or famous just for being famous.
37
And more of them.
38
We kind of make this all one set phrase.
39
And more of them.
40
And more of.
41
The F in of and the D in and disappear.
42
And more of them.
43
And more of them.
44
And more of them.
45
And more of them.
46
And more of them.
47
If I speak carefully, that F in of will come back, and more of them, and more of them.
48
But you can see the D in and continues to disappear, even if I speak carefully.
49
More of them are famous just for being famous.
50
Just for.
51
Just for.
52
That T before the F disappears.
53
Just for.
54
It becomes an S.
55
Just for being famous.
56
There might be more people now who can be famous because of the proliferation.
57
There might be, might be, that T in might disappears.
58
It just becomes a glottal stop.
59
Might be, might, might be.
60
You can see my tongue isn't even touching the roof of my mouth.
61
Might be, might be.
62
My tongue is relaxed.
63
It's a glottal stop.
64
More people now, who can be famous?
65
Who can be?
66
These three words are de-stressed in the sentence, so they kind of slide together into one sound.
67
Who can be?
68
Who can be? who can be it's not can it's who can be who can be famous
69
because of that again the F disappears before th
70
because of the proliferation proliferation that's not a very common word
71
so when we use uncommon words in speaking we tend to slow down and not do as much connected reading.
72
Proliferation.
73
Proliferation.
74
Because of the proliferation of social media and television,
75
and television, and television that D and T connect, and television, even if they might not have been famous before,
76
might not have been.
77
Now, the H in have disappears here.
78
Might not have been.
79
If I speak really quickly, both the H and the V disappear.
80
Might not have been.
81
Might not have been.
82
But if I'm speaking in a more formal situation, I'll probably speak a little bit more carefully, enough to drop the H, but not enough to drop the V.
83
Not have been.
84
Not have been.
85
Might not have been famous before.
86
Famous people in the past probably needed some sort of unique gift to be able to attain fame.
87
Famous people in the past. In the.
88
The sounds connect together. In the.
89
In the past, probably, again not probably,
90
but probably, probably needed some sort of unique gift.
91
Unique gift.
92
Unique ends in a kuh sound, even though it's spelled Q-U-E.
93
Because it ends in a K and GIFT begins with a G, we connect those sounds together.
94
UNIQUE GIFT.
95
UNIQUE GIFT.
96
UNIQUE GIFT to be able to attain fame.
97
Now GIFT ends with T and TO begins with T, so those connect together.
98
UNIQUE GIFT.
99
UNIQUE GIFT to be able to.
100
Now, be able to, and in fact, to be able to, those reduce way down into to be able to,
101
to be able to, to be able to, to be able to attain fame.
102
Now, I added a wuh in between to attain, because attain starts with a vowel,
103
and to ends with a oo sound.
104
To attain fame, to be able to attain fame.
105
to be able to attain fame.
106
Whereas, that seems less important nowadays.
107
Important.
108
Important.
109
There's a glottal stop there and an N instead of a T.
110
Important.
111
Important nowadays.
112
I don't know if there are any particular differences, certainly not in looks or personality.
113
Celebrity culture has probably been the same for a long time.
114
Though I suppose today it does seem like there are more celebrities, and more of them are famous just for being famous.
115
There might be more people now who can be famous because of the proliferation of social media and television, even if they might not have been famous before.
116
Famous people in the past probably needed some sort of unique gift to be able to attain fame, whereas that seems less important nowadays.

Context & Background

In this informative video, Alex discusses the differences between celebrities today and those in the past, providing insights into the evolution of celebrity culture. This IELTS speaking practice focuses on articulation and the nuances of American English pronunciation, emphasizing how connected speech can affect clarity. As Alex speaks, he highlights specific challenges learners may face when transitioning from reading to speaking fluidly, particularly in casual conversation where words meld together.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I don't know” - Notice the blending of sounds in this phrase. It often flows as “I dunno” in casual speech.
  • “Certainly not” - The 't' in "certainly" can be softened to a glottal stop, making it sound like "certainly" with a smooth, flowing rhythm.
  • “For a long time” - When spoken in everyday conversation, this phrase blends, sounding like “fora long time.”
  • “Just for being famous” - This phrase is frequently used when discussing celebrity culture, encouraging practice with the connected speech that occurs here.
  • “More of them” - Pay attention to how the words connect. In rapid speech, “of” and “them” can run together, creating a smooth transition.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To enhance your english speaking practice and master the art of shadow speech, follow this structured approach using Alex's dialogue. Using a procedure known as shadowspeak, you can sharpen your pronunciation and fluency.

  1. Listen Carefully: Play a segment of the video. Focus on how Alex pronounces each word and blends phrases together.
  2. Pause and Repeat: Use a shadowing app to pause after each sentence. Try to mimic the intonation and rhythm, specifically noting the connected sounds.
  3. Record Yourself: After practicing a few times, record your attempt. Listening to yourself can reveal areas for improvement in your pronunciation.
  4. Practice with Variations: Change the context of the phrases. For example, use “I don't know” in different sentences or scenarios to build versatility in your usage.
  5. Review and Reflect: Return to the original video to compare your speech to Alex's. Pay particular attention to where you can improve your shadowspeaks.

By regularly practicing these steps, you can develop your speaking skills significantly, making you more confident and effective in your English communication. Embrace the flow of American English and challenge yourself with the subtleties of speech, turning these phrases into your own through diligent practice.

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.