Shadowing Practice: 英语语音语调教程 | 雅思口语Part2: Famous people differences（下） - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hey, what's up?
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It's Alex.
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Today we're going to look at the sentence intonation and pitch changes in my sample answer to, do you think celebrities are different now compared to before?
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Let's take a look.
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I don't know if there are any particular differences.
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I don't know if.
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I don't know if.
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That's a low and even tone.
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I don't know if there are.
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If there are.
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I'm kind of stressing that because I'm answering the question, do you think there are?
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And my answer is, I don't know if there are any particular differences.
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So I kind of go higher on are.
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I don't know if there are any particular differences.
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Particular differences.
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So on ti and di, we stress those syllables, and so everything else kind of becomes lower and flatter.
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Particular differences. is.
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Certainly not in looks or personality.
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Certainly, certainly not in, certainly not in looks or personality.
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Personality, looks or personality, looks or personality.
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So those words not in and or become de-stressed.
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Celebrity culture has probably been the same for a long time.
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Probably been, probably been the same, probably been the same for a long time.
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For a long time, for a long time.
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When you have that set phrase for a long time, you can usually use this intonation.
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For a long time, for a, for a.
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These words for a uh, get de-stressed a lot.
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Though I suppose, today it does seem.
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Today it does seem.
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I'm stressing does because I'm kind of contrasting with my previous point.
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I said celebrity culture hasn't changed, but then I say, hmm, it does seem.
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It does seem.
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And I kind of say the opposite point.
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It does seem like there are more celebrities and more of them, more celebrities and more of them,
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and more of them, and more of them are famous just for being famous.
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So we go a little bit higher on just.
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Famous just for being famous.
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Famous just for being famous.
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There might be.
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There might be.
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This phrase intonation can work really well in a lot of sentences.
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There might be.
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There might be.
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There might be.
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There might be.
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There might be more people now who can be.
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There might be more people now who can be.
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More people now who can be.
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More people now who can be.
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More people now who can be famous, because of the proliferation.
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Because of the proliferation.
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Because of the proliferation of social media and television.
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Social media and television.
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Social media and television.
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We stay high on social media because we're comparing with television.
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Social media and television.
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So we go low on and to break those up.
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It's not social media and television.
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Social media and television television.
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We kind of go down to give some rhythm to the sentence.
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Even if they might not have been famous before.
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Even if they might not have been famous before.
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We kind of go down, or we stress, famous before.
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Famous people.
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Famous people.
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Famous people in the...
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Famous people in the past.
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Famous people in the past.
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So we kind of go down three levels here.
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Famous people in the past, famous people in the past probably needed some sort of unique gift.
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Probably needed some sort of unique gift.
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Probably needed some sort of unique gift to be able to attain fame.
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To be able to.
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Again, to be able to.
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In the previous video, you saw how this set of four words got de-stressed and the vowels and consonants changed.
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Well, the pitch does too.
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They all go down to a low tone, and we say it very quickly.
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To be able to, to be able to, to be able to attain fame, whereas that seems less important,
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whereas that seems, whereas that seems less important nowadays.
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I don't know if there are any particular differences, certainly not in looks or personality.
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Celebrity culture has probably been the same for a long time, though I suppose today it does seem like there are more celebrities, and more of them are famous just for being famous.
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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.
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Famous people in the past probably needed some sort of unique gift to be able to attain fame, whereas that seems less important nowadays.
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This is stupid.
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I'm not going to do this.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video is a valuable resource for English learners who aim to enhance their IELTS speaking practice, particularly in the context of discussing cultural observations, such as the differences in celebrity culture over time. The speaker, Alex, provides an engaging sample answer that showcases natural speech patterns, intonation, and the emphasis on key points. By practicing with this video, you can improve your ability to express nuanced opinions and develop your fluency through effective shadow speech techniques. You'll not only rehearse vocabulary related to popular culture but also grasp how to convey your thoughts in a conversational manner.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Alex uses a variety of grammatical structures and expressions that are essential for articulating thoughts clearly. Here are some key structures to note:

  • Conditional Phrases: “I don’t know if…”—This structure is useful for expressing uncertainty and can be adapted in various contexts.
  • Contrasting Statements: “It does seem like…”—This phrase effectively contrasts views, making your argument more sophisticated.
  • Set Phrases: “For a long time…”—These phrases are crucial for conveying time-related observations and establishing historical context.
  • Describing Trends: “There might be more people…”—Utilizing this form allows you to speculate about changes over time, a valuable skill in discussions.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with this video, pay close attention to these tricky words and pronunciation patterns that can often lead to confusion:

  • “Particular”—Be careful with its syllable stress; the correct pronunciation should emphasize “ti” and “di” while lowering the tone on the other syllables.
  • “Celebrity culture”—Note how this term flows together; the word “culture” can easily blend into the preceding word if not pronounced clearly.
  • “Famous just for being famous”—The repetition here is key for emphasis. Practice saying it with the same intonation as Alex to capture the intended meaning.

By focusing on these elements during your practice, you can significantly enhance your speaking abilities, allowing you to articulate your ideas confidently during the IELTS speaking practice. Use the shadow speak technique, mimicking Alex’s intonation and speech rhythm, to master these nuances in everyday conversations.

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.