Shadowing Practice: The British accent secret nobody talks about (Modern RP) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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I honestly think that I've discovered the secret to instantly sounding more British,
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I honestly think that I've discovered the secret to instantly sounding more British,
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and I can't believe that nobody has made a video on this yet.
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So just so you know,
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for this video I'm going to be speaking about the modern RP British accent,
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which is the one that I have.
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Now let me start by telling you a quick story.
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So I'm actually in Japan at the moment,
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and last week I was hanging out in a restaurant or a bar.
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It was a bar.
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I was in a bar with a new group of friends and I wanted to know where the bathroom was.
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So I turned to them and said, where is the bathroom?
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And instead of them telling me where the bathroom was,
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they all just started laughing instead and mimicking my accent saying,
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where is the bathroom?
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Has anyone seen the bathroom?
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Darling, I think that the bathroom is down there, darling.
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Yes.
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And that's when I realized that I need new friends.
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No, I'm joking.
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I realized that the reason why they were imitating me is because in that particular sentence,
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I sounded so British.
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And it wasn't even the entire sentence,
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it was just one word in that sentence,
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and more specifically, one part of that one word.
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And the word is bathroom.
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Bath.
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Ah.
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Ah.
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Yeah, and that sound is the secret.
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So before I show you how to make this sound,
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and more importantly, when to make it,
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this is the phonetic symbol, okay?
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And it's a very common sound in the modern RP British accent.
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It appears in words such as bath,
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path, calm, grass, last, pass, car.
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Yeah, and making it is actually extremely easy, don't worry.
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So all you need to do is go like this.
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R, R.
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So it's kind of like a long R sound, okay?
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So just copy me.
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R. Look at my mouth.
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R. R.
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R. R.
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It's that easy.
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Car.
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Repeat after me.
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Car.
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Path.
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Grass.
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Grass.
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Bathroom.
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Easy, right?
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And there's just something about this R sound that instantly helps you to sound like this sophisticated,
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modern RP British English gentleman or lady,
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or whoever it is that you would like to become.
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Great.
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So now that you know how to make this sound,
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you're probably thinking, well, Dylan,
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when do I make this sound?
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When do I say R?
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Or when do I say A?
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Or when do I say A?
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What is the rule here?
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Well, basically, there is no set rule.
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I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry, but don't worry,
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because there are two easy ways that you can start to easily incorporate this sound into your everyday pronunciation.
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And the first one is by looking at the phonetics.
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And just as a quick reminder,
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this is the phonetic symbol for that R sound.
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So if you didn't know,
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the phonetic alphabet is basically a way of translating a word,
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how it is written or spelt,
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into how it is actually said, okay?
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And there are several different translator tools that you can use.
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They're all free.
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You just type in British English phonetics translator into Google and something will come up, okay?
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But you know, if you type in a word and you see this symbol here,
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you are to make this R noise.
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So this is a really good way of checking if a specific word has this R noise in it.
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In it.
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Let's look at an example.
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Example.
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Okay, so this is the phonetic spelling for that word.
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You can clearly see there is the R symbol there,
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so you know to make that noise.
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Example.
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Example.
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Okay?
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Or we have father.
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Father.
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Once again, you can see this symbol,
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so you know you are supposed to make the R noise.
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Father.
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Father.
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Let's try a sentence.
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Just repeat after me, Okay?
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Well done for that excellent example, father.
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Now then, let's go to the bathroom.
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Very good.
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And as you were saying that,
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you probably noticed how British you sounded,
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and it's all because of this R sound.
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Perfect.
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Now, the second way that you can start to incorporate this is,
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well, I think this is actually even better than the first because it is so simple and easy to do.
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All you need to do is listen out for when other people with the modern RP British accent make this R sound,
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and then you'll know which words have this sound in them, okay?
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So let's say, for example,
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you hear someone say the sentence,
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oh, the bathroom is rather far away, okay?
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You might hear this and think to yourself,
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oh my god, that guy sounds so totally British.
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British guys are so cute.
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Oh my god.
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I don't know why you're suddenly an American white girl,
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but the point is, you could hear that sentence,
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acknowledge the fact that it does sound rather British,
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but you may still be unsure of why it sounds so British,
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and therefore you don't know how you can imitate it and start sounding more British yourself.
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But now, when you hear the sentence,
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the bathroom is rather far away,
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you know the reason why it sounds so British.
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It's because because of this R sound, okay?
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So just listen to the accent you want and pay special attention to the words that have this R sound in them.
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Maybe write them down, then when you go to say those words,
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make sure to really stress the R sound,
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and then soon enough you'll be sounding so British
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that your friends will start taking the piss out of you when you ask where the bathroom is.
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Which is what you want for some reason.
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Anyway, because I love you very much,
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and I'm of course the best teacher in the universe,
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I have put together a completely free PDF containing 100 of the most common words that have this R sound in them.
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And this will honestly teach you 90% of the ones that you actually need to know.
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You're welcome.
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So the link to that is in the top comments.
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And I do also have an incredible online program where I
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will teach you all of the theory behind getting a modern RP British accent.
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and we do also have loads of fun shadowing exercises as well.
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So the whole thing contains 72 lessons.
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It's very detailed and interactive and the link to
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that is also in the top comment along with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it completely risk-free.
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Why did I just do that accent?
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Why do I love doing that accent so much?
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Maybe I'm an American wiger.
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I mean I do have the earring for it.
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Yes this is a real earring.
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I don't know what to tell you my um my midlife
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crisis has come a bit early unless of course i'm going to die at the age of 56 in
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which case it's um it's right on time anyway definitely check those links out
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and
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if you would like to put your newfound knowledge to the
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test right away i'd recommend watching this video right here where you can try shadowing various words
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and sentences in my british accent it's very fun
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and you will learn a lot okay thank you so much for watching i post new videos every single friday
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so make sure to like,
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subscribe and comment down below and I'll see you again very soon for another episode.
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Cheers!

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will delve into the nuances of the modern RP (Received Pronunciation) British accent. By focusing on specific sounds, such as the pronunciation of the word "bathroom," you will enhance your English pronunciation and gain confidence in speaking with a British touch. This practice session emphasizes the importance of phonetics and the art of shadowing to master the subtleties of this accent.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Bathroom - A room containing a toilet and sink, often with a bath and/or shower.
  • Bath - The pronunciation of this word highlights the unique 'ah' sound common in Modern RP.
  • Car - Another example where the 'a' sound differs in British pronunciation.
  • Grass - A useful word to practice the elongation of vowel sounds in British speech.
  • Path - Emphasizes the 'ah' sound characteristic of Modern RP.
  • Calm - Another word illustrating the distinct sound shifts.
  • Last - Useful for understanding the consonant and vowel interplay typical in British accents.
  • Pass - Practice this word to improve pronunciation skills with similar vowel sounds.

Practice Tips

To effectively improve your English pronunciation with a focus on the modern RP British accent, consider utilizing shadowing techniques. Shadow speaking involves closely mimicking a speaker's pronunciation, tone, and pace. This technique can be especially helpful when using a shadowing app that allows you to repeat phrases at your own speed.

As you practice, pay particular attention to the emphasized sounds illustrated in this lesson. Start with slower parts of the video transcript, then gradually increase your speed as you become comfortable. Repeat key words like bath and car several times, ensuring that you are creating the correct vowel sounds. Listening and repeating, or shadow speech, can lead to significant improvements in accent and fluency.

Record yourself during practice sessions. Comparing your pronunciation with the original speaker can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement. This approach is particularly useful for mastering the unique sounds of Modern RP, making it an essential part of your 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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