Shadowing Practice: The Rhythm of English: Function Words, Weak Forms & Sounding Natural - Learn English Speaking with Video

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In my previous video, I talked about the most important sound in English, the schwa sound.
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But there was something in that video I mentioned, which I said we'd talk about later.
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Weak forms.
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Well, now it is later, and I'm a man of my word.
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So let's talk about weak forms.
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Every sentence in English has two kinds of words.
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Words we call content words nouns verbs adjectives these are words
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which provide content they tell the story they are the meat of your sentence
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if you rush these words
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if you say them too quickly people might not understand what
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you're saying then we also have what we call function words
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function words are the boring words grammar words they're just there
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to fill gaps kind of like stepping stones these are not normally pronounced in their strong form
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so for example a word like two is hardly ever pronounced as two it's listen to this sentence
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and tell me what you think sounds better I'm just waiting for the bus
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or I'm just waiting for the bus for the for the I'm pronouncing for
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and the very very quickly and that's because nobody cares about the words for
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and the I mean yes they are important
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but they don't need to be emphasized we know that they're there
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and the listener is only really listening for those important words waiting bus these kinds of words
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that provide content the thing we're doing and the thing that we're waiting for, right?
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For has been pronounced as and that's using the schwa sound.
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Now, if you're not familiar with how to pronounce the schwa sound, go and watch the video which I made a couple of weeks ago about the schwa.
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But if you want a really quick example, the sound is very relaxed, very lazy.
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We don't do much with the mouth.
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It's just so add an F before that.
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Instead of for, it becomes fh, fh, for the bus.
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Waiting for the bus.
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Fh, fh.
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Now I have a list of what I would call the most common weak forms and some example sentences.
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So try to copy me if you can.
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An, n, n, schwa then n, n.
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I have an umbrella, n, umbrella.
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I have an umbrella.
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And can reduce to for example fish and chips fish
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and chips fish and chips fish and chips but but
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but it's nice but it's pricey but it's pricey it's nice
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but it's pricey that that that i think that it's fine that it's fine. As. As.
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Instead of as soon as you can.
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As soon as you can.
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As soon as you can.
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Notice how those stressed words are becoming more obvious now, and we don't need to shout them now because we're relaxing the weak words. Than.
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Thn.
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Thn.
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It's later than I thought.
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Thn.
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I it's later than I thought. To.
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The most common one I would say.
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I'm heading to the shops becomes I'm heading to the, to the, get used to that,
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to the, to the, to the, to the shops.
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I'm heading to the shops.
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And this is what creates the rhythm of English when we speak.
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That rhythm that everybody tells me they feel like they're missing if they're a non -native English speaker.
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For, th, th.
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Notice how that schwa is barely there.
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It's so lazy.
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This is for you.
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This is for you.
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For, for you.
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This is for you. From, from, from.
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She just got back from her holiday becomes, she just got back from her holiday.
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From her holiday.
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From her holiday.
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she just got back from her holiday of of another super
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common one a couple of minutes a couple of of of a couple of minutes a couple of minutes at
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I'll see you at the station.
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I'll see you at the station.
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Ah, another really common one.
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Just a schwa.
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How are things?
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How are things?
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How are you?
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How are you?
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How are things?
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we were just talking we were just talking we were just
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talking we were just talking we were just talking you don't
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need to memorize the list you just need to become familiar with them they're those short everyday words
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that just come up in loads of different sentences and you'll find moments where they can be relaxed.
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Can, can, I can pick it up becomes I can, I can, can, I can pick it up, I can pick it up.
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Shall, shall, shall, shall we head off, shall we head off? have,
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have, have, I have seen it, I have, have, I have seen it, I have seen it, has,
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she has had lunch, she has, she has, she has had lunch,
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she has had lunch, had, had,
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had, we had just arrived we had we had
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just arrived we had just arrived do do you fancy a walk do you practice
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that one do you do you fancy a walk Do you fancy a walk? Does. Does. Does. Does.
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Does she know yet? Does she. Does she. Does she.
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Does she know yet?
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Them.
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Them.
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I'll ask them tomorrow.
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I'll ask them tomorrow.
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I'll ask them tomorrow.
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For now, just get comfortable with how they're pronounced.
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Maybe create some practice sentences of your own.
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However, I do have to make things, as always, a little bit more complicated because sometimes we might pronounce these words in their strong forms.
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I'm sorry.
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Let's talk about some strong form triggers.
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Triggers which make the function words sound important.
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Trigger number one.
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When a function word is the very last word in a sentence, it's very likely it's going to be stressed that's
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because there's nothing after it to carry the rhythm to keep the rhythm going
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so we're going to emphasize the ending of
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that sentence picture it as a full stop a way to finish a thought
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or a thing
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that we're saying for example someone could ask me with the
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weak form do you want to go there to go there right
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so two gets pronounced in its weak form
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because it's in the middle of a sentence
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and then i might respond maybe
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and say something like yes i want to two is the end
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so i'm going to pronounce it as to let's practice this
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do you want to go there do you want to go
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there yes i want to yes i want to who are
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you talking to i'm not going to say who are you talking to just sounds a bit weird
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because it's like there's no final ending here
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so it needs to be who are you talking to who
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are you talking to now we could pronounce you as yeah
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because it's in the middle of a sentence who are you talking to
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so let's say somebody asks me where are you from
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from is going to be pronounced in its strong form
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because it's at the end of the sentence where are you from sounds weird right
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but if i answered that question and said i'm from bristol in England.
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I'm from.
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I'm from Bristol.
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Because the next word is a stressed word, I can carry that rhythm and pronounce from in its weak form. From.
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I'm from Bristol.
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Where are you from?
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I'm from Bristol. From.
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I might say, don't look at me.
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Look at me.
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Don't look at me but let's say somebody asks me this question What are you looking at?
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What are you looking at?
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It's now pronounced in its strong form
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because it's at the end of the question and trigger two
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when you're emphasizing a word correcting someone a moment where you need this word to be stressed Well, then you might stress it.
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Oh, I can't remember if Elliot said, can he do it or can't he?
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I can't remember.
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What did he say?
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I would say, I said I can do it.
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I said I can do it.
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Because I want to emphasize that word, can now.
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Now, let's take a look at this long paragraph.
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Listen to all of the weak forms I pronounce.
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I'm going to have to read it from the screen, so I'm going to stop looking at you for a second.
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I was going to call you, but I thought you might be at work so I sent a message instead.
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I know you've got a lot of things to do this week and I didn't want to add to it.
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If you've got a minute later, let me know.
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I'd love to hear how things are going.
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And if you can't that's fine too.
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I just wanted to check in with you.
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I was going to call you but I thought you might be at work so I sent a message instead.
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I know you've got a lot of things to do this week
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and i didn't want to add to it
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if you've got a minute later please let me know i'd love to hear how things are going
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and if you can't that's fine too i just wanted to check in with you
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so lots of in there instead of two
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but one thing i wanted to mention was
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when i said i didn't want to add to it one exception here we're connecting our speech
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to ends with a vowel sound, add begins with a vowel sound.
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Vowels hate each other.
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So we usually create a consonant in between them to connect our speech.
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So instead of saying to add with the weak form, we're actually going to pronounce to in its strong form,
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create a w sound to join to the word add. To add.
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So this is just one more exception where the weak form becomes strong.
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To add, to educate, to eat, I want to eat, right?
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So we're going to pronounce it in its strong form when we connect our speech, but that's it.
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And of course, notice that's fine too.
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T -double -O will always be pronounced in its strong form.
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It's not a weak form word.
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So take a random text, read a book, anything you can do where you read out loud and start highlighting those function words.
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Look for those words that could be relaxed.
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But remember those stress triggers.
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One of the hardest things though is just knowing if you're doing it right or wrong.
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Is your rhythm actually good?
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Do you sound comfortable when you speak?
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Are the weak forms in the right places?
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Are you overthinking it?
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I can help you with this.
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I have a course where I can give corrections along the way on whatsapp
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and i do private coaching so you're welcome to work with me
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so we can improve your rhythm your pronunciation
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or build towards even a british accent if you wanted to
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but thank you very much for watching everybody i hope you enjoyed this
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and i hope you found it useful i'll see you next time take care cheers guys bye

Why This Video Is a Goldmine for Natural Speaking Practice

This video is a game-changer for learners aiming to sound less "scripted" and more like a native. It zeroes in on weak forms—the subtle, relaxed pronunciations of function words—that make English flow. For anyone doing IELTS speaking practice or just wanting to communicate smoothly, mastering these nuances is key. Unlike lessons that focus only on vocabulary, this clip teaches the "rhythm" of English, which is exactly what examiners and native speakers notice. It’s practical, actionable, and perfect for learn english with videos since it includes real examples you can mimic.

Breaking Down Natural Speech: 4 Key Examples

Let’s unpack the video’s insights with concrete sentences:

  • "I'm just waiting for the bus": The function words "for" and "the" are reduced to "fuh" and "thuh" (using the schwa sound). This makes "waiting" and "bus" stand out—exactly what listeners focus on. Rushing these weak forms keeps the sentence from sounding choppy.
  • "I have an umbrella": "An" becomes "uhn" (schwa + "n"), not the full "an" you’d use in isolation. This small shift makes the phrase roll off the tongue, a trick that’s vital for shadowing technique practice.
  • "Fish and chips": "And" shrinks to "n," so it’s "fish ’n chips." Native speakers rarely stress "and," so this reduction keeps the focus on the food items—critical for clarity without over-explaining.
  • "I'm heading to the shops": "To" becomes "tuh," not "too." This weak form is so common that over-pronouncing it ("heading TO the shops") sounds unnatural. Mastering it is a shortcut to sounding fluent.

A Simple Shadowing Routine to Master Weak Forms

Use this repeat-and-record loop to turn the video’s lessons into habit:

  1. Watch and listen: Play a 5-second clip of the video, focusing on how function words are reduced. Pause and note which words sound "softer" (e.g., "for" → "fuh").
  2. Shadow immediately: Play the clip again and repeat it at the same time (this is the shadowing technique). Use a shadowing app if needed to slow down the audio—apps like shadowspeak can help you match the pace.
  3. Record yourself: After 3-4 shadowing attempts, record your version. Compare it to the video—do your weak forms sound as relaxed? If not, repeat the clip until the rhythm matches.
  4. Expand to longer phrases: Once you nail 5-second clips, try 10-second segments. Focus on maintaining weak forms while keeping content words clear. This builds muscle memory for real conversations.

Practice daily for 10 minutes, and you’ll notice your speech sounding more natural in weeks. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS or just want to connect better, this routine turns "good" speaking into "native-like" fluency.

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.