Shadowing Practice: Understand FAST English: Connected Speech + Advanced Vocabulary Lesson🔥 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Today, get ready to grow your vocabulary and train your ear to understand fast American English step by step.
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We're gonna watch a video clip of two people in New York and analyze everything they say.
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First, I'll explain all the advanced vocabulary, both casual and formal, with clear examples.
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Then we'll go back and focus on the pronunciation and the connected speech, one sentence at a time.
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At the end of the lesson, there will be a couple of homework questions to practice your writing.
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And as always, I've created a free PDF with all the information from today's lesson.
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You can download it by clicking the link in the description below this video.
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Let's start with the title, Asking New Yorkers What They Do for a Living.
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So a New Yorker is a person from New York City, obviously.
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Okay, let's talk about an important question.
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In the US, the United States, when you meet someone new, one of the first questions someone will ask you is,
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what do you do?
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Or what do you do for a living?
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not what are you doing that's different
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that means what are you doing right now at this exact
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moment with present continuous this question what do you do we're using the simple present tense
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so this means that someone wants to know your job your profession or your regular activity like if you're a student.
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So let's watch the first part of the video and see what this New Yorker does for a living.
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So what do you do for a living?
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I'm an attorney.
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So how long have you been doing that?
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30 years.
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So what's the salary someone can make doing that?
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Well, I mean, you can go up to a million, a million and a half if you work for a private firm, white collar firm, and become a equity partner.
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If you're in private practice, sky's the limit.
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All right.
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So this is an interview with an attorney.
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Attorney.
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This is a more formal way to say lawyer.
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The word attorney is really only common in American English,
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but lawyer is used everywhere and we completely understand and use the word lawyer as well.
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Make sure that you use an indefinite article, a or an, when stating someone's job.
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I'm a teacher.
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He wants to be a doctor.
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She's been an engineer for seven years,
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etc. A salary, salary is the regular amount of money someone earns from their job each year.
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So the amount of money does not change based on how many hours you work.
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Let's talk about this question.
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What's the salary someone can make doing that?
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Here, make is a more casual way to say earn.
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So you can make money or make a specific amount of money.
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Notice that he's not directly asking, what's your salary?
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That would be extremely rude.
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In the US, if you're meeting someone for the first time, please don't ask how much money that person makes, okay?
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Every language has phrases that we use
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when we need a little more time to think about how to organize or connect our ideas in conversation.
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When you hear someone say, well or I mean, or both in this case with that high intonation,
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this basically means the answer is not simple.
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So let me clarify or let me explain this clearly.
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Okay, next you can go up to a million.
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So we have the phrasal verb go up and that just means increase.
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But when you add up to, This includes the idea that this is the limit,
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the maximum point you can reach.
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For example, here, temperatures can go up to 90 degrees in the summer.
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So this is the highest possible temperature.
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Or temperatures can go down to zero degrees in the winter.
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So this is the opposite it.
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It can reach a minimum of zero, go down to zero.
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Notice that he doesn't say one million here.
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He says a million, a million and a half.
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Of course, it's possible to say 1 ,000 ,000,
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1 ,000, 100, etc. But sometimes this can sound a little more formal or more mathematical, I guess.
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So in natural conversation, it's very common just to use the article a.
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And not only when you're talking about money.
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For example, there were about 100 people at the conference.
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I can think of a thousand different ways to do something.
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You can make up to a million dollars as an attorney.
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Guys, I think I made the wrong career choice because that's a lot of money.
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Okay, this section has a lot of formal vocabulary.
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He says, if you work for a private firm, a firm is a type of company that provides professional services.
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So an attorney could work for a law firm.
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But there are also accounting firms, which provide financial services, and consulting firms,
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which give advice to large companies on how to make decisions or be more efficient.
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He talks about a few different options, working for a private firm or a white collar firm.
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So we have two different adjectives to describe different kinds of work.
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There's white -collar work, and this describes professional or office -based work,
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especially in the fields of business, finance, law, etc. These jobs typically have a very high salary,
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but they require a high level of education.
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On the other hand, you have blue -collar work.
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And this describes work that requires a lot of physical manual labor, such as construction or working in a factory.
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Now, a white -collar firm usually helps defend companies against white -collar crimes.
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So these are big financial crimes that are committed by people in business or in government, for example.
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Next, in business, if you have equity, equity, that means you own part of the business.
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So an equity partner is a senior level owner who receives part of the company's profits in addition to their regular salary.
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Now, yes, technically here he should have said an equity partner.
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Obviously, you have to write that.
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But sometimes in speaking, mid -conversation changes can happen.
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I think he was going to say something like a partner, but then he realized he needed to add the word equity.
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Not a big deal.
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It happens all the time in speaking.
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If you're in private practice, usually that means you work independently or at least not for a public firm.
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Next, sky's the limit.
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Here he drops the article, the, but if someone says the sky's the limit, that means there's no limit to success.
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Anything is possible, especially in the context of career opportunities, creativity, or personal growth.
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If you work hard, you can achieve anything.
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The sky's the limit.
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Okay, now that we understand the vocabulary and the context,
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let's go back and analyze the pronunciation and the connected speech, one sentence at a time.
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So what do you do for a living?
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So what do you do for a living?
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He's not saying what do you.
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He's reducing all of these vowels to schwa.
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What do you?
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What do you?
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What do you?
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Next, the words for and a are also reduced to for a, for a.
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What do you do for a living?
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For a living.
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I'm an attorney.
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I'm an attorney.
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This is a good time to talk about the most common type of connected speech, consonant -to -vowel linking.
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One word ends with a consonant sound, and the next word begins with a vowel sound.
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And here, this happens twice.
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First, I'm plus an.
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I'm in.
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I'm in.
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And then, an attorney.
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An attorney.
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All together, I'm an attorney.
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I'm an attorney.
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so how long have you been doing that 30 years so how long have you been doing that 30 years
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in english it's very common to reduce the pronunciation of the word have
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when we use it as an auxiliary verb here this basically sounds like a contraction
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so not how long have
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but he says how long of how long have you been doing
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that doing that so the tongue is in the location to pronounce a regular t sound,
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but with a stopped t, you do not push any air.
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You hold it there.
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This happens when t is at the end of a sentence or before another word with a consonant sound.
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So we will see more examples of that later.
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When you have numbers that end with ty, you want to put the stress on the first syllable.
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30, 40, 50.
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So this means that the TY syllable is unstressed.
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Now, in American English, when you have that T between two vowel sounds, or in this case, two voiced sounds,
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the ER in the R is voiced, and the Y after the T functions as a vowel,
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E, in this context, the T in that situation is reduced and it becomes very soft,
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almost like a quick D sound, but not exactly the same.
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Really, this sound is called a tap or a flap, and this is super essential for American English.
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And this is the easiest way to tell the difference between confusing numbers.
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13, strong sound because that final syllable is stressed,
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versus 30, 30, 14 versus 40, 15 versus 50.
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So when I first saw this video and heard his accent, I could immediately tell that he's from New York,
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or I should say New York.
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I love it because sometimes they drop the R near the end of a syllable.
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The standard American pronunciation is 30 years, but he says years, 30 years. So cool.
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So what's the salary someone can make doing that?
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The vowel in the modal verb can is usually reduced to schwa because this word is unstressed in a sentence.
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It almost sounds like can, can.
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Someone can make, someone can make.
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Well I mean you can go up to a million, a million and a half.
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Well, I mean, you can go up to a million, a million and a half.
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Again, reducing this.
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You can, you can go up to, you can go up to.
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This and basically disappears.
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It's almost impossible to hear.
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It sounds like a million and a half, a million and a half.
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Like you can't hear the and at all.
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But keep watching until the end because I'll explain why this happens later.
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By the way, these are the types of details that I will be teaching in my workshop for intermediate English learners.
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So if you're interested in improving these real -life skills and receiving direct feedback from me,
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go to my website or click the link in the description for more information on how to enroll.
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Okay, let's watch the next part and talk about the vocabulary.
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So what advice would you give to young people trying to move here?
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My advice is don't move here.
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I think the world is big.
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Explore it all.
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The life that you can have in New York, you could probably have a better life in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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You can experience it, but it's not the end all be all.
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All right.
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Pretty simple vocabulary here.
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I just want to talk about this noun phrase, the end all be all.
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This is a very common idiom.
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If something is the end -all, be -all, that means something is the most important thing that determines success.
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It's more common to use the negative form.
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Something is not the end -all,
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be -all, meaning that we shouldn't treat something as the most important thing or the final goal.
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For example, a high salary is nice, but it's not the end -all be -all of job satisfaction.
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In this context, he's saying that living in New York City is not the end -all be -all.
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And I totally agree because you need a really, really high salary to live a comfortable life in New York.
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Now, sometimes you'll hear people say be -all end -all, or more traditionally, the be -all and end -all.
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And this actually comes from William Shakespeare in the play Macbeth.
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Okay, let's look at the pronunciation.
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So what advice would you give to young people trying to move here?
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So what advice would you give to young people trying to move here?
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So consonant to vowel, what advice, what advice would you, would you give?
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Here, this is a different type of linking called assimilation, where two sounds come together to create one new sound.
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So, would ends with the d -d sound, and u begins with a y sound.
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And the end result is something that sounds like j, like in the words gym, generate, July.
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You hear this all the time when we say things like, would you, could you, should you,
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did you, etc. Next, to reduction.
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Would you give to young, give to young people trying to move here.
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So trying to sometimes becomes trying to, trying to.
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Super common in everyday speech, but it sounds really, really casual.
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I usually only speak like this when I'm talking to my family and friends, not so much in professional situations.
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Let's keep going.
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My advice is don't move here.
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I think the world is big.
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Explore it all.
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My advice is don't move here.
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I think the world is big.
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Explore it all.
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My advice is, advice is, don't move here.
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Stopped T at the end of this contraction.
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Don't.
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Don't move here.
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I think the world is big.
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Explore it all.
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Lots of consonant to vowel linking.
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Explore it.
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Explore it.
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And this T is soft because it's between two vowels.
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It all.
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It all.
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So all together, explore it all.
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Explore it all.
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The life that you can have in New York, you could probably have a better life in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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The life that you can have in New York, you could probably have a better life in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Have in New York.
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Have in New York.
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Next, we have another common reduction of probably to probably.
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You could probably have a better life in. Which city?
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Charlotte.
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The vowel in the second syllable is reduced to schwa with a stopped T at the end
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because the final E is silent.
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We don't pronounce that.
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And Charlotte is in the state of North Carolina.
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Long I sound, Carolina.
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Okay, last sentence.
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You can experience it, but it's not the end all be all.
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You can experience it, but it's not the end all be all.
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You can experience it.
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You can experience it, but it's not.
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Make sure you're not saying is with a voiced sound is.
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You want to keep it short so we know that you're pronouncing this contraction.
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It's not.
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It's not.
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Sometimes when a syllable ends with this N -D combination, we reduce or drop the D.
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This This happens because when you pronounce the N sound,
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your tongue is already touching the top of your mouth right behind your teeth.
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And D, the D sound, requires almost the same tongue position.
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So in fast speech, we sometimes just continue that sound because it's easier and smoother.
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You don't have to move anything.
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You'll find that some of the most common examples of this are with phrases that begin with the word and.
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Okay, now let's practice using some of today's vocabulary.
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Answer these questions in the comments.
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One, what do you do for a living?
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And two, is it more important to enjoy your job or to make a high salary?
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I'm looking forward to reading your answers.
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If you enjoyed this lesson, please like this video and subscribe to my channel.
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Thank you so much for watching.
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I'm Gina, this is Your World in English, and I'll see you next time.
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Bye!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Understand FAST English: Connected Speech + Advanced Vocabulary Lesson🔥”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: sound, attorney, salary, firm, advice. This video has 251 sentences and 2617 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:25. The speaker talks at a steady 128 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| vowel noun | /ˈvaʊ.əl/ | A sound produced by the vocal cords with relatively little restriction of the oral cavity, forming the prominent sound of a syllable. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| syllable noun | /ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/ | A unit of human speech which often forms words corresponding to one opening of the mouth; a vowel and its surrounding consonants. |
| collar noun | /ˈkɑlɚ/ | The part of an upper garment (shirt, jacket, etc.) that fits around the neck and throat, especially if sewn from a separate piece of fabric. |
| consonant noun | /ˈkɑn.sə.nənt/ | A sound that results from the passage of air through restrictions of the oral cavity; any sound that is not the dominant sound of a syllable, the dominant… |
| pronunciation noun | /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ | The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken. |
| pronounce verb | /pɹəˈnaʊns/ | To declare formally, officially or ceremoniously. |
| contraction noun | /kənˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/ | An act of incurring debt; also (generally), an act of acquiring something (generally negative). |
| schwa noun | /ʃwɑ/ | An indeterminate central vowel sound as the "a" in "about", represented as /ə/ in IPA. |
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| unstressed adjective | /ʌnˈstɹɛst/ | Not stressed or accentuated. |
| analyze verb | /ˈæn.əˌlaɪz/ | To subject to analysis. |
| adjective noun | /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/ | A word that modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes a noun’s referent. |
| assimilation noun | /əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/ | The act of assimilating or the state of being assimilated. |
| enroll verb | /ɪnˈɹəʊl/ | To enter (a name, etc.) in a register, roll or list |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. |
| add up to verb | To have a particular effect in combination. |
| go up verb | To move upwards. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- If you're in private practice, sky's the limit.
- Let's talk about this question.
- Notice that he's not directly asking, what's your salary?
- What do you do for a living?
- One, what do you do for a living?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | have you been doing |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is used · are also reduced · is unstressed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've created · She's been |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 42 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, contraction /kənˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/, schwa /ʃwɑ/, assimilation /əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, assimilation /əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/, indefinite /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like vowel, vocabulary, syllable.
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.