How To Understand FAST Spoken English
Summary
TLDR这个视频分享了几个提高英语听力的技巧,包括多样化听力练习,不仅听准备好的演讲稿,也要听非正式对话; 学习linking sounds, intrusive r等发音技巧; 适应母语人常用的schwa等不明显的元音; 关注说话人的非语言信号,不局限在句子结构上; 学习常见的缩写词。总的来说,要深入了解发音,才能在快速英语中听懂。
Takeaways
- 👂 提高英语听力的首要建议是多样化听力练习,比如收听真人实时对话、播客和脱口秀,而不是仅限于TED演讲或官方讲话。
- 🗣️ 通过与英语母语者对话是快速提高英语听力的有效方法之一,推荐使用iTalki等在线平台。
- 📚 理解快速英语的关键之一是熟悉并模仿英语中的连读音,这有助于理解英语为何听起来像是连续不断的一个词。
- 🔊 掌握和练习使用包括'intrusive r'和省略'h'等特定连读音,这在英国英语中尤为常见。
- 🎶 将句子像唱歌一样练习可以帮助理解和模仿英语的连读现象,使得听力练习更加有效。
- 🌀 了解并熟练掌握英语中的弱读音(schwa音),这是英国英语中非常常见的元音音。
- 👀 在听力练习时,不要期待完整的句子结构。注意观察说话人的非语言提示,如面部表情和手势,以更好地理解对方的意图和情绪。
- 😎 学习和熟悉英语口语中常用的缩略语,如'gonna'(going to)、'wanna'(want to)等,这些在快速对话中非常常见。
- 📈 为了更好地理解快速英语,应该对英语的发音、连读和弱读音产生兴趣,主动研究和模仿。
- 💡 最后,要想真正提高理解快速英语的能力,需要从声音、连读到弱读音等各个方面进行练习和研究。
Q & A
为什么视频中有些发言较易理解,而另一些发言较难理解?
-容易理解的发言来自准备好演讲稿的公开演说,难以理解的发言来自使用方言、无准备的年轻人的非正式谈话。
为什么连接音很重要?
-连接音把词语联系在一起,英语母语者说得很快,如果不理解连接音,就很难跟上思路。
什么是间插的r音?
-很多英国人会在词语之间插入一个额外的'r'音,这叫间插的r音,例如'I saw a'听起来像'I sawr a',这可能会让人困惑。
学连读音有什么好方法?
-把句子唱出来,让所有的词语连接在一起,不要停顿,这有助于理解连读音。
母音中立音在英语中很常见吗?
-是的,中立音在英语中很常见,出现在很多词语中,理解中立音对跟上英语语速至关重要。
英语母语者真的会说完整的句子吗?
-不会,英语口语和写作不一样,我们会重复或改变话题,很少说出完整的句子。
生词和缩写会不会让理解口语更难?
-会的,要学会常见的英语口语中使用的缩写,这可以减少生词和缩写造成的困难。
模仿英语方言的发音会有帮助吗?
-会的,熟悉英语方言的发音可以帮助我们更好地理解口语,就像在学习一个角色。
听懂快速英语最重要的こと是什么?
-最重要的是熟悉英语的语音规则,包括元音,辅音,连接音等,这是理解英语口语速度的关键。
视频中提到的iTalki对提高英语口语有帮助吗?
-是的,iTalki提供真人英语老师的一对一辅导,与母语人士交谈是提高英语听力最有效的方式之一。
Outlines
😄第一段主要讲了英语口语学习的技巧
这一段主要介绍了一些提高英语口语听力的技巧。作者认为,学习者应该多样化听力练习,不仅听TED演讲,也要听非正式对话;还推荐在iTalki网站找到母语老师进行交流练习。作者认为,与人交流是提高听力最有效的方式。
😊第二段继续讲听力技巧,重点是连接语音
这一段着重讲解了英语里常见的连接语音,比如元音连接时插入的y音,辅音连接时直接读在一起,以及一些特殊的英式发音。作者建议学习者掌握这些语音,能自己发出这些音,这样听别人快速说时就不会感到困难。
🤔第三段讲解插入r的语音现象
这一段继续深入讲解英语口语里的语音连接。插入r是一些英式口音会出现的情况,是为了连接两个单词,在不该读r音的地方也发出r音。这对听力理解有挑战。学习者需要掌握这类发音规律,提高听说能力。
😮第四段介绍中性元音schwa的特征
这一段着重讲解了中性元音schwa的发音方法和识别方法。Schwa出现频率很高,需要注意。学习者需要学会这个发音,注意辨识词中的schwa,才能在快速语流中分辨单词意思。
🤗最后一段总结了以上听力技巧
最后一段概括总结了之前的几点听力技巧:学习语音声调,能够模仿英语口语;理解schwa等语音特征;注意音标拼读,分辨词意。学习者需要重视语音,才能大幅提高英语听说能力。
Mindmap
Keywords
💡linking sounds
💡intrusive R
💡schwa
💡contractions
💡hesitation sounds
💡dialect
💡vowel sounds
💡listening practice
💡authentic
💡sounds
Highlights
多样化你的听力练习,不要只看TED演讲或皇室成员的演说
找一些即兴的现实秀、播客和脱口秀做听力练习,这更真实更有效
通过iTalki网上学习平台与英语母语者实际交流是提高听力的最佳途径
第一个技巧:英语口语中的链接音很难分辨,学习这些音的发音机制可以帮助理解
第二个技巧:英语口语中大量使用'to'的缩写,如gonna, wanna, tryna等
第三个技巧:英语口语中常见的尾音schwa发音,需要通过大量练习熟悉
第四个技巧:英语口语不像写作有完整的句子结构,注意口语者的身体语言和思路变化
第五个技巧:英语口语中常见새词和变化词汇,容易产生理解困难
要理解快速英语,必须熟悉其语音系统,包括辅音、元音和语调
模仿和练习英语口音是提高听力的关键
学习英式英语要注意“入侵的R”音,这在美式英语中不常见
把语句像歌曲一样念出来可以帮助练习英语单词联读
英语常把“h”音省略,这在部分英国地区尤为明显
注意英语口语中常见的填充词,如uh, eh, mm等
英语口语更像是思想的流动,而不像写作有完整的句子
Transcripts
Let me guess. You can understand English speakers perfectly well when they talk
at this speed. However, when ..... It's harder to understand them. Let me help.
[Music] Good morning, good afternoon and good evening. Welcome to Smashing English! Before
we start this video, be sure to subscribe because we make new videos all the time,
and I don't want you to miss any. So, with that said, let's get on with the video.
Okay, let's really learn how to understand English native speakers, I have some tips
that will help you. Okay, tip number one. I bet you can understand this person. "People often
ask me why I'm so interested in the mental health of children and young people, and the answer is
quite simple. Because I think that every child should have the best possible start in life."
And I'm pretty sure you will find it much harder to understand this person. "I know other girls
in relationships let these things slide, and you know, let their boyfriends text every Tom,
Dick and Harry." Let's try another example. Can you understand this person? "The goal, the
objective of economic policy should be collective well-being. How happy and healthy a population is,
not just how wealthy a population is." I'm just guessing, but I think you can understand that
person pretty well. But what about this person? "That thing, I've not been able to sit back and
enjoy it because you're always on the move to the next thing, and on the move, the next
thing. I think that's why, during lockdown, I really struggled as well, because it was like,
on to the next thing, and there is no next thing now because we're all in Covid." Much harder?
Let's figure out why. I gave you four examples there. Two of them were quite easy to understand,
and two of them were more of a challenge. Okay, so the two examples that were easier to understand,
they were talking in a public setting. They had something that was prepared. They had a script
or a speech written, and they were presenting to a large group of people. The other two examples
featured much younger speakers using a dialect that maybe you are not familiar with. They were
speaking in a setting where nothing was planned, nothing was prepared, and they were just talking
to one, maybe two people in quite an intimate setting. So, my first tip is diversify your
listening practice. Stop watching TED Talks. Stop watching members of the royal family. TED
Talks are great. I love TED Talks, but they are presenting. They have written a script. They have
planned and practiced what they are going to say, and they want a large group of people to be able
to understand them. So, of course, you'll be able to understand them. That's their main goal. So,
when you are doing English listening practice, make it your mission to find things that are
unscripted. Reality shows, podcasts, chat shows. Diversify the listening practice,
because then your ear is like a muscle. Your ear will become so flexible, so adaptable. Your ear
will be ready to listen to any voice, any dialect. So, when you talk to someone, it's like you've
done the hard work. This conversation is easy. I can understand you. Moving on to my next tip. Keep
watching for an in-depth analysis of the sounds that make English speakers so hard to understand.
My next tip involves a strategy that humans have been using since the dawn of time to understand
each other, and that is talking to another human being. So, I want to recommend a resource that
I myself have used for the last three and a half years. Without a doubt, one of the best
and most effective ways to improve your English listening quickly is by actually speaking to an
English native. It's authentic, it's real, and it works. So, as most of you know, I teach and learn
on iTalki. ITalki is an online learning platform that offers one-to-one customised language lessons
in over 150 languages. Although, just guessing, you're probably going to go there for English
lessons. But hey, I'm just assuming. There's absolutely no subscription involved. You just
pay for the lessons you want, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour, an hour and a half,
whatever suits you, boo. And the prices start at only five dollars, which is amazing. Like I said,
I teach English on italki, and I have done for over three years, so clearly, I'm a fan.
Aussi, j'apprends le Français sur iTalki. And it's great because I'm able to choose
from a huge variety of teachers. They are different ages. They have different accents,
different speech patterns, different specialties. So, if you're struggling with a particular accent,
find a teacher on iTalki with that accent, and you will notice how quickly that accent becomes
less and less confusing because you are actually interacting with it. When you actually engage
with a human who is using their authentic accent, pace, and speech patterns, it's so much easier to
decipher what they're actually talking about. And luckily for you, I have an excellent offer. Use
the link in the description to start browsing for a teacher that suits you, and if you buy
ten dollars worth of iTalki credits, you can get another five dollars for free using my exclusive
promo code. You are welcome. But go quickly because this amazing deal is only available
to the first 50 users that get it. So go, go, go, go. Okay, tip number three. Let's talk about the
practicalities here, because I truly think that this, this is the main reason why understanding
fast English is so hard, and it's all because of linking. It's because of those annoying linking
sounds that everybody does. So let me talk you through some of the most common linking sounds and
how to understand them. I believe that the best way to understand something is to be able to do
it yourself. So, learn these linking sounds like you are going to do them. Try to make them with
your own mouth. Try to actually do them because if you understand the mechanics of how you make the
linking sounds, it will sound a lot less alien when you hear someone else doing those linking
sounds. Okay, so let's look at this sentence here. I actually saw a dog in his window on Tuesday. I
actually saw a dog in his window on Tuesday. Now, can you see how that could be quite confusing
if I say that really quickly? I actually saw a dog on his window on Tuesday. It's crazy talk,
crazy talk. And it's because it's like I'm saying one big word. There are no gaps in the middle.
It's just one long word. So, let's talk through the linking sounds. So, the first one we've got,
"I actually." Now, no one says, "I actually." They don't put a gap in the middle. What we do,
definitely in a lot of accents in the UK, definitely in standard English, most of these
links are based on standard English, but a lot of them are international. Lots of different dialects
use these linking sounds. So, when you've got an I actually, how are we going to link that? So,
what we're going to put in the middle is we're going to put a "y" sound. So,
it becomes "I actually." Why do we say "Y"? Let me tell you. So, this is a vowel-to-vowel link. Okay,
so we've got an "I" and then we've got an "ah." "I - ah." All right? So there's two vowel sounds, so
we have to create a link because they don't really link together without putting something in there.
"I" ends wide. Because when we do "i," it's like we're ending on a smile. And this is the same for
"a" and "e." So, when you've got this wide vowel, smiley vowel, let's call them smiley vowels,
then to get to the next word, if it starts with a vowel, you have to put a "yuh" because it's easy
to. Because our mouth is already wide, and when we do "yuh," it's a wide sound as well. "I" smile
"yuh." "Actually." "Yuh." And you just release it. "I actually." "I actually," Like that. Okay,
moving on to the next linking sound in this sentence. "I actually saw a dog." Hold on a
second. I definitely just did an "r" sound. "I actually saw a dog." I can't see an "r" there.
Can you? Am I? I can't see an "r." But I said an "r," and that is because we have the feature
called an intrusive "r." Now, if you are only concerned with understanding American speakers,
don't worry about the intrusive "r." But if you want to understand a lot of people from Britain,
you need to understand what the intrusive "r" is. So, the intrusive "r" is when we insert an "r"
to link to the next word, even though there's not an "r" that is written there. We just put one in,
and this can be extremely confusing when you're listening to fast English because you've
definitely heard an "r." Hold on, there was an "r" there. What's going on? But there isn't. We've
just put one in to help with linking. So, let's look at the example. "I actually saw a." So, the
reason why we're doing an "r" here is because we have the "or" sound of "saw" and then an "a." We
have another open vowel sound. "Saw a." So, if we didn't have the linking "r," the intrusive "r," it
would sound odd. It would sound like "I actually saw. A." We would have to put a gap in there,
but we don't like putting gaps in when we speak. It's annoying. So, actually, "saw" feels like it
should rhyme with "door," right? It's the same sound. "Saw," "door." Look at the word "door."
There's an "r" on the end. Okay, so actually, this sound feels like it ends in an "r." The word "saw"
kind of sounds like it ends in an "r," and that is why we are using the "r" sound. In a lot of
UK dialects if you have a word that could end in an "r," it sounds the same as a word that ends in
an "r" followed by a vowel, we're probably going to put an intrusive "r" in there. For example,
my name is Laura. Laura. It ends on a schwa, but what other words end in a schwa in English?
We have mother, father, water, better. Oh, look, R, R, R, R, R. So, that schwa sound sometimes is
spelled like "er." So, if I have to link my name to something else that's a vowel, I have to put
an "r" in there. So, I say, "Laura is." "Laura is great." So, push yourself. Try to do the intrusive
"r." Try to make that sound. Get familiar with it. Get comfortable with it. Learn how it works.
Imagine you are an actor learning an accent for a role or something, and if you can do it, you will
definitely understand it when you hear it. So, now we have this. Okay, "I actually saw a dog."
"In." Now, the next link is a little bit easier because we have a hard consonant, "dog," and
then a vowel. When you've got that hard consonant followed by a vowel, just push the two together
like it's one word. So, instead of saying, "dog. in," you're going to say, "dog in." So,
it's like the second part of that sound is "gin." You've put the "g" in front of the next word. It's
one sound. "I actually saw a dog in." Now, the next linking sound is kind of UK-specific as well,
because a lot of the time in the UK, we will drop our "h's." You will hear this in parts of London,
places like Liverpool, Birmingham. Sometimes, we just don't like the "h." So, for example, here,
instead of saying, "in his," we're probably going to say, "in is." "In is." "In is." We've taken
away that "h" completely, and we've made it into one word. "I actually saw a dog in his." We just
smush everything together. Everything's just connected. "I actually saw a dog in his window
on Tuesday." Didn't stop once. So, how can you practice this? How can you learn how to do this?
I have one very simple technique for you. I want you to say a sentence like a song. When you listen
to singers, everything is connected. Everything goes like this. It doesn't stop. It just goes
like this. There are no gaps in there. So, if we sang this sentence, "I actually saw a dog in his
window on Tuesday," it doesn't have to be a tune, or anything. It can be straight. "I actually saw
a dog in his window on Tuesday." Make it one continuous sound. Don't stop the sound. So,
practice speaking in songs. So, read a book, but sing it. That's my best advice for you.
Sing. Connect things together. You've got to become best friends with linking sounds if you
want to understand fast English. Okay, moving on to my next tip. If you want to understand fast
spoken English, especially with speakers from the UK, you have to be prepared for the schwa. Okay,
the schwa is everywhere. It's the most common vowel sound in British English. It happens all
the time, and if you're listening to someone speaking, it might just sound like you're
hearing the same sound over and over again, and it can be very hard to differentiate. Okay,
so that was a schwa, but it's an "o." That was a schwa, but it's an "a." That's all over the
place. Okay, so if you are not familiar, a schwa sounds like this: uh, uh, uh, uh.
It's not a very cheery sound. It's not very happy. It's pretty miserable. Uh,
Uh, Uh, Uh, Staying alive, staying alive. It's just neutral. Nothing happens with the mouth,
nothing happens with the tongue. "Uh." In a standard English dialect, this sentence
would sound a little something like this. "I was a doctor for two years, a teacher for four years,
and then an administrator because I love change." Did you hear that 'uh' all the way through? And
a schwa doesn't have to be one letter. A schwa isn't always an "a" or an "e." It's very hard to
spot because they just happen all the time. So, for example, on a word like "doctor," "teacher,"
these "er" or "or" ending words, that will be a schwa. So, "doctor," "teacher," "administrator,"
that will be a schwa. Also, the word "for," a lot of the time, we don't complete that sound. We just
go "fuh" A doctor for two years, a teacher for seven years. We're not even completing the word.
We're just saying "fuh." Also, the word "was" can become "was." "Was." "Was." "W-u-z." "I was
a doctor." "I was a doctor for two years." "I was a doctor for two years, a teacher for seven years,
and an administrator." "An administrator." The schwa just takes over. So, you have to
be prepared to hear it, and you have to know when to do it and how to do it. So, do some research,
practice. Become, like I said, like an actor who's learning an accent. Become fascinated by the
sounds. If you are not interested in the sounds that English speakers are making, you'll never
understand them when they speak quickly because you're not curious about the sounds. Okay, moving
on to my next tip. So, my next piece of advice for you is stop listening for sentences. Stop
waiting for the sentence to have a nice end. Stop waiting for the thought to be completed. We don't
speak in sentences. Listen to your own native language or listen to how you speak with people.
It's very rare that we have clean sentences that have a lovely beginning, middle, and an end. It's
not the same as writing. We get distracted. We say the start of a sentence, and then we forget,
and then we say something else. So, if you have a target dialect that you are trying to understand,
let's say you really want to understand, um, Irish English. You're moving to Dublin, and you want to
understand the Irish dialect, and you want to know how to understand fast Irish speakers,
then learn what their hesitation sound is. Because some people go, "Uh." Some people go,
"Eh." Some people go, "Mm." Some people go mmm. Figure out what that sound is." Because you don't
want the hesitation sound to confuse you, and try to follow physical cues. If you can pay attention
to the person's face and their gestures, try to follow their thoughts. Don't just listen
to the words they are saying, because most of our communication comes from non-verbal communication.
So, if I'm talking to you, but I stop, and maybe I move on to this thought, you can tell
that I stopped this thought and I moved on to this thought just by paying attention to my features.
So, if you watch podcasts, that's really great. You know, a lot of podcasts, they have videos now,
so you can watch the person who is speaking and try to follow their train of thought,
because we never talk in sentences. It's very rare. So, this is another reason why I don't
want you to watch anything scripted, because when it's scripted, ah, beginning, middle,
end, beginning, middle, end. But that's not how we speak in everyday life. Okay,
moving on. Sometimes it's not that your English listening is really bad. It's that the person you
are listening to is using new words that you've not heard before, or they are taking words that
you think you know, but they've changed it. So let's talk about contractions, because we
love contractions. English native speakers do it all the time, and I think these might be some of
the things that confuse you. So, for example, the one that everyone knows: "gonna." Okay, instead of
"going to," we say "gonna." "I'm gonna love this film tonight. I really think I'm gonna love it."
What about "wanna?" Instead of "want to," we say "wanna." "I don't wanna go." "I don't wanna go."
This one you might not know, "Tryna," instead of "trying to." "I'm tryna to find my keys."
What about "gimme?" "Gimme," "give me that." "Hey, give me that." "Dunno" instead of "don't
know." "I don't know." "I don't know." "Is not" becomes "ain't." "Ain't." "I ain't going." This
one you might not know, "Lemme" instead of "let me." "Lemme." "Lemme see." "Hey, lemme see."
"Init," instead of "isn't it." It's like a clarification that we use a
lot in the UK. So "it's Tuesday, init?" "Kinda," instead of "kind of." Again,
we're turning that "of" into a schwa. So it's not "kind of," it's "kinda." "I'm kinda hungry."
And "dya," instead of "do you." People say, "Dya want that?" "Dya want to go to the cinema?" "Dya
want to go to the cinema?" "Dya want to go to the cinema?" You've got to learn these contractions.
You've got to be familiar with them because they happen a lot, and I don't want that to confuse
you when people are talking in fast English. So in conclusion, if you want to understand fast
English from native speakers, you need to learn the sounds that they are making. If possible,
you should be able to do their accent. You should be able to mimic their linking
sounds. You should know what a schwa is. You should be able to recognise what a schwa is.
You should know the difference between "dad" and "dead." You should know the difference
in those vowel sounds. So you've got to become fascinated by sounds, consonants,
and vowels. Get involved. Do your research, and you will notice a huge difference, I promise you.
Thank you so much for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please give it a like. If you would
like to follow us on Instagram, you can do so there also. Make sure to check out iTalki and my
exclusive promo code down below. Thank you so much for watching, and I'll see you next time, tata!
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