IMPROVE your LISTENING and SPEAKING skills with this ONE simple method #englishfluencyjourney

Summary

This video aims to enhance viewers' English listening and speaking skills by tackling the challenges of understanding native speakers' fast and casual speech. The host breaks down common contractions and connected speech patterns, such as 'how to' becoming 'Hara', and 'should have' turning into 'Shoulda', to clarify pronunciation nuances. The video also promotes an app called Elsa Speak, which uses AI to help users improve their pronunciation, intonation, and fluency, offering a free trial and exclusive discounts.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video aims to improve viewers' listening and speaking skills in English by addressing common challenges faced by non-native speakers.
• 🎯 The script emphasizes the difficulty of understanding native speakers due to factors like speed, accents, contractions, connected speech, and intonation.
• 🔍 It highlights the importance of training the ear to understand spoken English, especially for shadowing exercises where hearing and repeating are crucial.
• 🗣️ The video provides examples of real-life speech to illustrate common pronunciation challenges and offers explanations to break the cycle of misunderstanding.
• 📚 It explains the concept of connected speech and contractions, showing how they affect the pronunciation of phrases like 'how to' in casual, fast speech.
• 👄 The script includes a practice exercise for viewers to repeat phrases slowly and then at a faster pace to improve their pronunciation and articulation.
• 📱 The video promotes an app called 'Elsa Speak' that uses AI to help users improve their pronunciation, intonation, and fluency by comparing their speech to native speakers.
• 💻 The app allows users to record their speech, receive feedback on pronunciation mistakes, and practice specific words or phrases to master them.
• 🛍️ The video offers an exclusive discount for Elsa Speak's lifetime membership and a one-year membership to encourage viewers to take action and improve their English.
• 📝 The script provides another example of contractions with the phrase 'should have' becoming 'shoulda', illustrating how words blend together for easier and faster speech.
• 📉 It also discusses the reduction of words like 'probably' and 'have' in sentences to make speech more casual and fluent, and the importance of stress and intonation in conveying meaning.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to improve the viewers' listening and speaking skills in English, particularly in understanding native speakers and practicing pronunciation and articulation.

Why can understanding native speakers be challenging?

Understanding native speakers can be challenging due to factors such as the speed of speech, accents, contractions, connected speech, and intonation.

What is the term for the phenomenon where words or phrases sound like a random cluster of sounds to non-native listeners?

The phenomenon is a result of the complexities of native speech, including speed, contractions, and connected speech, which can make words or phrases sound like a random cluster of sounds to those not accustomed to the language.

What is a 'shadowing exercise'?

A shadowing exercise is a language learning technique where learners listen to a recording and repeat what they hear, often used to improve listening and speaking skills.

How does the video help with the issue of contractions in speech?

The video provides examples of real-life speech, explains the contractions used, and breaks down parts of the speech that usually pose problems for English learners.

What is the purpose of practicing saying words even if you don't use these reductions in your speech?

Practicing saying words helps learners understand them better, even if they don't use these reductions in their own speech, by becoming familiar with how they are pronounced in native speech.

What is the app 'Elsa Speak' and how does it help with language learning?

Elsa Speak is an app that helps improve pronunciation, intonation, and overall fluency by comparing the user's pronunciation to that of a native speaker and pinpointing mistakes using artificial intelligence technology.

How does the video demonstrate the pronunciation of 'how to' in casual, fast speech?

The video demonstrates that 'how to' is often pronounced as 'Hara' in casual, fast speech due to the dropping of the 'ow' sound and the substitution with a short 'o' sound.

What is the contracted form of 'should have' used in casual speech?

The contracted form of 'should have' used in casual speech is 'Shoulda', where the word 'have' is reduced to a schwa sound.

How does the video address the reduction of the word 'have' in sentences?

The video addresses the reduction of 'have' by showing how it can be reduced to just the sound 'd' or 'v' depending on the context, making speech more fluent and faster.

What is the significance of emphasizing certain words in speech?

Emphasizing certain words in speech is significant as it draws the listener's attention to what is being said, highlighting the importance of the message being conveyed.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Improving Listening and Speaking Skills

This paragraph introduces the video's purpose, which is to enhance viewers' listening and speaking skills in English. The speaker acknowledges the challenges faced by non-native speakers in understanding native English speakers due to factors like speed, accents, contractions, connected speech, and intonation. The video aims to break the cycle of misunderstanding by demonstrating real-life speech examples and explaining problematic aspects such as contractions and connected speech. The goal is to improve viewers' pronunciation and articulation through practice, making it easier for them to recognize and understand English words in the future.

05:01

🎓 Practicing English with Real-Life Speech Examples

The speaker provides an example of casual, fast speech, focusing on the phrase 'how to' which is commonly reduced to 'ha' in connected speech. The explanation covers the pronunciation changes that occur due to contractions and the blending of sounds to make speech more fluent and faster. The paragraph also introduces an app called 'Elsa Speak' that uses AI technology to help users improve their pronunciation, intonation, and fluency by comparing their speech to that of native speakers and offering targeted feedback. The app is promoted with a special discount for the viewers.

10:03

🗣️ Mastering Contractions and Connected Speech

This paragraph delves deeper into the use of contractions and connected speech, particularly with the word 'have' and its various reductions in different contexts. The speaker illustrates how 'should have' can be reduced to 'shoulda' and 'probably' to 'prolly', depending on the casualness and speed of speech. The paragraph also touches on the importance of stress and intonation in conveying meaning, especially when emphasizing certain words in a sentence. Practice is encouraged through repetition of phrases, with a focus on blending words smoothly and correctly applying contractions.

👋 Wrapping Up the English Learning Video

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker summarizes the video's content and encourages viewers to apply what they've learned. They prompt viewers to like and subscribe to the channel if they haven't already and express hope that the viewers enjoyed the video and gained new insights. The speaker signs off with a friendly 'bye', indicating the end of the session.

Keywords

💡Listening skills

Listening skills refer to the ability to understand spoken language, which is a crucial part of language acquisition. In the video, the theme revolves around improving these skills by understanding native speakers' speech patterns. An example from the script is the challenge of distinguishing words and phrases in fast, connected speech, which is a common issue for learners trying to grasp listening skills.

💡Speaking skills

Speaking skills involve the ability to articulate thoughts and ideas in spoken form. The video emphasizes the importance of enhancing speaking skills alongside listening skills. It mentions practicing pronunciation and articulation by repeating phrases, as seen in the script when the host encourages viewers to practice saying 'how to handle situations like this' to improve their speaking abilities.

💡Native speakers

Native speakers are individuals who have spoken a language from birth. The video discusses the challenges faced by non-native speakers in understanding native speakers due to factors like speed, accents, and contractions. An example is the phrase 'look on Sunday my fellow HR reps,' which demonstrates how native speakers might contract and connect words in casual speech.

💡Connected speech

Connected speech is the natural blending of words when people speak fluently, often leading to the omission or alteration of sounds for ease of pronunciation. The video explains how understanding connected speech is vital for improving listening skills, as seen in the breakdown of 'how to' being pronounced as 'Hara' in the script.

💡Contractions

Contractions are a form of speech where two words are combined and pronounced together, often reducing the number of syllables. The video script illustrates contractions with examples like 'should have' becoming 'shoulda' and 'probably' reduced to 'prolly,' showing how they simplify speech for native speakers and complicate it for learners.

💡Intonation

Intonation refers to the rise and fall of pitch in speech, which can convey emotion, emphasis, or structure in sentences. The video mentions improving intonation as part of developing speaking skills, and the script provides examples of emphasizing words like 'no' in 'you've no idea' to deliver the main point.

💡Shadowing exercise

A shadowing exercise is a language learning technique where learners listen to a recording and repeat it simultaneously, mimicking the speaker's pronunciation and rhythm. The video script suggests that to practice shadowing properly, one must first be able to hear and understand what is being said, highlighting the importance of listening skills.

💡Elsa Speak

Elsa Speak is an app mentioned in the video that uses artificial intelligence to help users improve their pronunciation, intonation, and overall fluency in English. The script describes how the app compares a user's pronunciation to that of a native speaker and provides feedback on mistakes, as demonstrated by the host's interaction with the app during the video.

💡Pronunciation

Pronunciation is the way in which words are articulated when spoken. The video's main theme includes enhancing pronunciation by practicing the correct sounds and blends, as shown when the host breaks down the pronunciation of 'how to handle' and encourages viewers to repeat it for practice.

💡Schwa sound

The schwa sound is the most common vowel sound in English, represented by the symbol '@' and often heard in unstressed syllables. The video script explains how the word 'have' is reduced to the schwa sound in contractions, such as 'shoulda' and 'probly,' demonstrating the use of this sound in connected speech.

💡Stress

Stress in linguistics refers to the emphasis placed on a particular syllable or word in speech, which can change the meaning of a sentence. The video script discusses the importance of stress in pronunciation, as seen in the phrase 'I have had the longest day,' where 'have' is fully pronounced to emphasize the statement.

Highlights

Introduction to the video's focus on improving listening and speaking skills simultaneously.

The challenge of understanding native English speakers due to speed, accents, contractions, and intonation.

Importance of training listening skills to break the cycle of misunderstanding in English communication.

Explanation of how shadowing exercises require understanding of connected speech and contractions.

The role of contractions and connected speech in making English sound like a 'random cluster of sounds'.

Demonstration of the casual pronunciation of 'how to' as 'Hara' in fast speech.

Detailed breakdown of the pronunciation changes in 'how to' and 'to' in connected speech.

Comparing the effortlessness of different pronunciations of 'how to handle'.

Practical exercise for viewers to practice saying 'how to handle' with correct pronunciation.

Introduction of the Elsa Speak app for improving pronunciation, intonation, and fluency.

Description of Elsa Speak's features, including AI technology for pinpointing pronunciation mistakes.

Offer of a free download and trial membership for Elsa Speak app to enhance English learning.

Explanation of the casual reduction of 'should have' to 'Shoulda' in spoken English.

Analysis of the pronunciation of 'probably' and 'shouldn't have done that' in a casual context.

Practice exercise for the phrase 'you probably shouldn't have done that' with varying speeds.

Further exploration of reductions with modal verbs and the word 'have' in quick speech.

Emphasis on the importance of pronunciation and intonation in conveying meaning and drawing attention.

Practice exercise focusing on intonation and stress in the sentences 'I have had the longest day' and 'you've no idea what I've been through'.

Conclusion summarizing the video's goal of helping viewers understand and practice English pronunciation.

Transcripts

hi everyone welcome back to the channel

so a lot of you are already familiar

with this format of video and a lot of

you love it me too in this video we'll

be working on our listening and speaking

skills at the same time how efficient is

that right we all know that

understanding native speakers in real

life can be really challenging sometimes

and I'm sure that you've noticed that

sometimes when you watch something in

English words phrases or even whole

sentences might sound like a random

cluster of sounds and this is due to

many factors such as the speed of speech

accents all the contractions and

connected speech and even intonation

that's why working on your listening

skills is very important but sometimes

it's just difficult to understand or

even hear what people say exactly

because of those reasons and because our

listening is just not trained enough so

it becomes a vicious cycle it's

especially important when you're doing a

shadowing exercise because to practice

properly you first need to be able to

hear what is being said and to be able

to do that you need to know how

connected speech works and what

contractions people use in real life and

sometimes all you need is just someone

to explain these things to you so let's

break the cycle together I'll be showing

you examples of real life speech and

explain and break down parts of it that

usually pose a problem for people who

are learning English and will also

practice saying those parts to work on

our speaking pronunciation and

articulation and I promise next time

when you hear those words you will

recognize them alright let's start let's

watch example number one look on Sunday

my fellow HR reps and I we talked about

how to handle situations like this it

was when we were discussing the chapter

okay so he said look on Sunday my fellow

HR refs and I talked about how to handle

situations like this and we will focus

on the words how to that were said as

Hara sounds weird when you say it

separately this is actually a very

common way to say these words in a

casual fast speech and the reason it

sounds like this is contractions and

connected speech the word how sounds

like ha in this phrase so we drop the ow

sound and we substitute it with a short

o sound

the word to is pronounced as in this

phrase and this allowed us to contract

how to ha because if we kept the proper

pronunciation of the word to or even

contracted it to just the as native

speakers often do we would have to

pronounce how as how it just naturally

wants to be pronounced like that ha Tu

would be forced and sounds really weird

that's why it's pronounced as the in

this phrase a fast D sound plus the

schwa sound because da is easier to

blend in with the word handle let's

compare what sounds more effortless in

this phrase how to handle or how to

handle Jarre reps and I we talked about

how to handle situations like this not

which one is easier to understand but

which one is easier to say and this

pronunciation of the word to doesn't

blend with every word but this is a

whole other topic okay now it's time to

practice saying these words even if you

don't use these reductions in your

speech actually saying them helps us

understand them better look on Sunday my

fellow HR reps and I we talked about how

to handle situations like this it was

when we were discussing the chapter

dealing with children we'll start slowly

and then speed up a little bit say it

with me how to handle how to handle

how to handle how to handle how to

handle how to handle about how to handle

situations like this how to handle

situations like this how to handle

situations like this if you would like

to continue improving your pronunciation

Asian on your own or maybe this was your

New Year's resolution why wait let's act

on it right now and I'm happy to say

that I know exactly how to help you you

can use Elsa speak and I want to take a

moment to thank them for sponsoring

today's video apart from helping you

improve your pronunciation Elsa speak

will also assist you in improving your

intonation and overall fluency this is

the first of its kind app as it Compares

your pronunciation to that of a native

speaker and pinpoints your pronunciation

mistakes using Cutting Edge artificial

intelligence technology and you can go

ahead and download it right now for free

and get seven days of pro membership for

free the link is in the description and

in the pinned comment and now I'll show

you how to use it okay so as you can see

there's skill and Topics in the app so

I'll choose topics and I'll go to

education

and there's women who have changed the

world let's see

um and we can practice

Serena Williams phrases let's do that

tennis player

all right so we can listen to it we can

practice it we can say it kind of

recorded

tennis player

and then the app will show you if you

made any mistakes if you did you can

click on the word and you can see your

mistakes you can listen to those sounds

that you mispronounced

you can practice them you can practice

this word only or the whole phrase again

and you can do this as many times as you

need to master it you can learn anywhere

anytime with a super high accuracy rate

with this app anyone can learn to speak

English and I also have an exclusive

discount for you guys as always to get

85 percent off of Elsa lifetime

membership and forty percent off of a

one year membership all you need to do

is just click the link Down Below in the

description or in the pinned comment

let's move on to example number two oh

so yeah you probably shouldn't have done

that

so this translates into oh see yeah you

probably should not have done that it

was said very casual really almost

lazily a very widely used contraction

for should have is should have where we

reduce the word have to just the

reduction used in this case is one step

further

should have becomes Shoulda we dropped

the word have completely and substituted

with the schwa sound now when we also

have the word not in this phrase we do

the same thing but only in this case

we'll leave the end before the schwa

sound to indicate that this is now a

negative statement and get shouldna

oh see yeah you probably shouldn't have

done that I know crazy and you're

probably asking yourself why would they

do that well there's only one logical

answer so that non-native speakers go

nuts trying to understand native

speakers I'm kidding it's all for the

same reason because those words blend

nicely together sound more effortless

and allow speakers to speak faster

moreover the word probably is also

reduced in this sentence to probably to

two syllables dropping the middle

syllable oh so yeah you probably

shouldn't have done that and some people

would even go further and drop the B and

say prolly

so we can say probably

or probably so let's practice saying

this phrase together we'll start slowly

and then speed up a little oh see yeah

you probably shouldn't have done that

okay so let's go you probably should not

done that you probably should not done

that you probably shouldn't have done

that you probably should not done that

probably should not done that now let's

take a look at some more reductions of

the word have you know I could have done

worse than to have a father like you

again he reduced the word have but only

this time to just the and with the word

could and said could have

could have and it was barely detectable

because it was said very quickly you

know I could have done worse than to

have a father like you we would normally

reduce the word have with the modal

verbs such as would could should might

and must and here's one more example I

have had the longest day you have no

idea what I've been through this one is

interesting because in the first

statement she fully pronounced every

word and we would do that when we want

to emphasize something when we want to

draw the listener's attention to what

we're saying because it's important to

us and then in the next sentence sure

used to have and said you've and even

this part she didn't fully pronounce

because she then emphasized the word no

because it's important here as it

delivers the gist and then she said I've

reducing I have I have had the longest

day

you've no idea what I've been through

and that's a common contraction with

personal pronouns such as I you we they

we can say if you've weave or they've

but only when the word have is

unstressed you wouldn't say do you have

some chips left for instance because in

this question the word love is stressed

and it's stressed because it's important

here it conveys the meaning of the

question let's practice saying this

paying attention to the intonation and

the stressed words I have had the

longest day

you've no idea what I've been through I

have had the longest day you've no idea

what I've been through I have had the

longest day you've no idea what I've

been through I have had the longest day

you've no idea what I've been through

all right you guys I hope you enjoyed

this video and learned something new

give it a like subscribe to the channel

if you haven't yet and I'll see you in

the next one bye

foreign