How to Improve Spoken American English - Sound like a Native Speaker

Summary

In the video, the speaker addresses the common question of whether it's possible to sound like a native English speaker without being born in the US. They emphasize that pronunciation can be perfected with focused practice. The video introduces two methods to improve pronunciation: the 'Ben Franklin exercise,' which involves detailed note-taking while listening to native speakers, and an imitation exercise that focuses on pitch changes and speech musicality rather than individual words. The speaker provides practical examples and encourages using available resources to practice and compare one's speech to native speakers.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Achieving native-like pronunciation is possible for non-native speakers through focused practice.
• 📝 The Ben Franklin exercise involves writing down observations about speech sounds, such as linking and reduction.
• 🔍 Listening for specific sounds, like the 'flap T' and stress patterns, is crucial for pronunciation improvement.
• 🗣️ Noticing where words link and reduce, especially when one word ends in a consonant and the next begins with a vowel, is key.
• 👂 Identifying and marking difficult sounds for personal practice can help integrate them into speech.
• 📑 Taking thorough notes while listening to native speakers can guide imitation and self-correction.
• 🎧 After note-taking, practice speaking from memory to match the native speaker's intonation and rhythm.
• 🎥 Recording oneself and comparing with native speech is an effective way to pinpoint areas for improvement.
• 🔁 Imitation exercises, where you repeat phrases without focusing on the words, help internalize the melody of speech.
• 🌐 Leveraging online resources, such as videos and audio clips, provides endless opportunities for pronunciation practice.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is improving English pronunciation to sound like a native speaker, with a focus on techniques such as the Ben Franklin exercise and imitation exercises.

What is the 'Ben Franklin exercise' mentioned in the script?

The 'Ben Franklin exercise' is a method of studying pronunciation by writing down everything one hears, including word linking, sound reduction, and other phonetic details, to analyze and mimic native speaker speech patterns.

Why is it important to note the linking of words in the Ben Franklin exercise?

Noting the linking of words is important because it helps learners recognize how native speakers naturally connect words in fluent speech, which is crucial for achieving a more native-like pronunciation.

What is the significance of the stress pattern in the script's pronunciation practice?

The stress pattern is significant because it helps learners understand the rhythm and intonation of English speech, which can greatly enhance the naturalness and clarity of their spoken English.

How does the script suggest learners deal with difficult sounds?

The script suggests that learners should mark and focus on difficult sounds, such as the 'AA' sound mentioned, to consciously integrate them into their speech during practice.

What is the purpose of the imitation exercise described in the script?

The purpose of the imitation exercise is to help learners practice the intonation, rhythm, and musicality of speech by repeating phrases without focusing on individual words, which can improve their overall pronunciation.

Why is recording oneself recommended during the pronunciation practice?

Recording oneself is recommended to allow learners to compare their speech with that of a native speaker, identifying areas that need improvement and tracking their progress over time.

How does the script address the challenge of finding native speaker materials for practice?

The script acknowledges the abundance of native speaker materials available on the internet and encourages learners to use these resources for their pronunciation exercises.

What role does the speaker's website play in supporting pronunciation practice?

The speaker's website provides ready-made Ben Franklin and imitation exercises, offering additional support and resources for learners to practice their English pronunciation.

How does the script emphasize the importance of continuous practice in achieving native-like pronunciation?

The script emphasizes continuous practice by illustrating the detailed process of analyzing a single sentence multiple times, highlighting the need for dedication and persistence in mastering pronunciation.

What is the significance of the 'schwa' sound mentioned in the script?

The 'schwa' sound is significant as it is a common reduced vowel sound in English that learners need to recognize and use appropriately to sound more like native speakers.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Mastering English Pronunciation

This paragraph introduces the concept of achieving native-like English pronunciation and the variability in the time it takes to do so. It emphasizes the importance of focused pronunciation practice and outlines two methods for studying English to improve pronunciation: the Ben Franklin exercise and an imitation exercise. The Ben Franklin exercise involves writing down observations about native speaker audio, such as word linking, sound reduction, and stress patterns. The paragraph provides a detailed example of this exercise with a focus on the sentence 'A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker.'

05:04

🎧 Imitation Exercise for Pronunciation

The second paragraph discusses an imitation exercise for improving English pronunciation. It suggests that learners should listen to native speakers without focusing on the actual words but rather on the pitch changes and musicality of the speech. The exercise involves looping a native speaker's speech multiple times to internalize the intonation and rhythm. The paragraph also mentions the availability of resources on the instructor's website for further practice and encourages learners to use any interesting audio or video clips as pronunciation exercises to enhance their English speaking skills.

Keywords

💡Native speaker

A native speaker refers to a person who has spoken a language from early childhood and uses it as their primary mode of communication. In the context of the video, the term is central to the discussion about achieving a level of pronunciation that is indistinguishable from someone who has learned the language naturally from birth. The video script mentions, 'A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker,' highlighting the goal of many English learners to achieve a native-like accent.

💡Pronunciation

Pronunciation refers to the way words are articulated when spoken. It is a critical aspect of language learning, as it affects how well one can be understood by others. The video focuses on improving pronunciation by emulating native speakers. The script provides examples of how to listen and analyze pronunciation, such as the 'flap T' and the stress patterns in words like 'possible' and 'speaker.'

💡Ben Franklin exercise

The Ben Franklin exercise is a method of language learning mentioned in the video where one writes down everything they can about what they hear in a speech sample. This includes noting word linking, sound reductions, and other phonetic details. The exercise is named after Benjamin Franklin, who was known for his methodical approach to learning. The video script describes this exercise as a way to help learners 'get an idea of how to listen to and analyze what you hear.'

💡Flap T

A flap T is a specific type of consonant sound in English, produced by quickly tapping the tongue against the alveolar ridge. It is often used in casual speech when a 't' appears between two vowel sounds. The video script uses 'a lot of' as an example, where the 't' sounds like a 'd' due to the flap T, illustrating the importance of this sound in achieving a native-like pronunciation.

💡Word linking

Word linking refers to the phenomenon where the end of one word and the beginning of the next are connected without a clear pause, creating a smooth flow in speech. This is a feature of fluent speech that the video script emphasizes by noting how words like 'a lot of people' are heard as one unit and how the 'l' in 'people' links to the 'a' in 'ask.'

💡Sound reduction

Sound reduction is the process where certain sounds or syllables are shortened or omitted in speech to make it more fluent and natural. The video script points out that the word 'to' is reduced to a schwa sound, demonstrating how attention to these details can help learners improve their pronunciation.

💡Stress

Stress in pronunciation refers to the emphasis placed on certain syllables or words when speaking, which can affect the rhythm and meaning of speech. The video script discusses the importance of stress by noting the stress patterns in phrases like 'if it's possible to sound,' where the first syllable of 'possible' and 'sound' are stressed.

💡Schwa

The schwa is the most common vowel sound in English, represented by the symbol /ə/. It is a neutral, unstressed sound that occurs in many words. The video script mentions the reduction of 'to' to a schwa sound, highlighting how understanding and using the schwa can help learners achieve a more natural pronunciation.

💡Imitation exercise

An imitation exercise in language learning involves mimicking the speech of a native speaker to improve pronunciation and intonation. The video script describes this exercise as a way to focus on the pitch changes and musicality of speech rather than individual words, encouraging learners to repeat phrases exactly as they hear them.

💡Pitch changes

Pitch changes refer to the variations in the highness or lowness of a person's voice during speech. These changes contribute to the melody and expressiveness of spoken language. The video script encourages learners to pay attention to pitch changes during the imitation exercise to better capture the natural flow and intonation of native speakers.

💡Endless supply

The term 'endless supply' in the context of the video refers to the vast amount of audio and video materials available online for English learners to practice their pronunciation. The script mentions the internet as a resource that provides an 'endless supply of audio and video where English is being spoken by native speakers,' emphasizing the accessibility of learning materials.

Highlights

The possibility of sounding like a native English speaker is achievable regardless of not being born in the US.

Focused pronunciation practice can significantly improve one's English accent.

Two methods will be discussed for studying English pronunciation: the Ben Franklin exercise and imitation exercise.

The Ben Franklin exercise involves writing down observations about native speaker audio or video.

Key aspects to note include word linking, sound reduction, and stress patterns.

The flap T sound, which sounds like a D, is observed when a T is between two vowel sounds.

Words are often heard as linked units, with stress on the middle word in a group.

The L sound is noted for linking to the beginning vowel sound in words like 'people ask'.

Difficult sounds for individuals, such as the AA vowel, should be marked for attention.

Stress patterns are crucial, with the first syllable often being stressed in words like 'possible'.

The word 'to' is often reduced to a schwa sound, which is important to note.

Words ending in a consonant and beginning with a vowel often link together without gaps.

The imitation exercise focuses on pitch changes and the musicality of speech rather than individual words.

Looping audio in the imitation exercise helps with internalizing the rhythm and melody of native speech.

The internet provides an endless supply of native English speaker audio and video for practice.

Rachel's English website offers prepared Ben Franklin and imitation exercises for further practice.

Analyzing and imitating native speaker speech through these exercises can greatly improve pronunciation.

Transcripts

A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker if you weren't

born in the US. They want to know how long it will take. That, of course, depends entirely

upon the individual. Really focused pronunciation practice can yield great results. In this

video, I'm going to go over two different ways to study English to perfect your pronunciation.

All you need is the audio or video of a native speaker speaking.

First, we're going to do a Ben Franklin exercise. This is when you write down everything you

can about what you hear: whether or not you hear words being linked, or if you hear something

being reduced, for example. Now, we'll do this together to help you get

an idea of how to listen to and analyze what you hear. "A lot of people ask me if it's

possible to sound like a native speaker-- A lot of people ask me." So the first thing

I notice is that this T is a flap T, it sounds like a D, "a lot of," that's because it's

coming between two vowel sounds. I also notice that I hear these three words as one unit:

"a lot of, a lot of," with the stress happening on the middle word. "A lot of, a lot of people

ask me--" I also notice that this word ends in a consonant, this word begins with a vowel,

there's no punctuation in-between, "a lot of people ask," and I do hear that L as really

linking to the beginning vowel sound: "people ask." Another thing you'll want to note as

you listen is any sounds that you know are difficult for you. For example, many of my

students have problems integrating the AA sound into their speech. They know how to

do it, but they just don't use it in speech. So I would definitely, if was one of them,

mark this AA vowel, so that I'll be sure to note it, and then will hopefully begin to

integrate AA into my speech when I see this word 'ask.' "A lot of people ask me." Let's

keep going. "A lot of people ask me if it's possible to

sound like a native speaker-- if it's possible to sound, if it's possible to sound--" So,

I notice the stress here: possible, first syllable is stressed, "to sound," I notice

that has stress too. "--if it's possible to sound--" The word 'to' is definitely reduced

to the schwa, so I may mark that so I don't forget to reduce it. "Possible to sound."

"If it's, if it's." Here's another case where one word ends in a consonant sound, the next

word begins with a vowel sound, "if it's, if it's," and I do definitely hear those connecting

together. "If it's possible to sound." "A lot of people ask me if it's possible to

sound like a native speaker-- like a native speaker--" I notice my voice goes up at the

end here, "speaker." That's because the sentence isn't over, the next word is "if." I also

notice the stress is big, small, big, small, big, small. "Like a native speaker." DA da

DA da DA da. "Like a native speaker." Also, again here we have ending consonant sound/beginning

vowel sound: like a, like a. I hear the K linking to the schwa. "Like a. Like a native

speaker." Native -- I hear this T as a D because again, it's a T coming between two vowel sounds:

will be a flap T, sounds like a D. "Like a native speaker." In the entire sentence, I

don't hear and gaps or pauses between words. So in some cases, there's a very obvious link,

like when one word ends with a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel. But even

when there's not a very obvious linking sound, there's never a gap between the words.

"A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker--" We've been

working for several minutes, and here we are only half way through one sentence. This is

just an example of how you might take notes from the audio or video clip of your choice.

After you've listened several times and taken thorough notes, you then put the audio or

video away and, from your notes, try to speak the way the native speaker was speaking. If

you can, record yourself, and then compare this to the native speaker. This is how you

can figure out where you still need to work. And now we'll do an imitation exercise. In

this video, you don't look at the text. You're not concerned with the actual words because

you do already have ideas about how words should be pronounced. So in this exercise

you're just listening. And I loop things three times in an imitation exercise so that you

begin to think about the pitch changes and the musicality of the speech, rather than

the individual words themselves. Repeat it back exactly as you hear it, even if you're

not sure of the individual words. It's ok, that's not what we're going for in this particular

exercise. A lot of people ask me [x3]

A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker [3x]

if it's possible to sound like a native speaker

if you weren't born in the US. [x3]

Because of the internet, there really is an

endless supply of audio and video where English is being spoken by native speakers. I know

looping something over and over, as in the imitation exercise, can be more of a hassle

on your own. That's why, on my website, I do have both Ben Franklin and imitation exercises

ready for you. So I encourage you to take a look at these, or any other audio or video

clip that interests you, and turn it into a pronunciation exercise: study it this way.

It will really take you far in your practice. That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.