Have you ever felt like you're just nodding along in conversations, missing jokes, and feeling like an outsider? Are you tired of misunderstandings at work, social anxiety, and that nagging feeling of missing out? Well, today, in this lesson, I'm going to give you the key to unlocking the fast talking world of native English speakers so that you can understand native English speakers easily and respond with confidence.

If you're ready, let's get to it.

Today we're diving deep into the secret language that's been holding you back. Are you ready for it? That secret language I'm referring to is connected speech. By the end of this lesson, you'll go from feeling isolated and confused to being the life of the party, the star of the meeting and the global citizen that you were meant to be.

So say goodbye to feeling inadequate and say hello to understanding every word that comes out of a native English speaker's mouth, even the fast ones. Trust me, this is going to help you boost your communication skills and get closer to English fluency. 

And if you want to join me in live video calls and feedback sessions, then you can sign up for our group coaching program at Explearning Academy. So go to academy. explearning. co to get started, and you can find our Executive Communication Lab plan, which is our group coaching plan. Maybe I'll see you there.

What is connected speech? All right, so first things first, let's get into the nitty gritty of connected speech, which you may have heard before. This is the secret sauce that makes native English speakers sound, well, so native. And once you two get the hang of it, you'll be turning heads with your impeccable English.

So let's break it down. 

Elision, the sound of art dieting. First on our list is Ellision. Think of Ellision as the Marie Kondo of English. It tidies up sentences by removing sounds that don't spark joy. Let's look at an example. Going to becomes gonna. Gonna. I have to turns into, "I hafta". I hafta, I hafta. 

Want to is often heard as wanna, wanna, wanna. Do you see what's happening here? We are cutting out the fluff and getting straight to the point. 

Next is assimilation, the chameleon of sounds. 

You can think of assimilation as the chameleon in the English language jungle. 

Always adapting to its surroundings. When a sound changes because it's influenced by a neighboring sound, that's assimilation doing its thing. Let's look at some examples. Handbag. Handbag. Like the thing you might carry around. A handbag. Often sounds like ham bag. Ham bag. Ham bag. Ham bag. I'm going to bring my ham bag.

Example 2. Green park. Sounds like "greem park, greem park, greem park." 

Example 3. Did you might be heard as didju, didju, didju. Didju hear about that? 

Next up we've got linking. The smooth operator. 

So let's not forget about linking, which you could think of as a smooth operator of connected speech.

This is when a word ending in a consonant sound is followed by a word beginning with a vowel sound and they just smoothly transition into each other. Let's take a look at some examples. Sit down becomes sit-down, sit-down, sit-down. 

 Read it, sounds like read-it. Read-it. Read-it. Read-it. 

Example three, pick up often sounds like pick-up, pick-up, pick-up, pick-up.

It's like these words are holding hands, making sure no one gets left behind.

Then we have intrusive glides, the social wingmen and wingwomen of American speech. 

Let's wrap this up with the grand finale. Intrusive glides. Forget the term intrusive. These are your wingmen or wingwomen in a social gathering. They're the connectors, the smooth operators that make your speech flow like a well oiled machine. 

In American English, when you've got a vowel at the end of one word and another vowel starting the next word, we don't do awkward.

Nope. We call in the smooth operators. Y and W. Glides. So, the low down here. Here's the deal. If the first word ends with a front vowel a Y glide comes to the rescue. 

if it's a back vowel then a W glide is your go to. 

W glide examples. Go over becomes go over, go over, go over, as if we inserted a W sound in there. How are you? As much smoother as, how are you? How are you? How are you?

Who is can often sound like who is, who is, who is.

All right. Let's look at some why Glide examples. I ate is more like I yate. I yate. I ate, I'm full. He is becomes He is. He is. He is. And she is. Can be. She is. She is.

And we are Might be. We are. We are. 

These glides are the unsung heroes of American speech, making everything flow without a hitch. They're the plus ones you didn't know you needed, but are thrilled they showed up.

Well, you've made it this far, which means you are very serious about leveling up your English communication skills. But you know what, why stop here? That's the big question. At Explearning Academy, our very own community and platform and group coaching sessions, we take your learning to the next level.

Imagine practicing these connected speech strategies in real time, IRL video calls with me and our other members.. Picture yourself in a small group coaching session getting personalized feedback that's tailored just for you. But that's not all, our professional development platform also offers a treasure trove of resources from in depth web courses to interactive webinars. And if you're looking for the perfect speaking partner to practice with, we've got you covered.

So are you ready to go from feeling lost in translation to leading the conversation? If so, then join Explearning Academy today, right after you watch this lesson, and unlock a world of opportunities that will make you unstoppable in any English speaking situation. Trust us, your future self will thank you.

So you can simply sign up by going to academy. explearning. co.

Section 2. Why should you care? 

Okay, so we've just unpacked the Pandora's box of connected speech. You're probably now sitting there thinking, cool MD, but why should I care? Well, my friend, understanding connected speech is not just a nice to have, it's a must have. So, now we're going to break down with these seven reasons why you should care about connected speech. 

Reason number one, the VIP pass to native conversations. Firstly, understanding connected speech is like having a VIP pass to the world of native English L1 speakers. Imagine just walking to a room and understanding every single word that's being said, even the fast ones. That's the power of mastering connected speech. 

Reason number two, boost your professional credibility. In a professional setting, effective communication is key. When you understand connected speech, you're not just getting by in conversations. You are actively participating and making meaningful contributions.

This can be a game changer in your career, not to mention your social life. 

Reason number three, the social butterfly effect. So let's talk social scenarios, right? Ever been to a party where everyone's speaking so fast, it feels like you're watching a horse race? Understanding connected speech allows you to not just be a wallflower in the sidelines, but to be the life of the party.

You can catch jokes, understand stories, and maybe even share a few of your own because everyone's really wanting to hear what you have to say.

Reason number four, the global citizen badge. In today's globalized world, English is often the common denominator in international settings. Mastering connected speech makes you a global citizen, capable of communicating effectively with people from all over the world, from different cultures, and different backgrounds.

Which is amazing! Reason number five, the confidence multiplier. Let's get personal for a second, okay? Understanding connected speech boosts your confidence like nothing else. When you understand and when you can be understood, you walk a little taller and speak a little louder. And let's be honest, who couldn't use a little bit more confidence?

Reason number six, the mind body connection. Believe it or not, understanding connective speech can also have physical benefits. When you're not stressed out about understanding what's being said. Your body is more relaxed. Lower stress levels can lead to better health outcomes. So in a way, understanding connected speech could also be good for your health.

Reason number seven: the joy of learning. Last but not least let's not forget the sheer joy of learning something new. Mastering connected speech is like solving a complex puzzle. The moment it clicks, the feeling is exhilarating. And who doesn't love that ah ha moment? I sure do.

Section 3, Practical Tips. 

All right, so you've made it this far, which means that you are super duper serious about mastering connected speech and improving your fluency. So now let's roll up our sleeves a little bit and dive into some practical tips and tools that you can start using today.

And trust me, these are truly game changers. So listen up.

Tip number one, listen and repeat. The ECHO method. So the first tip is the echo method, and this is where you listen to a sentence from a podcast, a YouTube video, or perhaps even a movie, and then you try to repeat it exactly as you heard it. So an example listen to the sentence, What are you going to do?

Repeat it as, Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do?

Example two, listen to, do you want to come? Repeat it as, do you want to come? Do you want to come? Do you want to come? Do you want to come? Do you want to come?

The key here is to mimic not just the words, but also the rhythm and the intonation. 

Tip number two is the snail pace technique. Use apps or software that can slow down the speaking rate of audio content.

This will help you catch those elusive connected words.

Take the sentence, I have to go now. Slow it down and listen for, I have to go now. I have to go now. I have to go now. When you slow it down, it allows you to hear each sound, each phoneme clearly before speeding it back up to its natural pacing.

Tip number three, practice with phrases. The Phrase Master. Tip number three is the Phrase Master.

So instead of repeating single words, try practicing with the whole phrases. This Will help you get used to how words connect in real conversations and establish that natural connection and flow. Some examples of this. Practice the phrase, Could you please help me? So listen for, Could you please help me?

Could you please help me? Could you please help me?

Example two. Practice the phrase, Let me know. And listen for let me know. Let me know Let me know.

Tip number four record yourself the playback pro.

So our fourth tip here is the playback pro record yourself speaking sentences or phrases using connected speech Play it back and then compare it to native speakers.

This will help you identify gaps and areas for improvement.

Record yourself saying I don't know And play it back and listen for, I don't know, I don't know. I don't know.

Tip five, the buddy system. Practice with a partner. And last but not least, use the buddy system. Practicing with a friend can make the process more enjoyable and provide instant feedback.

Take turns saying the sentence, what are you up to? And listen for. What are you up to? What are you up to? Or some people say this as what you up to? What you up to? Either or. What are you up to? What you up to?

All right. Well that's a wrap. Remember, understanding connected speech is your ticket, your golden ticket to understanding native L one English speakers and understanding fast spoken English.. So go out there and start practicing. 

If you found this video helpful, don't forget to hit that like button, share it with your friends, and subscribe for more awesome content. For more in depth courses and resources, be sure to check out Explearning Academy, where you can sign up at academy. explearning. co. Until next time, keep practicing, keep shining, and keep Explearning!

🎤 Sign up for my group coaching program🎤 
🤩 Join our community 🤩 for a self-guided fully-supported journey
✨ Learn more about Explearning Academy ✨  
🏆 Sign up for our 33-Day Executive Excellence Challenge 🏆
 

About the Author and the Explearning Academy:

Mary Daphne is an expert in communication, executive skills and professional development. She is the founder of the Explearning Academy, a platform dedicated to helping individuals enhance their social fluency, boost their careers, and elevate their social game. Through immersive group coaching programs like the Executive Communication Lab and self-guided journeys, participants gain the social superpowers and career catapults they've been searching for. If you're ready to take your negotiation skills to the next level and connect with like-minded individuals, visit academy.explearning.co and explore the various plans available. Join the Explearning Academy community and unlock your full potential.

Thank you for reading! If you found this blog post valuable, don't forget subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow our podcast!

✨

🎁5-DAY FREE CHALLENGE 🎁
🎤 Sign up for my group coaching program🎤
🤩 Join our community 🤩 for a self-guided fully-supported journey
✨ Learn more about Explearning Academy ✨
🏆 Sign up for our 33-Day Executive Excellence Challenge 🏆