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  • Today, you're studying fast English by looking at the reductions , the linking, the melody,

  • the simplification that native speakers do when speaking English.

  • We're going to be using the scene from the movie Ant Man and The Wasp.

  • When you study American English this way, and not the way you learned it in school,

  • or the way you learned from your book, your listening comprehension and your ability to sound natural

  • speaking English is going to improve dramatically.

  • Today, you'll see what changes in someone's rhythm when they're insulting somebody.

  • We're doing an in-depth analysis, studying the rhythmic contrast that gives American English its character.

  • And there's going to be audio to train with at the end, so you can fully understand it,

  • and start building that habit of natural American English.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • We're doing this all summer. We started in June, and we're going through August.

  • Stick with me every Tuesday. They're all great scenes and there's going to be so much to learn

  • that can transform the way you understand and speak English.

  • And as always, if you like this video or you learned something new, please like and subscribe with notifications.

  • You're going to watch the clip, then we're going to do a full pronunciation analysis together.

  • This is going to help so much with your listening comprehension when it comes to watching English movies in TV.

  • But there's going to be a training section.

  • You're going to take what you've just learned and practice repeating it, doing a reduction, flapping a T,

  • just like you learned in the analysis. Okay here's the scene.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • Hope, I'd love to help you but I don't have anything like the equipment you're describing.

  • I told you, this is a waste of time. Come on, let's go.

  • Don't condescend, Hank. You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • All because you had to grow to a size that finally fit your ego.

  • And now, the analysis.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • So what's the stress and melody of that phrase?

  • Doctor, doctor, that goes up. Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • And then we have those three words that have a little bit of that up down shape

  • in the overall feeling of that phrase descending.

  • Let's just listen to that melody again.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • Now just do it with me on UH. Uhhhhh. Uhhh.

  • Can you make it that smooth when you put the words in?

  • That's the goal.

  • And to do that, you might need to simplify things a little bit about how you pronounce words.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • Doctor, we--

  • The R links right into the W with no break.

  • Do-- that's the AH as in father vowel,

  • the second O is the schwa.

  • So the R absorbs the schwa. You don't need to try to make a vowel there.

  • Doctor. Doctor. Right from T into R. Doctor we--

  • Doctor we--

  • Doctor we--

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • We need to find our--

  • So to and our, both lower in pitch, part of a valley, a little valley between those peaks of stress.

  • Need to-- so they're said more quickly, they're lower in pitch,

  • and in order to do that, we make some reductions. So rather than saying need to, we say: need duh--

  • We need to--

  • We need to--

  • We need to--

  • Need to-- So the word to gets reduced to just the schwa.

  • This can happen when the sound before is a D.

  • Need to-need to find--

  • And that schwa links the D and the F together so that there's no break between these words.

  • Need to find our lab.

  • Then the word our is pronounced quickly. It's more like: are, are. Find our, find our, find our lab.

  • Find our lab.

  • Find our lab.

  • Find our lab.

  • Hope, I'd love to help you but I don't have anything like the equipment you're describing.

  • So then he responds with a long thought group.

  • No breaks here, much longer than the first statement, isn't it?

  • Isn't this fantastic? I love doing these analyses with you.

  • You know, one of the things my students ask for in lessons is more idioms and slang.

  • And as you watch movies, you may find that there are words and phrases you understand,

  • but you don't know the meaning of, you don't get how they're being used.

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  • Now, let's get back to that analysis.

  • Hope, I'd love to help you but I don't have anything like the equipment you're describing.

  • So then he responds with a long thought group.

  • No breaks here, much longer than the first statement, isn't it?

  • Hope, I'd love to help you but I don't have anything like the equipment you're describing.

  • Hope, I'd love to help you --

  • So there we have three peaks of stress. Hope, I'd love to help you--

  • Hope, I'd love to help you--

  • Uhhhhh----

  • Hope, I'd love to help you--

  • Hope, I'd love to help you--

  • Hope, I'd love to help you--

  • See if you can do that. Make it smooth,

  • one sound gliding up next to the other, do it just on UH if you want to,

  • to practice that smoothness, to practice that melody.

  • Hope, I'd love to help you--

  • Hope, I'd love to help you--

  • Hope, I'd love to help you--

  • Hope, I'd, I'd- Lower in pitch, flatter, Hope, I'd love to--

  • The word to reduced.

  • Hope, I'd love to--

  • Hope, I'd love to--

  • Hope, I'd love to--

  • I'd love to-- So the T is pronounced more like a D.

  • This is common when the sound before is voiced. The sound before here is V, vvvv,

  • that is voiced, so he's making this a D sound: love duh-love duh--

  • and this is the schwa. Love to help you.

  • Help you. P releasing right into the JU diphthong: pyou, pyou, pyou. Help you.

  • Help you--

  • but I don't have anything like the--

  • But I don't have anything like the--

  • uhhhh--

  • But I don't have anything like the--

  • So we have I: But I don't have anything like the--

  • And then everything falls down from that, and is slowly, the pitch slowly glides down.

  • But I don't--

  • But I don't have anything like the--

  • But I don't have anything like the--

  • But I don't have anything like the--

  • But I-- But I-- That's a flap T linking those two sounds together.

  • But I don't--

  • Let's listen to this N apostrophe T ending, what's happening there?

  • But I don't-- But I don't-- But I don't have anything like the--

  • But I don't have--

  • don't have--

  • don't have--

  • The T is totally dropped, it happens more commonly than you think.

  • N apostrophe T contractions can have a stop T, can have a fully pronounced T, that's not very common,

  • and then they can also have a totally dropped T where the N just goes right into the next sound,

  • and that's what's happening here.

  • I don't have--

  • I don't have--

  • anything like the--

  • Anything like the-- the equipment-- So the word the here is pronounced with the EE vowel

  • because the next word begins with the vowel, and it happens to be the EE vowel.

  • The, the, there's a little bit of a feeling of a re-emphasis here, the, the, the equipment.

  • The equipment, the equipment, the equipment.

  • Equip-- and then we have another stressed syllable after this long line of unstressed syllables

  • heading down in pitch. Anything like the equip-- anything like the quip--

  • Anything like the equipment--

  • Anything like the equipment--

  • Anything like the equipment--

  • Everything linking together smoothly. Do it that smoothly.

  • When you're working with the audio that goes at the end of this video,

  • try the slow motion section, and really focus on

  • that smoothness and connection.

  • Anything like the equipment--

  • Anything like the equipment--

  • Anything like the equipment--

  • We have a little bit of length here on the stressed syllable of anything.

  • Note that that is the EH vowel even though we see the letter A.

  • Have anything, have anything, have anything, have anything like the equipment.

  • Have anything like the equipment.

  • Have anything like the equipment.

  • Have anything like the equipment.

  • Equipment. We have a stop P. It's not released. It's not quipment, but qui-ment.

  • And then we have a stop T here: equipment, equipment, da-da-da. So a little bit of a lift there, equipment.

  • Equipment, equipment, equipment you're describing.

  • You're-- and then we have a reduction. It's not your, or your, it's yer, said more quickly, more simply, yer, yer, yer.

  • Equipment you're-

  • describing.

  • The equipment you're describing. Describing. Middle syllable stress there of that word,

  • and of course, as he is saying it, another character interjects.

  • Equipment you're describing.

  • Equipment you're describing.

  • >> Equipment you're describing. >> I told you this is a waste of time.

  • I told you this is a waste of time. Very clear when you listen to it on a loop.

  • Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da.

  • Where our stressed syllables are. I told you.

  • I told you this is a waste of time.

  • I told you this is a waste of time.

  • I told you this is a waste of time.

  • Now, a couple interesting things happening here with the word told.

  • We have an ending D sound, the next word is you.

  • This can happen, it's actually pretty common for the Y constant of you or your or yourself

  • to turn that into a J sound instead of a D sound. Told you, ju, ju.

  • This is how we would write that sound in IPA. I told you. Told you.

  • I told you--

  • Also the L in told is a dark L. Tol--

  • That does influence the vowel here, which is actually a diphthong, the OH diphthong.

  • So it's not told, but it's: to-ohld. The dark sound and the OH mix together, so it's not really a diphthong anymore,

  • it's more like a single sound, ohl, ohl, lip rounding, the tongue is,

  • the tongue tip is not lifted, but the whole tongue itself is shifted up and back a little bit.

  • Tohl-- before the J sound. I told you.

  • And this is a true T because it begins a stressed syllable.

  • So link the AI diphthong right into that true T. I told you.

  • I told you--

  • this is a waste of time.

  • I told you this is a-- this is a-- this is a-- Then we have three really fast words.

  • This is a-- this is-- notice that these are different sounds.

  • The letter S in this is an S sound, the letter S in is is a Z sound, links right into the schwa.

  • So all of these words link together really smoothly. This is a, this is a, this is a, this is a.

  • This is a--

  • See if you can simplify your mouth movements to make that that fast. This is a, this is a, this is a.

  • This is a waste. This is a waste.

  • This is a waste--

  • of time.

  • Waste of time. Waste of time.

  • So we have two stress words. One unstressed word in between.

  • The ending T of waste, links right into the reduction of 'of': of, of, with a true T. Waste of time.

  • And then another true T in time, because it is beginning a stressed syllable.

  • Waste of time.

  • A waste of time. A waste of time. A waste of time.

  • So you can't say: waste of time, waste of time, you can't fully pronounce that.

  • You won't be able to do it quickly enough. You have to reduce it. Waste of time. of of of of.

  • A waste of time.

  • Come on, let's go.

  • Then he says really quickly: come on, let's go. Really linked together, not all that clear. Come, come.

  • I would write that with the schwa, come on,

  • and then it links right into the next vowel: come on, let's go.

  • Come on, let's go.

  • Come on, let's go.

  • Come on, let's go.

  • Come on, let's go. And actually, on is our peak of stress there. Come on, let's go.

  • And then everything else falls down away from that peak come leads up to it. Come, come on, let's go.

  • And actually, let's go is said pretty unclearly. I would say there's not even a T sound there.

  • Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

  • I'm just hearing light L, EH as in bed, S. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Come on, let's go.

  • Come on, let's go.

  • Come on, let's go.

  • Come on, let's go.

  • Come on, let's go.

  • Don't condescend Hank--

  • What do you think are the most stressed syllables here?

  • Don't condescend Hank.

  • Don't condescend Hank.

  • Don't condescend Hank.

  • Don't condescend Hank.

  • Hank. Hank definitely has stress it's an up down shape as his voice goes up.

  • Don't condescend. Some stress on con, more on scend, condescend.

  • So each word in American English only has one syllable with primary stress.

  • That would be the send syllable here.

  • But some syllables do have secondary stress.

  • And sometimes, they have a stressed feel, and sometimes they don't.

  • This one sort of does.

  • Condescend. Con, con, con.

  • So this is a word that we wouldn't change the vowel to the schwa.

  • Con, con, con. Condescend.

  • Condescend.

  • But this middle syllable, unstressed, does have the schwa.

  • Condescend.

  • So notice the C here doesn't make a sound. It's just combining with the S to make an S sound.

  • Condescend.

  • Condescend.

  • Now here, we have an N apostrophe T. How is that pronounced?

  • Don't condescend--

  • It's a stop T. Don't, don't, don't, don't condescend.

  • Don't condescend--

  • Hank.

  • Hank. Does a light release of the K. Hank. This is like the word thank.

  • If you look it up in IPA, thank has unvoiced TH,

  • AA as in Bat, NG sound, K.

  • Well, this sound is AH. I don't hear that sound in thank.

  • Ah, thank, thank, thank.

  • So this is actually a case where the IPA doesn't really reflect what happens when we speak.

  • It's a lot more like the AY diphthong.

  • When the AA vowel is followed by the NG consonant, if you look up a word and you see that, like thank,

  • just know that it should be more like: ay ay thay thay thank thank Hank Hank. Not Hank Hank.

  • Hank.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • Okay what are our peaks of stress here?

  • Let's listen to the sentence a few times, see if the rhythm jumps out at you.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • You're the one-- You're the one who's on the run from the FBI. FBI.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • I'm trying to think about what vowel I think he's putting in there.

  • It sounds a little bit like the AW when it's followed by R like in the word core.

  • You're, you're, you're, you're, but it also sounds more closed than that, kind of like UR plus R, like

  • if we reduced it: you're, you're, you're, but then we put some shape into it, you're, you're.

  • So I would say it's probably more like this one, but it's also not totally pure.

  • Sometimes it's really hard to identify what exact sound I think it is, especially when there's an R involved

  • or something that might change the vowel a little bit.

  • Like R definitely changes the AW as in law vowel, it's not going to be a pure sound

  • when R follows it in the same syllable.

  • You're the one-- You're the one-- You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • You're the one who's on the run-- You're the one who's-- the one who's--

  • So we have three flatter in pitch words here, unstressed, remember, always linking together smoothly.

  • You're the one who's on, who's on, who's on.

  • Ending Z here. This is the word is, which does have a Z sound for the S.

  • Who's on-- links right into the vowel. Who's on the run.

  • Just everything linking together so smoothly. No skip or space or lift between the words.

  • You're the one who's on the run-

  • You're the one who's on the run-

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • On the run from the- So 'the' here flatter in pitch, unstressed.

  • From the. Also flatter in pitch, unstressed.

  • Not pronounced: from the, but rather: from the, from the, from the, from the.

  • To say that more quickly, you have to put a schwa in there.

  • From, from, from, from, from the, from the, from the.

  • From the FBI.

  • And actually this vowel in 'the' is actually the EE vowel: from the, from the, from the, from the F,

  • that's because the next word begins with the EH as in bed vowel, F, F, from the, from the, from the, from the FBI.

  • FBI.

  • And whenever we say something by the initials, it's always the last initial that has the most stress, like here,

  • FBI, but everything links together really smoothly there.

  • FBI.

  • B links into I. You can feel like you're going through a glide constant Y. FBI. FBI.

  • FBI.

  • All because you had to grow to a size--

  • All because you had to grow to a size.

  • Lots of up down shape there. All because you had to grow to a size.

  • All because you had to grow to a size.

  • All because you had to grow to a size.

  • All because you had to grow to a size.

  • Now let's look at the word because. So he's really stressing

  • and speaking more clearly here. I think he's accusing him of something. He's a little bit angry.

  • All because. So the word because is written in IPA with the IH as in sit, but I hear him doing more of an EE vowel.

  • All because. Over pronouncing, over accenting it because of his emotion. All because.

  • All because--

  • you had to grow to a size.

  • You had to grow to a size. So then we have three unstressed words here before the more up down shape,

  • the more stressed word of grow.

  • But he's still saying all of the words pretty clearly here I would say.

  • You had to grow to a size.

  • You had to grow to a size.

  • You had to grow to a size.

  • You had, you had to, let's listen to just these three words on a loop.

  • You had to--

  • Do you notice that even though he's a little bit angry, and speaking a little bit more clearly,

  • we still have a reduction here? It's not had to, it's hadduh, hadduh, hadduh, taking the ending D,

  • linking it on to the schwa, and letting that be the word to. You had to. You had to. You had to grow.

  • You had to grow--

  • to a size.

  • Grow to a size. So we have two unstressed words between now again we have the word to,

  • and we've seen how it can reduce to just the schwa. But you know what? It doesn't reduce here at all.

  • And the reason is it links into a word that is the schwa, or

  • it can also happen if it's a longer word that begins with schwa. When the word two links into a word like this,

  • we can't also make it a schwa because then the schwas would blend together and we might not hear the syllable.

  • We might not catch the word at all. So it is a true T plus the OO vowel which then links right into the schwa.

  • To a, to a, to a, to a. So it's unstressed, but it doesn't reduce. But it's not to, it's to, to, to, to a, to a, to a.

  • Still needs that unstressed feel. Grow to a size.

  • Grow to a size.

  • Grow to a size.

  • Grow to a size that finally fit your ego.

  • That, that, that. The word that said quickly with a stop T and then he really brings out that consonant.

  • Finally. Finally.

  • He wants to stress that word. Finally fit your ego.

  • That finally fit your ego.

  • That finally fit your ego.

  • That finally fit your ego.

  • Fit your, fit your. Stop T in fit and the word your, not reduced to your, which is very common,

  • and why didn't he reduce it? Well, he's insulting him. He's kind of stressing each word.

  • It's, it's an insult to be considered somebody with a big ego. And so he's saying you grew to a size,

  • a huge size that finally fit your huge ego.

  • So in this insult, he's stressing each word more.

  • Finally fit your ego.

  • Finally fit your ego.

  • Finally fit your ego.

  • Finally fit your ego.

  • Put a little up down shape there.

  • Finally fit your ego.

  • Finally fit your ego.

  • Finally fit your ego.

  • Let's listen to this whole conversation one more time.

  • Doctor, we need to find our lab.

  • Hope, I'd love to help you but I don't have anything like the equipment you're describing.

  • I told you, this is a waste of time. Come on, let's go.

  • Don't condescend, Hank.

  • You're the one who's on the run from the FBI.

  • All because you had to grow to a size that finally fit your ego.

  • Now for the fun part, you'll look at the notes we took together

  • and you'll hear a part of the conversation on a loop three times.

  • Then there's a space for you to repeat.

  • For example, you'll hear this:

  • Maybe so, sir.

  • Then you'll repeat it: maybe so, sir. Try to imitate everything about this exactly.

  • So when you see this,

  • then you'll repeat it. Maybe so, sir.

  • That's from top gun: maverick which was the first movie we studied in this summer series.

  • You'll also have the opportunity to listen and repeat in slow motion.

  • This will be important for you if you're more of a beginner, or if you're having a hard time

  • focusing on linking or the melody. Maybe you'll want to do it both ways, but the important thing is

  • here is your opportunity to take what you learned and put it into your body and your own habit.

  • That's what's going to transform your speaking.

  • You might do well to work with the audio section of this video every day for a week.

  • Imitating the rhythm and the simplifications will get easier each time you do it.

  • If you can't keep up with the native speaker, do the slow-motion imitation.

  • Okay, here's our audio training section.

  • Don't forget to come back and do this audio again tomorrow and the next day.

  • You want to build habits here.

  • So you don't need to think about how to say what you want to say when you're speaking English,

  • you just think about the words themselves, not the pronunciation.

  • This is part of a series all summer long,

  • 13 videos, 13 scenes for movies check out each one, learn something new each time.

  • I make new videos on the English language every Tuesday and I'd love to have you back here again

  • please subscribe with notifications and continue your studies right now with this video.

  • And if you love this video, share it with a friend.

  • That's it guys, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.

Today, you're studying fast English by looking at the reductions , the linking, the melody,

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