ENGLISH CONVERSATION: In-Depth Conversation Analysis | Rachel’s English

Rachel's English

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You've told me one of your favorite exercises is a Ben Franklin exercise,

where we study everything about American English pronunciation,

to help you improve your listening comprehension and understand how to sound more American.

So today, we're going to do a Ben Franklin exercise on a monologue about going out to dinner.

First, we'll listen to the full monologue, then there will be an in-depth analysis after that.

You study everything about stress, reductions, and linking.

There will be a listen and repeat section.

This is where you get to practice out loud and see if you can imitate what I’ve done.

First, the monologue.

Tonight, David and I are going out to dinner with two friends, a double-date.

We both got sitters and we got a reservation at Park at six forty-five.

I already know what I’m going to get.

They have the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it, but it's worth every minute.

It's going to be so great to enjoy a nice meal catching up with these friends.

Now, the analysis.

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner with two friends, a double date.

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner.

I stress that, the time, when this was gonna happen.

David and I, a little bit longer, going out to dinner, go, a little bit longer,

din, a little bit longer, with two friends, two, I stressed that, I bring the pitch of my voice up,

two friends, friends, a little bit longer.

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner with two friends.

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner with two friends.

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner with two friends.

And the rest of the words are said pretty quickly.

Please notice the word 'tonight' is pronounced with a schwa in the first syllable.

So many people pronounce that: to-- tonight, today, tomorrow, but they're all: te, te, just the T and the schwa.

To-- tonight, tonight.

Tonight, tonight, tonight.

The second T is a stop T because it's followed by a word that begins with a consonant, that would be David.

Tonight, David--

Tonight David and I are--

Tonight David and I are--

Tonight David and I are--

Now whenever we have two things that were putting together with 'and', it's very common

to reduce the word 'and' which I did, I changed, the vowel to the schwa and we drop the D.

And, David and I, David and I.

And then the N links right into the next word which is the AI as in buy diphthong.

The word 'are'.

David and I are.

'Are' is more like rr--.

David and I are.

David and I are going out.

Said more quickly.

David and I are going out.

David and I are going out.

David and I are going out.

I’m going to put a little bit more length on 'out' as well.

So here we have two Ts and I combined those with just one true T.

Out to, out to.

So a stop and then a release.

And the word 'to' is reduced.

We use the schwa instead of the OO vowel so it's not 'to' it's 'te'.

Are going out to dinner.

Are going out to dinner.

Are going out to dinner with two friends.

The word 'with' said very quickly.

With, with, with, with, with.

So the TH is made very simply here.

It's very fast.

With two, with two.

Now here, TWO is pronounced with the OO vowel and this word never reduces,

unlike this word which is pronounced with the OO vowel, which almost always reduces.

So it's actually the schwa instead of the OO vowel.

With two friends, with two friends.

With two friends, a double date.

So we have the word 'a' with a schwa, a, a, a double date.

And in this thought group, these three words are very linked together.

We have an unstressed syllable, then a stressed syllable, then an unstressed syllable, and a stressed syllable.

Da-da, da-da, a double date.

We both got sitters.

We both got sitters.

Both and sit are the most stressed word there.

Sitters. The double T there is a flap T,

that's short for a babysitter, someone to watch our kids.

We both got sitters.

The T in got, a stop T.

Because the next word begins with a consonant.

We both got sitters.

We both got sitters.

We both got sitters.

We both got sitters and we got a reservation at park at six forty-five.

And we got a reservation at park at six forty-five.

Park, probably the most stressed word in that whole sentence.

The word 'and' reduces, did you hear that?

I dropped the T.

And we got our reservation at--

And we got our reservation at--

And we got our reservation at--

And we got a reservation, and we got a, and we got a, and we got a.

Dropped the D, the T here turned into a flap to connect the words, linking right into the schwa,

got a, and we got a, and we got a, and we got a.

Those four words are all flatter in pitch.

They're unstressed, and they all link together.

And we got a reservation.

The stressed syllable of 'res' is a little bit longer, a little bit clearer.

Reservation. Notice the letter S here makes the Z sound.

Rezzzz, reservation.

And we got a reservation at Park at six forty-five.

And we got a reservation at Park at six forty-five.

And we got a reservation at park at six forty-five.

So I have the word 'at' twice.

Both times, it’s reduced.

It's not the AH vowel but it's the schwa, and it's a stop T, at park, at park at six forty-five.

At, at, at, at, at, at.

So it's not at but: at, at, at.

Both times it's a stop T because the next word begins with a consonant.

Here, it's a P, and here, it's the S sound.

At park at six forty-five.

At park at six forty-five.

At park at six forty-five.

Six forty-five.

Six forty-five.

Whenever you're giving a time, it's the end of the time, the last part of the time that's stressed.

If I was going to say, let's say this, then I would say: seven thirty, and the final word 'thirty'

would be the most stressed.

Here, the final word is 'five' so it's: six forty-five, 'five' being the most stressed.

And notice the T in 'forty' is a flap T.

We flap the T if it comes after an R before a vowel.

Six forty-five.

Six forty-five.

Six forty-five.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I stress the word 'already' the most.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I already know what I’m going to get.

This is a little unusual. I’m stressing it because

we haven't even arrived at the restaurant and I’ve already chosen what I’m gonna eat.

So that's why 'already' is coming out the most.

Now this word is normally stressed.

I already know.

But sometimes, we do stress the first syllable.

I already know.

I already knew that.

I already know.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I pronounce this word without an L.

Already. Already.

It's like a tighter AW as in law vowel.

I already know.

You can do this as well.

I think it simplifies the word for non-native speakers and it's a good little shortcut to that word.

I already know.

I already know.

I already know.

I think I also make 'know' a little bit longer.

Know what I’m.

Know what I’m.

Know what I’m.

What and I’m, both flattened, said faster, not as clear.

Flap T connecting the two words.

Know what I’m, know what I’m.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I definitely could have said: what I’m gonna get, gonna, gonna, gonna.

'Going to' is such a good candidate for getting reduced.

But instead, I said: going to get, going to get, going.

So I did a full OH as in no diphthong.

Then I made a flap T.

And we make a flap T in the word 'to' quite a bit when the sound before is voiced.

And here, it's the NG sound that is voiced, so rather than saying: going to, I said: going, going.

So my tongue is in position for the NG.

That's the back of the tongue and then the front of the tongue flaps.

Stop T at the end of 'get', why?

Because it's at the end of a thought group.

They have the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.

Okay I really stress the word 'best', don't I?

They have the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.

They have the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.

They have the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.

They have the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.

They have the, they have the, they have the.

These three words, a little less clear, flatter in pitch, and then I bring out the word 'best',

and I emphasize the B and I move my head as I say the word to say: This is an important word, it is the best.

They have the best, they have the best, they have the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.

Soup I’ve ever had.

So I noticed I closed my lips for the P, but I don't really release.

You don't hear that escape of air right into the next word 'I’ve'.

Soup I’ve ever had.

Soup I’ve ever had.

So there was no release of the P there.

P is a stop consonant.

Soup I’ve ever had.

Soup I’ve ever had.

Soup I’ve ever had.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

Those are my two longer most stressed words there.

I emphasize the H. I make it a little stronger than normal to bring out the stressed word.

Let's look at this phrase.

There are several ways we can pronounce that.

We can say: I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

That's the most conversational, the least clear.

That's not how I do it, and make it a little bit more clear.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

Don't, a little bit longer, the higher stress there, the higher pitch.

Don't, end a little stop for the T there.

I don't know. I don't know.

If I didn't make that tiny break, it would sound like this: I don't know, don't know,

but instead, there is a tiny break: I don't know, don't know, don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

Them becomes them.

How long it takes them to make it.

I could have dropped the TH sounds.

That's a common reduction.

I didn't, but I did reduce the vowel.

How long it takes them.

How long it takes them.

How long it takes them.

How long it takes them to make it.

The word 'to' reduced, I keep it true T but I make a schwa.

Takes them to make it.

Takes them to make it.

So even though the sound before was voiced, I did not make that a flap T.

Honestly, it's probably because I was speaking in front of a camera,

and even though I don't mean to, I often speak just a little bit more clearly in front of a camera.

But when I do a normal English conversation.

Takes them to make it.

Takes them to make it.

Takes them to make it.

Short, long, short.

Stop T at the end because it's the end of my thought group.

To make it but it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

My two most stressed words there even though the word 'minute'

is one of the most stressed words, it still ends in a stop T because it's the end of the thought group.

But it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

But it's, but it's, but it's.

These three words said quickly.

Flap T connecting, but it's, and then I actually say a contraction

even though it's written out here as two words.

I definitely reduce that into a contraction.

But it's, but it's, but it's, but it's.

Flap T linking the two together.

But it's, but it's, but it's.

It sounds funny on its own, doesn't it?

But it's, but it's, but it's, but it's.

However, in the context of the whole sentence, where we have that against the longer more stressed words,

it sounds very natural to a native speaker.

But it's worth every minute. But it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

It's gonna be so great to enjoy a nice meal.

It's gonna be so great to enjoy a nice meal.

It's gonna be so great to enjoy a nice meal.

Okay, we do have a couple reductions here, don't we?

How did I pronounce that?

It's gonna be so great.

It's gonna be so great.

It's gonna be so great.

It's gonna be so great to enjoy a nice meal.

So great to enjoy. To enjoy.

So here, I don't reduce the vowel in 'to' because it’s linking into another vowel.

To enjoy, to enjoy. To, to, to.

However, it's still said very quickly.

Very much so unstressed.

To enjoy, to enjoy, to enjoy, to enjoy, to enjoy.

The first vowel in 'enjoy' is the EH vowel, which is unstressed.

And unstressed EH and schwa sound the same, so if I had made this vowel into the schwa,

there would be no definition between these two words, we would lose the word 'to'.

So that's why the vowel OH is not changed it's because of the next sound.

Now, we have a true T connecting these.

Great to enjoy.

Great, stop, then release of the true T into the vowel to.

Great to, great to, great to enjoy, great to enjoy a nice meal catching up with these friends.

Nice meal catching up with these friends.

I didn't say the word 'and', did I?

I wrote it in here but I don't hear it at all.

Nice meal catching up with these friends.

Nice meal catching up with these friends.

Nice meal catching up with these friends.

A nice meal catching up with these friends.

To 'catch up' means to tell each other your news.

Tell each other what's been going on in your lives.

We do this with friends or family that we haven't seen for some time.

We catch them up on what has happened since the last time we saw them.

Catching up with these friends.

Catching up with these friends.

Catching up with these friends.

'Up' has a little bit more length compared to 'with these'.

It has a little bit more height to the pitch.

Catching up with these friends.

So I’m going to give it that little curve so that we know it was a little higher in pitch.

Catching up with these.

Lower in pitch, less clear, and then friends.

Catching up with these friends.

Catching up with these friends.

Catching up with these friends.

The word with and an unvoiced TH.

It can be pronounced a voiced, but unvoiced is much more common.

The word 'this' is pronounced with a voiced TH

but when we have one word that ends in a consonant and the next word that begins in the consonant,

if they're very similar, then they'll link together with one sound.

And in this case, it's the unvoiced sound that wins.

Unvoiced sounds are considered stronger than voiced sounds.

So when S and Z link together, S the unvoiced sound wins.

When unvoiced TH and voiced TH link together, it's the unvoiced sound that wins.

So you can link these together: with these, with these, and drop your voiced TH,

just make one unvoiced TH consonant to link the words together.

With these, with these, with these, with these, with these.

With these friends, with these friends, with these friends, with these friends, with these friends.

Let's listen one more time.

Tonight, David and I are going out to dinner with two friends, a double-date.

We both got sitters and we got a reservation at Park at six forty-five.

I already know what I’m going to get. They have the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it, but it's worth every minute.

It's going to be so great to enjoy a nice meal catching up with these friends.

And now, the imitation exercise.

You'll hear each phrase three times then there will be a break for you to repeat it.

Repeat it out loud and try to match exactly what you hear.

Then I’ll say it one more time and you say it with me.

Try not to think about what you're saying and how to pronounce it.

Instead, just focus on imitating what you hear.

It's not a bad idea to practice this section several times.

This is where you can really change some of your speaking habits.

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner

Tonight David and I are going out to dinner

with two friends a double-date

With two friends a double-date

With two friends a double date

With two friends a double-date

We both got sitters

We both got sitters

We both got sitters

We both got sitters

and we got a reservation at Park

And we got a reservation at Park

And we got a reservation at Park

And we got a reservation at Park

at six forty-five

At six forty-five

At six forty-five.

At six forty-five.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I already know what I’m going to get.

I already know what I’m going to get.

They have the best

They have the best

They have the best

They have the best

French onion soup I’ve ever had.

French onion soup I’ve ever had

French onion soup I’ve ever had

French onion soup I’ve ever had

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it.

I don't know how long it takes them to make it

but it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

But it's worth every minute.

It's going to be so great to enjoy a nice meal

It's going to be so great to enjoy a nice meal

It's going to be so great to enjoy a nice meal

It's going to be so great to enjoy a nice meal

catching up with these friends.

Catching up with these friends.

Catching up with these friends.

Catching up with these friends.

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