Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
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In this American English pronunciation video,
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we’re going to focus on placement in American English.
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Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
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I did. Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
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No problem.
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This video is a placement exercise, and it’s going to get a little weird.
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The fun thing about this is we’re totally playing with language.
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>> Yeah.
>> I mean like, this is cracking us up.
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Absolutely, yeah!
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But stick with me. Placement refers to where in your body the vibrations of your voice are happening.
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Sometimes the difference in the sound of the voice is subtle, and sometimes more obvious.
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I’m going to say a phrase with three different placements:
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That’s so weird.
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That’s so weird.
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That’s so weird.
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That’s so weird.
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That’s so weird.
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For American English, I always try to get my students to bring the resonance down.
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Very low, very relaxed.
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Uhhhh is the feeling of placement I want them to imitate.
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Uhhh....
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In this video, Tom and I are going to have a short conversation.
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Then we’ll go back over it, phrase by phrase, and copy the intonation, but just on uh.
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This seems silly,
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but it is literally something we do with our students to bring the focus to placement.
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When you take out the actual words, it’s easier to focus on placement
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and other qualities of the voice.
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Do it out loud with us.
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The sound we’re using is the UH as in BUTTER vowel.
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Everything in the mouth and face is relaxed.
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Uhhh—uhhh.
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First, the conversation.
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Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
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I did. Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
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No problem.
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How long did it take?
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About 10 hours altogether.
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Okay, that’s not bad.
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It was fine.
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Now let’s break it down, phrase by phrase.
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We’ll listen to each phrase, and repeat it back with the same placement and intonation,
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but on the sound ‘uh’.
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This first time through, just listen.
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Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
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Uhh uhh uhh uhh uhh?
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I did. Uhh-uhh-
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Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
Uhh-uhh-uhh-uhh-
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No problem. Uhh---
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How long did it take? Uhh-- uhhh-- uhhh?
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About 10 hours altogether. Uhh-- uhhh-- uhhh
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Okay. Uhhh---
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Okay, that’s not bad. Uhh--- uhh---
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It was fine. Uhh---
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Now we’ll hear the conversation, phrase by phrase,
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with the UH imitation three times.
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Repeat the third time, just on UH.
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Copying what you hear.
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Think about everything in the face and neck being relaxed, and the placement low.
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Maybe even put your hand here. Uhhh---
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Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
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Uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh?
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I did.
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03:35
Uhh- uhh- uhh
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Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
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03:40
Uhh- uhh- uhh
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No problem.
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03:46
Uhh- uhh- uhh
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How long did it take?
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Uhh- uhh- uhh uhh- uhh?
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About 10 hours altogether.
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Uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh
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Okay
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Uhh--uhhh--
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That's not bad.
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04:08
Uhh- uhh- uhh-
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It was fine.
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04:13
Uhh- uhh- uhh-
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Now we’ll put the text back in.
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But, to stay focused on the placement, we’re going to slow the speech down.
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Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
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Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
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I did.
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Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
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No problem.
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How long did it take?
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About 10 hours altogether.
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05:02
Okay
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That’s not bad.
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It was fine.
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We’re almost there. Now we’ll hear the UH phrase once a regular pace.
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Repeat it at regular pace.
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Then we’ll hear the phrase at regular pace, repeat it at regular pace.
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Uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh?
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Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
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05:46
Uhh- uhh- uhh
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I did.
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05:52
Uhh- uhh- uhh
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Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
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06:02
Uhh- uhh- uhh
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No problem
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06:09
Uhh- uhh- uhh uhh- uhh?
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06:14
How long did it take?
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06:18
Uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh
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About 10 hours altogether.
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Uhh- uhh
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Okay.
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Uhh- uhh- uhh-
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That’s not bad.
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06:43
Uhh- uhh- uhh-
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It was fine.
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06:50
Once you get the feel for this,
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think about placement everytime you speak English.
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It can truly transform your American accent.
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For free weekly English lessons sent right to your inbox,
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be sure to sign up for my mailing list by clicking here, or in the description below.
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That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.
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