ESL Pronunciation Exercise: Where I live (Ben Franklin Exercise)

In this American English pronunciation video, we're going to study American English by looking

at a short text. Topic: where I live.

I call this a Ben Franklin exercise. This is when you take very good notes, very detailed

notes, on what you're hearing. And then go back and try to record yourself based on what

you've written down, the notes. Did you write down a flap T, or the way two words link together?

After you've recorded yourself, compare it to the original. Did you do everything that

you wanted to do? In this video, we're going to take notes together.

I live in New York City, in Manhattan, currently in midtown. But I do move around a lot. I've

been in New York for about five years, and I've already moved four times.

One if the first things I notice is how my voice goes up at the end of the word 'city',

city, city. That's because of the comma here, and I'm not done, I'm going to keep going,

I'm going to say more about that.

I live in New York City. [2x]

I also notice how connected that first line is. I live in New York City. There are no

breaks.

I live in New York City. [2x]

And I notice the ending consonant sound of 'live' links into the beginning of the next

word, live in, v-in, v-in, live in.

I live in New York City. [3x] In Manhattan.

In Manhattan. Again, my voice went up at the end. Again, there's a comma here, and I'm

about to give more information about that. New York City, Manhattan, more specifically

midtown. So, my voice is going up at the end of each of these little phrases to signal

that there is more information yet to come about this.

In Manhattan. [2x]

I notice that the stressed syllable of 'Manhattan' is the middle syllable. Manhattan. Also, I

hear that I'm not really pronouncing these T's as True T's. That would be 'Manhattan',

-tan. But I'm saying Manhatt-an, with a little break. That means these T's are stop T's.

In Manhattan. [2x]

Also, the last syllable, -an, is really just the N sound. So the letter A there is representing

the schwa sound. Manhattan, Manhattan.

In Manhattan. [3x] Currently in midtown.

Again, I did not hear the release of this T. That would be currently, I heard 'currently',

with a stop, that's a stop T. Currently, currently. And, in this three-syllable word, I notice

that stress is on the first syllable. Curr-, curr-, currently.

Currently in midtown. [2x]

Midtown. Stress on the first syllable here, and that is a true T. Midtown. Currently in

midtown.

Currently in midtown. [3x] But I do move around a lot.

The stressed syllables in that sentence are do, round, and lot. But I do move around a lot.

But I do move around a lot. [2x]

Let's talk about the T pronunciations here. But I do, but I, but I. I'm hearing that as

a flap T, or a D sound. But I, but I. It's also very connected. But I do, but I do.

But I do move around a lot. [2x]

The final T, lot, I did release that and give it a true T sound.

But I do move around a lot. [2x]

Again, this sentence was very linked together, the ending V consonant here linking onto the

next vowel, move-a, move-a, va, va, va, move around. But I do move around a lot.

But I do move around a lot. [3x] I've been in New York for about five years,

The stressed words in this sentence fragment: New, York, and Five, Years.

I've been in New York for about five years [2x]

So how are the unstressed words pronounced? The contraction I've, the word been, and in:

they're all quite quick and linked together. I've been in, I've been in, I've been in New

York. And the words 'for' and 'about': for about five years. I notice I'm reducing this

to the schwa, for, for, for about five years, for about five years. I've been in New York

for about five years. So, these three words, I've been in, very quick. They're unstressed.

New, York: the pace slows down a bit there, so those words are longer because they're

stressed. Then, for about. Those two words, unstressed, are again quite quick. For about.

And then 'five' and 'years' are both given more time because they are stressed.

I've been in New York for about five years, [3x]

and I've already moved four times.

Here I'm hearing 'al-' and 'moved', 'four' and 'times' as being the most stressed syllables

in that sentence fragment. And I've already moved four times.

And I've already moved four times. [2x]

I also notice I'm not really pronouncing the L here. This syllable is coming out more as

the AW as in LAW, already, already.

And I've already moved four times. [2x]

Also, did you notice how I reduced the word 'and'? And I've already moved. Nn, nn, nn,

the schwa N sound. And I've already moved.

And I've already moved four times. [3x]

So, just a few lines of speech, but there's really a lot to study about reductions and

stressed words, the way T is pronounced, and how words link together.

I hope this has given you some ideas on how to take notes and study the speech of native

speakers. Do this on your own. Take video and audio clips that interest you, or that

have topics that are important to your field of work. After you take good notes, record

the text yourself, and compare to the original recording. What do you still need to work

on, or what did you do well? This is a great way to improve your pronunciation.

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