How to Improve Spoken American English - Sound like a Native Speaker

如何提高美式英语口语 - 使自己口音更加自然

A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker if you weren't

许多人问我，如果不是在美国出生，有没有可能把英语说的听起来像母语者

born in the US. They want to know how long it will take. That, of course, depends entirely

他们想知道这要多久。当然了，这完全取决于

upon the individual. Really focused pronunciation practice can yield great results. In this

个体差异。专注地练习语音可以获得很好的效果。

video, I'm going to go over two different ways to study English to perfect your pronunciation.

在这个视频里，我将展示两种美化你的发音的学英语方法。

All you need is the audio or video of a native speaker speaking.

你所需要的是英语母语者的朗读视频或音频

First, we're going to do a Ben Franklin exercise. This is when you write down everything you

首先，我们来进行一个富兰克林式练习。你需要写下所有你听到的内容

can about what you hear: whether or not you hear words being linked, or if you hear something

不论你听到的是否是连起来的单词，或者你听到的

being reduced, for example. Now, we'll do this together to help you get

单词被简化了。比如说，现在我们来一起开始做这个练习来帮助你

an idea of how to listen to and analyze what you hear. "A lot of people ask me if it's

了解如何听和分析你说听到的。"许多人问我，

possible to sound like a native speaker-- A lot of people ask me." So the first thing

有没有可能把英语说的听起来像母语者- 许多人问我”首先我们注意到的是

I notice is that this T is a flap T, it sounds like a D, "a lot of," that's because it's

这个“T”是一个轻拍的T, 听起来更像“D”。这是因为

coming between two vowel sounds. I also notice that I hear these three words as one unit:

它夹在了两个元音之间。同时我注意到这三个词听上去像一个单位：

"a lot of, a lot of," with the stress happening on the middle word. "A lot of, a lot of people

"a lot of, a lot of" 重音在中间那个词上。“a lot of, a lot of people

ask me--" I also notice that this word ends in a consonant, this word begins with a vowel,

ask me--" 我还注意到这个词以辅音结尾，这个词以元音开头，

there's no punctuation in-between, "a lot of people ask," and I do hear that L as really

这中间是没有发音的，“a lot of people ask”, 但我确实听到了L

linking to the beginning vowel sound: "people ask." Another thing you'll want to note as

和元音开头连起来了：“people ask” 另一点你听的时候会发现

you listen is any sounds that you know are difficult for you. For example, many of my

每个你知道的词都听起来比较困难。比如，我的许多

students have problems integrating the AA sound into their speech. They know how to

学生都有整合这个AA音进一段话的问题。他们知道如何做，

do it, but they just don't use it in speech. So I would definitely, if was one of them,

但他们就是不用在对话里。所以如果我是这个人，我绝对会

mark this AA vowel, so that I'll be sure to note it, and then will hopefully begin to

标记这个AA 音来确定我注意到它，并且开始

integrate AA into my speech when I see this word 'ask.' "A lot of people ask me." Let's

整合AA进我的对话，当我看到‘ask’这个词的时候。“a lot of people ask me.”

keep going. "A lot of people ask me if it's possible to

我们继续。“许多人问我，有没有可能

sound like a native speaker-- if it's possible to sound, if it's possible to sound--" So,

把英语说的听起来像母语者--有没有可能发音，有没有可能发音--”

I notice the stress here: possible, first syllable is stressed, "to sound," I notice

我注意到重音在这儿：possible，第一个音节是重读的，“to sound”, 我注意到

that has stress too. "--if it's possible to sound--" The word 'to' is definitely reduced

也需要重读。“--有没有可能发音” ‘to’这个词很明显被简化

to the schwa, so I may mark that so I don't forget to reduce it. "Possible to sound."

成了轻元音，我会标记这一点以免忘记简化它。“Possible to soud”

"If it's, if it's." Here's another case where one word ends in a consonant sound, the next

"if it's, if it's" 这又是一个以辅音结尾元音开头的情况

word begins with a vowel sound, "if it's, if it's," and I do definitely hear those connecting

“if it's, if it's” 我的确听到它们连在一起了。

together. "If it's possible to sound." "A lot of people ask me if it's possible to

“if it's possible to sound.” "许多人问我，有没有可能

sound like a native speaker-- like a native speaker--" I notice my voice goes up at the

发音像母语者--像母语者--“ 我注意到我的音调在尾部这里上扬

end here, "speaker." That's because the sentence isn't over, the next word is "if." I also

“speaker” 这是因为这句话还没有结束，下一个词是"if"。我还

notice the stress is big, small, big, small, big, small. "Like a native speaker." DA da

注意到重音是重，轻，重，轻，重，轻。“像一个母语者” DA da

DA da DA da. "Like a native speaker." Also, again here we have ending consonant sound/beginning

DA da DA da。“像一个母语者” 另外，这里又一次以辅音结尾并且

vowel sound: like a, like a. I hear the K linking to the schwa. "Like a. Like a native

以元音开头：like a, like a。我听到这个K和轻元音连在了一起。“like a. Like a native

speaker." Native -- I hear this T as a D because again, it's a T coming between two vowel sounds:

speaker" Native--我听到这个T实际上是D， 因为这个T在两个元音之间

will be a flap T, sounds like a D. "Like a native speaker." In the entire sentence, I

变成轻拍的T，听上去像D。“像一个母语者” 在整句话里，我

don't hear and gaps or pauses between words. So in some cases, there's a very obvious link,

没有听到词间的间隙或者停顿。因此，有些时候有非常明显的连接，

like when one word ends with a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel. But even

比如当一个词以辅音结尾并且以元音开头。但是尽管

when there's not a very obvious linking sound, there's never a gap between the words.

是没有非常明显的连音的时候，中间也绝对不会有间隙。

"A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker--" We've been

“许多人问我有没有可能发音像一个母语者--” 我们已经

working for several minutes, and here we are only half way through one sentence. This is

解释了几分钟，但才解释道一句话的一半。这

just an example of how you might take notes from the audio or video clip of your choice.

只是一个你要如何从你选择的音频或视频里做笔记的例子。

After you've listened several times and taken thorough notes, you then put the audio or

你听过几遍并且做了详细的笔记之后，你要拿开音频或

video away and, from your notes, try to speak the way the native speaker was speaking. If

视频，试着用你的笔记来说母语者的口音。如果

you can, record yourself, and then compare this to the native speaker. This is how you

可以的话，你给自己录音，然后把它和母语者作比较。这样你

can figure out where you still need to work. And now we'll do an imitation exercise. In

就可以发现哪里还需要努力。现在我们开始做一个模拟练习。在

this video, you don't look at the text. You're not concerned with the actual words because

这个视频里，你不要看文本。你不需要在意确切的词，因为

you do already have ideas about how words should be pronounced. So in this exercise

你知道这些词应该如何被发音。所以在这个练习里，

you're just listening. And I loop things three times in an imitation exercise so that you

你只是听。在一个模仿练习里我会放三遍，以便你

begin to think about the pitch changes and the musicality of the speech, rather than

开始思考音调的变化和这段话的韵律，而不是

the individual words themselves. Repeat it back exactly as you hear it, even if you're

每一个单独的词。确切地重复你所听到的，尽管你

not sure of the individual words. It's ok, that's not what we're going for in this particular

不确定每一个词是什么。这没关系，这不是我们在这个练习中的重点。

exercise. A lot of people ask me [x3]

许多人问我[x3]

A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker [3x]

许多人问我有没有可能发音像一个母语者 [3x]

if it's possible to sound like a native speaker

有没有可能发音像一个母语者

if you weren't born in the US. [x3]

如果你不是在美国出生的。 [3x]

Because of the internet, there really is an

由于网络的发达，

endless supply of audio and video where English is being spoken by native speakers. I know

有无穷无尽的母语者说英语的音频和视频。我知道

looping something over and over, as in the imitation exercise, can be more of a hassle

像这个模仿练习中一遍又一遍地播放可能更艰难。

on your own. That's why, on my website, I do have both Ben Franklin and imitation exercises

这就是为什么，在我的网站，我都有富兰克林式和模仿练习

ready for you. So I encourage you to take a look at these, or any other audio or video

为你准备。所以我鼓励大家去看一下这些，或者其他任何你感兴趣的音频或视频

clip that interests you, and turn it into a pronunciation exercise: study it this way.

然后你把它变成发音训练：用这种方式来学习。

It will really take you far in your practice. That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.

这样真的会帮助你提高。就是这些，非常感谢收看Rachel's English。