A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker if you weren't born in the US.
很多人问我，如果不是在美国出生的话，有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语？
They want to know how long it will take. That, of course, depends entirely upon the individual.
他们想要知道花多长时间能够达到这种水平，这当然完全取决于个人。
Really focused pronunciation practice can yield great results.
专注于发音练习会有很大的收获。
In this video, I'm gonna go over two different ways to study English to perfect your pronunciation.
在这个视频里，我会介绍两种不同的方法来提高你的发音。
All you need is the audio or video of a native speaker speaking.
你所需要的就是英语母语者的音频或视频。
First, we're going to do a Ben Franklin exercise.
首先，我们先来进行本·富兰克林练习。
This is when you write down everything you can about what you hear:
这个练习是要你写下一切听到的东西：
whether or not you hear words being linked, or if you hear something being reduced, for example.
比如，你听到的单词有没有被连读，或者有没有地方被略读。
Now, we'll do this together to help you get an idea of how to listen to and analyze what you hear.
现在，我们一起来做这个练习，帮助你了解听和分析的技巧。
"A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker-- A lot of people ask me."
很多人问我，有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语--很多人问我？
So the first thing I notice is that this T is a flap T, it sounds like a D, "a lot of," that's because it's coming between two vowel sounds.
首先我注意到的就是，这里的T是一个浊音，听起来就像是D，"a lot of"，这是因为这个T在两个元音之间。
I also notice that I hear these three words as one unit: "a lot of, a lot of," with the stress happening on the middle word.
我还注意到了，这三个词是作为一个整体来读的："a lot of，a lot of"，重音在中间的单词上。
"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, there's no punctuation in-between,
"A lot of，a lot of people ask me--" 我还注意到了，这里单词结尾是辅音，开头是元音，中间没有停顿，
"a lot of people ask," and I do hear that L as really linking to the beginning vowel sound: "people ask."
"a lot of people ask"，这个L是和后面的元音紧密相连的："people ask"。
Another thing you'll want to note as you listen is any sounds that you know are difficult for you.
你还应做笔记的是那些你听起来很困难的词。

For example, many of my students have problems integrating the AA sound into their speech.
比如，我有很多学生在讲话中都不会用AA音。
They know how to do it, but they just don't use it in speech.
他们知道怎样发音，但在讲话中就是不会运用。
So I would definitely, if I was one of them, mark this AA vowel, so that I'll be sure to note it,
所以，如果我是他们当中的一个的话，我会标记一下这个AA音，这样的话我就容易注意到这个音，
and then will hopefully begin to integrate AA into my speech when I see this word 'ask.' "A lot of people ask me."
然后在看到单词"ask"时我就会开始用上这个AA音。"A lot of people ask me"。
Let's keep going.
让我们继续练习。
"A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker-- if it's possible to sound, if it's possible to sound--"
很多人问我，有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语--有没有可能像，有没有可能像？
So, I notice the stress here: possible, first syllable is stressed, "to sound," I notice that has stress too. "--if it's possible to sound--"
这里我注意到，possible的重音在第一个音节上，"to sound" 我注意到这里也有重音。"--if it's possible to sound--"
The word 'to' is definitely reduced to the schwa, so I may mark that so I don't forget to reduce it. "Possible to sound."
单词to要弱读，所以在这里做个记号的话就不容易忘记要弱读它了。"Possible to sound"。
"If it's, if it's." Here's another case where one word ends in a consonant sound, the next word begins with a vowel sound,
"If it's，if it's"。这里又是一个以辅音结尾，元音开头的例子，
"if it's, if it's," and I do definitely hear these connecting together. "If it's possible to sound."
"if it's，if it's"，这里肯定就需要连读了："If it's possible to sound"。
"A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker-- like a native speaker--"
很多人问我，有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语--像美国人那样？
I notice my voice goes up at the end here, "speaker." That's because the sentence isn't over, the next word is "if."
我注意到我的声音在这里上升，"speaker"。这是因为句子在这里没有结束，后面还有"if"。
I also notice the stress is big, small, big, small, big, small. "Like a native speaker." DA da DA da DA da. "Like a native speaker."
我还注意到了，这里的重音是强，弱，强，弱，强，弱。"Like a native speaker"。哒哒哒哒哒哒。"Like a native speaker"。
Also, again here we have ending consonant sound/beginning vowel sound: like a, like a. I hear the K linking to the schwa. "Like a. Like a native speaker."
还有，这里又出现了辅音结尾，元音开头：like a，like a。我听到了辅音K和弱化的a连读："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: will be a flap T, sounds like a D. "Like a native speaker."
"Native --" 我听到这个T又变成了D，当T出现在两个元音之间时，它就会被浊化，听起来就像D："Like a native speaker"。
In the entire sentence, I don't hear any gaps or pauses between words.
在整个句子里，我没有听到单词之间有任何停顿或间隔。
So in some cases, there's a very obvious link, like when one word ends with a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel.
因此，有些时候，单词之间会有很明显的连读，比如以辅音结尾，元音开头时就要连读。
But even when there's not a very obvious linking sound, there's never a gap between the words.
但是有时即使没有明显的连读，单词之间也不会有间隔。
"A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker--"
很多人问我，有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语--？
We've been working for several minutes, and here we are only half way through one sentence.
我们已经练习了几分钟了，现在只完成了半个句子。
This is just an example of how you might take notes from the audio or video clip of your choice.
这只是一个例子，你可以自己选择音频或视频片段来练习。
After you've listened several times and taken thorough notes, you then put the audio or video away and, from your notes,
当你听过几遍，记完笔记之后，你可以把音频或视频放在一边，对照着你的笔记，
try to speak the way the native speaker was speaking.
按照英语母语者的方式来发音。
If you can, record yourself, and then compare this to the native speaker.
如果可以的话，把你的声音录下来，然后跟英语母语者的音频相对比。
This is how you can figure out where you still need to work.
这样你就可以找出你需要加强的地方了。
And now we'll do an imitation exercise.
现在我们来做一个模仿练习。
In this video, you don't look at the text. You're not concerned with the actual words because you do already have ideas about how words should be pronounced.
在这个视频里，你不用看文本。你不需要去想那些单词，因为你已经了解了单词都应该怎样发音。
So in this exercise you're just listening.
因此这个练习中，你只需要听就好了。
And I loop things three times in an imitation exercise so that you begin to think about the pitch changes and the musicality of the speech,
我在一次模仿练习中会循环播放三次录音，这样你就可以琢磨一下语音和语调的变化，
rather than the individual words themselves.
而不用去纠结具体的单词本身。
Repeat it back exactly as you hear it, even if you're not sure of the individual words. It's ok, that's not what we're going for in this particular exercise.
重复你所听到的内容，即使你不确定具体的单词也没关系。我们现在注重的不是单词的精确度。
"A lot of people ask me"
很多人问我，
"A lot of people ask me"
很多人问我，
"A lot of people ask me"
很多人问我，
"A lot of people ask me if it's possible to sound like a native speaker"" if it's possible to sound like a native speaker"
很多人问我，有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语--？有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语--？
"if it's possible to sound like a native speaker"
有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语--？
"if it's possible to sound like a native speaker"
有没有可能像美国人那样讲地道英语--？
"if you weren't born in the US.""if you weren't born in the US.""if you weren't born in the US."
如果不是在美国出生的话，如果不是在美国出生的话，如果不是在美国出生的话，
Because of the internet, there really is an endless supply of audio and video where English is being spoken by native speakers.
由于网络的发展，现在有很多英语母语者的音频或视频资源。
I know looping something over and over, as in the imitation exercise, can be more of a hassle on your own.
我知道，让你们自己不断地重复播放一段音频可能会很难。
That's why, on my website, I do have both Ben Franklin and imitation exercises ready for you.
所以，我在我的网站上同时为你们准备了本·富兰克林练习和模仿练习。
So I encourage you to take a look at these, or any other audio or video clip that interests you, and turn it into a pronunciation exercise: study it this way.
我鼓励你们来看一看这些视频，或是其他你感兴趣的视频，把它变成一个发音练习：用这种方法来学习。
It will really take you far in your practice.
这将会使你的练习有很大的进步。
That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.
这次的学习就到这里，非常感谢使用Rachel's English。