B1 Natural Connected Speech: Coping with Slightly Faster Speech
Welcome! In our final lesson of this series, we will challenge ourselves by learning how to cope with1 faster speech on familiar topics. In the real world, people don't always speak slowly. This is a key skill for becoming a confident listener.
1. Strategies for Listening to Faster Speech
When you hear fast speech, don't panic! You do not need to understand every single word. Here are some strategies:
- Relax and Focus: Take a breath. Trust your ears. Don't try to translate every word in your head as you listen.
- Listen for Stressed Words: Even in fast speech, the most important content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) are usually stressed. Your ear should search for these "islands" of information.
- Accept Not Knowing Everything: It is okay if you miss some words. Try to get the main idea (the gist) from the words you *do* understand.
2. Practice 1: A Fast Description of a Daily Routine
Let's practice. Listen to this person describe their morning routine at a faster speed. Your goal is to understand the main activities, not every detail.
"My morning is always really busy. First, I wake up at about 6:30 and I have to make breakfast for my family. Then I get my kids ready for school, and after that, I have to rush to my job at the hotel. I usually don't have time for coffee until about 9 AM."
What are two main things this person does in the morning?
- A) They drink coffee and go to the market.
- B) They relax and read a book.
- C) They make breakfast and get their kids ready for school.
Click to Show Answer
Answer: C). Even if the speech was fast, you could probably hear the key stressed words3 like "breakfast," "family," "kids," and "school."
3. Practice 2: A Fast Opinion about Food
Let's try another one. Listen to this person give their opinion about food in Cambodia. The speech is fast. Just try to catch their overall opinion4.
"I've been traveling in Cambodia for two weeks and the food has been amazing. I think my favorite dish so far is the Fish Amok because it's creamy and full of flavor. I also really love the fresh mangoes. I could eat them every single day!"
What is the speaker's overall opinion of the food?
- A) They think the food is okay, but not great.
- B) They think the food is amazing, and they especially like Fish Amok and mangoes.
- C) They only like to eat mangoes.
Click to Show Answer
Answer: B). The key positive words "amazing," "favorite," and "love" help you understand their positive opinion, even at a fast speed.
Final Quiz: Can You Keep Up?
Listen to this fast monologue about a weekend trip. Then, choose the sentence that best describes the main idea.
Monologue: (Listen to the audio)
What is the main idea of the trip?
- (a) The trip was long and boring.
- (b) The speaker enjoyed a motorbike trip to the peaceful countryside and wants to go again.
- (c) The speaker rented a car to see the busy city.
Click to Show Answers
Answer: (b). The key ideas are "motorbike," "countryside," "peaceful," and "do it again."
Homework Task
1. Increase the Speed: Find a YouTube video with good English subtitles (like a TED-Ed video). First, watch one minute at normal speed (1x). Then, watch the same minute again at a faster speed (1.25x). Can you still follow the main idea?
2. Real-World Challenge: The next time you are speaking with a fluent English speaker, don't ask them to slow down immediately. Try to listen for one full sentence at their natural speed and see how much you can understand. It's great practice!
Vocabulary Glossary
- To Cope With (verb phrase) - Khmer: ទប់ទល់ជាមួយ - To deal effectively with something difficult. ↩
- Pace (noun) - Khmer: ល្បឿន - The speed at which something happens, especially speech. ↩
- Stressed Word (noun phrase) - Khmer: ពាក្យសង្កត់សំឡេង - A word in a sentence that is spoken louder and longer to show it is important. ↩
- Overall Opinion (noun phrase) - Khmer: មតិរួម - The general feeling or main thought someone has about a topic. ↩