Listening: Understanding Natural Connected Speech (Basic) A2 - Lesson 2: Understanding Simple Questions and Statements at a Slightly More Natural Pace

🎧 A2 Natural Speech: Understanding Sentences at a Natural Pace

Welcome back! Today is Wednesday, June 11th, 2025. In this lesson, we will combine our skills to understand full sentences spoken at a more natural pace¹. We will see how words use linking² and reduction³ to create smooth, fast speech.

👉 1. Statement Practice

Let's look at a written statement and then listen to how it sounds in a natural, fast conversation. Notice how "going to" becomes "gonna".

Written Form: "I am going to go to the market."

Natural Speed Audio: (Listen to the audio)

Here is another example. Notice how "lot of" sounds like "lotta".

Written Form: "He has a lot of friends."

Natural Speed Audio: (Listen to the audio)

👉 2. Question Practice

Questions often have even more reductions. Listen to how "What are you" can sound like "Whatcha".

Written Form: "What are you doing?"

Natural Speed Audio: (Listen to the audio)

Here, listen to how "Do you want a" can sound like "Do you wanna".

Written Form: "Do you want a cup of coffee?"

Natural Speed Audio: (Listen to the audio)

👉 3. Comparing Speeds

Let's listen to a sentence slowly, and then at a natural pace. Notice how "have to" becomes "hafta".

Slow Speed

Listen: "I have to go now."

Natural Speed

Listen: "I hafta go now."

📝 Quiz: What's the Full Sentence?

Listen to the natural speed sentence. Choose the correct written form.

1. Audio 1: (Listen to the audio)

   Which sentence did you hear?
   (a) What can you do?     or     (b) What are you going to do?

2. Audio 2: (Listen to the audio)

   Which sentence did you hear?
   (a) I need a lot of water.     or     (b) I need the water.

3. Audio 3: (Listen to the audio)

   Which sentence did you hear?
   (a) Did you like it?     or     (b) Do you like it?

Click to Show Answers

Answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-b

✍️ Homework Task

1. Echoing Practice: Find a short clip from an English movie or TV show. Listen to one short sentence. Pause the video. Try to repeat (echo) the sentence exactly as you heard it. Copy the speed and the 'music' of the sentence. Do this for five different sentences.

2. Listen for Reductions: Listen to an English song you like. Can you hear any examples of "wanna" (want to), "gonna" (going to), or "hafta" (have to)?

📚 Vocabulary Glossary

1. Natural Pace (noun phrase) - [Khmer: ល្បឿនធម្មជាតិ] - The speed at which people normally speak in a relaxed, everyday conversation. ↩
2. Linking (noun) - [Khmer: ការតភ្ជាប់] - The way the end sound of one word smoothly connects to the beginning sound of the next word. ↩
3. Reduction (noun) - [Khmer: ការកាត់បន្ថយ] - When the vowel sound in an unstressed word becomes shorter or weaker, like a schwa. ↩