How Do You Speak Like a Native English Speaker?

Learn how to speak like a native speaker

Lesson Transcript

I have purchased a microphone!

What can you do with a new mic?

[Darth Vader breathing]

Hi everybody! My name is Alisha.

Welcome back to Ask Alisha, the weekly series on our YouTube channel where you ask me questions, and I answer them! Maybe.

So please remember, you can submit your questions to me at EnglishClass101.com/ask-alisha.

First question.

A lot of you have asked about what to do to get a—a voice that sounds like mine.

When I'm making these videos, I'm specifically trying to speak clearly.

So, I'm clearly separating my words.

The way that I talk with my friends and the way that I talk, uh, regularly, is a bit different than the way that I talk on this channel.

But, if you want to try to get this kind of pronunciation, the best advice I have is just to repeat this kind of pronunciation.

It depends on your goal. If you want to learn to speak like me, or to speak like somebody else that you really admire, you should try to mimic them. That's what I do. And that's, uh, actually, a strategy I use when I study other languages as well.

So, if I hear something interesting that a—a—a vocabulary word that a friend, uh, has used, like, in Japanese, for example, or they have a really good intonation, or just the way they deliver—the way they say something—is really, uh, interesting to me, or I want to—I want to be able to use that too, I put that in my head.

I think about that.

And then I try to replicate that.

I try to copy that, essentially.

To make this explanation shorter… mimic! Mimic.

If you want to learn to speak like me, mimic me.

If you want to learn to speak like somebody else, try to mimic someone else.

But just keep in mind that the way that I talk in these videos is different from the way that I talk in real life.

Next question!

What does the word "lit" mean?

Lit is actually a slang word.

It's common slang among young people, especially in the US right now.

Uh, maybe many of you know that the verb "to light" has the past tense, uh, "lit."

Lit is used to talk about, for example, a party, or, um, some kind of social gathering, usually, that's really exciting, or that's really really fun, or that's kind of crazy.

So, "lit," using the past tense, there, you can kind of imagine that, like a fire, when you light a fire, it maybe, it gets bigger, and it gets kind of wild, a little bit crazy, like there's a spark, and then it starts.

So, if you see the word "lit," like "this party was lit," it means it was really crazy; it was really good; it was really fun.

Uh, you can use it if you want, but just keep in mind that, really, young people use that word.

I don't use that word, for reference. But again, I am not cool.

Next question!

What is correct?

I thought you were gone or "I thought you are gone"?

I thought you are gone.

We need to use, "I thought you were gone" here. I thought you were gone.

So, "I thought," past tense, and "you were" is also past tense.

It's a past tense thought, past tense situation, so...please use past tense! Yeah. Ah, next question!

Also maybe about "were" and "was." Why do we use "If I were" and not "if I was"? Uh, this is a great question.

And actually, a lot of native speakers make mistakes with this.

It's a small point, to be fair, but if you want to be correct, you should always use "if I were."

This is a grammar point, uh, it refers to the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood.

An explanation of subjunctive is a bit beyond the scope—it's a bit much for this video.

But we will always use "if I were." Uh, when the subject there is "I," in the conditional, "if I were," we always use "were."

You will hear native speakers say "if I was," "if I was."

If you want to be extremely strict, and extremely nitpicky, um, "were" is actually the correct one, but if you use "was," if you make a mistake and you use "was," you will still be understood.

So, um, but yes. This is related to the subjunctive mood in English.

Next question! Okay! Next one isn't really a question, but something I have noticed that many of you do.

You like to put the article "a" or "an" before your adjective. Before an adjective, but you forget to use a noun.

Do you know how, like, Mario introduces himself, and he says "it's a me"?

When you forget to use some kind of noun after—after your adjective, or whatever, you sound a bit like Mario.

It's a nice. It's a nice. It's a nice WHAT? It's funny to me, like—it's a nice! Or, it's a me!

You need to include the noun that you're referring to.

It's a nice video, or "it's a nice explanation."

It's nice, or "it's bad," or "it's good," or "this was a nice explanation."

But don't forget to use your noun after you use the adjective.

It's a nice...something. It's a good something. It's a bad something.

So please, uh, no article without a noun. Make sure to use your noun.

And it should be in the singular form.

If you are using "a" or "an," you need to use the singular form of the noun.

Don't sound like Mario.

Next question! What does it mean "they can't take that away from me"?

Who are "they," and what does "take away" mean?

We use the word "they" to mean generally, just other people outside of us.

This is used a lot to talk about, like, news, or to talk about general opinion.

They say that this pizza is the best pizza in the city right now.

They say that your English will only improve if you study every day.

They say that the most difficult thing you can do in your life is move to another country.

They is just anyone.

Second point, what does "take away" mean?

Take away means to—Some object that belongs in one location is removed from that location. Like take away food.

In American English, we use "take out," actually.

But take away food is a similar idea, especially like in British English. Takeaway. So, you take away your food from the restaurant. So, you're taking something else. You're removing your food from the restaurant.

So, in the expression "they can't take that away from me," "they," meaning other people outside you, can't take something away from you.

Next one!

What does the phrase "don't be a creep, don't be a creep" mean?

I think Michael talked about this on an old English Topics video.

So, I talked in a live stream about the word "creepy," adjective "creepy."

So, something that causes, like, nervous suspense, is something that's creepy.

The word "creep" is used as a noun. Don't be a creep. A person who is creepy.

A guy can be a creep. A girl can be a creep. So, a creep is someone who causes creepy feelings.

Like, uhh, something bad might happen! I feel nervous! That person's a little strange; a little weird. That person is a creep. He's a creep. She's a creep.

So, "don't be a creep" means you should not behave like a creep.

Don't create nervous feelings in the other person.

Don't be a creepy person. Don't be a creep. Everybody! That's good advice!

Don't be a creep! Don't be a creep! Try to be a nice and understanding, um, and respectful person, always.

Next question! Oh, that was my last one for this week. All right!

So, those are, um, my favorite questions, or the questions that I wanted to talk to you about this week.

I hope that those are some useful points for you. And if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know at EnglishClass101.com/ask-alisha.

That's where you can submit your questions to me.

It makes it very easy for me to check and see, um, all the questions in one place.

So definitely check that out.

I think you can sign in with your, uh, regular EnglishClass101.com account, and submit as many questions as you want. And then I'll choose what I like, and what I want to talk about.

And of course, if a lot of you ask the same question, I'll definitely try to answer that, too. So please check that out!

EnglishClass101.com/ask-alisha.

If you liked this video, please make sure to give it a thumbs up, because if you guys like it, then I can continue to make the videos.

So please make sure to like it!

Also, subscribe to the channel if you haven't already, and check us out at EnglishClass101.com for other good stuff too. Thanks very much for watching this episode of Ask Alisha, and I'll see you again next week.

Byeee!

What are the things I can do with my microphone, I wonder?

I feel like I had some ideas for this when I was laying in bed last night, and now I've forgotten them all.

Oh, now, I can take my videos on the road and be, like, a golf reporter. Uh, yes, the ball—the ball is rolling.

Why am I Russian? I'm a Russian golf reporter now. Ah! Maybe I'll be a beatboxer. How do you do that?

[questionable beatboxing]

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