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Lesson 43
Unit 9 · Fluency Boosters
B1

ConnectedSpeech

gonna / wanna / linking sounds — sounding fluent

60 min Pronunciation: connected speech, weak forms, contractions

CEFR Pathway · You are here

  1. A0/A1Beginner
  2. A1/A2Elementary
  3. A2/B1Pre-Intermediate
  4. B1/B1+Intermediate
  5. B2Upper-Intermediate
  6. C1Advanced
  7. C2Proficiency

Warm-up · Section 1

5 min

Get talking

activity
Hear the difference

Listen to your teacher say 'What are you going to do?' fast and slow. What changes?

discussion
Your speed

Do you speak English faster, slower, or about the same as in your own language? Why?

reflection
Sound goal

If you could change one thing about how you sound in English, what would it be?

Grammar focus · Section 2

8–10 min

Connected speech — three secret weapons

Quick rule

Fluent English isn't faster — it's CONNECTED.

  • → What're_ya gonna do? (What are you going to do?)

  • → I wanna get_a cup_of coffee. (want to / get a / cup of)

  • → Lotta people kinda love it.

  • → Fish_and_chips → /fɪʃ ən tʃɪps/

More detail

Three tools: (1) CONTRACTIONS in fast speech — going to → gonna, want to → wanna, got to → gotta, kind of → kinda, lot of → lotta. (2) LINKING — consonant + vowel join: an_apple, kind_of, this_evening. Add /j/ or /w/ between vowels: I_(y)agree, do_(w)it. (3) WEAK FORMS — small words go to schwa /ə/: and → /ən/, to → /tə/, of → /əv/, for → /fə/, a → /ə/. Learners who use all three sound twice as fluent overnight.

Question 1.'going to' in fast speech?

Question 2.'want to' in fast speech?

Question 3.'have got to' in fast speech?

Question 4.'and' usually sounds like…

Question 5.Best linking: 'an apple'?

Answer all items, then check.

Vocabulary · Section 3

5–7 min

Words & phrases to own

Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.

1

gonna

going to (fast speech)

"I'm gonna call you later."

Say 3 future plans with 'gonna'.

2

wanna

want to (fast speech)

"I wanna try sushi."

Say 3 desires with 'wanna'.

3

gotta

have got to / must

"I gotta go."

Use 'gotta' for 3 obligations.

4

kinda

kind of (a bit)

"It's kinda cold."

Describe the weather with 'kinda'.

5

lemme

let me

"Lemme see."

Use to ask for thinking time.

6

dunno

I don't know

"Dunno, mate."

Use it instead of 'I don't know'.

Activate the language
Speak each sentence FAST. Don't worry about being precise.

Discuss with a partner

  • →Tell your partner your weekend plans using gonna 3 times.
  • →List 5 things you wanna do this year.

Finish the sentence about you

  • I'm gonna… …
  • I wanna… …
  • I gotta… …

Pronunciation · Section 4

3–4 min

Schwa /ə/ in weak forms — the secret of fluency

  • • fish and chips → /fɪʃ ən tʃɪps/
  • • a cup of tea → /ə kʌp əv ti:/
  • • I'm going to the shop → /aɪm gənə ðə ʃɒp/
  • • Wait for me → /weɪt fə mi/
How to say it

Most small grammar words have TWO forms: STRONG (when alone or stressed) and WEAK (when in a sentence). 'to' alone = /tu:/ but in 'I want_to_go' = /tə/. Same for: and /ən/, of /əv/, for /fə/, a /ə/, the /ðə/, was /wəz/. Saying these WEAK is the #1 thing learners can do to sound natural. Stress only content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives).

Reading · Section 5

8–10 min

Why your English sounds 'foreign' (and how to fix it)

Most B1 learners can produce every English sound correctly — but they still sound foreign. Why? Because they pronounce every word fully, with equal weight. Native English is the opposite: a handful of strong, stressed content words floating in a sea of barely-pronounced weak words. The phrase 'I'm going to a meeting' is six words on paper but only three real beats in speech: 'I'm-gonna-a MEET-ing'. Train your ear to hear the gaps and your mouth to fill them. Three weeks of daily 'gonna / wanna / gotta' practice can shift a learner from sounding 'studied' to sounding 'lived-in'. The grammar doesn't change. The melody does.

Question 1.Why do learners sound 'foreign'?

Question 2.How many beats in 'I'm going to a meeting'?

Question 3.How long can shift fluency?

Answer all items, then check.
True / False / Not Given
Decide if each statement is True or False

Q1.Native English stresses every word equally.

Q2.The grammar must change to sound fluent.

Q3.Connected speech is mostly about melody and weak forms.

Answer all items, then check.

Listening · Section 6

8–10 min

Fast café chat

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Show transcript

A:What're ya gonna get?

B:Dunno yet. Lemme look at the menu.

A:I'm gonna grab a flat white and maybe a piece of cake.

B:Kinda fancy a sandwich actually. You wanna split one?

A:Yeah, sure. Cheese and tomato?

B:Sounds good. Oh — I gotta get cash. Be back in a sec.

A:No worries, I'll order. Want a coffee too?

B:Yeah, lemme get a cappuccino. Cheers.

Question 1.What does A order?

Question 2.What do they split?

Question 3.Why does B leave?

Answer all items, then check.
Tick what you hear
Tick every fast-speech form you hear.
Answer all items, then check.

Exam skills · Section 7

5 min

Cambridge PET Speaking — pronunciation band

Task

Demonstrate connected speech in a 90-second spoken answer.

Strategy

Examiners score pronunciation partly on RHYTHM. Use full forms in writing, but in speaking aim for: at least 3 contractions (gonna / wanna / gotta), clear weak forms on 'and/of/to/for/a', and linking between vowel + consonant words. Don't drop full clarity — just stop overpronouncing function words.

Example

'I'm gonna talk about_a place I'd love_to visit. I'd say it's gotta be Japan because_I wanna see Kyoto in autumn. Lotta people say it's the best time_of year, and the food's kinda incredible.'

Practice · Section 8

8–10 min

Fill in the blank

Question 1.I'm ____ call you tomorrow.

Question 2.I ____ try that restaurant.

Question 3.I ____ go now, sorry.

Question 4.It's ____ cold today.

Question 5.____ see, where's my key?

Answer all items, then check.
Sentence transformation
Type a short answer (1–3 words)

Q1.Fast-speech form of 'I am going to call':

Q2.Fast-speech form of 'I want to see':

Q3.Fast-speech form of 'I have got to leave':

Answer all items, then check.

Writing · Section 9

5 min

Put it in writing

Your task

Take a formal 100-word text and rewrite it as a casual text message — replace appropriate full forms with gonna / wanna / gotta / kinda / lemme / dunno. Keep it natural, not slang-heavy.

Show model answer

FORMAL: 'I am going to attend the meeting tomorrow. I want to ask a few questions. I have got to leave by 4pm because I want to catch the train.' CASUAL TEXT: 'Hey — I'm gonna come to the meeting tomorrow. Kinda wanna ask a couple of things. Gotta leave by 4 tho, wanna catch the train. Lemme know if 3:30's ok? Dunno your schedule!'

Speaking · Section 10

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

FAST-CAFÉ ROLEPLAY · Pairs. Order food and drinks at a café using gonna/wanna/gotta/kinda at least 6 times each. Speak FAST. Teacher times — 90 seconds total.

Useful phrases

  • • What're ya gonna get?
  • • I wanna try…
  • • I'm gonna grab…
  • • Lemme see…
  • • Kinda fancy…
  • • Gotta go in a sec.
Dialogue completion
Choose the most naturally connected speech.
  • ACoffee or tea?
  • B_______________
  • AWhen are you leaving?
  • B_______________
Answer all items, then check.

Optional · Teacher-led

Teacher Activities

This is the lesson where students 'unlock' fluency. Drill hard. ~30 min total

Homework · Section 11

Take-home

Take it home

speaking

Record yourself reading the reading passage twice — once 'word-by-word', once with contractions and linking.

listening

Listen to a 3-minute YouTube vlog; transcribe every gonna/wanna/gotta you hear.

grammar

Mark 10 weak-form schwas in a written paragraph.

Recap · Section 12

2–3 min

What you've learned

  • Connected speech = contractions + linking + weak forms.
  • Fast forms: gonna / wanna / gotta / kinda / lemme / dunno.
  • Weak forms: and→/ən/, to→/tə/, of→/əv/, a→/ə/.
  • Stress content words, weaken grammar words.
  • Three weeks of daily drilling = noticeable change.
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