Pronunciation ChallengeThe internet's second revolution | The Economist

[Transcript]

Intro：
G’day VoiceTubers, I’m your host Jenny. Today, let’s talk about the internet! The internet age started back in the 1960s but it wasn’t until the late 1990s when the ‘World Wide Web’ made the internet extremely popular. Half the world is now online...but that half is primarily from the more developed countries. Our video explains the second internet revolution which refers to when the rest of the world joins in. You will also see how companies have improved internet accessibility, making it more user-friendly for those with low-cost mobile devices. Today, no matter who you are or where you’re from, everyone is encouraged to use the internet. We all share the same online experiences - we can interact on Facebook, scroll through pictures on Instagram, watch videos on YouTube, and so on.

Now let’s listen to the sentence of the day -

I’m going to start with the slower version first :
[1’33’’]
The Internet was built on the assumptions that many users speak English, are literate and media-savvy.

Here are some pronunciation tips:
Internet -
Sometimes when a native speaker speaks quickly they drop the T sound at the end so 'in-ter-net' could sound like 'IN-tuh-ned.'.
It’s a very soft ‘t’ sound
In-tuh-ned.

And next up,
Users speak -
It’s ok to connect the two Ss here.
User-s-peak
“...many users speak English.”

Let’s listen to the sentence again at normal speed：
[2’17’’]　
The Internet was built on the assumptions that many users speak English, are literate and media-savvy.

Here are the vocabulary words:
Assumption (n.) KK: əˋsʌmpʃən IPA: /əˈsʌmp.ʃən/
something that you accept as true without question or proof

e.g. I made the assumption that he didn’t want to come, so I was surprised when he showed up.


Literate (adj.) KK: ˋlɪtərɪt IPA: /ˈlɪt̬.ɚ.ət/
able to read and write

e.g. The young girl is literate, already reading and writing at a young age.


media-savvy (adj.) KK: ˋmidɪəˋsævɪ IPA: ˈmiː.di.ə ˈsæv.i
having a good understanding of the influence of the internet, newspapers, television, etc. and how to use it effectively.

e.g. Social media-savvy restaurants post special deals on Facebook.

savvy (n.) /ˈsæv.i/
practical knowledge and ability

e.g. She has political savvy.


[3'32]
Outro:

Since the coronavirus outbreak, many students around the world have relied on the internet to continue their studies. I personally rely on the internet very much as well - everyday, I use online stores to shop for almost everything and anything. I communicate with my clients through emails and instant messaging, I like to share pictures and details of my life with friends and families on social media, since we cannot see each other as often as we like, and I also enjoy listening to my favourite audio shows online, as what you’re doing right now!

Okay, I’d like to thank you for participating in today’s pronunciation challenge. After sharing your recording of the sentence of the day, why don’t you leave a comment below and let me know what you love doing on the internet!

That’s it for today guys, I’m Jenny and see you around!

The internet was built on the assumption that many users speak English, are literate and media-savvy