"Structure" or mishearing

Question

Hi dear friends. There is a quiestion. I have watched the video and however, there is a text of a speech below, I'm still a bit confused. Will you be kind to check the pronouncation and make out a mistake? I hope there is one.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/01252008/watch4.html

19:13. "But, you know, the social structure in these little towns are(How is it possible?) very important." That's what is written.

"But, you know, the social structures ~~structure~~ in these little towns are very important." That's what I hear.

Am I right?

Thanks in advance.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I noticed the same thing in the Virginla graduation speech. His brain sometimes gets ahead of his tongue. You heard what he said correctly. He seems impatient at having to say all those little words. He's thinking so far ahead of his mouth, that when he changes his mind he forgets to go back and correct his mouth.

Sometimes we put our mouths on auto pilot, and the mouth executes simple routines like "these little towns are very important" without being monitored by the brain. (a gross oversimplification, I'm sure you realize)

You may have observed that his speaking style is completely different from that of his host. I doubt he would make that error on paper.

Zerox · Answer

Yes, these kind of things are not really that rare. One makes errors in speech which one would not do in paper. Flow of speech is not something you have really prepared. We non-natives, for example, say 'sheeps' quite often, or at least I have encountered this.

Fandorin · Answer

Hi Avangi. I simply dismissed that way of speaking and now you've reminded it to me. That's because I'm not native. Yes, I'm absolutely agree with you that people often talk so vigorously they simply forget the words have been spit out. Sometimes, I behave myself the same way, especially when there is much to say and, you know, I want to say something faster that I can.

His host seems to be completely different, right

But I wouldn't say John is a man of the opposite character, exactly saying " of a way of communicating". But when the talk came to politics, I was really astonished. Almost during every speech, John does not speak much, prefers to keep thinking and weighing every word and he used to give almost no interviews at all.

Avangi I doubt he would make that error on paper.

I guess he does not have the ghost of a chance of doing it.

Thank you, Avangi.

Fandorin · Answer

Thank you Zerox.

"Structure" or mishearing

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