Three of my most recent clients (an executive, IT specialist, and lawyer) shared that they had at one time or another bought an accent reduction or English pronunciation book with CDs to help them improve their spoken English. They had managed to get through graduate school in the States or Canada, but now their job performance depended even more on their spoken English. It was critical that their colleagues, staff, team leaders, and/or clients understood their spoken English.
They would sit down with the book when they could. They listened to the practice & repeat recordings in their cars or on the El (Chicago subway/train) everyday. They felt the books and recordings were helpful, but not helpful enough. They needed additional guidance, a more personalized approach. (Contact CommuniClear Global now or keep reading!)
I believe that the process for modifying one’s first language accent in spoken English is a very involved process. It realistically requires more than “listen & repeat.” When speaking spontaneously during meetings, the speaker is realistically focusing on the information and listener, not on word stress and sentence intonation.
For accent modification/speech training to show its results in real-time talk, the training participant needs personalized guidance, focused practice tasks, and ongoing feedback. He or she also needs to commit to a daily practice routine. I’ve noticed that those who tell me they practice 10-15 minutes/day improve more steadily in real-time talk than those who practice two hours in one session before our next training session.
In the words of one client:
“Sarah’s wealth of experience is unparalleled and without her personalized guidance I would not have been able to improve as much as I had. I tried using accent modification books prior to working with Sarah and it wasn’t working (for me) at all. I am an attorney and in my profession good communication skills are crucial to not only convey the legal knowledge, but also to build trust with clients. I was able to apply the newly acquired skills at work and the difference was noticeable.”
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