I went to a conference in August and spoke with someone of a multinational computer company. When it came to my talking about what I offer, namely global-English speaking skills (a.k.a. English pronunciation & accent modification) training, he shook my hand and said that I will soon be replaced by smart computers. Computers which translate out loud, vocally, real-time during meetings & presentations. Intelligibility in spoken English, today’s business lingua franca, will no longer matter. There will be no language barriers.
The previous day, I received an email from an educational support unit in Chicago. They explained that they are using Native Accent, an English pronunciation software package, to take the place of any face-to-face training with their international speakers of English. Isn’t Native Accent enough?
Native Accent is a great product, don’t get me wrong. I’m currently examining it along with Talk Shop and Pronunciation Power. I’m looking for a product to supplement my face-to-face training/coaching (in-person & videoconference) & online dedicated training space (core text with mini-lectures, daily workbook-style practice pages, and content videos). I’m hoping to incorporate Native Accent, Talk Shop, or Pronunciation Power into my programs so that my clients can focus on very specific sounds with repetitive and structured computer-generated exercises.
Computers are great for this (and many other tasks), but I’d argue that they are not enough when it comes to communication training. This training needs a bit of Matcha Love, that of other people and real-time communication, to execute the practice.
Join us in the Chicago Loop
Click HERE to learn more about our upcoming 8-week Global-English Speaking Skills program from April 7-June 2. Thursdays, 6-8 pm.
