What does improving your communication skills mean?
Improving your communication skills can mean many things, but primarily it means that you recognize the need to raise your oral and/or written skills to present yourself and your ideas more effectively. A program to improve your communication skills may involve any of the following: accent improvement (pronunciation), grammar, or other linguistic features such as word choice, rate of speech, loudness, word stress and intonation and specific writing skills.
What creates an accent?
Everyone speaks with an accent. An accent tells people where you’re from or how many languages you speak. You may speak English with a regional accent or you may speak with an accent because English is not your first language. You may also speak Spanish with an English accent. An accent is the result of language transfer from a native language or dialect into a new language or dialect.
Is it possible to change my accent and other speech patterns?
With practice and motivation, you can learn how to change your speech pronunciation patterns. Changing your accent is called "accent modification or reduction" or "pronunciation training". A linguist who understands the structural components of both the native and the target language can best provide the services to speakers who want to modify or reduce their accent. Accent is not a speech or language disorder, but rather the result of language transfer.
What can I expect from an accent improvement program?
You will receive both a formal and informal evaluation of your individual speech patterns measuring articulation, word stress, intonation, listening, grammar and other language rules. After all of this information has been collected, a program selecting the speech features that will make the most noticeable impact on improving your pronunciation and communication skills will be created based on your needs.
Does everyone who speaks English with an accent need to change it?
No, as noted before, everyone speaks with an accent. Accents only become a problem when they make it difficult for you to be understood. If you are often asked to repeat what you say and experience misunderstandings, modifying your accent will help reduce communication mistakes and help you achieve clearer, more understandable speech.
What kind of training or coaching programs do you offer?
No two training or coaching programs are completely alike. Each individual or group represents the different needs and goals of its speakers. The needs of medical professionals will be different from business executives as both the language and cultural aspects of communication are considered.
What materials do you use?
Materials are selected from various sources including textbooks, audio tapes, CDs, and video. Individual learning styles are considered and materials are adapted to facilitate learning in various modalities. Moreover, a variety of resources and supports are introduced to ensure that training is integrated into practice upon completion.
Will I be required to do homework and how do you determine the number of classes required?
You will be required to work with workplace communication material that is adapted for your individual needs. Your homework is the oral practice that you transfer from training into your work. The number of classes required depends on your goals, your time constraints, and your budget.