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Accent reduction

learn to speak with an American Accent

An accent, or “the emphasis given to a syllable or word in speech by stress or pitch” can stand in the way of communicating well with other speakers.

Accent reduction is also known as accent modification. It relates to the journey a person takes to get rid of their own native accent or dialect. This can be necessary when trying to communicate to someone in a different country.

Oftentimes people who speak English as a second language but read a lot, study vocabulary and listen to in order go comprehend, still struggle to speak with a native English speaker. They fear their accent and pronunciation mistakes will stop them from being understood.

Oral exercises can help with this.

Reading aloud, giving presentations and conversations all improve language. Essentially it is important to build self-confidence to participate confidently when talking with others.

If your accent is hindering your ability to communicate in your workplace you may want to apply yourself to some accent reduction classes. These will help the tone of your speech, your pronunciation and also with which areas of words you stress or emphasise.

There are many techniques to help you achieve a better communication results.

How?

The process helps people neutralise their accent with a special emphasis on those wanting to speak with an American accent.

The process applies wherever you are, for example if you wanted to do this to be able to speak with an American, English, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand accent a coach can help you.

Our coaches specialise in the American accent.

Accent coaches offer classes for businesses and individuals to help with this.

Training

This normal starts with an analysis of your speech patterns and according to your goal can help you adopt the accent you need.

Accents have their own distinct sounds and nations once that were once connected to England have now developed their own styles, idioms, emphasis and rhythms.

Reduction or Elimination?

Your accent makes you who you are – you don’t need to get rid of it. Accent reduction is only necessary where your accent interferes with important communication.

The whole focus of reduction is to make sure your can communicate well in both social settings and at work.

The Benefits

People with English as a second language who regularly converse with native English speakers will find reduction beneficial.

Confidence is important in communication and not being understood can be frustrating.

The Best Approach

Training with an Accent Coach is ideal.

If you want to speak with an American accent, for example, a coach is the best person to help you.

Businesses will find that hiring an Accent Coach is the best way to train a group of employees.

Accent Coaches

After analysing your speech they will work on your ability to speak

They will help focus the way you pronounce your words to the American way if speaking American is your goal

Coaches help with confidence because you have someone to practise with.

They can increase your confidence when speaking in front of others, at work or at outside social gatherings.

You can trust that they know what they are doing.

Corporate Training

Hiring the right coaches can help businesses in many ways.

Communication improves and therefore professional development improves.

We can connect you with expert advisers that are affordable and guarantee satisfaction

Teaching Methodologies

There are a number of key methods used in accent reduction

The process of Accent Reduction is quite complex. It is also different with every individual. Depending on personal learning styles, one might prefer using the phonetic alphabet over technology etc. Trainers can help individuals understand their learning style and direct them to the best teaching methods.

An Accent Reduction investment is one that will provide a lifetime of benefits. It will help you avoid miscommunication problems and remove the confidence struggler for those speaking publicly.

Imitation

This involves repeating words and sounds and sentences or phrases. Listening to yourself speak helps to improve your pronunciation and your patterns of speech.

Pronunciation Exercises

These put particular emphasis on sounds and the ways you stress different parts of words. It also focuses on tone. Oftentimes the way you move your tongue and the way you breathe can impact the sound you make. Voice projection also helps you focus on what you are saying.

Phonetic Symbols

There is such a thing as The Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) which sets out the sounds of languages. We use this to help with pronunciation.

Practise

We use both audio and video to help you practise listening and speaking. Also engaging in conversation with native speakers.

Feedback

We offer feedback and opportunities to self-reflect and self-assess your progress. These times help you identify where you need to improve.

Naturalistic

Surrounding learners with people in the target language or particular cultural group they want to communicate better with is very beneficial. Immersion programs help with this, as does actually living in the target country.

Technology

Speech recognition software, mobile phone apps, online courses are all available to help you practise your speech skills.

Goals

If you want a perfect American accent that can bee applied to every area of your life our courses are for you.
We want you to be confident in communication, knowing your are clearly understood.

Getting a perfect accent fast

Teaching the American Accent includes removing all unnecessary and redundant emphasis so that you can learn the most important elements of the language.
This is not an intellectual exercise.
We use a mix of drills and technical knowledge to help you speak naturally and with ease.
We want you to be able to speak without having to think about every word. This way you can focus on what you are actually speaking about and not on every word.
We offer a course that will give you confidence wherever you are.

WHO?

Who needs this course?

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The Course Is For Everyone Who Wants To Be Able To Speak With An American Accent.

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The type of work you are in does not matter, we help with every day language speaking skills that are applicable to all fields of business.

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The course is relevant for improving presentations, phone conversations, meetings, hosting events, doing voice-overs and acting.

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Learning outcomes

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You learn a set of fool-proof drills that will hone you accent skills.

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You will learn to adjust your accent in order to feel comfortable among natural American speakers.

Advanced Techniques

Business English Courses

If you need English for your job or carrier then a Business English course is for you.

It will help improve your communication in professional environments.

The course has 4 sections:

Business English Basics

• Daily words • Interview English • Conversations with colleagues • Making phone calls • Giving presentations

Business English Intermediate Topics

• English for meetings and negotiation • Networking and small talk • Letters and Emails • Improving written and spoken English

English for specific business areas

• For management and customer service • Finance, retail and marketing • Vocabulary for Manufacturing & Safety

Business English Specialisations

• Technology or medical fields • Legal and environment • Non-profit organisation • Entrepreneurs

Who is this course for:

This course is for those who have an intermediate level of English as a second language and also for professionals who are working in multi-national companies. It is also useful for university students that will need English in the future.

The world of business expects people to be able to communicate confidently and well.

English still dominates international business and non native speakers recognise the importance of improving their speaking skills.

Good communication in business is vital.

"Negotiate with Confidence After Business ESL"

Confidence is an important aspect of negotiation. If you want to progress up the corporate ladder then it is important that you speak well, communicate with confidence and understand the content of meetings so that you can fully participate.

You need to be understood and you need to understand what is happening. Negotiation involves communicating well with business colleagues, partners and companies in order to reach an agreement.

It involves making suggestions, hearing responses and evaluating both to develop a strong response. You need to appear confident. You also need the other person to understand your input and recognise your opinion as valuable.

Business conversations are often fast paced and can include a lot of small details. Understanding what everyone in the room is saying is vital for success. We can help.

You learn to communicate well with native English speaking business professionals. Business ESL prepares people to participate at a high level of communication and negotiation. We will help you develop your English language skills, present your ideas clearly and also pay attention to what the other person is saying.

These skills are essential for successful business operations. They are also essential for building a career in international fields. You should be able to feel comfortable with expressing yourself in business meetings and other group settings. We will help you translate your ideas into clear and easily understood sentences.

Mindi

Teacher

Teaching Methods

There are several methods:

Task based approaches

These focus on the practical, on real life business scenarios and tasks. For example, negotiation, making presentations, holding meetings

Role-play and simulation

This involves placing learners in simulated business situations and having them practise their language skills.

Discussion and debate

Group discussions and debate on business related topics. For example, current events, industry trends, business strategies… These are to develop critical thinking and communication skills.

Presentations

This method gives learners opportunities to give presentations on a business related topic. This could be for individuals or groups.

Business writing

Focus here is on developing writing skills for business communication. For example, emails, reports, proposals

Vocabulary building

Create a glossary of words used in business. For example, technical jargon, idioms …. It may also include activities and word games

Business culture / customs

Focus on the cultural and social aspects of business communication with an emphasis on cross cultural differences. Etiquette and non verbal communication are also useful here.