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(416) 535-VtoW (8869)Phrasal Verbs & Stress
This is the third in a series of articles based on excerpts from a presentation made by Heather Chetwynd at the ING Cafe in downtown Toronto in Fall 2012. Please watch out for more upcoming posts based on the variety of topics that were covered at that event....
Idioms & Culture
This is the second in a series of articles based on excerpts from a presentation made by Heather Chetwynd at the ING Cafe in downtown Toronto in Fall 2012. Please watch out for more upcoming posts based on the variety of topics that were covered at that event....
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS: Taking a Risk
I recently went with some colleagues to walk around the edge of the CN Tower, about 350 meters high. They call it 'The Edge Walk' and, while it may not actually be risky - you are tied in pretty tight! - it certainly feels risky. (Check out the photos and a video clip...
CULTURE & COMMUNICATION Part 3
This follows up on the previous 2 postings drawing on edited excerpts from an interview with Voice to Word Director and Trainer, Heather Chetwynd, and Trainer Mark Prince. This interview (which can be heard in full on our resource page) focused on pronunciation for...
CULTURE & COMMUNICATION Part 2
This follows up on the previous posting drawing on edited excerpts from an interview with Voice to Word Director and Trainer, Heather Chetwynd, and Trainer Mark Prince. This interview (which can be heard in full on our resource page) focused on pronunciation for...
CULTURE & COMMUNICATION Part 1
The following excerpts are edited from an interview with Voice to Word Director and Trainer, Heather Chetwynd, and Trainer Mark Prince. In this interview (with the Chinese Professional Association for Canada - CPAC - which can be heard in full on our resource page,)...
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS: Part 2 – Giving Feedback and Making Requests
In the last post, I discussed how Canadians tend to collaborate in the workplace and work together in teams. This post continues on the same theme of appropriate workplace communication as it relates to giving feedback and making requests. Just as our concept of...
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS: Part 1 – Working Together
Communicating in a culturally appropriate manner can be a tricky thing to learn for all of us. Culture, after all, is an elaborate code consisting of thousands of subtle micro-elements. We all would do well to remember that, when someone from a distinct cultural group...
SPEAKING CLEARLY – Music & Accent – Part 2: Rhythm & Musicality
In Music & Accent-Part 1-Transitioning between Sounds, I discussed how learning to adjust your accent is very similar to learning to play an instrument. I focused on how to create smooth transitions using a technique commonly applied to music studies. This posting...
SPEAKING CLEARLY – Music & Accent – Part 1: Transitioning between sounds
Learning to adjust your accent is a lot like learning to play an instrument. We need to fine tune listening skills, exercise muscles that aren’t used much, smooth out transitions between sounds, add dynamics, etc. And, very importantly, it takes focus, repetition and...
