Refine your communication skills and express yourself more clearly in an English-speaking environment.
Pronouncing T – Practice the poem with the audio
Pronouncing T varies between languages. For example, where the tongue makes contact with the top of the mouth varies, as does the angle of the tongue and the air expelled. In this poem, the T sounds are primarily made at the beginning of the words. In this case, the T...
The Difference between V and W – Practice with the Audio
The letters V and W are often confused because of related lip movements. But they are very different for two reasons: when making a W, the air moves freely and the teeth are not involved, whereas when we make a V, the air is blown between the teeth and lip, creating...
How Attitudes May Affect Comprehension
In Canada, many people are not used to hearing a variety of accents, especially in less urban environments. Even in Toronto, one of the most multicultural cities in the world, many native speakers mix almost entirely with other native speakers and, therefore, do not...
Poems for Pronunciation – Why Computers Sometimes Crash!
AUDIO-Why Computers Sometimes Crash This poem sounds like it has been written by the children's author, Dr. Seuss. Apparently it is anonymous but it sure sounds like him. His poems are great for pronunciation practice. Try reading it aloud along with the attached...
Mares Eat Oats – Practice Linking with the Audio File
One of the more difficult parts of learning English is being able to distinguish where a word starts and where it ends. Why is this? Because in English, we link our words, joining the end of one word with the beginning of the next. Linking (which also happens in other...
The line between teaching and coaching: The GRADE approach
Over the years, we noticed that some clients made very noticeable progress. These were motivated clients with strong learning habits. They were fascinated with language and creative in finding ways to fit their practice into their busy lives. They focused in class,...
How to integrate what you learn into your active communication: The “MAKE IT YOUR OWN” Process
I’ve seen that many people obtain knowledge from our English training sessions (and other types of training as well) but not all integrate what was learned. The missing piece is making it your own! How to integrate what you learn into your daily communication To learn...
Learning Idioms from Honest Ed’s – 1948-2016
Most cities have their landmarks. In Toronto, we have one that was sold after the death of its owner, Ed Mirvish. A poor immigrant to Toronto in the 1920s, he built a discount store in 1948 that catered to immigrants and the working class, delighting passersby with...
Why do people come to Voice to Word and for what?
“Working in the C-suite obliged me to refine my speech and presentation skills.”“I knew that I needed to improve my English to further develop my career...”“I often experienced prejudice because of my accent, as if I were unsophisticated…”“He is too direct and speaks...
How Soft Skills & Cultural Conditioning Influence your Job Prospects
We learn our soft skills from the environments we grow up in and experience – family, culture, friends, school, etc.. Inappropriate or insufficient soft skills - ranging from not understanding culturally appropriate communication to not being able to express words...