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Assessing Pronunciation – Vowels & Consonants
When I do a pronunciation assessment, I look at three key areas. The first two are the ones that come to mind when most people think about pronunciation. These are the individual sounds - also called “phonemes” or “segmentals” - the vowels and consonants. The other...
Coaching people from other cultural & linguistic backgrounds
The North American concept of personal space Many coaches working in English-speaking environments were born and raised in another cultural and/or linguistic environment. And the reverse is also true, especially in Toronto, where roughly 50% of the population was not...
When communication issues are “all about me”
In my 20s, I learned to speak Spanish with a wave of refugees from South America. I just “hung out” and took a few lessons, sang in a small Latin folk band and eventually married a Chilean refugee. Because I had never properly studied Spanish or lived in a...
CLEAR SPEECH: Improve your Chances for Promotion
Do people seem to find it difficult to understand you when you speak? Do they often ask you to repeat yourself? Do they look like they are really concentrating to understand you? Whether your perception is true or not, being able to participate comfortably in a...
THE INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY: Use the power of your mind to successfully refine your English communication skills
The way we communicate and the way we learn are both inextricably linked to our brain and psychology. Our identity, beliefs, assumptions, emotional addictions, thinking patterns, etc. all contribute to our learning success. One example - over your life you have...
MINDSET & LEARNING SUCCESS: Take responsibility, get used to discomfort & use your creativity
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way." - Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning A while back, I received a call from someone who was...
Singing and pronunciation – Learn why they go together!
Singing is a wonderful way to improve your pronunciation. Here's an article which talks about the many ways you can use it to improve the pronunciation of individual sounds, linking and reduction and the general rhythm of the language. Later you can read more on this...
How the Brits see Canada
Here's an article on how many British citizens view Canada. An interesting comentary on how we are seen in the mother country! How the Brits see Canada What does the world think about us? This question is pondered by many Canadians, and often leads to us exaggerating...
Developing Cultural Awareness – Looking Another Culture in the Eye
Here's a personal take on developing cultural awareness. Looking Another Culture in the Eye I was born and raised in Minnesota, but as an adult I have mostly lived in Europe and Africa. I teach cross-cultural management at the international business school Insead,...
Canadian accent is shifting, changing how we pronounce words
I am always correcting my daughter's pronunciation of MILK which always sounds like MELK. It is a losing battle since I realize that language changes and clearly the Canadian accent is shifting. I just hadn't realized that MILK is one of those words. The shift is...
