by Heather Chetwynd | Dec 2, 2022 | Human Resources
“An accountant at our company says she studied pronunciation previously. Unfortunately, her speech is still unclear. How can she get what she learned into her day-to-day speech?” 1. Develop a short pronunciation practice habit – piggyback it on a habit you already...
by Heather Chetwynd | Nov 24, 2022 | Language Training
https://voicetoword.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/MairzyDoats-animated.mp4 Poems and songs are fun ways to practice clear speech. The following popular 1943 poem called “Mairzy Doats” is the perfect example of linking in English. If you just listen...
by Heather Chetwynd | Jun 28, 2022 | Culture and Values
We understand best those who communicate as we do. What does “communicating like me” mean? What are the variables in communication? Consider these factors: language, accent, volume, vocabulary and expressions, grammar, body language, level of formality, cultural...
by Heather Chetwynd | May 27, 2022 | Accent Modification
Accent training is about adjusting an accent. We all have accents, so terms such as “accent elimination” and “accent reduction” are based on the incorrect assumption that “we” don’t have accents. I prefer to use the terms “accent modification,” “accent adjustment,”...
by Heather Chetwynd | Apr 27, 2022 | Accent Modification
Many things influence how what we say is perceived. (See our recent blog post entitled, 3 Things You Probably Haven’t Considered About Clear Communication.) In that post, I focused primarily on interpretation and cultural assumptions. In this post, I want to focus on...