Cultural competence is becoming essential in the workplace, especially in a city as multicultural as Toronto is. This was driven home to me recently when I accompanied a friend of Ukrainian origin, who has cancer for the second time, to a doctor’s appointment to...
In Canadian English, there are several ways to pronounce the letter /T/. This depends on where the letter is in the word and whether it begins a stressed syllable or not. If so, the sound is sharp and has quite a bit of air. But what about the /T/ between two vowels...
I have often heard the pronunciation stereotype for Canadians which states we pronounce the word “about” as “aboot.” But I always wondered where that came from since I certainly had never heard that. And recently, I came across the following...
You CAN learn to speak clearly and be better understood when you speak English. Do you have difficulties understanding and/or being understood? The ability to participate comfortably in a conversation depends upon language and context. Understanding the culture, being...
Power words are those that create an impact. For example, I can say, “This training will really help you improve your communication skills.”. Or I can say, “This training will significantly improve your communication skills.” The second...
