by Heather Chetwynd | Apr 26, 2024 | Language Training
What is the SCHWA? The SCHWA is the reduced vowel sound in English which makes your language sound more natural, like a native speaker. Each part of the series looks at the role of the schwa in different contexts. Here is a summary of the five parts: 1. English is a...
by Heather Chetwynd | Jan 13, 2023 | Human Resources
“We have an executive who needs some help to refine his English communication skills. He could use some accent modification training and support with clear communication. What factors can influence the success rate of such training?” For best results, the person being...
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 | Aug 5, 2022 | Presentation Skills
Why do we introduce ourselves? We want people to know how to address us. We want to share a bit of information about who we are and what we do so there is a point of connection. We want people to remember us and something about us. Many reasons and many contexts. What...
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,”...