by Heather Chetwynd | Apr 11, 2025 | Business Communications
In today’s global business landscape, refining how we assert our voice is crucial. For high-level non-native English speakers, the challenge isn’t just about mastering vocabulary or grammar—it’s about being heard, understood, and respected. Women, in...
by Heather Chetwynd | Mar 28, 2025 | Accent Modification
How realistic is it to completely eliminate a foreign accent? The honest answer: it’s very unlikely. While it’s possible to soften an accent and improve clarity, eliminating it entirely is an enormous challenge—even for highly trained actors. Why? Because accent...
by Heather Chetwynd | May 24, 2024 | Language Training
If you’ve been watching my latest video series, you’ll understand that the schwa refers to the reduced vowel sound which English speakers use everywhere. But did you know that this reduction can also affect complete words that are not stressed in a sentence? As the...
by Heather Chetwynd | May 17, 2024 | Language Training
Why is the schwa so important? As the most common vowel sound in the English language, the schwa can sometimes tell you if a word is a noun or a verb. Did you know RE-cord (the noun) is pronounced differently than re-CORD (the verb)? And there are many like that....
by Heather Chetwynd | May 10, 2024 | Language Training
In this video, we introduce you to shifting stress related to changing the suffix – for example pho-TO-graphy vs photo-GRA-phic. I know it can be a lot to take in but if you watch the entire series, hopefully it will all come together. I suggest that you also watch...