What's YOUR accent?

The USA is a land of many accents. Accents are usually fine, in my opinion, as long as people can communicate easily. When an accent is so strong that it impedes communication, people pay more attention to HOW you talk, not what you say. That's when you need help. So, what kind of American accent do YOU have? Check this fun (and surprisingly accurate)quiz! If you have a strong accent, research is showing that it can impact your career even if you are working in the same community in which you were raised. One reason is that you communicate today with people from all over the country, and often the world. Whether they moved to your community, you give a presentation in another part of the country or online, you talk on YouTube, or you speak with others on the telephone, a strong accent can be an impediment to careers in many cases. An easy way to hear how standard English is spoken is to listen to an anchor on a national television station when he gives the news. Pay special attention to how he or she says word endings and vowels. If you want to work on your diction yourself, the concise e-book Diction Makes A Difference has many exercises to try. It is designed primarily for those with strong American regional accents. If you have a strong accent from another language, try the mp3 series, Pronounce American English More Clearly! Great speech makes business sense! Listen to how you speak - others are!

Speech improvement training for non-natives who already speak English

A big concern of many professionals who speak English as a second language is whether they are pronouncing it correctly. Many have learned it from teachers who speak British English.
Thus, they say "schedule" as "shedule" instead of "skedule", and other different patterns of pronunciation and sometimes grammar.

These professionals often worry about their pronunciation, as they may get many confused looks from some listeners, especially those who do not know them well.

Intensive training in American English pronunciation patterns can make speech considerably better in as little as 3 days. Business Speech Improvement offers a seminar on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals. Individual coaching and e-books are also offered.