Foreign accent modification training: the challenge in the southern USA

Many non-native professionals in the USA who speak English are frustrated by their difficulty pronouncing American English clearly. In their native countries, they report, work groups are expected to do whatever is needed to help workers do better, which may include helping them speak more clearly if needed.

In the Southern USA, many employers are hesitant to bring up the topic of unclear speech, fearing a possible discrimination lawsuit or that the worker will at the least be offended and possibly resign.

The result is the worker is left wondering why no-one cares to help him, and the company is hesitant to offer accent modification training services.

There are two ways to resolve this. Employees who want this help need to ask their Human Resource or Training and Development Department if the company will pay for this training. If the company chooses to offer the training, it should be done by explaining the impact unclear speech has on the department or company, and offering this training as an option if the employee wants it. (An unmotivated employee will learn very little, if anything.) The company can also offer this training to all employees who request it, so it is not limited to specific ones.

Business Speech Improvement offers many types of verbal skills training, from intensive seminars in American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals to regional accent modification, seminars on how to speak slower for those who talk too fast and need help to improve, and more!

Body Language and Photos

Many people post professional and personal photos of themselves online. They want to seem inviting in a business or personal sense, but their bodies are telling others the opposite story.

The pose many people use is to fold their arms across their chests. This shows defensiveness to Americans, as if the person is not open to new ideas. Others put their hands in their pockets, as if they are hiding something. It is much better to have your hands at your sides. This implies openness to new invitations. If you must do something with your hands, have one hand hold something. If you already have a photo posted with a defensive posture, today is the day to make a more friendly one!
If your photo is for professional purposes, make it look professional. Wedding photos, photos of you with your significant other or cute child, or photos of you with your pet are not appropriate, unless of course you are in the wedding business, match-making business, are a school director or run a pet-related business.
If making small talk is also an issue, Small Talk:Connecting with Others is a concise e-book with numerous practical tips. Individual coaching is also available.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, as well as body language. Individual coaching, small group open enrollment courses and valuable e-books are all available!

Dealing with someone in emotional distress

What is the best thing you can do to help a co-worker, friend, neighbor or other person who is grieving? Often it is to express your sympathy, be quiet, and then simply listen. Use non-verbal language
(eye contact, nodding or other facial expressions, lean forward to show interest), and let the other person talk it out. Depending on the situation, this may need to be done many times. We all grieve differently.

When the person is calm, it may be time to paraphrase some of the essential details in a non-judgmental way if the situation is not due to a death but to an accident or another event. Eventually, the person may be ready to move on to necessary action relating to the event.

Many companies have qualified counselors on staff, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or some other resource if that is needed. If the person dealing with grief changes behaviors drastically or threatens to harm himself or others, professional counseling should be sought immediately for the survivor. If a person was cared for by a hospice, trained counselors may be available to the family. However, often a listening ear, and time, show that someone cares.

What Do Your Customers/Patients Learn from Your Receptionist?

Your receptionist is a public relations specialist for your office. Prospective and current clients, customers and vendors see her attitude and wonder how it mirrors those of the rest of your staff. What is your receptionist conveying?

Memorable visits to professional offices showed one receptionist loudly complaining on the telephone to a friend about her job and another one giving directions to the office to a new client while gesturing to current ones lined up to see her that the telephone caller was crazy. What goes on in your reception area?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal communication skills. Convey the most professional image: check out the training options in coaching and e-books today!

Poor communication in professional offices: your examples

As a client or patient in an attorney's, accountant's, physician's or other professional's office, what are the best and worst examples you have experienced of communication there?
What great communication would have made you want to nominate such an office (or one employee there) for an award for excellent communication? Conversely, what happened that made you think "Don't they ever communicate with people?"


Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills.

How to communicate easier with someone with a hearing loss

Communicating with People with a Hearing Loss
It takes people seven years on average to realize they have a hearing loss, and some people are not helped by hearing aids. It is better to assume someone has a hearing loss if they stare at your lips, give an answer that may not be appropriate to the question asked, turn their head slightly so their "good ear" is aimed at your mouth, or do better at answering written than spoken questions.

"What did you say?"is a valuable e-book to help others communicate more effectively with a person with a hearing loss.

Business Speech Improvement can also develop specific tip-sheets for your business or industry on communicating more effectively with your customers or employees who may have a hearing impairment, and teach lip-reading and related skills.

Training or Draining: How are listeners doing?

When you give a seminar, how are you in keeping your learners focused? Is there so much information being presented that listeners are overwhelmed? Are listeners drained from being an an uninspiring presentation or one given with a mono-tonal speaker?

Adult learning theory teaches that activities should change every 20 minutes or so. Some activities need to involve more than just reading and writing; create interaction with role-plays, physical activities or other techniques.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal communication. Presentation skills (including doing training), accent modification, executive and sales communication are among the topics covered. E-books are also offered. Visit us today!