Three of the Most Commonly Mispronounced English Sounds for Chinese Speakers
Three of the Most Commonly Mispronounced English Sounds for Chinese Speakers In Asia, the number of English-users has surpassed 350 million, equal to the number of people who live in countries where English is the dominant language: the United States, Britain, and Canada. More Chinese children now study English — about 100 million — than there are Britons. […]
Pauses In A Presentation, Part Two
Pauses In A Presentation, Part Two For your weekly dose of clear English coaching, we have a weekly speech tip video below. Do you want to know a brilliant tactic for pausing at the beginning of a presentation? 1. Brilliantly effective is this: When you are first introduced, upon arriving at the podium or your location of delivery, take a […]
Three Most Commonly Mispronounced English Sounds for Spanish Speakers
Three Most Commonly Mispronounced English Sounds for Spanish Speakers Nearly 20% of Americans speak a different language at home. About 47% of the foreign-born population are Hispanic. The Latino population has doubled since 1990. Florida is home to the third-highest total of Latinos, or 22.8 percent of the state’s population. California and Texas are home […]
Pauses In A Presentation, Part One
Pauses In A Presentation, Part One If you are an ESLer, your audience welcomes pauses in a presentation. If it is a lengthy pause of more than two seconds, smile at them, so they won’t think you forgot what to say next. 1. Pauses give the audience time to process words when they are said in accented English. 2. […]
American Accent Training: What does it take to make a habit?
American Accent Training: What does it take to make a habit? How do you form a habit? Neuroscientists tell us it takes doing a new pattern a thousand times before we make a neural trace in our brains. Neuroscientists tell us it takes 70 days of practice every day to change a habit. They say it […]
A Powerful Point of View for Presentations
A Powerful Point of View for Presentations Remember this: “The presentation is a moment of truth for the presenter. We can’t hide. We are exposed, for better or worse. The listeners decide whether they like us, believe us, trust us, and perceive whether we are secure in ourselves and confident in what we are saying.” — Kevin Daley […]
What Practical Real Life Difference Will an Increase in Intelligibility Make?
What Practical Real Life Difference Will an Increase in Intelligibility Make? Everybody wants people to grasp what they say, so a high intelligibility score is better than a low score. It is a no-brainer. Speaking accurate English sounds and words makes life much better for the speaker and the listener! Recall the range of scores for our […]
Stand Still and Watch Your Confidence Grow During Presentations!
Stand Still and Watch Your Confidence Grow During Presentations! You may have a picture in your mind of a speaker pacing back and forth while holding the eyes of everyone on him. But walking around just gets in the way of your voice clearly ringing in the ears of your listeners. 1. You look […]
Careers- Getting Hired— Don’t Forget the Cover Letter
Careers- Getting Hired— Don’t Forget the Cover Letter Cover letter—Get a competitive edge with a cover letter. Cover letters are a graceful way to introduce yourself, express your personality, and impress a hiring manager with your experience and writing skills. A bonus for you: You can tailor the cover letter to a specific company in […]
How Does an Audience Impact a Speaker?
How Does an Audience Impact a Speaker? 1. You walk to the front of the room and turn to face the audience. Your instincts say to scan the audience. Your eyes almost wander by themselves. But that makes a feeling of nervousness. You get an extra jolt of adrenaline. Your thoughts get jumbled; your mind can go […]