Have you been struggling with how to pronounce the th sound? Ask any American how to pronounce the /th/ sounds (yes, there are 2 of them) and they’ll tell you to put your tongue between your upper & lower front teeth. Even speech professionals are out there telling you to do this. In the google results of “How to Pronounce the …
Some American-English sounds are challenging for speakers who don’t call English their first language. Do you want to know why? Did you ever wonder why it’s so hard to use an American accent when using English as a 2nd or 3rd language? Because each of English’s 26 letters doesn’t represent only 1 sound in Standard American English. Let me explain: …
American Accent–Are You Making These 3 Common Pronunciation Mistakes? Read More »
To get what you need out of life you need to speak smoothly. In the last blog post, we talked about the 3 critical steps to speaking well in high-anxiety situations (like interviews, presentations, venture capital meetings, client meetings, small talk, etc.) They were: Be relaxed. We perform better at everything we do when we’re comfortable, and speaking is no …
They are the number 1 requirement on nearly every job description. They become more & more critical as we climb the ladder within our firms. How are your communication skills? Be honest with yourself. Are you concise & convincing or do you ramble on? Do people love your ideas & act on them immediately or are you misunderstood or (God-forbid!) …
In the last article we talked about front resonance vs back resonance. That you have to place the focus of air vibration over the back of your tongue instead of in the front of your mouth. And you were like, “What the heck is Ita talking about!?” I’m talking about using a magnetic voice!The use of front resonance is all bad. It …
For 20 years, I’ve been giving people completely Standard American English accents in a relatively short time. (Usually less than 10 sessions.) For some reason, I’m still reading articles claiming that you can’t get rid of your accent unless you’re very young. (FYI, my oldest client was 82!) Do you want to know how to get rid of your accent? …
The Ultimate Trick to Getting Rid of Your Accent Read More »
I notice on my social media accounts that occasionally people become offended when they hear the words, “Accent Reduction” or “Obtain an American Accent.” I get that. I don’t want people to blend in. People shouldn’t all be the same. That’s what “accent reduction” implies, right? You can speak with an American accent and not sound like everyone else! Get …
Why do we speak? Why did humans develop communication skills, to begin with? In general, we talk because we need something. We need our basic needs met; we need to survive in life. And today, that means succeeding in our workplaces. What do we need at work? We need people to think we’re smart. We need people to believe that …
Yes, you can get rid of your accent & obtain a standard American accent. The debate as to whether you can obtain an American accent is over. It’s easy. But you’re probably doing it wrong. Have no fear! We’ll straighten this right up 🙂 How to Obtain an American Accent Don’t over-articulate. Contrary to popular belief, don’t move your face and …
Obtaining an American Accent is Not What You Think Read More »
Padma wanted to get rid of her accent for a variety of reasons. One being that she hated when everyone asked her, “Where are you from?” as soon as she opened her mouth to speak. Another reason was that she knew that people had to work too hard to understand her & that it was limiting her prospects at work. …
