+ Study

Changing the way you speak begins with understanding how speech is produced. Learn about the structures of the mouth, throat and torso, and how they move and work together to make different kinds of speech sounds. Learn the difference between vowels and consonants. Learn about voiced and unvoiced sounds. Learn about rhythm and stress patterns. Learn about intonation. Learn about gestures and facial expression. Learn, learn, learn...

+ Practice

"Practice" means applying what you've learned. Changing the way you speak means learning new muscle movement patterns. It's similar to learning to play a musical instrument like a guitar, or learning a new sport like tennis. Understanding the theory or "rules of the game" is only part of the process. To progress quickly, you need lessons, coaching and corrective feedback, as well as regular and repeated self-directed practice. Just like with music or sports, you will learn how to practice on your own. Eventually you will begin to use your new skills in daily interactions. During the period you are taking lessons, daily practice is critical (minimum 30 minutes per day - this can be spread over the course of a day). Typically, clients who do their "homework" begin to notice a difference in their spoken English after about 5-6 sessions. Usually, 5-6 more sessions are needed to refine and consolidate skills. With time and attention, new speaking habits will form.

+ Oral Delivery

“Oral” means speaking aloud. “Delivery” means your manner or style of speaking. North Americans use a pace and rhythm that is different from many other languages. Eye contact and use of personal space follow certain conventions as well. Learn to put your listener at ease by adopting elements of North American oral delivery.

+ Voice

English speakers depend on changes in voice quality (or tone), loudness and pitch to signal subtle changes in meaning, and even grammatical information. Learn patterns to signal your underlying message and become skillful at "reading between the lines" when listening to your colleagues. Using English effectively may also require a change in nasal resonance or average pitch for more natural sounding English.

+ Gesture

Speaking clearly partly depends on using gestures and facial expressions that enhance your message. Learn to use facial movements and gestures like native English speakers do!