One of the great dangers of workplace email communication occurs when the recipient assumes that the impression left on them was intended by its author. But this is often not the case. In fact, the writing itself can, at times, send a message that the writer of the email never intended.

No more is this true than for non-Native English speakers both as e-mail recipients and composers– as if business communication were not nuanced enough for the average user. Without adequate knowledge of cultural cues (and this applies just as much to Native English speakers who may need deeper cultural awareness and sensitivity when receiving e-mails from non-Native English cohorts), false assumptions are likely to be made in generous proportion.

Consider the damage caused by the following miscommunication between two colleagues at a US based strategy consultancy. Liz and Igor, both mid-level managers, have enjoyed a mostly collaborative and transparent relationship. Liz has been at the firm 5 years and Igor just started 6 months ago. Everything was going fine until Igor writes the following email …

Liz,

Since I haven’t heard back from you yet on the protocol, I thought I would follow up. The issue with the accrual is still in active status of course. What happened?

We found that having the database re-indexed has corrected some issues before. Let me know when that gets corrected.

Follow the protocols from Intel.

Igor

Here’s how Liz responds to this email:

“In general, I think Igor is nice and he seems to have a strong affinity with peers, especially for a newer manager. But these inappropriate e-mails continue—I can’t seem but to think he:

…is accusing me, and he begins many e-mails this way. Maybe he thinks I’m lax, inattentive?

…is bossing me around. I’ve only seen him use ‘passive voice’ with juniors, and just recently with me. I’ve pointed this out to him before, so I know he knows the difference.

..is not respecting me. How about some deference, as from one manager to the other? He used to use ‘please’ or ‘could you’ in his directives, but he has now mostly dropped this habit. Is this because I’m a woman?

I realize this may be a language issue, but as far as I can see, most of his e-mail is grammatical with occasional errors. I’ve always just looked at this as his particular style. The current e-mails, however, raise issues for me.”

So Liz finds Igor’s messages offensive, and we can easily see how much conjecture has been built up over time. She may consciously, or unconsciously, tune out to them in the future. In due course, this tension could even result in the nasty e-mail response she loves to send but lives to regret– something Ariely recently described in the long-term effects of short-term pleasure.

Notice how Igor’s writing is undercutting the impressions Liz has made about him in their face-to-face interactions.  This is devastating.

Now let’s look at Igor’s side of things…

Liz has been a great peer and support, though lately I feel some tension, and I can’t trace it to anything specific. E-mail communication does seem to jump out, though, which has slowed down a bit more on her end recently. Also, I know my written English is not perfect, but lately, no one has given me any critical feedback, so I wonder:

..why is she taking longer to get back to me? Was her initial attentiveness a kindness?”

..if I have offended her in any recent correspondence. She used to offer feedback on my English, but has stopped. Since there are different levels of English proficiency and communication styles here, I’m not sure how much this matters.

… Should I directly ask her what’s up? Or is that not culturally PC? Too risky from a male manager to female?”

We see both managers have been guilty of wrongful assumptions, and it will not be long before this leads to a professional mishandling of some kind. So what went wrong here?

Is this simply a case of Igor’s lack of understanding around basic business writing principles, including tone, hence his personal responsibility as a non-Native English speaker to solicit feedback and approach Liz?

Or was this responsibility Liz’s from the start, where (in transparency and earnestness) she should have approached Igor about his e-mails, realizing that this could be the way he is addressing clients and also recognizing that this might be a communication and cultural issue?

You decide!

People usually don’t associate the terms “relational” or “interpersonal” with business communication. At least in a symbolic sense, many familiar business icons—PowerPoint, the internal meeting, interviewing—have come to represent more sterile, protocol heavy forms of communication that lack true connectivity with the audience. It may seem that way, especially when dealing with lightning speed, content focused mediums like e-mail. We’d like to present a softer side.

In the last post we talked about the subtleties of sign offs and how they essentially sandwich an e-mail with the attitude the writer has toward both subject and audience. Is your e-mail a formal follow up to a prospective client? You might end with “Best regards”. Trying to end on a serious note with that vendor who failed you in the worst possible way? Then a stiff “Regards” might do well to make the point.

But what about sign offs that play on cordiality and rapport building? When is it the right time? How much is too much? These are all great questions, and many of you have asked because you are looking to write e-mails that are relational, client ready, and familial. We have broken down the ‘what’ and the ‘when’ of softer sign offs below:

1.       Speaking strictly from language, what are the sign offs that are softer, appropriate for a professional communication context, and what are some of the differences across them? Here are just two of the most commonly used expressions:

Best- You will often see this one, a notch down from its formal counterpart, ‘Best regards.’ This is used when there is still a degree of distance, or there is no need to focus on relationship building at all. On the other hand, you may want to keep the ‘regards’ if you want to keep formality or proper distance in the relationship.

Cheers- This is friendly and comfortable in American business communication (cf. British ‘Cheers’.) When used, it conveys a comfortable environment and attitude toward the subject and audience. It should not be used with formal audiences or for straight-to-the-point business topics. Some people abandon it altogether and do not feel ‘natural’ using it. You should follow your instincts here.

No signoff- Just your name will do, or no signature at all. We could write a whole blog post on various reasons for this, but let’s just say for now that your degree of comfort level and relationship with the recipient play a big part.

2.       When is it the right time to abandon a more formal style, e.g. ‘Best regards’, for a more casual ‘Best’? And when is the focus on the softer side of e-mails too much? A few good guidelines to follow would be:

Topic: How formal or serious is the topic? You can, and should, use your judgment here. For subjects of more elevated importance, don’t get cute with the audience, be to-the-point and professional.

Newness of relationship: How well do you know each other, or any number of cced members on the e-mail? After a few rounds of ping pong e-mail, you can generally feel out the climate. Don’t rule out new rules of engagement (and adjustments to business communication) that newer topics and changes in the relationship can bring. If you’re wondering whether you might get cozy too quick, follow your audience’s lead on language.

Frequency of the exchanges: After a few exchanges, even one or two, you will notice your recipient change the formality levels of their language and so should you if you haven’t yet. On the other hand, an overemphasis on softer language and attempts at relationship building in e-mail should be limited and subtle. More so than this, it should become part of your natural expression. If you are uncertain about certain expressions, such as idioms, avoid them at all costs.

Of course, there is no perfect formula for every situation. Using your judgment is more important than these guidelines. And as we’ve said before, if you’re not sure, ask! Better business communication and polishing your soft skills is just another part of career ownership, and you should own it.

We leave the rest up to you. If there’s a question you’re itching to ask or you’re doubting your approach to establishing rapport through e-mail exchanges, then write us info@springboardsconsulting.com or call us.

Thanks for reading. Until the next post….

A dictionary definition will only take you so far. A business English resource may give you the list. But what about the ‘feeling’ or the subtle shades of meaning that individual expressions create? As the last parting words of your e-mail, sign offs are the perfect example of a feature that boasts significant impact on your reader. After all, communication is through people and people are relational. The emotional effect of your words is far more powerful and long lasting than clarity, brevity, format or style. Shouldn’t you rather be focused on creating lasting impressions? Check out what Richard Taflinger has to say here about denotative and connotative meanings.

So what exactly is in a ‘regards’, ‘best’, ‘cheers’, and other forms of sign off that complete an e-mail message? In order to best address this question, let’s first consider the following:

1. Is this a first e-mail to a person you have never written before?
2. Is the topic formal? Casual?
3. Is there a need to establish warm feelings with the audience member, or at least a personable flavor in the correspondence?

If the topic is formal, e.g. a request for information, and you answered ‘yes’ to questions 1 and 3, a ‘Best regards’ will do. This is formal, professional and friendly enough. Likewise, if the topic is casual, e.g. a thank you or a personal note, a ‘Best’ will also do. This removes the added formality of ‘regards’ but still maintains the professionalism and courtesy of the sign off.

Let’s imagine you answered ‘no’ to question 3 and you do not want to give off warm, fuzzy feelings. Maybe you’re expressing a complaint, or it’s important you add a layer of distance to show frustration or disappointment. In this case, the topic is formal and you may or may have not written to this person before. A stiff ‘Regards’, or no sign off, will do. Let’s look at the following example.

Dear John,

It has been 3 weeks since my last status enquiry and I have not yet heard back from you on the Business English software. If I do not receive an e-mail response or call back by 5 p.m. today I will withdraw my account and cancel all future orders.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

-Andrew

XYZ Corporation

Boston, MA

A simple dash will often do. But do so sparingly, especially if your aim IS to create harmony and rapport with your reader. We recommend checking out “Elements of Style”, by Strunk and White, for further commentary on proper punctuation and mechanics.

In our next post, we will look at a new set of possibilities for sign off usage answering the questions:

• How do I create rapport?
• When is rapport building through sign offs important? Appropriate?
• What are some tips on variety?
• When can I leave out the sign off?

If you have questions, send them our way.

Stay tuned!

Some great communicators are born, and some work hard at it. Steve Jobs works incredibly hard at it, more than you may know. If you are anywhere near a computer these days, you have either personally seen or heard the buzz around Jobs’ top rate presentations. Perhaps you’ve often wondered what his secret is. You might be shocked to know that he practices and rehearses hours and weeks before every presentation, getting each detail in place for the big day. Check out “The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience.” (Carmine Gallo).

That’s right, everyone. Even Steve Jobs prepares for his presentations, so why aren’t you?  Let me share with you what some have described as their “approach” to getting ready before a presentation:

• Reading over the notes and PowerPoint printed handouts a few hours, or an hour, before the engagement.
• Practicing in “my head” on the way there.
• Doing a dry run with colleagues (in the case of peer presentations) right before the real thing.
• Spending an hour to two rehearsing out loud and attempting a good synch of the info to slides.

In view of this and many other methods confessed, the last point is preparation practice at its very best. Not very impressive. Clearly, if Jobs is doing more to wow ‘em, then so should you. So why do we fail to do so? Here are the common excuses, and I bet yours is in there somewhere:

1. I’m too busy.
2. As one person in a peer presentation, changes are made last minute, so I may not be able to plan for this.
3. I am pretty good at winging it.
4. I do better when I don’t plan ahead. I end up sounding more natural.

Let’s agree that we are all guilty of at least one of these. On the flip side, let’s also agree that it’s painful to observe a less prepared speaker and much more interesting to watch someone who has their game mastered. Let’s face it–preparation is king.

Presentation competency and your ability to persuade the audience of your message is a critical skill separating you from the competitor—other companies, other bidders, colleagues vying for the same position, candidates applying for the same job, etc. You’ve heard it said that we are in, and moving toward, a knowledge-based economy; therefore, your knowledge and intellectual ability is your most prized and sought after asset. Use it!

So, if you are approaching speaking engagements lightly (meaning ANY kind of presentation, formal speaking opportunity, or other) then why should your audience take you seriously? Here are some practical steps to start taking your public speaking skills to the next level:

1. Create timeframes around assignments and projects that will require a public speaking component. Adhere to them, allowing ample time for practice.
2. Practice each section of your presentation, from intro and slide one through to the Q&A slide, accounting for each piece you will discuss, refer to, or gloss over. Pace yourself each time.
3. Video tape yourself and watch for body language. If you’re not sure what to look for, ask a trusted colleague for feedback, an HR person, or someone in business communications who would be able to offer insight.
4. Repeat practice over and over again until you feel entirely confident. Remember, regardless of the audience or purpose of the presentation, each opportunity is a unique way to get people excited about you and what you represent. Who wouldn’t want that?
5. Do not wait last minute. This bad for your nerves.
6. If this is simply not your forté, invest a few bucks in a presentation coach and watch your gains return to you double fold. I can’t think of a better place to invest in yourself.

Easier said than done? Maybe your issue is accountability? In that case, find an accountability partner or trainer who will hold you to the task. Getting serious about professional development is challenging, and old habits die hard.

When it comes to presentation skills, far too many of us take second place unnecessarily. It’s time to start taking lessons from Steve Jobs and doing our business communication homework. Please let us know how we can help or if you have a point of inspiration to share from this post.

Happy presenting!

Being a great communicator is not rocket science, even if your native language is not English. Communication habits that are noticed, and effective, are deceptively easy. Consider the simplicity of the following approaches:

1. Use some one’s name, especially on the phone. Doing this even once or twice, which is usually enough, encourages rapport or personable atmosphere when you are on the phone or face to face with someone.
2. Recognize the efforts and sacrifices of others. We live in a time compressed world and when you take from some one’s time (even if it is a demand of the job) extend gratitude and thanks where thanks are due. People remember how others make them feel months and years after the fact. Make this a positive impression.
3. Don’t eat lunch at your desk–be social instead. Indeed, this can be a sacrifice, but a worthy one. Imagine that everyone else is just as busy as you are, if not more. Take specific measure to have lunch, coffee, or 5 to 10 minutes here and there for a little conversation. Relationship building is good common sense. Just do it.
4. Listen. It’s a what’s-in-it-for-me world out there. How refreshing it can be when someone is really listening to what you have to say. More specifically, try to meaningfully build off others’ contributions, which shows you are truly listening.
5. Imagine that time really might be your listener and reader’s most precious asset—so work hard to protect it. Be mindful with timeliness, brevity, and staying true to timeframes for meetings. Regarding e-mail, less is more, and one e-mail is better than two. Think twice before hitting send.

While these points may seem remote from language skills, ESL topics, or Business English, remember that effective communication is more than what’s on the surface. Know also that, while there is an abundance of interpersonal and soft skill strategies out there, these five were carefully selected. Why? For brevity’s sake, it is enough to say that there seem to be a world of cultural differences that manifest themselves in the lack, or absence, of these softer characteristics being displayed. These have come to our attention, and we share them to empower you.

If we don’t give you feedback, who will?

It is very hard to fix language and communication errors when you do not know what you are doing wrong. This is where feedback is useful, and herein lies the problem.

Many non-Native English speakers express frustration that their colleagues do not point out language mistakes, written or verbal, or do so only sparingly and when prompted. So what could be the issue here? There are a number of different responses to this from Native English speakers including:

• I don’t want to offend my colleagues by pointing out their language mistakes. Who am I to offer that feedback?
• In my office culture, it may be too risky, or not politically correct, to focus on others’ differences and view them as shortcomings.
• If I give feedback, it may become a routine and I do not want to be stuck in that position. Giving feedback can be time consuming, especially for writing, and our work environment is very fast paced. There’s not enough time in the day.
• It’s amazing that Paulo speaks and writes that well in English—if I were in Spain, there’s no way I could even come close. Any feedback I could give would feel like nitpicking.

So these are some of the classic answers, and hopefully they are helpful in conveying the mostly American viewpoint on why giving feedback on language can be difficult. Also remember that many of your colleagues, while Native English speakers, may not necessarily have the “trainer’s eye” to look into your language and communication idiosyncrasies as a trainer or communications coach would.

Now this brings us to some solutions, and hopefully how you can get past these barriers onto the feedback that is so critical to understanding where you may be falling short of professional communication standards. Consider the following steps:

1. Identify one or two trusted colleagues (Native English speakers) or professional persons who you are close with. This could be a same-level peer, an adviser, or an HR person.
2. Single out the areas you believe you may be struggling in, based on any prior feedback (mid year, annual reviews) and your own perceptions. Write that list down and dig out some writing samples that you feel exemplify these issues.
3. Make this engagement deliberate. Your professional development, and ultimate advancement, might hinge upon your improvement. Your sense of urgency should be conveyed in your manner of approach to your colleague. E-mail, call, or speak face to face with this person, singling out enough time for a worthwhile discussion. Clearly state your purpose for the meeting, e.g. “I believe my language and communication level, written and/or verbal, may be impacting my work product or standing in the way of advancement. To date, no one has given me any substantive feedback, so I’m looking for a serious evaluation of where I stand so I can get the help I need.”

These steps should get you on the road to receiving feedback on your language and communication skills. Notice how in the last step, you are not asking your colleague to become the go-to person for feedback from here on out, rather you are looking for a reasonable commitment of their time. Also, if you treat this as a formal engagement and express a degree of urgency, others are more likely to empathize and become open to the request.

On a final note, follow through. If you do get the feedback you are looking for, be sure you take the steps to do something about it. Talk to your HR or employee benefits person; there may be a tuition reimbursement perk that you are unaware of. You may also look for options on your own.

What you do not want to do is ignore the problem, especially if you have gone to great lengths to get feedback. Consider that all people working a job anywhere are continuously investing in their professional development in one way or another. Your area of need just so happens to be English and professional communication.

Best of luck on your journey! Please let us know how we can help or if we can answer any questions.

I was about to start a training session with a client the other day when she casually interrupted and proceeded to tell me exactly what she wanted and did not want from our program. It wasn’t so much her approach to the conversation which took me by surprise, but the fact that she had never been so…black and white. In another meeting context unrelated to training or cross-cultural communication, I might have taken this as a blunt, straight-to-the-point, bottom line approach. Let’s call it “American.”

The fact is that three months ago, this client (let’s call her Candace) was not necessarily timid, but did not know how she could use her company sponsored training time with me, resulting in an approach that was less engaged, less collaborative and much less directive– a bit more show and tell. This time around was different, and Candace was driving. I liked the change of pace.

Candace demonstrated what is often lacking with many of the international clients coming to Springboards:

• Clear initiatives when driving the meeting;

• Outside contextual knowledge to support the discussion and provide necessary confidence for its delivery;

• Strong directives, and

• The foresight to see the training as a collaborative, two-way process, not a transactional exchange.

As soon as she was able to see her own stake in the outcomes of the training, she was able to jump in faster and more forcefully influence the direction it would take.

So when I hear managers and colleagues of internationals lament that their colleagues are not speaking out and contributing enough at meetings, I say put them into self-directed training. Tell them the outcomes are based heavily on how well they are able to communicate their needs to the trainer then work collaboratively to improve, which also means doing their part throughout the life of the program. This process is no different, and should be no different, than how they work within teams. In this case, the outcomes are more strongly connected to their own professional development and eventual career advancement. Who wouldn’t want a stake in their own future?

Finally, where many types of training programs abound—mandatory and optional, group and individual, corporate university and in person, among others—make sure international employees do not view these as transactional or one-way. Making internationals collaboratively responsible for the outcomes of the training is an effective way to empower them with tools and entrepreneurial thinking about their futures in the organization.  In order for such outcomes to take place, be sure the training structure allows for this degree of autonomy. It will then be crystal clear who is taking responsibility for their own career development, and who is simply waiting for others (the company? other colleagues? the trainer?) to decide this for them.

We hope this was helpful both to our international readers and the people who support them. We want to hear from you. In the vein of motivating, promoting and retaining talented international employees, what solutions have you tried? What is working? Not working?

We look forward to the discussion!

The power to change your writing begins with you, not the resources you have come to rely on–blogs, articles, books and the “7 tried-and-true methods of professional e-mailing.” All these tools will help to build you up, without question, but they cannot replace self effort. Ironically, and often the case with busy English as a Second Language (ESL) professionals (and the rest of us), time always trades off for flawless work.

Knowing the right answer will not suffice, nor will having the right tools in front of you. When quickly skimming through e-mail, how many times has the built-in Microsoft grammar/spellchecker corrected you on a mishap that you would have caught on your own if only you had proofread? Or, for those of you with an extended history of high school English grammar, ESL classes, Business English, or TOEFL training, how often have slapped yourself on the head because you already knew the answer?

Proofreading will demand your time, but writing poorly also takes more time than you might imagine. Consider the following side effects of careless writing:

• Excessive length and an absence of direction in clear formatting
• Repeat e-mails that result from lack of clarity
• Follow up calls and excessive e-mails necessitated by e-mails in bad form
• Relationships that require damage control because of one instance of bad tone

The list goes on. Wouldn’t you rather take more ownership, and control, by making a small investment with strong, long term gains? Proofread your e-mails three times before sending to readers with the following 1-2-3 formula, and make a lasting impression:

1. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes
2. Look over for flow, logic, clarity, and formatting
3. Do a final check for repetition, redundancies, and tone

Rarely does one ever catch repetition or lack of “humanness” until the second or third edit, so be thorough! Wondering whether this trades off fairly for your time? Rarer are regrets over harder work than unfinished work with unfavorable consequences. Make the investment and begin to feel empowered by the knowledge you already have.

Questions? Comments? Wondering whether you really do grasp tone or can adequately assess redundancies? Tell us about it–we want to hear from you.

To get promoted you must excel at what you do. To get promoted faster, you must be noticed for excellence. In 1963 advertising executive William A. Marsteller said, “Don’t waste your ability – write articles, make speeches. Stand out from the crowd or be lost in the crowd.” Four-and-a-half decades later, this advice still rings true. Writing articles and giving presentations are two salient skill sets that are marketable and highly desirable—think promotional building blocks.

To climb the corporate ladder takes action. Here are some points to consider as you think about getting started on your writing:

• Corporate culture – If your company has a culture of cooperation, your initiative may be welcomed and it’s likely safe to proceed. If the culture is highly competitive you may need to look for opportunities that are closely in line with the responsibilities of your job. In any case talk with your manager about your ideas and get their advice.
• Conflict check – Always be careful not to step on co-workers’ toes by doing their jobs or acting like an expert in their areas. You may come across as someone who wants to get ahead at any cost and who cannot be trusted. Also, it may be possible that a similar project is being worked on or has been produced in the past. Fully research your company’s database before embarking on such an endeavor.
• Seniority – Being new at a company doesn’t mean that you can’t put yourself forward. Focus on what you can contribute, such as experience in the industry or research at your university, and don’t write about your company’s procedures and traditions until you have been there long enough to understand them.
• Comfort level with English – Know where you need to improve in English and work on those areas to build your comfort level with the language accordingly.

Strong writing and speaking skills are becoming more highly competitive both in terms of perfection and in desirability on the part of the employer, client, and various external audiences. More so, as an international professional, these skills show that you mean business, that you are confident with English and culturally adept—highly prized attributes in a globalizing world. Consider these core business communication skills key to professional advancement and promotion.

“You think you are able; I think you are able. When other people around you begin saying so, unsolicited, then you’re promotable.” Start the new year by thinking you are able and defining and addressing those areas where you may need some fine tuning.

In our next article we’ll talk about the kinds of writing you can do and some topics you can write about.

As a non-native speaker of English, sometimes it might be challenging for a native English speaker to understand you, and for you to therefore get your message across. This is true regardless of where you are speaking: at a meeting, a networking event, or a presentation to prospective customer. In these situations you won’t always be asked you to repeat yourself. Not only will your message not be heard, but your credibility might be put at risk.

Strategies for improving audience comprehension

1. Speak more slowly in English than you do in your native language. You can begin to do this right now and you may be surprised how this one simple change can result in such a large improvement.

2. Be careful not to connect words so tightly together that your listener will have trouble determining when one word ends and the next one starts. If your native language tends to make limited use of intonation in ordinary speech, as in Spanish, Korean, or Chinese, tightly connecting words can make understanding even more challenging for a listener.

3. Learn the proper stress for common technical words in your field. Consider the word “amortization,” a word often used in finances. The correct stress is on the fourth syllable, “amortiZAtion.” Say the word out loud and listen to its pronunciation at the online Merriam-Webster dictionary. Now pronounce it with the stress on the third syllable, “amorTIzation.” Do you hear the difference? Try saying it both ways to a native English speaker and ask if he can hear the difference. By using improper stress together with fast speaking speed, the result is likely to be that the listener does not understand what you said. Worse, it may be so distracting that the listener misses a part of your message because he’s so busy focusing on your stress or pronunciation.

4. Be aware of your intonation and stress when you speak. Intonation, the way you raise and lower your voice as you speak, imparts a lot of meaning in English. Stress, the emphasis you put on syllables and words, also conveys meaning and it helps a listener identify the important words. Even or “flat” intonation and lack of stress may cause a listener to lose interest in what you are saying because you may come across as not really interested in what you are saying. A “sing-song” style of speaking may distract a listener because it sounds unusual to a native English speaker. In English it’s common to strongly stress the content words, i.e., the ones that give the sentence its meaning. Here’s an example of a sentence with the content words underlined: “I went to the store to buy bread.” Ask a native speaker to say this sentence and listen to how he stresses the words.

5. Learn the typical mistakes you might be making in English based on your native language and correct them. You may not be aware of the mistakes you are making in English unless specific feedback is offered to you. This is where a trainer can help. Some of the common errors we come across are mispronouncing some letters of the alphabet when spelling names, or mispronouncing specific consonant or vowel sounds.

Where to go for help

I. Learner English will help you understand the kinds of errors you might be making that are a result of the characteristics of your native language. Each chapter provides many details for errors most commonly made by speakers of one particular language, such as

• pronunciation of specific consonants, vowels, and consonant-vowel combinations
• influence of spelling on pronunciation
• rhythm and stress
• intonation
• spelling, contractions, and punctuation
• general and specific grammar issues, such as verb tenses, word order, question formation, articles, gender, adjectives, pronouns, possessive construction, and prepositions

II. Armed with that information, you might want to continue with Sound Concepts. This guide will help you learn how to correct speaking errors that you may be making in stress, intonation, forming sounds, or word endings.

III. The website Phonetics – The Sound of Spoken Language will show you the details of pronouncing each sound used in the English language and let you hear each sound. If you would like professional help in accent reduction, we recommend Paul Meier Dialect Services.

We know that ultimately you will decide how important it is to improve in this area of your spoken English. For some of you, your accent has become a part of who you are and as such, you are willing to bring it front and center intially then move on from it to focus on more important things like your message. For the rest of you, we know this may not be true. We suggest you educate yourself about the effects your accent may be having on audience comprehension and seek help. Make this a goal for 2010, but whatever you do, do not let it hold you back from moving forward professionally.

References

Swan, Michael and Bernard Smith. Learner English: A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems (Second Edition). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-521-77939-1

Reed, Marnie and Christina Michaud. Sounds Concepts: An Integrated Pronunciation Course. New York: McGraw Hill ESL/ELT, 2005. ISBN 0-07-293428-X

Phonetics – The Sound of Spoken Language, a University of Iowa project