Individuals
A Student’s Employer
“Posisi works on my chicken farm. He participated in a beginner level class taught by Sheri Brooks at Millersville International House. I and another farmer then arranged to have her teach our employees. Sheri incorporated words and concepts in her lessons that we listed so that the men would be able to communicate better at their jobs. They made good progress. Sheri even took time to talk to me about the challenges of language learning and cultural adjustment so that I would understand what the men were experiencing and have a better working relationship with them.”
THE CHALLENGES
Do people have difficulty understanding you even though you’ve worked hard to learn English? Do you think you could perform better at work if you spoke more clearly? Do you avoid social settings because you believe you don’t speak well? Do you have trouble communicating your needs effectively? These are all challenges that face individuals with strong accents.
THE DESIRED RESULT
The results are endless. Your ability to be understood by others will increase. In turn, your confidence and enjoyment of social interactions will increase and the effectiveness of your interactions in the community will improve. Better speech improves your chances of interviewing well and getting a job and your raised performance at work furthers your chance for promotion.
Accent reduction classes will not eliminate your accent or require that you hide your cultural identity. Instead, the skills you learn help you remain proud of your heritage and encourage others to value your culture, too.
When people find it easier to understand you, it becomes much easier to develop positive personal and professional relationships.
THE SOLUTION
Accent Reduction is a strategy that focuses on this core issue – the communication barrier that exists when people speak different varieties of the same language – and provides you with a long-term solution. By developing speaking skills that allow you to speak clearly, you take an active role in eliminating these life challenges.
Fluency Connection’s Accent Reduction course is an advanced level English language class based on linguistic theory and practice and addresses the specific skills involved in speaking clearly. These skills are learned, practiced and mastered just as you would master skills in playing an instrument or competing in a sport. The skills include clear pronunciation of each vowel and consonant sound, reproduction of stress patterns, and the use of intonation. Once the skills are learned, you can continue to develop them over time using Accent Reduction strategies.
