Accent Reduction Corporate Classes

Corporate Classes take place at the client’s place of work or online in real time and focus on the skills that matter most for business communication. Please note that all corporate classes are only offered online and are restricted to a maximum group size of 2 people. One-on-one sessions are often the most efficient for everyone as specific skills for each person can be targeted and there is no downtime while participants wait for co-workers to take their turn.Small groups work when clients have similar skills to work on (same language or language group). Participation and feedback are critical to sessions and this is reduced as group size increases.

See the information described under Courses for specific details about Accent Reduction Training Classes.

In addition to the sounds and patterns of English, Corporate Speech training includes the following skills, as required:

• Presentation and Interview Skills
• Telephone and Online Communication Skills
• Speech Rate
• Voice Projection and Care
• Non-Verbal Communication (e.g. eye contact, body language)
• Small-Talk Skills (e.g. the weather, sports, what to not talk about)
• Informal vs. Formal Language (e.g. When can you say “gonna”?)
• Figurative Language (e.g. “Balance the books.”)

Speaking to an Employer about Accent Reduction Training

Sylvia is happy to speak to employers about Accent Training as many employers are unaware that these services are available.

Speaking to an Employee about Accent Reduction Training

Employers sometimes wonder how to address the issue of Accent Training in a sensitive manner.

Here are some points to consider when speaking to your employee:

• Employees are typically aware that their pronunciation of English is impacting their work. Aside from being more difficult to understand, they may participate less often in meetings and be limited in their ability to progress within the company, despite other skills being outstanding. 
• They will be pleased you see it as an issue they can overcome and that you are willing to invest time and money to make it happen.
• Focus on the goal of increasing clarity as opposed to reducing their accent. Use the term Accent Management.
• Talk about their outstanding skills in other areas.
• If you are considering this training, you know your employee is worth it.
• PRACTICE. Do they have time? Are they motivated to improve? Regular practice is an essential part of Accent Reduction Training and clients must understand that they need to make time. Thirty minutes per day minimum is recommended with new skills gradually incorporated into daily life. This is a physical skill require a great deal of repetition before new patterns become automatic.