Many people seeking to improve their American accent are in advanced technical positions. They have expertise in their field, but sometimes find that communication in English is a barrier to success in their career. Whether it is in giving presentations, or communicating on calls and in meetings, they are frustrated by people's inability to understand what they are saying.

Here are some key points to know if you are experiencing difficulty at work due to your accent.

1) Know your audience.  When speaking with familiar people, you may find you have no trouble communicating.  The people you speak to on a regular basis are used to your accent and the types of technical vocabulary you use.  However, when speaking with someone new, especially over the phone or internet, you may need to pay more attention to your speech in order to be understood.  Be aware of the types of words you use, and check to make sure your listener is on the same page.

2) Know your issues. This may be a challenge for you, or you may already know which sounds, words, and speaking situations tend to be the most difficult for you.  If you are not sure, you can take a free screening or have a full assessment to gain a better understanding of how your individual speech patterns affect your communication in English.

3) Make a commitment to improve. It may seem overwhelming to try to change your accent.  But it is likely that if you have been living in North America, your speech has gradually been changing the longer you have been surrounded by American English.  You can accelerate and take control of your speech changes by committing to learning your patterns, selecting practice targets and implementing a program for change. You may prefer to do so with direct coaching, or you might like to pursue self-study.  To learn more about how to achieve your goals, schedule a free consultation today.

Computer programmers, engineers, IT professionals, medical professionals – what do they have in common?  Jargon.  Each of these fields (among many others) has their own technical language they use for precision when discussing topics in the field.  For those whose native language is not English, they may have learned this jargon in English from other non-native speakers, and unknowingly adopted incorrect pronunciation when they first learned the terminology.  Habits can be very hard change, especially when you are unaware of the habit.  One benefit of working with an accent trainer is getting feedback on the words you use most.  Not only can the trainer point out to you your habitual mispronunciations, but also they can teach you about stress patterns for the words you need in your field.  Improve your communication at work today.  For more information and a free consultation, click here.