126. What is the importance of communication skills for an IT engineer?

The communication of an IT specialist does not differ from other professions. The only thing I would add is that IT specialists need to adapt their language for their customers and managers and simplify the technical terms for people whose IT knowledge is not as sophisticated as theirs. This is not easy and it takes time and effort to develop this skill.

Many tech people make a common mistake: their speeches sound too technical. As a result, when they start speaking their audience could find it convoluted and boring.

Below are a few essential tips to communicate technical concepts to non-technical clients:

1. Talk about the benefits to the clients, and make your speech clients oriented. Avoid too many technical details that are not that important for a client’s benefit. You, as a technical expert, might love talking about all these little details, but the client just wants to know what it will do for them.

2. Use short sentences and short punchy words as opposed to long sentences and long words which are used when writing an article. This technique will help your audience to understand your speech and enjoy listening to it, otherwise, they might not get your point and lose interest quickly.

3. If you use abbreviations and technical vocabulary, make sure you explain them first so that your listeners can follow what you are saying.

4. When we write an article, our language contains much more details, whereas speeches tend to have the main ideas presented in a powerful way.

5. It is useful to get rid of unimportant words in your speech because the main idea might be drowned in a sea of unnecessary words.

6. Download the apps Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause and Fluent English Speech to master sentence stress and intonation and use of pauses.
   
   IT specialists who take our elocution lessons told us that due to poor communication skills they are stuck in front of their PC and even are not invited to meetings, they fail to attract clients and as a result, the business suffers. After our elocution lessons and courses, they are promoted to managerial positions, their salaries increase and their clients enjoy working with them.
   
   More on www.batcsglobal.com

125. How can we communicate with each other effectively?

Use this formula:

1. When you speak to people always smile.

2. Try to develop a genuine interest in the people you communicate with.

3. Try to understand people by finding out information about their aspirations, interests, hobbies, jobs, types of character, etc.

4. Make the conversation interesting to the other person

I will explain this formula now. People are very different. We are all individuals.

In order to communicate effectively we need to understand each other: sex, age, education, values, culture, aspirations, and many other things.

Very often women complain that their husbands do not understand them and vice versa. Why? Because the difference in sex leads to differences in many other areas.

Old people often do not understand the young because of the generation gap leading to differences in aspirations.

The rich do not understand the poor. I could continue the list.

What can help us to overcome communication barriers? In my opinion, good listening skills is the number one tool of successful communication. This skill is hard to master for many people. Often, when we talk to others, we do not have the patience to listen. We hear a few words and very quickly we start anticipating what the other person will say. We even try to finish their sentences which is not very helpful, particularly for the person who is talking.

What would be more effective? When listening to others pay attention to who you are speaking to. What do their vocabulary, intonation, and voice tell you about them?

Rather than commenting, judging or advising on what you are listening to, try to establish a rapport with the person by adjusting to their way. Try to find a common ground and avoid frictions and arguments that can lead to miscommunication and quarrels.

It is also very important to communicate your ideas and responses clearly. The app ‎Get Rid of your Accent UK1 will help you with speech clarity and articulation.

The next step to becoming a successful communicator is to stress key messages and avoid speaking in a monotonous way. You can master it with the app ‎Fluent English Speech.

Finally, if you would like to reach a high level in public speaking and influence your audience work on your voice modulation and use of pauses with the app ‎Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause.

More on www.batcsglobal.com

124. Forget about the fear of public speaking!

By Olga Smith

Many of our students who take our elocution lessons and courses ask us how they can overcome anxiety when speaking in public, chairing a meeting or leading a group discussion. 

People feel they are on display they start thinking that others judge them and that they are not as good as their colleagues who appear very confident. This negative state of mind may be worsened by failures from the past and a lack of preparation. 

What can you do to overcome this fear if you do not have much time before your next presentation? 

First of all, people have their unique way of presenting and this is the beauty. As they say: variety is the spice of life. Do not compare yourself to others and do not think that you are better or worse, you are just different and interesting in your own way, and it is a gift for others to listen to the real you.  

Having said that, there are techniques to present your ideas clearly and effectively to engage your audience and even impress them. I will share with you the tips that worked for me. 

 Preparation
1. Write down your presentation and read it 3 times out loud. 

2. Underline the keywords and stress them when presenting by saying them louder. 

3. Record yourself on audio or video recording and note things you need to improve in your speech and body language. 

When presenting
1. At the very beginning, make sure you greet your audience. You can say, for example: Good morning, everybody, it is my pleasure to talk about...today. I will start with... 

2. At the end of your talk, you can say a famous quote and finish by inspiring your audience to think about your topic, and finally thank them for their attention. 

3. Make pauses after each idea, do not say all ideas in one breath.  

4. Stay straight, do not slouch and avoid touching your hair and clothes. 

5. Project your voice and articulate words clearly.

 There is a wonderful elocution course that can help you to become a competent presenter.  

If your presentation is very important and you need urgent help, then you can book a couple of elocution lessons. 

More on www.batcsglobal.com

123. When is the right time to speak and when it is not?

The ability to say the right thing at the right time is a mark of a true master. I recommend working on listening skills and the conciseness of your speech if you want to develop this ability.

1. Successful communicators are paying attention to how people perceive their messages, understand who they are speaking to, and establish a rapport. It is important to pay attention to intonation and voice.
   Often, when we talk to others, we do not have the patience to listen. We hear a few words and very quickly we start anticipating what the other person will say. We even try to finish their sentences which are not very helpful, particularly for the person who is talking. Do not do that!

In order t say the right thing at the right time we should listen, pause, think and reply. This will allow us to create a better response and modulate our voice accordingly.

2. It is better to speak less and answer only those questions that are being asked of you. Make your answers clear and stress the key messages. You can learn about it with the apps Get Rid of your Accent and Fluent English Speech.

I have noticed, that some people try to talk a lot, and make silly jokes in order to feel comfortable. When people try to prove themselves they often speak fast and try to say all they know in a short period of time. In my opinion, it is better to not say much, instead, listen and smile more.

It would be wise to avoid negative and sensitive topics, such as politics, religion and money to avert conflicts and offending others.

Jacqueline Kennedy once said: "I sometimes have regretted what I said, but I have never regretted my silence."

122. What is the value of clear English in organisation communication?

By Olga Smith

Good English is important in organisation communication influences:

1. Clarity of communication within the organisation such as meetings, presentations and task assignments.

2. The reputation of the organisation when communicating with customers, clients and partners.

3. The professional success of the people

There are apps, books and video courses based on elocution lessons that help professionals to master this essential skill.

When you do not speak clearly in English that leads to a number of disadvantages.

Let me present a few examples given to us by our students:

"I work as an IT consultant, but because I speak with a strong Spanish accent and not all what I say is being understood, I am not invited to meetings. I know if I don't start to speak more clearly, I will be staring at the PC screen and have the same salary for many years to come..."

"After your accent reduction course I got promoted to an area manager, and now I want to master my speech even more as it became absolutely clear to me that communication is power."

"I am a dietician in Chelsea and all my clients have a posh accent (RP). In order to be trusted by my clients, I need to improve my accent".

Our Turkish student working as a Stock Exchange trader in London told us what her manager said to her: "If you don't lose your accent you lose your job". On the trading floor, people are so stressed and have no time to understand thick foreign accents.

My business partner from Silicon Valley told me that many Chinese and Indian IT specialists working there earn peanuts because it's difficult to understand their English. He further specified: they are making $100k now, but if they changed their accent they would make $400.

We have recently conducted research. We contacted native English people who work with non-native English speakers. We asked them what they thought about colleagues with a foreign accent that is difficult to understand.

These were their replies:
· Frustration
· Anxiety;
· Doubt if they are being understood;
· Accent distracting them from what is being said.

121. A very tricky English sound

By Olga Smith

Almost all of the non-native English students who are taking our elocution lessons and courses make a pronunciation mistake with the sound /ʌ/ as in “duck”. Why this sound is so tricky? There are two main reasons:

1.       This sound does not exist in many languages. Students tend to open their mouth too much and pronounce it with the sound /a/ as in “pasta”.

2.       It is spelt with “o, ou, u” and students make a mistake by pronouncing it with /ɒ/ as in “box” because in many languages the pronunciation is the same as the spelling. In English, spelling and pronunciation are not the same because English inherited many words from other languages such as Latin, French and German and they left the spelling the same but anglicised the pronunciation. Below are the words where most students make a mistake:

“company, country, front, stomach, oven, London, tongue, mother, love, money, other, monkey”

We recommend that you check your speech organ position for this sound in our video course Get Rid of your Accent Part One and then practise the sound with the apps Elocution Lessons, Get Rid of your Accent and Business English Speech. Lesson 9 in all apps and the video course.

If you fail to pronounce this sound correctly, your speech might be difficult to understand. You will see from the comparisons below that if you do not make this sound correctly the meaning of the word will change:

dark - duck, last -lust, branch - brunch, stark - stuck, hot-hut

Very often our students ask us how can they know where to use a particular sound. We recommend paying attention to the spelling and then practising with all our apps. The more you practise the quicker you will see the pattern.

120. A very tricky English sound

By Olga Smith

Almost all of the non-native English students who are taking our elocution lessons and courses make a pronunciation mistake with the sound /ʌ/ as in “duck”. Why this sound is so tricky? There are two main reasons:

1. This sound does not exist in many languages. Students tend to open their mouth too much and pronounce it with the sound /a/ as in “pasta”.

2. It is spelt with “o, ou, u” and students make a mistake by pronouncing it with /ɒ/ as in “box” because in many languages the pronunciation is the same as the spelling. In English, spelling and pronunciation are not the same because English inherited many words from other languages such as Latin, French and German and they left the spelling the same but anglicised the pronunciation. Below are the words where most students make a mistake:

   “company, country, front, stomach, oven, London, tongue, mother, love, money, other, monkey”

We recommend that you check your speech organ position for this sound in our video course Get Rid of your Accent Part One and then practise the sound with the apps Elocution Lessons, Get Rid of your Accent and Business English Speech. Lesson 9 in all apps and the video course.

If you fail to pronounce this sound correctly, your speech might be difficult to understand. You will see from the comparisons below that if you do not make this sound correctly the meaning of the word will change:

dark - duck, last -lust, branch - brunch, stark - stuck, hot-hut

Very often our students ask us how can they know where to use a particular sound. We recommend paying attention to the spelling and then practising with all our apps. The more you practise the quicker you will see the pattern.

119. How to speak in a business meeting

By Olga Smith

Speaking in a business meeting requires certain skills.  There are principles and techniques to follow for a meeting to be effective, successful, and pleasant. 

I have been to a number of the most boring and time-wasting meetings. Nothing was achieved or finalized. People just talked purposelessly for ages, trying to show off, interrupting each other, filling a short silence with empty words and silly jokes. 

How can you add value to a meeting? What can you say and how could you say it to be heard? How can you stop others from deviating from the meeting agenda? 

First, let's discuss the principles upon which speaking in any meeting depends. 

1. Time is money
To keep to a meeting time, have an agenda and write down your key ideas prior to the meeting. If others deviate from the meeting agenda, point out gently that you need to stick to this particular agenda. 

2. It is not personal it's business
Based on that, business meetings need to be about business and not about emotions.
The intonation should be neutral. 

3. Two brains are better than one
Be a good listener and make notes of other people's ideas if you want to build on them. There is a saying: when you speak you do not learn anything, but when you listen, you do.  

4. Clarity and conciseness
When you speak in a meeting, make sure your speech is clear. Bear in mind that people might struggle to hear you if you speak with a strong accent.  
Stress keywords. It will make it easier for others to get your ideas.
Speak with pauses, do not say all your ideas in one breath. When people listen to us, often their listening speed is slower than our speaking speed particularly if you speak too fast, it is quite hard to listen to someone to speaks in paragraphs without any pauses. Say less with more pauses, rather than too much, and very quickly. 

Our elocution courses will help you master the necessary speech skills to be successful in any meeting. 

118. Book your speech analysis and a tester session

We start elocution lessons with an individual speech analysis combined with a tester session which will enable us to develop a course tailored to your needs. The speech analysis lasts 45 minutes and costs £80. You can pay by PayPal or bank transfer. Email olga.smith.batcs@gmail.com to book your speech analysis. WhatsApp: +447971246806. Simply tell us the times and dates that suit you best and give us your Skype name. You will receive a written report and lesson plan.

Prices:
60-minute accent reduction lesson, £95;
*5% discount if you pay for a pack of 5 lessons, £450;
*10% discount if you pay for a pack of 10 lessons, £850.

60 minutes hybrid accent reduction/elocution/public speaking lesson £120;
*5% discount if you pay for a pack of 5 lessons, £570;
*10% discount if you pay for a pack of 10 lessons, £1080.

90-minute lesson in public speaking, £250;
*5% discount if you pay for a pack of 5 lessons, £1180;
*10% discount if you pay for a pack of 10 lessons, £2250.

You can pay by PayPal or bank transfer. Email oriana_r@hotmail.com if you have any questions regarding the payment. Lesson fees are non-refundable.

117. History behind Get Rid of your Accent brand

By Olga Smith, the co-author of the books in the series Get Rid of your Accent and the founder fo the brand

Speech workshop by Olga Smith

I joined the oldest public speaking club in London in 2004. People in my club were seasoned public speakers with very sophisticated English. I, on the other hand, had a very quiet voice, a strong foreign accent and monotonous speech. I felt I would definitely benefit if I improve my pronunciation and someone in the club recommended that I take elocution lessons. The elements of elocution are voice control, articulation and good pronunciation. Exactly what I needed to become a good public speaker. I started my elocution lessons with a top London speech tutor Linda James in 2004 and fell in love with her method. I found it practical, very useful and enjoyable. I have decided to make Linda's method available to a much wider audience. In 2006, together with Linda, we co-authored our first Speech Training Manual with audiotracks Get Rid of your Accent. Later we produced books and courses for different levels of English, Public Speaking and Business English. Then we converted our books into apps. In order to make our courses complete and offer a total solution to speech mastery, we finally created amazing video courses to accompany our apps and books.  

In 2006, I set up a company BaTCS, Business and Technical Communication Services specialising in products and services for people who want to have a high level of English speech and become competent public speakers.

We started doing workshops in corporations and banks in the city of London, in English language schools (EFL) and in colleges in London. Our books and apps are used in the famous School of Speech and Drama in London. EFL teachers use them with their students.

We offer individual lessons and courses for top-level professionals in London and on Skype worldwide.

115. Elocution Courses

Our history: I joined the oldest public speaking club in London in 2004. People in my club were seasoned public speakers with very sophisticated English. I, on the other hand, had a very quiet voice, a strong foreign accent and monotonous speech. I felt I would definitely benefit if I improve my pronunciation and someone in the club recommended that I take elocution lessons. The elements of elocution are voice control, articulation and good pronunciation. Exactly what I needed to become a good public speaker. I started my elocution lessons with a top London speech tutor Linda James in 2004 and fell in love with her method. I found it practical, very useful and enjoyable. I have decided to make Linda's method available to a much wider audience. In 2006, together with Linda, we co-authored our first Speech Training Manual with audio- tracks Get Rid of your Accent. Later we produced books and courses for different levels of English, Public Speaking and Business English. Then we converted our books into apps. In order to make our courses complete and offer a total solution to speech mastery, we finally created amazing video courses to accompany our apps and books.  

Our method: make sure you have the correct placement of your tongue, lips and jaw for each English sound with the help of our video course. Then practice the sound in words, phrases and verses. Practise on your own with the app and/or books. Read and listen to the model pronunciation, record yourself, and compare your recording with the model.  Below is the list of our courses with their short descriptions

Elocution Course # 1: Get Rid of your Accent # Our bestseller!
This course is ideal if you want to get rid of a regional or foreign accent and speak Standard English or RP (Received Pronunciation). It has 42 lessons; it contains effective practical exercises to make your English clear and easy to understand. The course consists of:
1. The book Get Rid of your Accent Part One, ISBN 9780955330001
2. The app Get Rid of your Accent (iOS) or  Get Rid of your Accent (Android)
3. The video course Get Rid of your Accent Part One

Elocution Course # 2: Fluent English Speech
This course is a follow-up to our first course Get Rid of your Accent.  It is ideal if you want to sound more like a native English speaker. It contains the most difficult speech patterns in English and connected speech patterns for good English fluency. The course consists of:
1. The book Get Rid of your Accent Part Two, Advanced Level,  ISBN 9780955330018
2. The app Fluent English Speech (iOS ) or Fluent English Speech (Android)
3. The video course Get Rid of your Accent Part Two 

Elocution Course # 3: Presenting and Public Speaking
This course is ideal if your want to become a successful presenter and public speaker. It contains practical exercises for voice modulation and the use of pauses. The course consists of:
1. The app 4Ps, Power,Pitch,Pace,Pause (iOS) or 4Ps, Power,Pitch,Pace,Pause: (Android)
2. The video course Get Rid of your Accent Part Two

Elocution Course # 4: Business English Speech
This app was designed for top-level professionals, diplomats and lawyers. It is the only course on the market that has both English pronunciation and business vocabulary training. It contains 43 lessons with material gathered from interviews with CEOs, CFOs and MDs of global companies and helps to develop proficiency in English. The course consists of:
1. The book Get Rid of your Accent for Business, Part Three, ISBN  9780955330025
2. The The app Business English Speech  (iOS) or Business English Speech (Android)
3. The video course Get Rid of your Accent Part One

Elocution Course # 5: Elocution Lessons
This course is ideal for different groups: children, people who just started learning English and all who what to pronounce essential everyday English vocabulary correctly. It contains 48 lessons. You will practice short, commonly used phrases, sentences and verses which are easy to repeat and it also has useful tips for teachers of English.  The course consists of:
1. The book Get Rid of your Accent for Beginners, ISBN 9780955330063
2. The app Elocution Lessons  (iOS) or Elocution Lessons  (Android)
3. The video course Get Rid of your Accent Part One

Elocution Course # 6: American English Accent and Fluency Training
This course is ideal if you want get rid of a foreign or regional accent and master Standard American accent, develop fluency in American English and sound more like an American  English speaker. The course consists of:
1. The book Get Rid of your Accent Part One and Two, General American Accent Training Manual, ISBN 9780955330087
2. The app American Accent App (iOS) or American Accent App (Android)
3. The app Fluent American Speech (iOS) or  Fluent American Speech (Android)

Elocution Course # 7: Get Rid of Chinese Accent
This course is ideal for Chinese speakers of English who want to get rid of their Chinese accent. The course contains 42 lessons Chinese translations. The course consists of:
1. The app Get rid of Chinese Accent  (iOS) or Get Rid of Chinese Accent (Android)
2. The video course Get Rod of Chinese Accent

Elocution Course # 8: Get Rid of Russian Accent
This course is ideal for Russian speakers of English who want to get rid of their Russian accent. The course contains 42 lessons with Russian translations. The course consists of:
1. The app Get Rid of Russian Accent  (iOS)or Get Rid of Russian Accent (Android)
2. The video course Get Rid of your Accent Part One

114. "You need an upper class English accent to succeed in London banking"

by Rajendra Shree 18 July 2022

“I am an Indian by birth. I left India over a decade ago and have worked around the world in the finance industry before coming to London. Now that I am here, I feel that my progress is blocked. And it has nothing to do with my expertise. 

In London, it's the people who speak English with an upper-class accent that get all the jobs. Time and again I have seen that the people who get promoted here are not the people with the best knowledge or the best expertise, but the best accents.

If like me, you have excellent domain knowledge, but you speak English with an accent from Hyderabad or Bangalore, you reach a ceiling. The expectation is that you will be a domain expert, but that you will stand behind the big boys - who all have the correct kind of articulation.

It's not like this elsewhere. In America, I see Indians from all kinds of backgrounds and with their original accents thriving - just look at the leaders of Alphabet or Microsoft. The recognition you get is completely different. In London, you are penalized. I have been told that I do the job of two or three people, but I also find my voice is absolutely suppressed. 

As a natural introvert, this is difficult to deal with. There are actions I could take to improve my situation: I have no doubt that if I went to elocution classes, it would make a difference. But I also think it's London's loss: there are plenty of talented immigrants in the City; they need to be given a chance”.

Rajendra Shree is a pseudonym. Source www.efinancialcarrers.com

P.S. by Olga Smith
In the USA the situation is not better, my ex-husband works in Silicon Valley and he told me that Indian guys get only $100k instead of $500k because of their unintelligible accents. He says he cannot understand them. I doubt City will lose as there are plenty of highly skilled people with good English speech. In my opinion, good speech is an essential tool of economic participation.

113. What habits should I develop to be more energetic?

My list of habits is based on my personal experience and I cannot guarantee it works for everyone, but it works for me. In order to feel energetic I do the following:

1. Go to bed before 11.30 pm and ensure a good night's sleep of 7-9 hours. I perform Sundo belly button tapping and healing, stretching and toe-tapping

2. A slow run or a walk in fresh air, a fast run takes my energy away and makes me tired, but a slow run or a walk improves my blood circulation and I feel great

3. Set up daily goals and ticking boxes once I achieved them

4. Communicate with people who I love and love me and make me laugh

5. Eat delicious fresh food: mainly fresh seafood, salads and fruits

6. Attend classical music concerts

7. Swimming in the sea and pools

8. Having short naps during the day

9. Do things at a well-measured pace without rushing

10. Planning activities well

It is equally important to remove certain activities from our lives in order to not waste or lose energy. I avoid:

1. Alcohol

2. Watching TV

3. Shopping

4. Talking too much and doing little

5. Rushing, hustle and bustle

More on Get Rid of your Accent | Elocution Lessons

112. A very English sound

By Olga Smith

All people who take our elocution lessons start their speech training with this sound, it is the long [ɑː] vowel sound as in "father, car, clerk, calm". As you can see it has different spelling variations. In English, it is typical to have many spelling variations for a sound because English inherited many foreign words, they anglicised the pronunciation but left the original foreign spelling.

This exact English sound does not exist in many other languages and that is why it is absolutely essential to master it if you want to adopt RP (Received Pronunciation) or Standard British model of pronunciation.

There is a sound that is similar to the long [ɑː] sound and it exists in many languages, it is a cardinal vowel [ɑ] as in the French word "grave". Both sounds have an open jaw position. The placement of the tongue for the English sound is a slightly different, it is flat at the back of the mouth, but not quite so far back.

Foreign students often suffer from Americanisms because they learned English from American films and sitcoms. We recommend getting rid of them if you want to master RP.

Here is a list of words that are pronounced with a long [ɑː] sound in British English and with  short [æ] as in "cat" in American English:

"fast, example, demand, chancellor, dance, pass, past, can't, chance, answer, last, laugh, path"

This sound often has the letter /r/ in spelling and in British English you should not pronounce it, below are a few examples:
"bar, mark, party, garden, pardon, park, dark, art, star, hard, start, chart, heart, heart, smart". In General American /r/ is pronounced.

We have a wonderful video course where we make it absolutely clear how to produce this sound and all sounds of Received Pronunciation in the mouth. Once you know the exact placement of this sound, you can practise it with the apps ‎Get Rid of your Accent UK1, Business English Speech and Elocution Lessons.                    

111. Start learning English with Elocution Lessons app

by Olga Smith

Many people are coming to us to fix their English because they learned it with bad pronunciation and as a result, their social and professional lives suffered. We had people with degrees in the English Language, but their speech was too quiet and unintelligible because they didn't know how to project their voice, how to pronounce English sounds correctly, etc. When we asked how it happened they told us that the main focus in their study was on English grammar, reading silently and writing.

We think, that the best way to master English speech is to listen to native speakers who have Received Pronunciation (RP or Oxford English), repeat after them and memorise phrases rather than separate words. But it is not always easy to find someone for that. Nowadays many native Brits speak with regional accents and their speech is not the best example to follow if you want to be understood globally.

We have the solution for you: we have published a new accent app Elocution Lessons  It contains essential English words, phrases and short snappy sentences, amusing verses, rhythmic and articulation exercises and passages, all of them so useful and easy to repeat.

With this accent app you can:

·       Listen to the same phrase/ sentence/verse to master the English sounds of RP a few times;

·       Repeat and record yourself, imitating the actor’s pronunciation, intonation and the stresses;

·       Compare your speech with actors on the app.

Find more information and tips on www.batcsglobal.com

110. The rule of communication

Great communication makes life wonderfully enjoyable. Many people who take our elocution lessons ask us how they can become good at expressing their thoughts and communicating them to others. The key word is “others.” This word defines the main rule of communication: think of others when communicating.
Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is what I am saying interesting to my listeners? Am I saying it in an interesting way?

2. Is my speech clear to understand and follow?

3. Can what I say in any way offend others?

4. Do I understand a person I communicate with? Who is this person? What are their needs and wishes?

When people are eager to share their thoughts with others often get excited and speak without pauses which makes it hard to follow. Good communicators make pauses and allow listeners to absorb one idea at a time and get ready for the next one.

Many, particularly shy people, tend to avoid eye contact. Eye contact helps us to see if the person is engaged with what we are saying or not. It helps to connect with the person on a deeper level.

When people communicate on an international level they might find that not many people understand their accent because they are not used to hearing it. As a result, they are often asked to repeat themselves which can be frustrating and embarrassing for both parties.

You can finetune your communication with the apps Elocution Lessons, Get Rid of your Accent, Fluent English Speech, Business English Speech, 4Ps, Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause, American Accent App, and Fluent American Speech. There are also supporting video courses Get Rid of your Accent Part One and Get Rid of your Accent Part Two.

Thinking of others is a universal rule that works in other areas: if you want to be a good driver think of others and not just charge fast; if you want to be a good teacher it is not enough to showcase your knowledge, think of how you can best serve your students; if you want to be a good leader, think of empowering others; if your want to be a good business person, think of how you can satisfy the needs of others.

More on Get Rid of your Accent | Elocution Lessons

109. The difference between the long /i:/ and the short /ɪ/ sounds

Many students who take our elocution lessons struggle to distinguish the long /i:/ as in “please” and the short /ɪ/ as in “big”. We found, that the long /i:/ is easier to pronounce for most nationalities.

The difference between these two sounds is in the tongue position. For the long /i:/ the front of the tongue goes up and for the short /ɪ/ the tongue position is only slightly lower. That difference is so slight and there is the difficulty.

It is important that students of English get it right. Below are a few examples that demonstrate the meaning of the word changes if they do not:

Long /i:/ Short /ɪ/

feel fill

leek lick

feet fit

deal dill

peak pick

I think my new shoes do not quite fit my feet.

Often our students ask us how they can know when to use the long /i:/ and to use the short /ɪ/. The first tip is spelling, the long /i:/ is spelt with “ee” and “ea” and the short /ɪ/ is spelt with “i”.

Secondly, students should practice both sounds and then comparison chapters with the books:

Get Rid of your Accent for Beginners, Get Rid of your Accent Part One and Get Rid of your Accent for Business, Part Three., and the apps:

Elocution Lessons, Get Rid of your Accent and Business English Speech.

It is advisable to take a few elocution lessons to make sure you are on the right track.

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108. Slow down!

Many students who take our elocution lessons make the same mistake: they speak very fast and this results in a lot of pronunciation and punctuation mistakes. Fast speech can be difficult to listen to and irritating because the listeners cannot follow it. Even professional speakers such as TV presenters often make the mistake of speaking too fast. Slowing down is particularly important for public speakers.

There can be a number of reasons to speak fast. I will focus on the two obvious:

1. Feeling nervous. To overcome nervousness, we recommend that you take a couple of nice deep breaths to release the tension.

2. Fast brain 

A fast brain is something people are born with, you cannot change it.

One may ask: can I learn to slow down and overcome my fast brain that forces me to speak fast?

I personally have the tendency to speak fast. In this blog post, I will share with you a simple yet very effective exercise that can help you to slow down.

Exercises: 

1. When you speak, try to separate each idea of thought by using pauses. Count 1, 2, 3 in your head after each idea and allow yourself to breathe and relax. Don't link all ideas; don't deliver them all in one breath.

2. In a conversation with another person, make a pause after each question, do not jump on the answer straight away.

3. Read out loud using the punctuation. In your head, count 1,2,3 in place of a full stop, and count 1 in place of a comma. Make even longer pauses between paragraphs.

Conclusion 

To slow down, be disciplined with pauses. Take a few elocution lessons and practise pauses with the app 4Ps, Power,Pitch,Pace,Pause. 

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107. How can you be confident in talking in any place?

What are the ingredients of confident communication? Is it the knowledge of the topic discussed? Well, I personally know brilliant PhDs and scientists who know their subject really well, but when it comes to talking about it they often sound boring and feel shy. The number one reason why people take our elocution lessons is their lack of confidence when communicating.

During our elocution lessons, we recommend that students pay attention to their physical presence, maintain a good straight posture and have a confident way of moving their body.

Together we work on:

1. Clarity of speech and articulation with the apps ‎Get Rid of your Accent UK1, ‎American Accent App, Business English Speech

2. Voice projection

3. Stressing the key messages

4. Using pauses effectively

5. Developing measured pace

6. Speech structure, you can read our popular blog about it.

   
   Many students who take our elocution lessons tend to rush their speech and it takes time to slow down. They speak fast and try to say all they know in a short period of time. In order to sound clear and confident, it would be better to speak less and pay attention to how you speak.

   Another common problem is boring, monotonous speech. To sound interesting, we work on:

   1. Inflexions. There are some useful exercises in the apps Fluent English Speech, ‎Fluent American Speech

   2. Voice modulation. You can find great material on that in the app Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause

We highly recommend our life-changing elocution apps, books and classes which will bring you confidence and success!

Free tips are on Get Rid of your Accent | Elocution Lessons

106. Social dos and don'ts in a first meeting

By Olga Smith

Social dos and don'ts may differ in various cultures. In this blog post, I will focus on English culture.

The main principles or values upon which social dos and don'ts in England depend are:

1. Be polite and kind

2. Respect other people's privacy

3. Respect other people's space

What should be avoided when you meet people for the first time? That depends on who you are and who you are talking to.

There is a famous English proverb: "If you have nothing nice to say, do not say anything."

English society is class orientated and there is a pecking order to observe. For example, ordinary people cannot approach Royalty first, they have to wait for the Royalty to start talking to them. That trickles down to the other layers of society. People senior in social and business positions are expected to start a conversation.

It is advisable to not push yourself on people and allow them to come to you first. Do not be too forward and respect other people's space. Your friendly smile and open body language would signal that you welcome them to approach you. If you avoid eye contact, looking tense and uptight would signal that you are not quite ready to meet others.

It would be wise to avoid negative and sensitive topics, such as politics, religion and money to avert conflicts and offending others.

Another thing to avoid when you meet a person for the first time is to become too personal and say things like "Oh I like your earrings" - don't do it!

How can we start communication successfully when we meet people for the first time?

Once you have been approached, you can introduce yourself and start talking about something very general.  

For example, if you are at an international conference you may ask: "Have you come far?", "Are you a member or ..?" "This venue looks rather nice"

If you are at a parents' meeting for the first time, you can say things like "My boy is in year twelve, do you have a boy in this year?"

I have noticed, that some people try to talk a lot, and make silly jokes in order to feel comfortable. In my opinion, it is better to not say much and listen and smile more. Use active listening and pay attention to what people say, how they say it and their body language. I recommend avoiding judging what the other person is saying. Just listen and engage your mind and heart by listening to another person. This practice will help you to make a deeper connection with them.

Jacqueline Kennedy once said: "I sometimes have regretted what I said, but I have never regretted my silence."

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