307. The Day I Recorded Myself and Got a Shock

I was confident. I thought my English was excellent.

I had a linguistics degree, an MBA, and I had been living and working in London for years. I genuinely believed I communicated well.

Then one day I recorded myself.

I played it back and I was shocked. I could not understand some of the words I was saying. Not because my vocabulary was wrong or my grammar was poor — but because my sounds were unclear, my speech very quiet, and what felt clear inside my head was actually quite difficult to follow from the outside.

That recording changed everything.

Not because it embarrassed me. But because it fascinated me. As a linguist I immediately wanted to understand the gap between how we sound in our own heads and how we actually sound to others.

That gap, I discovered, is where some communication problems live.

Here is what I found after years of research and teaching:

The professionals who struggle most are rarely struggling because of where they are from. They are struggling because of unclear sounds, rushed speech, swallowed endings and hesitant delivery.

These are technical problems. With technical solutions.

I know because I solved them myself — systematically, as a linguist. And that process became the Get Rid of Your Accent series — books, apps and video courses now used by international professionals in over 40 countries.

The recording feature in our apps exists for exactly this reason.

Because you cannot fix what you cannot hear. And most people — just like me — have never actually listened to themselves properly.

Try this today: Record yourself for 60 seconds talking about your work. Play it back. Listen not as yourself — but as a stranger hearing you for the first time.

What do you notice?

That moment of honest listening — however uncomfortable — is where transformation begins.

I'd love to know — have you ever recorded yourself and been surprised by what you heard? Share in the comments below.

Warmly, Olga Smith

302. Elevate Your Language -Elevate Your Life

Yesterday, I attended a philosophy group in Barnes and I have enjoyed not only what I heard but the way people spoke - a wonderful choice of words and Received Pronunciation.

It got me thinking about language and how it transforms experience.

You may have the right thoughts, the right ambition, even the right strategy—but if your delivery lacks clarity and control, it dilutes your impact.

Choice of words, accent, pacing, and tone all contribute to perceived credibility. Like it or not, people associate certain speech patterns with composure, education, and authority.

This is why Received Pronunciation (RP)—often associated with the British upper classes—has historically carried weight. Not because it is “better,” but because it signals:

• Clarity

• Control

• Intentional delivery

It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t blur. It doesn’t apologise.

Elevated speech is not about sounding louder or more formal. It’s about being deliberate.

Instead of:

• Rushing through words

• Softening statements unnecessarily

• Filling space with uncertainty

You begin to:

• Articulate clearly

• Pause with confidence

• Deliver thoughts with structure

Get Rid of your Accent app will help develop clear, composed speech rooted in RP—not to erase who you are, but to elevate how you’re perceived.

Here's how it works:

Elevated language → stronger presence; stronger presence → better opportunities; better opportunities → a different life trajectory

Warmly

Olga Smith

www.batcsglobal.com

294. Accent Reduction Method

⭐ How Our Method Works

Step 1: Practice the sounds that challenge you most

• Start with your video course, app or book.

• Focus on the specific sounds that are difficult for your nationality.

• Track your progress with exercises and recordings built into the apps.

Step 2: Work on fluency and intonation

• Gradually practice words, sentences, and natural speech patterns.

• Apply your learning in real-life speaking situations, like meetings, presentations, and conversations.

Step 3: Optional Personalised Support: Speech Analysis & Elocution Lessons

How Sounds are Produced

You learn how to physically produce sounds correctly:

• Where to place your tongue and

• How to shape your lips;

• Jaw position: open, half-open or half-closed, etc. Many people have very stiff jaw muscles, which affects pronunciation.

Fluency Training Involves:

• Connected speech patterns

• Sentence stress

• Natural flow of speech

• Strong and weak forms of words

• Schwa and fluency

• Difficult speech patterns: words anding s and consinant clusters

• Use of colloquial expressions and idioms

• Intonation