An Inside Look at Accent Training

English Communication

ConfIdence

related to your return on investment; and be introduced to tips and tools that can lead you to American English speaking skills that will set you apart from the average non-native English speaker. Thank you for downloading our eBook. I truly hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

Best regards,

Jill Diamond

Dear Readers, If you think like most global citizens, you know that English is at the heart of international communication. Over the last 30 years, a tremendous number of people worldwide have been studying English to increase their opportunities for professional success. According to the British Council, the United Kingdom’s international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations, there have been as many as 1 billion people studying English as a second language since the year 2000.1 Yet, multi-national organizations feel the pain of cross-cultural communication effectiveness. Service providers are being employed to help increase the language skills of the glo-bal workforce which leads to improved reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, and speaking and listening. This is important because we all know that without these strong skills, we can get lost in the conversation. We need industry-specific terms to help us in our conference calls; we need a variety of grammatical structures in order to give dynamic presen-tations; and we need high-level comprehension skills to follow the nuances found in both social and business dialogues. In order to really succeed in business, however, second language English speakers need more than the basic competen-cies to compete. They need English skills that get them understood. That means learning the accent. Having a proficiency in the rhythm and intonation patterns of English leads to a much more confident communicator which helps lessen gaps of differences amongst cul-tures. In this eBook, you will be introduced to the difference between a pronunciation class that focuses on the articulation of consonants and vowels and an accent program that builds communication effec-tiveness. You will identify key habits of successful language learners; understand major setbacks for adult students; learn the role music plays in your speaking success; get a glimpse at market research

© 2014-2017 by Jill Diamond 388 Second Avenue New York, New York, 10010. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission from Jill Diamond.

1. Accent vs. Pronunciation

2. The Glass Ceiling

3. Top 5 Setbacks in Adult Language Learning

4. 10 Habits of Highly Successful Language Learners

5. How to Avoid Setbacks

6. Accent Training Tools

7. Music Lesson

11. Jill’s Accent Tips

12. Return on Investment

13. Who We Are

14. What We Offer

15. About Jill Diamond

16. References

There is a

confident way to speak English.

Table of Contents

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When you focus your studies on the rhythm and intonation of American English, you learn how the language sounds, not just how it works. Native English speakers know this intuitively becau-se they are surrounded by the music of their language from birth. They hear it in the conversations around them and on the radio,

television, and social media sites that create the backdrop of their environments. As pointed out by Maria-Josep Solé, Pro-

fessor of English Phonetics and Linguistics at the Univer-sitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, “As long as the rhy-thm of your words is correct,” for example by placing the stress on the first syllable in the word manager instead of the second, “native speakers can more easilyunderstand your spoken English even with incorrectly pronounced sounds.”2

Let’s be clear—pronunciation cannot be ignored. However, it cannot be the focus of your accent modification training if

you are looking to be truly effective in your English communi-cation.

Learn the rhythm and intonation of American Englishand you will gain the confidence you need to communicatemore broadly and clearly with your colleagues andnative-speaking friends.

Placing too much emphasis on how a word is articulated can slow down language learning for beginners. However, acqui-ring knowledge about intonation and rhythm patterns at early stages can be quite beneficial. This is where the difference be-tween accent and pronunciation is key.

Spending too much time on pronunciation can ab-solutely be frustrating and even boring. But, applying the right amount of time to accent, the musical elements of the language, can boost your confidence and have native English speakers thinking you are more fluent than you may actually be.

What is accent exactly? According to The New Oxford Dic-tionary, the sociolinguistic definition is “A manner of pronuncia-tion specific to a particular individual, location, or nation.” Some-times this kind of accent is referred to as a dialect which includes idiomatic expressions, language structure and pronunciation specific to a region. The phonetic definition, however, refers to the prosody orrhythm of a language. It also includes intonation.

Accent vs. Pronunciation

Pronunciation refers to the sounds andenunciation of the language while accent

examines the rhythm, stress and intonationpatterns of words, phrases and ultimately

communication.

It is important to note that an accentmodification class should never aim to

eliminate your accent. Not only is it extremelydifficult to do, but it also strips you of your culture.

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Biases are real and we all need to understand how they interfere with our inter-cultural communication. We have to take steps to meet each other halfway. Americans can do that by lear-ning more about the languages of their non-native English-spe-aking colleagues. They can begin to learn the musical patterns of their language and understand how they superimpose their native language rhythm and intonation onto English. Non-native English speakers can take steps to build their communication confidence and effectiveness through accent training. Being pro-active in these ways can build a necessary bridge between cultu-res that, if un-built, will always keep us in separate conversations.

Imagine this…You have been living in the United States for thirty years after emigrating from Russia. Or China. Or Argentina. You’ve been working for a U.S. multinational bank for most of your career. You’ve made it somewhat up the ranks, but not as far as you know you can. And the main reason you believe you hit the glass ceiling was not because you were a woman or because you weren’t brilliant, but because of your accent. You weren’t per-ceived to be as capable of becoming the next Vice President as Charlie was. He’s from New Jersey. (And by the way, Charlie’s got an accent too, but it’s regional.)

The truth is, you’re as capable as Charlie and perhaps even more so. But, decision-makers who hold your career in their hands may have some bias. It is unlikely that they know that they do. However, research has shown that when someone speaks with a foreign accent, it diminishes a level of trust and believabi-lity.3 While you try to accept that your accent makes you an outsi-der, it hurts just the same. And, not just emotionally. It hurts your sense of recognition; it hurts your feelings of respect; and it can hurt you monetarily.

The Glass Ceiling

Without shifting the paradigm of how foreign nationals are seen by native English speakers, all second language English speakers will continue to face an uphill battle in their quest

to achieve professional success.

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Top 5 Setbacks in AdultLanguage Learning

Frustration“I still have trouble beingunderstood.”

“I don’t have any to spare.”

“Why am I doing this?”

“It all seems backwards to me.”

“No one I know is taking this class.”

TIME

Native Language

Motivation

Support

WARNING: When adopting a new skill, it is easy to feel like you are getting worse before you get better—the “one step forward, two steps back” syndrome. Making improvements to your accent may cause you to hesitate before you speak. That’s ok. In fact, it is good. If you didn’t have a new awareness, you probably wouldn’t be manifesting change. Two steps backwards will never mean you can’t attain three steps forward.

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1. Seize the day: Learn every day. You must take res-ponsibility for your own learning. Don’t shy away from small talk and daily conversations with colleagues and native English-speaking friends. Ask for feedback from someone you trust today.

2. Get creative to stay motivated: “Music that we perceive aspleasurable releases dopamine into our system.”5 That means we are going to feel happy and motivated. Music has been linked to successful langua-ge learning and more importantly can help with your accent.

3. Read, read and read some more: Read in English to identify vocabulary that is either new or that you don’t know how to pronounce. Say the challenging words out loud and start a list of the ones you want to improve. Try this link for reading material: www.voanews.com.

4. Record new vocabulary: Make it a habit to record and listen to the vocabulary words that you want to re-member. You can write a simple sentence next to the word to help you remember the meaning in context. Your brain will easily recall it once it understands how to use it.6

10 Habits of Highly Successful Language Learners

5. Be fearless: Easier said than done, right?! As chil-dren we learn from our mistakes. As adults we need to remember that we learn from our mistakes. Don’t shy away from saying what you need to say even if itdoesn’t come out perfectly. Use your charm and courage to make up for your imperfections.

6. Use technology: You can listen to the pronunciation ofa word so easily today. Just go to www.dictionary.com.Or try some of the great language apps out there while you are on the train. One of our favorites is Duolingo.

7. Set realistic goals: Make sure your goals are me-asurable, simple and effective. For example, once a week, listen to a podcast in English on a subject that interests you or agree to head your next department meeting. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something you will commit to with little effort.

8. Measure progress: Set benchmarks that you can check off as you go. Write one hard-to-pronounce word a day on a Post-It Note and put it on your computer. Use the word at least three times. A habit like this will help you stay on track.

9. Match your learning environment to your lear-ning style: Use and engage in what works for you. Any-thing else can be counterproductive. And if you don’t know what kind of learner you are, click here to find out.

10. Pat yourself on the back: Happy with the way you performed in class? Celebrate it with a night out with friends! Listen to a record! Go dancing! Acknowledge your progress!

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Remember to set realistic goals (#7) and spend just 5 minutes a day reviewing what you’ve learned.

Read and record new vocabulary (#4) in order to identify one aspect of your language that needs improvement.

Do you like music? (#2) Find the lyrics to your favorite tune and sing along. It might not feel like stu-dying.

If you don’t already know the primary differences between your language and English, use technolo-gy (#6) to learn what they are. Here is a site where you can learn.

Find an online forum of language learners or go on your company’s social media platform and make it a priority to engage in conversations regularly (#6).

How to Avoid Setbacks

Frustration“I still have trouble beingunderstood.”

“I don’t have any to spare.”

“Why am I doing this?”

“It all seems backwards to

“No one I know is taking this class.”

TIME

Native Language

Motivation

Support

Whatever you do, remember why you started your communication initiative. It can mean the differencebetween perseverance and giving up on your new skills.

Habit of Highly Successful Language LearnersSetback

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6 Accent Training Tools

Rhythm Using the correct syllable stress of English is the most important tool to help native speakers comprehend your speech.

Emphasis Knowing which words in a sentence are the key words and delivering them with emphasis can get your message understood more effectively.

Melody The musical patterns of the five sentence types along with ge-neral stepping and gliding techniques are essential to your native-like sounding English.

Thought Chunking: Pausing and rate of speech are the easiest and qui-ckest way to adjust your spoken English. Think of this as the punctuation in your speech and start adding confidence to your voice.

Flow: Native English speakers have many ways of connecting their words and creating fluency. These flow techniques bring L2 speakers closer to native-like English.

Diction: Pronunciation is a key component of your spoken English. Focu-sing on the clear pronunciation of vowels will be at the forefront of your effective speech.

Rhythm

Flow

Emphasis

Thought Chunking

L2*COMMUNICATION

*Second language

Melody

Diction

“Communication is at the core of your accent training. All of the concepts support your

communication.”

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Music Lesson

A U.S. based financial institution with a large global presence has been contracting Jill since 1999 to assist their high potentials with their English communicaiton. Correct use of rhythm and intonation patterns of English has increased their effectiveness across geographical regions.

“From a developmental

perspective,

we argue that

music comes first and

language arises from music.” 7

Anthony Brandt

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Rhythm

Every language has itsunique musical patternsthat make up its accent.The three main musical

components for thepurpose of accent training

are:

• Rhythm• Melody• Pausing

To help you understandthe correlation between

music and language,listen to popular songs topractice the elements you

will learn in this briefmusic lesson.

The Whole Note | The Half Note | The Quarter Note | The Eighth Note

The whole note is held for four counts. The half note is held for two. The quarter note is held for one, and the eighth note is held for half a count. We can apply these note values to our speech by the length of time we hold a syllable in a word. Stressed syllables get a longer value. Unstressed syllables a shorter value. We don’t use the four musical notes as precisely in speech as we do in music, but we certainly could if we wanted to. It is best to think of half a beat (the eighth note) for unstressed syllables and one beat (the quarter note) for stressed syllables. Here is a musical notation of the word manager:

When teaching the rhythm of English, we use simple dashes and dots to indicate the stressed versus unstressed syllables. The first syllable of the word manager is long and the last two are short. We can illustrate that like this:

Music is comprised of notes that create its rhythm. Notes have different values but the four basic notes for our purpose are:

MA - NA - GER

MA - NA - GER

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A Connecticut based pharmaceutical company with a rich team of international scientists has worked closely with Jill since 2002 tohelp their te-ams increase their communication skills in both private and group settings.Working with clinical minds,Jill has been able to successfully transmit the critical musical components of accent that allow for these scientists to move beyond the lab and into public speaking roles.

Melody After rhythm, comes melody. In music we have the scales and keys. Each scale has eight notes. Every scale represents a key. Some keys sound joyful while others are melancholic. We will just concern ourselves with the most neutral sounding key-—C Major. Let’s have a look at the eight notes that comprise its scale:

C D E F G A B C

Try this exercise to learn more about the intonation of a sen-tence.

When most people speak, they use about four notes with their voice. However, it is important to say that a dynamic speaker will emphasize words by using as many as eight notes. In accent training, you learn to step up and down a scale, skipping over notes; or you learn how to glide through notes, intoning each note as you move up or down the scale. For example, statements have a melody that steps up on the focus word and glides down on the same word to end the statement in the affirmative. YES/NO questions on the other hand, have an upward, gliding inflection at the end of the sentence to let others know you have asked a question. By using melody correctly in your speech, you begin to indicate the correct intonation patterns of words and sentences.

C major key scale

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Finally, we have the pause or rest note, as we say in musical terms. Pauses are essential to clear messaging. They communicate the punctuation in our sentences. Let’s look at the musical rest notes and show you how they are used in your speech.

If the musician rushes through any of the rests, there is the potential to create chaos amongst the other musicians. The silent notes are part of the composition. They are never overlooked. The same has to be true in our speech. Pausing indicates confidence and helps both the speaker and the listener to concentrate. See how the quarter note rest is used after a comma and the half noterest is used after the period:

When the manager got to the meeting, the presentation had already begun.

One slash (/) equals one count of silence, two slashes (//) represent two counts of silence and three slashes (///) can indicate three or more counts of silence. See how they are simply used here:

When the manager got to the meeting, / the presentation had already begun. //

We don’t need to take our musical lesson any further in order for you to start to apply these simple terms to your American English. In fact, we can summarize what you’ve just learned like this: Indicate your stressed syllables and words by making them longer. Use rising and falling tone appropriately by knowing the five sentence types in English. And, pause long enough between words and sentences in order to communicate your thoughts clearly. Think about yourself as the conductor of an orchestra and let music in-fluence the way you speak American English.

PAUSE

The Whole Note Rest | The Half Note Rest | The Quarter Note Rest (Four counts of silence) (Two counts of silence) (One count of silence)

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Jill’s Accent Tips

Three Steps to Improving Your Accent

How to Ask for Feedback from Native Speakers

Four Tips for Slowing Down Your Speech

Building a Support Group

• Learn the foundational accent concepts behindeffective American English communication.

• Create a practice consisting of 1-3 minute dailyexercises; 5-10 minute weekly exercises; and 30-60minute monthly exercises.

• Mimic native speakers on the radio, television andInternet sites like Ted, Voice of America andAmerican Rhetoric.

1 3

2 4• Join Toastmasters where people are there totell you what they think.

• Find an accent reduction Meetup Group in your city.

• Sign up on a social media site for language learners.

• Listen to your voice as you speak.

• Remember to pause after key words.

• Take a noticeable breath during each pause.

• Lengthen key words to vary the rhythm of your speech.

• Find like-minded peers who have similar communicationchallenges as you.

• Ask if they’d like to create a study group.

• Set up weekly meetings.

• Choose a leader each meeting to send out an exercise and then lead the group that week to explore specific best practices in accent modification.

• Invite a native English speaker to join the group once a month.

• Don’t just study, socialize as a way to build trust and momentum in the group.

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Return on Investment

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Jill Diamond is a seasoned speech coach with a specialization in working with international professionals. Her executive experience, background in the performance arts and keen interest in people allow Jill to help professionals build business commu-nication skills filled with precision, passion and impact.

Whether it is a board presentation, a Town Hall event, or a dialogue between two leaders, Jill is a skilled advisor on creating and conveying meaningful messages. Jill’s clients include numerous Fortune 100 companies in diverse industries from Financial Services to the Fashion Industry to Medical professionals.

Her work touches individuals working as psychologists, entrepreneurs, designers and more. Jill’s creative and practical approach guarantee that even the most technical specialists can extend messages that resonate. Jill is also widely known as an Accent Training Expert giving voice to international professionals seeking to learn the American accent. For more than 20 years she has helped executives from outside the United States compete in the English-s-peaking marketplace. She knows that mastering a second language is one thing and that being able to communicate effectively in the language of business is another.

Stemming from her childhood passion for the arts, Jill is an avid blogger, speech writer and ghost writer. She spreads enthusiasm about the value of effective communication in her public speaking engagements and is available to appear as a guest speaker upon request. Jill has lectured and presented in Brazil where she lives part-time. She continues to provide consultative coaching to professionals throughout Europe, the United States, India and South America. Jill has a Master’s Degree in Creative Arts in Education and is a trained singer, songwriter and former actor.

About Jill Diamond

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Jill helps executives write it, show it, voice it with her proven communication skills techniques.

Jill gives voice to international professionals competing in the English-speaking marketplace.

Jill supports individuals with speech writing, presentation content, and ghost writing.

Jill spreads enthusiasm about the importance of effective communication through guest speaking engagements.

What Jill Offers

Accent Training

Communication Coaching

Speech Writing

Guest Speaker

All of Jill's offerings are available asfollows:

• Private Coaching• Group Programs• Workshops (half or whole day)• Company Lunch & Learns

You can also work with Jill:

• Online• In-person• Or in a combination of the two

For more info:

info@byjilldiamond.com | www.byjilldiamond.com

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ReferencesBritish Council. Frequently Asked Questions About The English Language. Retrieved from http://www.britishcouncil.org/learningfaq-the-english-language.htm

Solé Sabater, Maria-Josep (1991). Stress and Rhythm in English. Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses 4 (1991): 145-62. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Retrieved from http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/5496/1/RAEI_04_13.pdf

Lev-Ari, Shiri & Keysar, Boaz . Why Don’t We Believe Non-Native Speakers? The Influence Of Accent On Credibility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 46 (2010) 1093–1096. Retrieved from http://psychology.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/LevAriKeysar.pdf

Huang, L. Frideger, M., & Pearce, Jone L. (2014, June). How Non-Native Speakers Can Crack the Glass Ceiling. Harvard Business Review, The Magazine. Retrieved from http://hbr.org/2014/06/how-non-native-speakers-can-crack-the-glass-ceiling/ar/1

Zatorre, Robert J. & Salimpoor, Valerie N. (June 2013). Why Music Makes Our Brain Sing. The New York Times Sunday Review. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/opinion/sunday/why-music-makes-our-brain-sing.html?_r=0

Yongqi Gu, Peter. (2003) Vocabulary Learning in a Second Language: Person, Task, Context and Strategies. TESL-EJ, volume 7, Number 2. Retrieved from http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume7/ej26/ej26a4/

Brandt, A., Gebrian, M. & Slevc , L. Robert. (2012) Music and Early Language Acquisition. Frontiers in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience 11. Retrieved from http://www.neu-rosciencenews.com/theory-music-underlies-language-acquisition/

A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit. (April 2012). Competing Across Borders: How cultural and communication barriers affect business. Retrieved from http://www.ef.com.br/competing-across-borders/

Towers Watson. (2009/2010). Capitalizing on Effective Communication: How Courage, Innovation and Discipline Drive Business Results in Challenging Times. Retrieved from http://www.towerswatson.com/en-US/Insights/IC-Types/Survey-Research-Results/2009/12/ 20092010-Communication-ROI-Study-Report-Capitalizing-on-Effective--Communication

Tenzer, H., Pudelko, M., & Harzing, Anne-Wil. (2014). The Impact of Language Barriers on Trust Formation in MultinationalTeams. Journal of International Business Studies, 45, 508-535. Retrived from http://www.harzing.com/download/mnt.pdf

Sinden, John. 2014, July 9th. The Importance of Intercultural Communication Training to the Global Workforce. Retrieved from http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Glo-bal-HRD-Blog/2014/07/The-Importance-of-Intercultural-Communication-Training-to-the-Global-Workforceblog-Article?mktcops=c.global-hrd&mktcois=c.training-for-multi-ple-cultures~c.training-and-development~c.coaching~c.globalworkforce-development

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info@byjilldiamond.com www.byjilldiamond.com