by Judy Ravin | Jan 8, 2020 | Accent Comprehension, Accent Reduction Classes, Communication Skills, Inclusion
As we usher in 2020, I’d like to suggest a technique that makes communication more effective and stress-free. It has to do with replacing a “go-to” way of pronouncing common English phrases, called “connected speech”, with more intentional pronunciation.“Connected...
by Judy Ravin | Apr 21, 2012 | Accent Comprehension, American Pronunciation, Communication Skills, Corporate Training, Diversity, Globalization, Inclusion, Professional Development Training
If I were ‘fluent’ in a foreign language, most people would take it to mean that I’d mastered the grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, and pronunciation rules of that language. I’d like to suggest another aspect of language proficiency that...
by Judy Ravin | Apr 21, 2012 | Communication Skills, Corporate Training, Diversity, Human Resources, Inclusion, Professional Development Training
Our faculty provide communication training for a wide variety of organizations: those in corporate America, academia, the US Department of Defense, non-profit community agencies, etc. And, without exception, there’s an emphasis on a new area of proficiency that...
by Judy Ravin | Apr 21, 2012 | Accent Comprehension, Accent Neutralization, Foreign Accent Syndrome, Inclusion
What would you think if you woke up one day and suddenly your usual speech patterns were replaced by a seemingly foreign accent? Suddenly, the ‘you’ that everyone knows and loves has disappeared! How much of your identity would you feel was compromised?...
by Judy Ravin | Apr 20, 2012 | Accent Comprehension, American Pronunciation, Communication Skills, Inclusion
There’s a fascinating article in the Telegraph.co.uk about humans subconsciously imitating other people’s accents. According to Prof. Lawrence Rosenblum of the University of California, Riverside, people consistently imitate the speech patterns of total...
by Judy Ravin | Apr 19, 2012 | Diversity, Globalization, Inclusion
I went to a fantastic conference last week sponsored by the Human Resources Association of Greater Detroit and this very topic was addressed by the keynote speaker, Dr. Shirley Davis. Dr Davis is the Chief Diversity Officer of SHRM (Society of Human Resource...
