English Clarity for Internationally-trained Professionals

3 Weeks

ยท

Cohort-based Course

This course helps internationally-trained professionals improve their clarity and confidence in spoken English.

With clients from

Microsoft
Telus
MUFG Americas
Lawson Lundell LLP
Deloitte

Course overview

Unlock clear and confident English when your first language ISN'T English

This course is designed to help internationally trained professionals understand fundamental differences between their current pronunciation and clearer English pronunciation.


By understanding the nuances of English sound production, you'll not only improve your clarity, but youโ€™ll also experience an improved sense of belonging in English-speaking environments.


Gain the most valued soft skill that will last you a lifetime - communication clarity.ย 


๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿซ ๐—”๐—•๐—ข๐—จ๐—ง ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—œ๐—ก๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—ฅ๐—จ๐—–๐—ง๐—ข๐—ฅ


Angela Chung is the founder and clinical director of Speak Fluent Inc., a Toronto based online communication coaching practice specializing in communication training for working professionals.ย 


As a certified speech-language pathologist with a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Alberta, Angelaโ€™s expertise lies in her technical knowledge and intentional work to make long-lasting impact on a personโ€™s communication habits.ย 


Angelaโ€™s passion is helping professionals to achieve their desired speaking voice and overcome language barriers, enabling them to fully participate and build stronger connections in cross-cultural workplace environments.


If youโ€™d like to learn more about 1 on 1 coaching from me or my team, you can contact me at angela@speakfluent.ca.



๐Ÿ’ก ๐—”๐—•๐—ข๐—จ๐—ง ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—–๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—ฆ๐—˜


The presence of a different accent can significantly increase the cognitive load and listener effort required to understand speech. Research shows that even mild accents cause the listener to expend more cognitive resources to comprehend the message. This increased processing demand can lead to fatigue and comprehension breakdowns, especially in noisy environments and for complex/abstract topics.


Just as an English speaker would have to learn the different sounds and tones in Chinese to make themselves more intelligible, a lot of immigrants/foreign trained professionals seek out accent training to reduce friction in their English communication environments.ย 


Each cohort will be specific to one language background.


I recognize that there are MANY dialects of one language that can have different patterns; however, I have taken their similarities and created a dedicated program for you to follow.


โ—16 CRUCIAL SOUNDS, STRESS PATTERNS, INTONATION, OVERALL CLARITY


The rules of your first language will affect how you speak English. Each language has a different set of sounds and patterns that they work with, which differ from English,


This course will guide you through a comprehensive exploration of a total of 16 essential sound patterns - 8 essential sound pairs in English, including consonants and vowels. By focusing on minimal pairs and sound patterns as a whole, you'll develop the ability to differentiate between words that previously caused confusion, even for words that we donโ€™t cover during the course.ย 


Youโ€™ll learn how to produce these sounds accurately in various words and sentences with me during the live sessions.


Sometimes English has a different use for stress patterns and intonation patterns compared to your first language. English can use any tone for the same word in English and it'll still have the same meaning. English tone helps add additional information about the word's importance.


By the end of this course, you can expect to see noticeable improvements in your English pronunciation and overall clarity.

Who is this course for

01

You speak a Chinese dialect (e.g., Mandarin, Cantonese) as your first language and other resources were too general and too basic for you.

02

Clarity in English is crucial for your role and you want to get your message across the first time, without needing to repeat yourself.

03

You're a Chinese speaker and you want to sound more natural speaking English.

What youโ€™ll get out of this course

Describe key differences between English and Chinese

You will understand how to control your speech system - your lip and tongue movements, and your voice - for patterns of sound that don't exist in Chinese.

Differentiate between commonly confused English sounds and their correct pronunciation

We'll be reviewing minimal pairs to help highlight sound contrasts. You will distinguish between sounds in real words, like "sit" vs. "seat", in both production and comprehension.

Self-assess your pronunciation through comparison with audio recordings to identify at least 3 specific sound patterns for practice

Self awareness and self monitoring are key skills to be able to make changes in your own speech. Listen, compare, and make adjustments to the sound you produce for increased accuracy.

Use English stress patterns to make words and sentences sound more natural

Learn common intonation patterns that can be applied across words and sentences. Be able to place stress in the right place within words and emphasize them in a sentence.

Use English intonation patterns to emphasize key words in everyday conversations

Intonation requires control of the variation in pitch across a sentence. Practice emphasizing keywords using dramatic high-low pitch patterns to make it easy for listeners to pay attention to your intended message.

Apply techniques to improve clarity of your overall message for unfamiliar listeners

Use at least 3 strategies to improve listener comprehension without modifying your accent. These strategies will also set a good foundation for learning English pronunciation.

This course includes

Interactive live sessions

Lifetime access to course materials

21 in-depth lessons

Direct access to instructor

3 projects to apply learnings

Guided feedback & reflection

Private community of peers

Course certificate upon completion

Maven Satisfaction Guarantee

This course is backed by Mavenโ€™s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.

Course syllabus

Week 1

Aug 2โ€”Aug 4

    Pronunciation Fundamentals

    7 items

    English Consonants

    6 items

Week 2

Aug 5โ€”Aug 11
    Nothing scheduled for this week

Week 3

Aug 12โ€”Aug 16
    Nothing scheduled for this week

Post-course

    Master sound pack

    1 item

    English Vowels

    6 items

    Stress patterns and Intonation

    4 items

What people are saying

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย I had my assessment with Angela and it was AMAZING. She helped me to identify my opportunities to improve my pronunciation and she did a plan to follow up each one. I am looking forward to having my next session next week.
E.C

E.C

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Angela is a great speaking expert. She explained in details what a clear pronunciation methods and gave me some tips on how I can work to improve it. Now I feel confident that I am on the right track. Thank you!
N.K

N.K

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Excellent service from beginning to end. Both my girlfriend and I took sessions with Speak Fluent and we are fully satisfied. It dramatically improved our language skills.
M.D

M.D

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย I had great experience with their service. The teacher, Angela, is quite expert at her job and I do see a lot of improvement at my speaking and accent. I absolutely recommend them, its a certain win.
G.M

G.M

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย I have done speech therapy before and based on my experience Angela is so far the best Speech Therapist I have ever worked with. She is amazing! I did a full assessment and my first session with her. Angela is very knowledgeable, she listened carefully to my concerns and my needs.
A.

A.

Meet your instructor

Angela Chung

Angela Chung

MscSLP, S-LP | Communication Coach for Professionals | Clinical Director and Founder at Speak Fluent

Angela Chung is the founder of Speak Fluent Inc., a Toronto based online communication coaching practice specializing in communication training for working professionals.ย 


As a certified speech therapist with a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Alberta, Angelaโ€™s expertise lies in her technical knowledge and intentional work to make long-lasting impacts on a personโ€™s communication habits.ย 


Want 1 on 1 coaching from me or my team? Contact me at angela@speakfluent.ca.

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English Clarity for Internationally-trained Professionals

Course schedule

2-3 hours per week

  • Saturdays

    1:00pm - 2:30pm EST


  • July 6, 13, 20


  • Weekly practice

    30 minutes per day

    Daily practice is essential to building muscle memory for long-lasting changes.

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

Youโ€™ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

Frequently Asked Questions

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English Clarity for Internationally-trained Professionals