235. The Power of Three

Have you noticed how often the power of three shows up in our daily lives? A good meal consists of a starter, a main course, and a dessert. A good day includes work, rest, and play.

Take my belly dancing class today. It felt amazing because it had:

1️⃣ A nice warm-up

2️⃣ A well-paced rehearsal of our routine for the upcoming show

3️⃣ A wonderfully relaxing stretch to finish

The same principle applies to public speaking. A strong speech always has:

1️⃣ An engaging introduction

2️⃣ An interesting main part

3️⃣ A memorable conclusion

And yes, even in elocution lessons, the pattern holds true:

1️⃣ Warm-up muscular exercises

2️⃣ Practising a sound or speech pattern

3️⃣ A fun verse or rhyme exercise at the end

Why does this work? Because our brains love structure. Three feels complete, balanced, and easy to remember. If you’d like to apply the power of three to your own speech and communication, you can explore my apps:

Now, I’d love to hear from you. What’s an example of the power of three in your own life? Share it in the comments—I can’t wait to read your ideas

232. Overcoming the Fear of Speaking English in Public

Speaking English in public can feel intimidating, even for people who have studied the language for years. The fear of making mistakes, being misunderstood, or sounding “different” is common—but the good news is that it can be managed and overcome with the right mindset and practical techniques.

Why We Fear Public Speaking in English

There are several reasons why speaking English in front of others can feel scary:

1. Fear of Mistakes
Worrying about mispronunciation or grammar errors can make you hesitant to speak at all.

2. Lack of Confidence
Not being sure about your vocabulary or fluency can make public speaking stressful.

3. High Expectations
Many people compare themselves to native speakers and feel pressure to “sound perfect.”

Understanding the cause of your fear is the first step to addressing it.

Practical Steps to Build Confidence

Here are some strategies that can help you speak more confidently in English, whether in meetings, presentations, or social situations:

1. Start Small
Practice speaking English in low-pressure situations—like ordering a meal, speaking with friends, or reading out loud at home. Small wins help build confidence gradually.

2. Focus on Clarity, Not Perfection
Instead of worrying about sounding like a native speaker, aim to be clear and understandable. Your audience values clarity more than perfect pronunciation.

3. Use Pauses Effectively
Pausing after each idea gives you time to think and reduces nervousness. Practising Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause (4Ps) can make your speech more natural and easier to follow.

4. Record and Listen to Yourself
Recording your voice and listening back allows you to notice your strengths and areas for improvement. Apps like Get Rid of Your Accent or Fluent English Speech provide guided exercises for intonation, articulation, and fluency, making this process easier.

5. Practice Public Speaking Gradually
Start with a small audience, then gradually increase the number of listeners. Toastmasters, online language meetups, or even speaking to family members can help you practice in a supportive environment.

Mindset Matters
Remember, everyone makes mistakes, even native speakers. Mistakes are part of the learning process and do not define your ability to communicate effectively. Celebrate your uniqnes and your progress, no matter how small, and be patient with yourself.

Final Thought
Overcoming the fear of speaking English in public takes practice, patience, and perseverance. Start small, focus on clarity, and gradually challenge yourself. With consistent effort, you’ll progress and feel proud of your progress.

Useful Tip
Incorporate a few minutes of daily practice with guided exercises from apps like Get Rid of Your Accent or Fluent English Speech—you’ll be amazed at how quickly your confidence grows.

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231. Get Rid of Russian Accent

This app is designed especially for Russian speakers who want to reduce their accent and speak clear, confident English. Based on the bestselling series Get Rid of Your Accent, it combines proven elocution lessons with step-by-step practice. All speech organ positions are translated into Russian, making it easy for learners to master English sounds and correct pronunciation quickly.

Why It Works

Trusted by actors, diplomats, teachers, and business professionals, this accent app helps you:

  1. Understand how each English sound is formed with Russian explanations

  2. Practise pronunciation, articulation and intonation

  3. Master all sounds of Received Pronunciation (RP) – also called Queen’s English, Oxford English, or BBC English

  4. Improve fluency for public speaking and everyday conversation

App Content

  • 48 lessons with words, phrases, short sentences, verses, and articulation drills, tongue twisters, rhythmic exercises, and passages

  • Audio recordings of native English speakers for accurate English pronunciation

Functionality

  1. Listen & Repeat– copy pronunciation, liaisons, and intonation

  2. Record & Compare – hear your voice and track your progress

With regular practice, you will:

• Neutralise your Russian accent within 1–3 months

• Speak English that is clear and easy to understand

• Gain confidence for teaching, studying, or working internationally

• Sound professional and fluent in English communication

Meet the Authors

Linda James (RAM, Dip. Ed., IPD, LRAM), Speech and Drama coach, trained at the Royal Academy of Music, with 20+ years of experience teaching RP and accent reduction in London drama schools, films, and TV.

Olga Smith (BA Linguistics, MBA), Linguist, public speaker, and co-author of the best-selling *Get Rid of Your Accent book series. Having overcome her own strong Russian accent, Olga brings practical expertise to learners worldwide.

Visit www.batcsglobal.com to book a professional speech analysis.

227. Business English Speech App

Whether you want to neutralise your accent, speak with authority, or master business English fluency, this is your shortcut to success in the global workplace. Based on the bestselling book Get Rid of Your Accent for Business by Linda James and Olga Smith, this app includes 43 lessons built on real business language from interviews with CEOs, CFOs, and managing directors of global companies.

 Why This App?

  • The most complete resource for Business English speech training

  • Written in the style of the Financial Times and The Economist

  • Covers finance, IT, law, HR, and marketing vocabulary

  • Used by professionals worldwide to advance their careers

  • Many of our clients have been promoted after improving their speech clarity and business communication with this app and lessons

 With this app, you will:
1. Neutralise your accent in as little as 1–3 months
2. Make your Business English clear and easy to understand
3. Improve presentation, negotiation, and public speaking skills
4. Speak with confidence and authority in professional settings
5. Expand your business vocabulary with up-to-date lingo
6. Master Received Pronunciation (RP) – the clear, neutral accent of educated English speakers

 App Content  

  • 43 structured lessons with audio guidance

  • Clear explanations of tongue, lip, and jaw placement for each English sound

  • Practice with words, phrases, sentences, idioms, tongue twisters, and business passages and interviews

  • Lessons on contractions, silent letters, and French expressions used in business

App Functionality

✔ Listen to professional model recordings

✔ Record your own voice and play it back

✔ Compare your speech with the model for instant feedback

✔ Train anytime, anywhere at your own pace

Meet the Authors

Linda James (RAM, Dip. Ed., IPD, LRAM), Speech and Drama coach, trained at the Royal Academy of Music, with 20+ years of experience teaching RP and accent reduction in London drama schools, films, and TV.

Olga Smith (BA Linguistics, MBA), Linguist, public speaker, and co-author of the best-selling *Get Rid of Your Accent book series. Having overcome her own strong Russian accent, Olga brings practical expertise to learners worldwide.

Visit www.batcsglobal.com to book a professional speech analysis.

225. Fluent English Speech App

The follow-up to the bestselling Get Rid of Your Accent UK1 app. Designed for learners who want to speak English fluently, clearly, and confidently—just like a native speaker.

App Contents
Part 1: Master difficult speech patterns — word endings, consonant clusters, schwa, strong & weak forms.
Part 2: Connected speech — learn to speak in natural phrases instead of separate words.
Part 3: Improve intonation, sentence stress & rhythm — make your speech smooth, clear, and engaging.

Functionality
1. Native model audio tracks
2. Listen & repeat training
3. Record your voice
4. Compare pronunciation instantly

With this app, you will:

  • Develop English fluency and natural flow

  • Improve pronunciation, intonation & rhythm

  • Learn idioms & colloquial expressions to sound authentic

  • Reduce your foreign accent and speak with confidence

  • Boost career opportunities and personal impact through clear communication

    Meet the Authors

    Linda James (RAM, Dip. Ed., IPD, LRAM), Speech and Drama coach, trained at the Royal Academy of Music, with 20+ years of experience teaching RP and accent reduction in London drama schools, films, and TV.

    Olga Smith (BA Linguistics, MBA), Linguist, public speaker, and co-author of the best-selling *Get Rid of Your Accent book series. Having overcome her own strong Russian accent, Olga brings practical expertise to learners worldwide.

    Visit www.batcsglobal.com to book a professional speech analysis.

218. The Role of Voice and Accent in Job Interviews

When it comes to landing your dream job, most people focus on polishing their résumé, practising common interview questions, and researching the company. But there’s another factor that plays a huge role in how you’re perceived — your voice and accent.

In a job interview, your words matter — but how you say them can matter even more.

 Why Your Voice Matters

Your voice is more than just a tool for communication — it’s part of your personal brand. The tone, pace, and clarity of your speech can instantly influence whether you come across as confident, competent, and trustworthy.

Here’s what interviewers often pick up on: 

1. Clarity – Clear speech signals professionalism and attention to detail.

2. Confidence – A steady, well-projected voice makes you sound self-assured.

3. Energy – A lively tone helps you sound engaged and interested in the role.

A nervous, rushed, or monotone delivery can unintentionally send the wrong message — even if your answers are perfect.

 Accent and First Impressions

In today’s global job market, accents are normal — but they can still affect comprehension. If an interviewer struggles to understand you, they might (consciously or unconsciously) question your ability to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, or stakeholders.

This doesn’t mean you need to erase your accent entirely. But reducing a heavy accent and improving pronunciation can make your speech easier to follow, helping you connect with your interviewer and keep their focus on your skills and ideas — not on deciphering your words.

Key Skills to Improve Before Your Interview

If you want to make a strong vocal impression, focus on these areas: 

1. Pronunciation – Aim for crisp, accurate sounds, especially for common industry terms.

2. Pace – Slow enough to be clear, but not so slow that you lose momentum.

3. Pausing – Use pauses to emphasize key points and give the interviewer time to process.

4. Intonation – Add variety to your pitch to sound natural and engaging.

5. Volume & Projection – Speak loudly enough to be heard without sounding aggressive.

How to Train Your Voice for Interview Success 

Improving your voice and accent doesn’t have to take years — with targeted practice, you can make noticeable changes in just weeks.

Get Rid of Your Accent for Business app provides: 

Audio models of clear, neutral English speech.

Step-by-step lessons to improve pronunciation and intonation.

Record & compare tools to track your progress.

Practice materials based on real-world speaking situations, including interviews.

By training your ear, practising key sounds, and mastering vocal techniques, you can walk into your interview sounding confident, professional, and easy to understand.

Your qualifications get you in the door, but your communication skills can seal the deal. A clear, confident voice helps interviewers focus on you — your ideas, your expertise, and your potential. 

Ready to sound your best in your next interview?

Start training today with the Get Rid of Your Accent for Business app — your personal voice coach, right in your pocket.

209. 7 features of the British Accent

There are over two hundred accents and dialects in Britain: Southern (RP), Northern, Scottish, Cockney, etc. RP or Received Pronunciation is taught to foreigners because it is understood around the world and is called Standard English. RP is also a compulsory accent for actors to learn in British drama schools. RP is associated with high class and good education, and many learn RP to blend in with the upper classes.

I am an expert in RP, and in this article, I will share my knowledge that will help you learn to speak with RP, the most popular British accent and avoid main pronunciation mistakes. Below are the main characteristics and patterns of the British accent.
1. Pure English vowels
There are five long and seven short pure English vowels. Each vowel has a specific speech organ position. Lean on long vowels; do not shorten them. It's important to mention that the meaning of the word may change if you shorten a long vowel. For example, if you don't pronounce long [i:] in the word "sheet" people will hear another word, "shit". Spend extra time to make sure your vowels are precise.
Pay extra attention to the long [a:] sound as in “dance”. In some American and Northern English, this sound is substituted by [æ] as in “cat”. Read my article about the [a:] sound.
2. Crisp articulation
English consonants are crisp, which makes the British accent very clear and precise.I recommend doing articulation exercises regularly. Crisp articulation is important for those who speak on the phone and deliver public speeches. The best app to train articulation is Get Rid of your Accent
3. [t, d, l, n] sounds
In RP, [t, d, l, n] are pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the alveolar ridge. It helps to train your tongue. If the tongue is much lower, that creates a harsh "dental" sound.
In the Cockney accent, [t] sounds are substituted by a glottal stop in the middle of the word, for example, “water, later”. That makes speech hard to understand for those who are not used to hearing Cockney. In American English, [t, d] sounds in the middle of the word are substituted by the fast [d] sound.
4. Word endings [t, d. s, z]
It is important to pronounce [t, d. s, z] sounds at the end of the word in the past tense of verbs and the 3rd person singular. For example, Spanish speakers find it hard to pronounce [t] and [d] sounds at the end of the word, and that might create an impact that they don't know basic grammar, but it could be just a pronunciation mistake.
5. Spelling and pronunciation are not identical
English inherited foreign words from Latin, French, Dutch, and German. They kept the original spelling but anglicised the pronunciation.
One sound can have several spelling variations. Below are a few examples:
- The [a:] sound as in “father” can be spelt with “er” in words “Derby, clerk, sergeant”
- The [f] sound is usually spelt with “f” in words “ fake, fix, frame”, but it can also be spelt with “gh” in words “laugh, tough” or with “ph” in words “phone, philosophy”
- The [ʌ] sound as in “duck” can be spelt with "o" in words “oven, front, company”, or with “u” in words “bus, lunch, pub” and with “ou” in words “ country, double, trouble”.
6. Silent letters
Many letters are silent in English. For example:
- silent [w] in words “write, who, whimsical, wholesale”
- silent [l] in words “walk, talk, chalk”
-silent [h] in words “why, when, where”
7. The usage of the schwa [ə] as in “the” for speech fluency
The schwa is used to make the speech more fluent because many unstressed syllables and even unimportant words are pronounced with the schwa. For example, in the phrases “fish and chips, ”a cup of tea”, the schwa is highlighted.
It is used in contracting unimportant words for the meaning of the sentence or phrases.

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204. How to create a promo video

Essential criteria

  1. The length of a promo video is 30-90 seconds. It is short and sweet.

  2. Its purpose is to showcase your product or service in a way that attracts and motivates your target audience to buy it.

  3. Conduct market research and identify your target audience's demographics, motivations and pain points

  4. Make sure your visual elements and graphics reflect your company's values and please your target audience

Content creation

  1. Define your core messages.
    For example:
    - what is my product/service
    - where you can buy and use it
    - what is the competitive advantage or unique benefit of your product/service for yout customers

  2. Identify call for action (CFA)

  3. Use story telling technique

  4. Use short words/verbs

  5. Avoid convoluted language, complex terminology and jargon

  6. Ensure your content sounds natural and conversational

Promo video delivery

  1. Record your video several times and ensure good speech articulation and compelling intonation. You can master these skills with the apps ‎Elocution Lessons, Get Rid of your Accent UK1, ‎Business English Speech and ‎Fluent English Speech

  2. Use pauses and modulate your voice. Download the app and Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause to practise these powerful techniques.

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200. How do you get started mastering your speech?

How do you get started mastering your speech?

If you are confronted by enemies such as laziness and procrastination, there are tools that you can use to overcome them:
1. 5 seconds rule. Do not allow your brain a chance to be lazy. As soon as you want to do something, your brain will try to find reasons why it would be better to do nothing, so you have just five seconds to start with what you want to do, count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and get started.

2. The power of small steps.Do small actions regularly. Small actions are not frightening for our brain and we choose to do something simple. Our brain likes to do not what is important but what is simple. Break an important task into baby steps and do them regularly. Speech is a very technical subject. To master your speech, effectively break it into simple steps and exercise regularly. My favourite app based on RP is ‎Elocution Lessons because it is very easy to use.

3. Develop a habit of achieving small goals: set up a goal, do small steps, get results, reward yourself, acknowledge your risen self-esteem, set up a higher goal and repeat the same cycle. When can we be sure that a desired action is our habit? There is a common opinion that it takes 21 days for a habit to set in. I disagree. Some habits take longer. The habit is set for sure when doing something is more comfortable than not doing it. Many people have developed some bad speech habits: they mumble, do not articulate, use too many parasite words, rush their speech, etc.

4. What do all great people have in common? They have great goals. Imagine the benefits of having good speech and how it can help you achieve other important goals.

5. Surround yourself with people who have good speech and motivate you. It can be a public speaking club and other societies.

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195. What makes English difficult for non-native speakers?

In my experience, two factors make English difficult to learn.

1. Pronunciation and Spelling
In English spelling and pronunciation are not identical. English inherited a lot of foreign words, including Latin, French, Dutch, and German and they kept the original spelling but anglicised the pronunciation.

Sound /f/ is usually spelt with “f” in words “ fake, fix, frame”, but it can also be spelt with “gh” in words “laugh, tough” or with “ph” in words “phone, philosophy, phobia”.

At the same time, words with different spelling and meanings may have the same pronunciation. Here are a few examples: one - won; soul - sole; steal - steel; mean - meen; write -right.

Many letters are silent in English. For example, silent /w/ in words “write, who, whimsical, wholesale”, or silent /l/ in words “walk, talk, chalk”, and so on.

To master spelling and pronunciation download the app ‎‎Elocution Lessons. Then follow up with the apps Get Rid of your Accent UK1, ‎Business English Speech (British English) or‎ American Accent App (American English).

2. Phrasal verbs, idiomatic and colloquial expressions and the use of prepositions
Many students make the mistake of memorising separate words and creating expressions with them. That leads to many mistakes with the use of prepositions and the phrases are not what natives would usually use.In my experience, it is more efficient to memorise phrases to avoid making mistakes with phrasal verbs and prepositions.

I recommend that you download the app Fluent English Speech; you will master connected speech patterns and sound more like a native English speaker linking words in a phrase. You will also learn lots of idiomatic and colloquial expressions used by native English speakers.

The same apps are also available on Google Play. The functionality is ideal: read, listen, record and compare your speech with the model (actors with perfect pronunciation were used to create soundtracks for these apps). The apps have spelling variations for all English sounds and mouth diagrams to help you make the correct speech organ positions in words, phrases and poetry.
When starting your practice with these apps, go to “How to use this app” and click on: the difficult sounds typical for your nationality, then click on your nationality to work effectively with a more focused approach.

The apps contain:

1.       A CD function, recording and comparing functions

2.       Spelling variations for all sounds

3.       Fluency and difficult speech patterns exercises

4.       Intonation and sentence stress exercises

5.       Pronunciation and articulation exercises

6.       Tongue twisters

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192. Get Rid of German Accent

Two things give away a German accent:

1. Germans do not distinguish between voiced and unvoiced consonants.
For example, the words “sad, mad, Dad” with voiced /d/ ending and “sat, mat, tet” with unvoiced /t/ ending have different meanings, but Germans pronounce them in the same way.
This can be easily fixed by practising voiced consonants and voiced endings with the apps ‎‎Get Rid of your Accent UK1and ‎Fluent English Speech (British English) or ‎ American Accent App and ‎Fluent American Speech (American English).

2. Intonation patterns
They often use simple falling inflection that sounds like they are giving orders. English use more rising, which sounds like a request. Often Germans speak English in a monotonous way which makes them sound dull. To sound more interesting, we recommend working on the sentence stress and inflection and voice modulation with the apps ‎Fluent English Speech or Fluent American Speech and Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause.

The same apps are also available on Google Play. The functionality is ideal: read, listen, record and compare your speech with the model. The apps have spelling variations for all English sounds and mouth diagrams to help you create the correct speech organ positions in words, phrases and poetry. When starting your practice with these apps, first go to “How to use this app” and click on the difficult sounds typical for your nationality, then click on your nationality to work effectively with a more focused approach.

The apps contain exercises for:
1. Difficult and connected speech patterns
2. Natural flow of speech
3. Intonation and sentence stress
4. Pronunciation and articulation

There are also two accompanying video courses: Get Rid of your Accent Part 1 and Get rid of your Accent Part 2.

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190. Get Rid of Japanese Accent

We had many students from Japan and the main reason why their speech was difficult to understand is that they had bad articulation. What can they do to make their English clear?

We have identified six areas of English speech which are particularly difficult for them:

1. There are long and short vowels in English, in Japanese, all vowels have the same length.
2. They have difficulty pronouncing English diphthongs and they separate the two vowels in a diphthong.
3. English consonants are crisp and well-articulated. Japanese speakers of English often do not make a distinction between /l/ and /r/, /b/ and /v/, /n/ and /m/.
4. In good English speech, pronouncing/t/ and /d/ and /s/ and /z/ endings is important. Japanese often do not pronounce them at all.
5. They often separate words and do not know how to speak in a connected way and use liaisons.
6. Their intonation patterns are quite different from English and they often stress wrong syllables and words.

What can we recommend to overcome the difficulties mentioned above?
1. When learning English words, practice them with the correct pronunciation. Most online dictionaries and Google Translate offer the sound version of a word. A more advanced step would be to memorise the phonetic symbols of English sounds.
2. Practise pure English long and short vowels and diphthongs. Pay attention to word stress.
3. Do articulation exercises every day for 2-5 minutes. It takes time and effort to build your speech organs muscles for English consonants.
We suggest that you practise English vowels and consonants with the apps Elocution Lessons and Get Rid of your Accent and the accompanying video course Get Rid of your Accent Part 1. In all these apps, there is a link in “How to use this app” to the page: the difficult sounds typical for your nationality. Click on Japanese to work effectively with a more focused approach
4. Practise word endings, liaisons and sentence stress with the app Fluent English Speech and the accompanying video course Get rid of your Accent Part 2. The same apps are also available on Google Play. They are based on bestselling books in the series Get Rid of your Accent.  Here, you will master all English sounds and intonation. The functionality is ideal: read, listen, record and compare your speech with the model. The apps have mouth diagrams to help you create the correct speech organ positions in words,

To get the best results we recommend that you book a few elocution lessons

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188. Teaching Received Pronunciation to kids

We are often approached by parents who would like their children to speak with RP. Received Pronunciation (RP), the standard accent of British English which is characterised by clear and precise articulation and other qualities.
RP is an accent taught for many decades since the BBC popularised it and many know it as BBC English. In the past, it was called Queen’s English and Oxford English. RP is the accent that boys learn very quickly in schools like Eton if they do not want to be mocked for their regional sounds. Clearly, RP is associated with the quality of one's education and a certain social and economic position. It is interesting to note that a study revealed, that the more refined the RP of a person the higher their social status and the better their economic situation. No wonder that parents would like their kids with regional or foreign accents to master RP.

Parents complain to us that their kids pick up bad habits that make their speech difficult lazy and difficult to understand. Some parents tell us that they want their kids to blend in with kids who already speak with RP which they developed in their families and private schools.

Below are a few things to consider.

1. First of all let's talk about the ideal age to start learning RP. 11 years old is the earliest age to start learning RP. If you begin too early your child might find it too technical and boring.

2. Secondly, lessons should be light-hearted and last no longer than 45 minutes. Do not bore the kids with too much theory and technical explanations. 

3. We recommend lots of rhythmic and articulation exercises. Specifically for children we have published a book and an app based on RP:
‎‎Get Rid of your Accent for Beginners (book)
Elocution Lessons (app)

The book and accompanying app contain plenty of short phrases, sentences, poems and verses. Your child would enjoy learning to speak RP with them. They will master all sounds of English and intonation. The functionality is ideal: read, listen, record and compare your speech with the model. All our apps and books contain 10% theory and 90% practice.

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178. The most effective way to learn a foreign language

I have decided to learn Spanish. In this article, I will share with you the most effective way to learn a foreign language. I'll use Spanish and Italian as my examples. Because I already speak Italian and I learned it fast. I speak five languages and my BA degree is in Languages. I will preach what I practice.

Number one: to learn the language fast we must have the purpose and the motivation to do it.

For example, my main motivation for learning Spanish is that want to live in Spain during the winter period because I cannot stand English winters. So instead of misery and drizzly English winter, I want to experience Valencia's sunshine, swimming in the sea and watching the sunset whilst looking at the mountains.

My second motivation is to spend time with my friends there some of them cannot speak English well. If I speak Spanish I will have fun at parties with my friends.

So if I am going to spend my winters in Spain I would need to buy a sim card, buy food in a supermarket, I might be using a train. I will go horse riding and dancing there. So what I am going to do?  I am going to write a list of topics where I would need to speak Spanish: supermarket, mobile phone shop, train station. I would gather vocabulary for these topics. I will write it down in my exercise book.

Now to a boring part. I cannot proceed without learning by heart the structure of basic Spanish grammar. I know I must learn by heart the conjugation of important verbs such as “to be, “to have”, to go” with pronouns; past, present, and future tenses; numbers, measurements, days of the week, months of the year, and so on. So I am going to invest 4 weeks to learn the structure of Spanish by heart, not more than that because it would be too boring.

So instead of overinvesting in grammar I would buy audio books and listen to them when driving. This is what I did when I learned Italian. I would listen to a detective story several times. The first time I just understood the main idea, when I listened to the same book the second time I understood more details and more words, and then as I progressed I could understand everything. There are books for different levels of language: beginners, intermediate and advanced. I will start with a beginner’s level.

On top of that, I will arrange with my Spanish friend to speak in Spanish for 5-10 minutes every day and in return, or exchange I will speak English with her for 10 minutes. I will practice my topics with her. It should be every day not once in a blue moon.

To summarise: to learn to speak in a foreign language we must have great motivation and purpose to do it, learn the basic structure/grammar by heart, listen to audiobooks, and speak every day.

Is that too much? Well, I have some advice for you: I want you to forget everything  I said and just get a pillow dictionary instead.

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177. How can I improve my English as a non-native speaker?

For all who wish to improve their English as a non-native speaker, I want to recommend six techniques:

1. Stop learning English, and start speaking it by repeating three new useful phrases several times a day. Your speech organ muscles will get used to English, you will enlarge your vocabulary and gain the confidence to speak. Repeating, repeating and repeating, like parrots!

2. Reduce the time speaking in your native language and increase the time you speak in English.

3. Listen to English TV and Radio channels, make a note of phrases you hear and repeat them five times several times a day. In the past, I met Greeks, Dutch, Danish, Swedish and their English was advanced. Guess what these countries have in common: English TV channels that are not translated into their native language. Listen to audiobooks in the series Get Rid of your Accent from Audible, or download our apps: get rid of your accent uk1 and Fluent English Speech. All audio tracks were recorded by trained actors, just listen and repeat after them. There are also accompanying video courses Get Rid of your Accent Part 1 and Get rid of your Accent Part 2.

4. Practice 15–45 minutes with the apps
The most useful tool for learning English is the app Elocution Lessons. You will master the most commonly used words and phrases, verses and passages with correct pronunciation and perfect use of English. You can listen, record yourself and then compare your speech with the model - all in one app.

5. Write 8–10 sentences a day on a particular topic

6. Read a short article in English 3 times out loud (250 words)

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171. How effective are the accent reduction training programs?

The answer to this question depends on three factors:

  1. The teacher’s competence and work experience

  2. The student’s ability to hear the differences in sounds and the amount of time and effort he/she is putting into the accent reduction process

  3. The quality of training material: books, apps, video courses

Which teachers to choose?
Accent reduction should be taught by a qualified speech tutor (in the past speech tutors were called elocution teachers). A qualified speech tutor knows how sounds are produced in the mouth, the exact position of the tongue, lips and jaw for a particular sound. This is the key. To achieve the best results book a few elocution lessons.

What is expected of a student?
To reduce an accent one must substitute old habits of speaking with new ones which takes time and effort. It is a process. Usually, we recommend mastering a sound minimum for a week. Some sounds are easier and some may take longer to master. For example, /w/ sound does not exist in Russian. It is produced with lips going forward in a tight whistle and requires certain lip muscles. If the muscles are not trained it might take a while to train them to produce an energised /w/ sound. It’s a bit like going to the gym. If I tell you to go to the gym and come with a six-pack after one session you know that it will not happen. It is important to practice regularly, every day for 15-45 minutes rather than two hours once a week.

How to practice? Which books and apps to use?
I recommend that you download professional accent reduction apps ‎Get Rid of your Accent UK1 and ‎Fluent English Speech (British English) or ‎American Accent App and ‎Fluent American Speech (American English).
There is also an Elocution Lessons app to master essential English and a Business English Speech app that contains business vocabulary (both are for British English).
All the above apps have accompanying video courses, Get Rid of your Accent Part One and Get Rid of your Accent Part Two.

It is also a good idea to listen to good RP speakers, copy a section at a time, and record yourself.

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164. Be in control and exude authority

Good barristers, politicians and business leaders sound confident, in control and have authority in their speech and voice. Can it be mastered? Yes, and I will explain how.

First of all, in order to achieve authority in your voice be in control of your breathing. Good breath control will bring energy to your voice.

Secondly, good articulation will help you sound clear, more energised and powerful. You can master it with the apps ‎Get Rid of your Accent UK1 (British English) or ‎American Accent App (American English).‎

Thirdly, avoid sounding monotonous and saying everything on one level of pitch. Change the pitch, power and pace according to the emotion/meaning of a particular message. We can recommend the app 4Ps, Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause if you want to learn and practice this technique.

To achieve authority, speak in a straightforward way and stress the key messages. To make the keywords stand out use a louder or quieter voice (depending on the meaning). Raise the inflection when saying keywords and vice versa, use downward inflection with unstressed words. Learn more about inflecltion and sentence stress in the apps ‎Fluent English Speech (British English) or Fluent American Speech (American English).

Finally, think about physicality and be well in control of your posture and gestures. Have a good straight posture and gestures that support your messages.

What is the best way to practice it? Listen to speakers like Winston Churchill. Watch courtroom dramas and note how effective barristers speak. Here is a practical exercise for you:

  1. Read a speech out loud and record yourself.

  2. Underline stresses keywords and mark pauses in the printed copy of the speech. You can learn how to do it right with the app Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause.

  3. Read the speech again and record yourself. If necessary repeat this exercise a few times.

If you need help book a few elocution lessons.

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163. Impact of modern technology on our ability to communicate in person

I believe that since the introduction of smartphones and messengers like Whats Up, Viber, and others people prefer to text and send images rather than speak.

It has both advantages and disadvantages. The obvious advantage is speed and convenience. The disadvantages are that people lose the art of communicating in person and do not know how to enjoy it. They lose their confidence when they have to communicate in person. These people are at a disadvantage in moving forward in their careers. Successful salespeople, CEOs, MDs, and top Politicians must have amazing in-person communication skills.

To master communication in person I recommend:

  1. Learning to speak clearly

  2. Learning to communicate not only thoughts but also emotions and feelings

  3. Learning to use non-verbal messages, such as eye contact, posture and hand gestures to support your verbal messages

Many students who take our elocution lessons often tell us that they want to become confident communicators. Feeling confident is expressed by your body language, voice and words.

I recommend apps ‎Get Rid of your Accent UK1 and ‎Fluent English Speech (British English) or ‎American Accent App and ‎Fluent American Speech (American English), and Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause if you wnat to master your communication in person.

More on Get Rid of your Accent | Elocution Lessons

161. Android Apps to master English speech

British English:

Elocution Lessons - Apps on Google Play
This app is ideal for children and people who just started learning English. This app has 48 lessons. It contains short, commonly used phrases, sentences and verses that are easy to repeat and it also has useful tips for teachers of English. It is actually useful for everyone as it contains essential, everyday English.

Get Rid of Your Accent - Apps on Google Play
This app is ideal if you want to get rid of a regional or foreign accent and to speak with Standard English or RP (Received Pronunciation). It has 42 lessons; it contains effective practical exercises to perfect all English sounds and perfect your articulation.

Fluent English Speech - Apps on Google Play
This app is a follow-up to the Get Rid of your Accent app.  It is ideal if you want to develop fluency in English and sound more like a native English speaker. It contains exercises for difficult and connected speech patterns, natural flow of speech, intonation, sentence stress and onomatopoeia. 

Business English Speech - Apps on Google Play
This app was designed for top-level professionals, diplomats and lawyers. It is the only app 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.

Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause - Apps on Google Play
This app is ideal if you want to get rid of monotonous speech and become a successful presenter and public speaker. It contains practical exercises for voice modulation and the use of pauses.

Get Rid of Chinese Accent - Apps on Google Play
This app is the same as the app Get Rid of your Accent with an additional bonus - Chinese translations.

General American English:

American Accent App - Apps on Google Play
This app is ideal if you want to get rid of a foreign or regional accent and master Standard American accent. It has 42 lessons. It contains effective practical exercises to perfect all American English sounds.

Fluent American Speech - Apps on Google Play
This app is a follow-up to the American Accent App. It is ideal to develop fluency in your American English speech. It contains exercises for difficult and connected speech patterns, natural flow of speech, intonation and sentence stress

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