Posted on

How easy it is learning English slang online

Learning English Slang
When learning English you want to be able to speak the language like a local. More and more English learners are finding the secret weapon is learning English speech online.

Many people around the world learn English but not so many second language speakers can speak the language with the same zing and flair as their local tongue.  One of the reasons for this is that up until now, much English language learning has been prescriptive, focused on vocabulary and grammar.

Of course English is a living and breathing language and most native speakers don’t always use perfect grammar, adding interest and humour to their speech with a wide range of local slang and colloquial expressions.

It is this aspect of the language that is often the most time consuming to teach as it requires ongoing, personalised instruction and ideally complete immersion in an English speaking country.

A service that is helping many learners advance their grasp of native English speech faster is SpeechSchool.TV, one of the largest providers of online spoken English training.  The School offers an English Accent course which not only teaches correct pronunciation but provides ongoing and economic learning of British slang and English expressions used in the global English speaking world.

Most importantly for the student learning English as a second language, the system uses video training with an engaging presenter that allows the learner to develop confidence.  The fees are low enough that the video training sessions can be accessed, used and practiced on an ongoing basis anywhere through the worldwide web.

One student using SpeechSchool.TV, Aurelien Gasc from France, says that the SpeechSchool.TV programs have helped him in learning native English and given him the confidence he needs to converse more readily:

“I’ve been really happy working with SpeechSchool.TV because I found the course is really easy to use,” says Gasc.  “There’s a manageable amount of work each week. The main outcome of this course was that to some extent I softened my accent but the main point is I improved my confidence in English. Now when I talk to people, I don’t think I’m that French guy in their face. Now I’m as able as anyone to speak English and to be honest, that’s changed my life.”

The SpeechSchool.TV English Accent program is available from the School’s website.

Posted on

What is ‘International Received Pronunciation’?

Improve your accent
In an increasingly multicultural environment, clarity and understanding is key. A new standard in teaching spoken English called International Received Pronunciation is helping bridge the gap between clear pronunciation and retaining cultural identity.

SpeechSchool.TV, the world’s largest provider of online speech training, provides a model for speech and English accent learning in the form of ‘International Received Pronunciation’.  It has been extremely successful in helping speakers develop a mode of speech that is easily understandable and well respected anywhere in the world English is spoken.  So what is ‘International Received Pronunciation’ or IRP?

IRP is a model of English speech that aims to be as clear as possible.  It based on British Received Pronunciation but has some important differences.  “Received Pronunciation (RP) is the gold standard in spoken English,” reports the Course Director, “as the phonetic pronunciations are those used in an Oxford Dictionary.  It is highly regarded but spoken by a minority of English speakers.  When it comes to speech training, students don’t necessarily want to speak traditional RP, instead they simply want to soften an existing accent or speak a lot more clearly.  For that reason we acknowledge that the best result is achieved by learning RP but then blending it with the student’s own language background or the sounds of the country in which they’re living.”

While the International Received Pronunciation model was developed by SpeechSchool.TV as an ideal English Accent for global speech training, there are already numerous examples of IRP speakers.  For example the actor, Patrick Stewart who played Captain Jean-Lu Picard in the Star Trek series speaks with a mix of RP and his native Yorkshire accent.  Karan Bilimoria who founded the Cobra Beer company mixes in a little of his Parsi (Indian) background to his sounds.  This represents an ideal basis for speech as all sounds are clearly pronounced but they are also blended to some degree with an accent that reflects the person’s background and identity.

Posted on

Why learning the English accent is the standard in international speech training

Learn the English Accent
Learning an English accent is the preferred way for professionals from other languages to improve their clarity and results in spoken English.

With more than 30 years working in speech training, SpeechSchool.TV’s Course Director was recently asked for some thoughts on accent in spoken English.

The School has provided various programs over the years to improve the clarity of students’ speaking.  This has included programs that teach the Standard English Accent (Received Pronunciation), the American Accent (General American) and the Australasian Accent.

When students want to improve their pronunciation clarity, they must first be taught a model of clear, authoritative English.  But what phonetic model do you base that on?  ESL (English as a Second Language) teaching for example uses two standards: either Received Pronunciation or General American.

However, when teaching spoken English, SpeechSchool.TV says one standard is emerging.

The School’s Course Director begins by saying that accent in speech is no bad thing.  “Some accent helps to communicate a person’s cultural background and adds a richness and authenticity to who they are.  Where SpeechSchool.TV comes in is where the strength of that accent is preventing clarity or having a negative result in the student’s speaking environment.”

“With speech training, all students naturally pick up to some degree the accent of the country in which they are living.  For that reason, we have found the best methodology is to teach students the purest form of spoken English, which is Received Pronunciation or Standard English.  They can then use that training to find their perfect voice, which provides lasting confidence.”

Apparently one of the problems with teaching the American accent is that it is a regional accent, has fewer sounds and is generally less clear than a Standard English Accent.  According to SpeechSchool, American students are better to begin learning Standard English speech, then modify sounds in American settings – which will largely happen automatically.  “We liken this process to making beer with pure water, rather than starting with flavoured water.  The pure basis provides a more logical starting point in learning.”

After substantial research, SpeechSchool.TV also decided to forego teaching an  American Accent course altogether in 2010, focusing on building “the best Standard English pronunciation course for all speakers, anywhere in the world.”

An additional reason for this was that the School noticed more than 70% of students from the American continent were selecting to learn the English Accent anyway.

SpeechSchool.TV believes the best possible basis for clear and powerful English speech is to begin learning the Standard English accent.  This form of speech is virtually ‘accentless’ and thus provides the best possible basis for speech training.  It also allows students to improve clarity while blending some of their own cultural identity and location into their voice as needed.

To review the course with an initial free trial period please visit: http://www.speechschool.tv/english.html

Posted on

Free Speech Assessments available now

English Accent Speech Assessment
The highly popular service from SpeechSchool.TV is back: Free speech assessments for a limited time.

How do you really sound to others?  The way you speak English can make a big difference when making that vital first impression.  Your listener decides within a few seconds your likely background, your level of education and whether they trust you and want to listen. To help people discover more about their spoken English, this month the largest provider of online speech training is offering free speech assessments where you can get an indication in 48 hours just how you sound.

For a number of years, SpeechSchool.TV has been providing award winning online video programs in speech lessons, comprising their English accent program where students can learn to speak clearly with a Standard English accent and the Master Communicator program which teaches presentation skills and techniques of effective communication.

The purpose of the free speech assessments are to offer a quick impression on a prospective student’s speech over about 60 seconds of communication and recommend the best course for them.  While the free assessment report is brief, it does score the level of clarity (compared to a Standard English accent), make some observations on the impression the speech gives and recommend the right course.

Usually when people look for English speech lessons it is because they are experiencing a problem with their speech or are not getting the feedback and results they desire from others.  Studies have shown that poor speech clarity can lead to reduced job prospects and lower levels of confidence.  The free speech assessment service hopes to be able to help people identify initial problems that they can then correct with one of the Speech School’s courses.

To take a free assessment (while available) please visit http://www.speechschool.tv

Posted on

The new hot brand in spoken English

Spoken English Brand
Beyond the watch, bag and clothes, a new hot brand is emerging in personal image – and it’s not as easy to acquire as you might expect…

Mention any fashion accessory and leading brand names come to mind:  A Louis Vuitton bag or Gucci watch for instance.  However, personal image is much more than the bag you carry or the watch you wear.  In fact research shows us that the greatest impression made on others is actually caused by the way you speak.

SpeechSchool.TV (www.speechschool.tv) is the market leader in a new trend for professional people around the world wanting to ‘upgrade’ their spoken English.  After offering a number of programs over the years, the online school based at the ecentre at Massey University and in central London as found two main courses are the most popular.

The first is the School’s award winning ‘Master Speaker, English Accent’ program.  This teaches students from all around the world, through online video learning, how to acquire a clear and neutral Standard English accent.  It is extremely popular with people who come from a language background other than English and for native speakers who want to improve the clarity of their speech.

According to SpeechSchool.TV, the School has also previously offered a dedicated American accent program but this wasn’t popular.  “At the end of the day,” the School’s Course Director reports, “people around the world want to learn the clearest and purest form of English as their base.  They want to sound like Kate Winslet or James Bond, as their accent will blend to some degree depending on where they are based anyway.  Even the many Amercian students doing our courses seemed to by far prefer this Standard English accent.”

The second program offered by the School is the ‘Master Communicator’ course.  While the English Accent program deals with ‘how you say it’, this course deals with ‘what you say’ and is based on the instructor’s own experience as a Creative Director in a top ad agency.  The training in communication technique, public speaking and persuasive speaking has proven very popular with business people and for professional development programs in organizations.

However, while the only obstacle to getting that beautiful hand bag is the sticker price, an ideal spoken voice can take a little longer.  SpeechSchool.TV reports that noticeable results are generally seen within 3 months on the course and the real improvements in confidence and finesse take place while continuing the lessons over a longer term basis.  Either way, in this increasingly globalizing world, speech will remain the most critical part of the overall impression anyone creates when they speak the English language.

Posted on

Globish, the world’s fastest growing language

Global English
The fastest growing form of English is that used to connect second language speakers

By Jake Davy, Research Assistant, SpeechSchool.TV. e-centre, Massey University

Two businessman, an Indian and a Norwegian, stumble into a bar; the Indian doesn’t speak Norwegian, the Norwegian doesn’t speak Hindu. Despite their linguistic differences a conversation erupts.

“Where from?” The Indian slurs as he pulls out a stool and carefully sits down.

“Norway. You?” Replies the Norwegian as he slumps down next to him.

“Ahhh! Norway! I plan Norway trip next year but feel struggle with work. I’m from India.” Proclaims the Indian excitedly.

“Real? You must come. Norway much fun, many ladies.” Grins the Norwegian as he beckons the waitress over.

Despite the obviously comic nature of this conversation Global English, or Globish, is no joke. This over simplified and grammatically incorrect version of English is fast becoming a standard method of international communication.  Its prominence and use is a growing trend that has followed the emergence of English as the global language of business. In order to truly understand its significance however, one must first understand the factors behind its creation.
The key determinant in all of this has been the materialization of a singular global market. As far back as 1983, academics like Theodore Levitt, the head of marketing at the Harvard Business School, were examining the ways in which key technological developments were driving the world towards a unified global marketplace. These emerging technologies were beginning to proletarianize communication, transport and travel and in doing so were creating a society where people all over the world, from all walks of life had access to the same standardised consumer products. Today this shift towards a global marketplace has earned the title of globalisation; a term that has become common place in the vast majority of boardrooms around the world. And as technological innovations such as the internet continue to eat away at the space between nations and continents the concept of globalisation is beginning to affect more and more aspects of our everyday lives.

One of the by-products of globalisation and another of the key influencers in the creation of Globish has been the increase in immigration levels. Between 1960 and 2000, the total number of international migrants doubled to 175 million, which was around 3% of the world’s population at that time.  A study in 2000 also found that children in London schools combined to speak over 300 languages. This staggering rise in immigration levels illustrates just how dramatically the linguistic mix of many countries has changed, and the extent to which other languages are beginning to influence how English is being used.

These changes to the linguistic mix of many countries coupled with the drastic rise of globalisation have lead to the emergence of English as the standard language in the global business arena. Some estimates even suggest that there will be up to 3 billion functional users of English by the year 2040, or about 40% of the world’s projected population.  There is however, a world of difference between English and Globish, and the reality is, that a huge portion of these so called “functional users of English” will be speaking varying degrees of Globish.  So what does this mean for the future of English and its prevalence on the global stage?

That is something that we will leave for you to determine. But in all honesty, what would you rather speak? Or should I say; what speech you like?