A key question for you is: What do you want for your English speech communication skills?

Probably first on your wish list is for people to understand your words. The professional term for that is “intelligibility.”

Wikipedia states that intelligibility is a measure of the degree to which speech can be understood. Most important is that you need clear English speech sounds or accurate English pronunciation. Intelligibility is usually measured as a whole word intelligibility or understandability score.

Native born speakers get an average of 90 to 95% on whole word pronunciation accuracy or intelligibility. In comparison, average intelligibility for new students tested before they start our program has been 38% in quiet surroundings and 30% with background noise. (The range over 314 recent students has been 2% to 85%). For more information on intelligibility, see this: http://www.cleartalkmastery.com/what-we-do/intelligibility/

Above is an accent reduction video tip of one of the most frequent error sounds or mispronounced sounds in English, the short vowel “i.” Also, you can hear the word “intelligibility” in this speech tip video.

What is “Accent” and What is “Accent Reduction?”

Sylvia posted on Clear Talk Mastery’s timeline:
“Another set of sounds that are difficult for my Hispanic students are in the words shin and chin. That short i is always a problem. But distinguishing between the sh and the ch is hard for them too. They wanted me to write and ask for your help!”

Why do people who have English as a second language (ESL) have difficulties with the pronunciation in English?

Answer: They are using the manner and positioning from their first language.

What comes from the first language? “Accent” – that’s the everyday term.

• Speed of muscles for sounds
• Positioning of the tongue, lips, teeth and jaw
• Muscle strength in different muscles

For example, people with Spanish as a first language pronounce the “ch” in the same manner as the English “sh.” Yes, the “ch” sounds like an “sh.” In English, the “ch” is said with quick muscles that make the tongue go up and down quickly. The “sh” uses slow muscles.

The purpose of accent reduction training is to teach brain and muscles to get the right speed, positioning, and strength in muscles so listeners can accurately understand the words.

Customized accent reduction will determine the specific speech errors of a person through individual assessment.