Accent Modification

Where or were? Sink or think? Lead or Read?
Are you or anyone you know proficient in English yet still have trouble being understood? Do you feel frustrated or embarrassed when people ask you to repeat yourself?

Translation Services

We strive to provide accurate translations of the highest caliber. Our expert linguists are all native speakers in the target language and are qualified with a Master’s Degree or equivalent qualification in translation.

English Communication for Working Professionals

Our business English courses are geared toward working professionals with intermediate or advanced knowledge of English and encompass a full range of communication skills in order to help you function more effectively in the workplace.

Skills include:

  • Grammar, spelling and vocabulary for business email, memos, letters etc.
  • Oral communication: formal introductions, requests, negotiating, office “small-talk”
  • General pronunciationTelephone skills and etiquette
  • Understanding American jargon, slang, idioms, abbreviations, etc.
  • Industry or job specific (healthcare providers, service industry, construction workers etc.) language and communication
Based on an assessment of your personal needs we custom tailor the content of your training to your job-specific language requirements. We then deliver your training to accommodate your schedule in a location (office, workplace or sometimes your home) that is convenient to you.

* While training in all of the above skills integrates cross-cultural awareness, for a more comprehensive cultural and language training package, skills can be combined with items from our Cross-Cultural Training menu.

English Communication for Expatriate Partners/Spouses

Sometimes the spouses/partners of expatriate employees face an even greater challenge in adjusting to their new lives and roles in the U.S. Without the supportive structure of a workplace they can often feel isolated, lonely, and overwhelmed with the language and cultural customs of their host country. Sometimes they have quit their own jobs or careers to accompany their spouse and suddenly find they are not only coping with a new culture but also struggling to adapt to a new role and a new identity without the support of family and friends they left behind. Often, an expat spouse/partner’s unhappiness will impact on their partner’s quality of life and professional success.

With expatriate spousal/partner dissatisfaction one of the leading causes of early termination of expat assignments, and the cost of failed relocations to employers immense, adjustment support for spouses/partners of expatriates is critical.

Wiseplanet’s custom-tailored Expat Spouse/Partner Support Program is designed to meet the needs of expat spouses/partners and to support them as they transition into their new lives and roles in the United States. Our full range of services include language, cross-cultural and career training, aspects of which can be combined in any way to match the unique needs of any individual. This stream of language training considers the day-to-day activities and challenges that expatriate spouses/partners encounter when they first arrive in the United States. Mostly focused on oral communication but encompassing grammar, vocabulary (including American idioms and set expressions), reading, writing and comprehension, these one on one lessons are specifically designed to help expat individuals become competent in and confidant about their communication with others in the following areas:

  • Telephone: using and become confident on the telephone
  • Schools/Daycare: communicating with teachers and daycare workers
  • Banks/ATMS: speaking with bank tellers, managers etc.
  • Shopping: buying groceries, medicines, household goods and clothing
  • Transportation: Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) -studying for and passing your U.S. driver’s license, taking local transit
  • Health: conveying your concerns to doctors, nurses and other healthcare practitioners
  • Service/Repair/Utility
  • Companies: requesting cable/telephone service, repairs etc.
  • Leisure/Entertainment/Travel: joining the gym or a sport’s team, making reservations for dining or hotels, renting a car etc.
* While training in all of the above skills integrates cross-cultural awareness, for more intense cultural training, skills can be combined with items from our Cross-Cultural Training menu.

Contact us to learn more about English for Expat Partners!

English for the Service Industry

English for the Service Industry is designed for front-line staff and managers in the service industry who would like to improve their English communication in order to provide quality customer service.

Our custom designed job-specific programs include:

  • English for RestaurantsEnglish for Hospitality
  • English for Housekeeping
  • English for Retail
  • English for Landscapers
  • English for Construction
For a more comprehensive training, any of the job-specific programs can be combined with cross-cultural training.

Call or email us today to learn more about how we can help you get a competitive edge over your competitors by raising the bar in customer service excellence!

Accent Modification

Where or were? Sink or think? Lead or Read? Are you or anyone you know proficient in English yet still have trouble being understood? Do you feel frustrated or embarrassed when people ask you to repeat yourself? Do you feel people focus less on what you say than how you say it? Does your accented English affect your confidence when speaking to others? Do you feel your accent is limiting your communication to the point of making you appear less competent at work? If you answered yes to any of these questions we can help.

What is an accent?

Each of us has our own way of speaking shaped by our geographical origins, our ethnicity or even our socio-economic “class”. This distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language is what we call an “accent”. Accents are not a speech or language disorder they are a natural part of language and are generally considered a unique aspect of a person’s identity. We all have an accent, there are times, however, when an accent can be a barrier to communication. This is most often the case when someone does not grow up speaking English and has learned it as an adult. Anyone experiencing difficulty communicating because of his or her accent can stand to benefit, both socially and professionally, from accent modification.

What is accent modification?

Accent modification, (sometimes called accent reduction or neutralization) is a technique for improving accented speech in order to help individuals speak more clearly and communicate with greater ease. The purpose of accent modification is not to completely erase a foreign accent but rather to help proficient speakers of English as a Second Language speak with a more neutral North American accent in order to be better understood.

Our Approach

While some accent trainers are trained in clinical speech disorders (speech pathology), they are not teachers and often do not have knowledge of culture as it relates to language acquisition. Since an accent is not a disorder we do not regard the client as a “patient”, but rather as an “accented speaker” whose unique sociological, psychological and cultural make-up impacts on his or her mode of communication. For this reason our accent modification training is not limited to the production of speech sounds. Grounded in anatomical technique (the Compton-P ESL Method), lessons are conducted within those broader considerations of an individual’s needs by trainers who are both technically trained and culturally competent.

What we offer

  • Instant Impact Power Session An intensive 3-hour workshop tailored to your culturally specific areas of difficulty. Designed to have an instant impact on your speech patterns.
  • 13 Week Program (4-5 people max.)
  • 7 Week program
  • Bootcamp
  • One-on-One Private Sessions
  • Skype or Phone Sessions
  • Custom Workshops We customize workshops to your specific requirements depending on your communication needs. Ask for a free consultation.

Translation Services

We strive to provide accurate translations of the highest caliber. Our expert linguists are all native speakers in the target language and are qualified with a Master’s Degree or equivalent qualification in translation. Moreover, they are skilled in maintaining the nuance, tone and meaning of the original source (transcreation) and will produce a culturally appropriate version of your original text.
We offer a full range of certified and regular document translation services including:

  • Certificates (birth, death, marriage, divorce, visas, etc.)
  • Brochures
  • Letters
  • Manuals/Guides
  • Employee Handbooks
  • Website Content and Localization Articles