Avoid Cross Cultural Communication Breakdowns: Get Face-to-Face!

Lynda Stucky August 14, 2014 Build Your Brand, Reduce a Foreign Accent

When the person you are speaking to is hard to understand, communication on the phone is even harder.

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month!

Lynda Stucky May 1, 2014 Develop Language, Develop Your Speech, Develop Your Voice, Million Dollar Speech and Voice

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month for my professional association, the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).

It is a  great month to celebrate!  Have you ever thought of communication as a right?  From the Universal Declaration of Communication Rights it says,

“Communication is the most fundamental of human capacities.  People need to be able to communicate to fulfill their social, educational, emotional and vocational potential.”

Barriers to communication impair an individual’s ability to …

Those Pesky Word Fillers!

Lynda Stucky April 12, 2014 Develop Your Speech

Word fillers diminish your credibility!

Your audience will be distracted by them (instead of listening to you!)

How are Leaders’ Presentations and Olympic Athletes the Same?

Lynda Stucky February 21, 2014 Build Your Brand, Public Speaking

It’s hard to believe that the Olympics are almost over and there will be no more late nights!  I hope that you have been enjoying these tremendous athletes and all their heartwarming stories!

Is chewing gum OK during an interview?

Lynda Stucky February 10, 2014 Build Your Brand, Public Speaking

Here is a riddle for you: When is it ok to chew gum and give an interview in front of millions of people?

Contrasting Sounds in English

Lynda Stucky December 23, 2013 Reduce a Foreign Accent

Pairs of sound in English that are made exactly the same except one is voice and the other is not, are called minimal pairs. The sounds in English that are made without using the vocal cords are called “voiceless.” Here are some examples…

The American English Way of Saying “You”

Lynda Stucky November 25, 2013 Reduce a Foreign Accent

The word “you” is commonly used in English. Since it is also a weak word (unless it is intentionally stressed), it is often reduced when linked to negative contractions. Here are some examples…

Is American English Sloppy?

Lynda Stucky October 28, 2013 Build Your Brand, Develop Your Speech, Reduce a Foreign Accent, Reduce a Regional Accent

Some people may argue that Americans have learned to be sloppy speakers because they aren’t very precise with their diction and reduce or eliminate sounds and words. But we often minimize/eliminate sounds logically and conveniently to create a smooth, natural flow of speech. Here is an example…

Inserting Sounds in English

Lynda Stucky September 23, 2013 Reduce a Foreign Accent

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When we connect words in sentences, the endings of the words in the sentence sometimes change to create a smooth, natural flow. Here is an example of an insertion or the addition of a letter to create a fluid sound in English.

Connecting Words in Sentences

Lynda Stucky August 26, 2013 Reduce a Foreign Accent

When we connect words in sentences, the endings of each word in that sentence sometimes changes to create a fluid flow. They may become reduced (less pronounced), they may be moved to the next sound or another sound may be inserted into the sentence. Here is an example of the way ending sounds get moved to the next word.