English at Work Boston MA

Determiners - the this that a

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:46:02 PDT

1 What is a determiner? 2 What is a determiner?

the city – The first sentence refers to cities in general.

1st sentence: Living in the city is too expensive. I prefer to live in the country.

this city – The second sentence refers to a specific city that the speaker and the listener both know about. Using “this” indicates that the city is close in location, time, or both.

2nd sentence: Living in this city is too expensive, so I'm going to move somewhere else.

that city - The third sentence refers to a city that is distant in time, location, or both time and location. As well, speakers could use “that” to distance themselves from that which they view as undesirable. It depends on the context. The speaker and the listener would both know which city it is.

3rd sentence: Living in that city was very difficult. I don't recommend moving there.

that city – The fourth sentence would simply refer to a city that is either distant in time, location, or both time and location.

4th sentence: Living in that city is fun.

a city – The fifth sentence refers to any city. The speaker and the listener do not recognize a specific city. It could be any city.

5th sentence: They want to move to a bigger city because there's not enough going on around here.

Traditional grammar myth

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:42:15 PDT

I know that this could be a little mind-bending for a few people, but "the linking verb rule", which is the prescriptive rule in English grammar that says a phrase such as “It’s me” is wrong, and that one must say “It is I”, is irrational. Yes, this "linking verb rule" is irrational. A few zealous language mavens could irrationally argue against this statement by asking something like, "What's next? Me is here?" Now, this certainly does not, and will not, give rise to the idea that something like "me is here" is okay. It’s not, obviously. The “linking verb rule” in prescriptive English grammar is irrational. Fortunately, only a few instistent "language mavens" seek to uphold this so-called "rule", but that's more than enough.

I’ve heard the argument that in “professional business English”, one must “follow the rules”. What! Speaking in a professional business manner does not mean conforming to the pointless, pedantic, nonsensical whims of a few self-appointed “language mavens”. No one learns this "rule" and certain other "rules" because they run counter to typical everyday English speech patterns. Just listening to people speak in any situation is enough to know that this “linking verb rule” is pedantic nonsense. Certain rules, such as “the linking verb rule”, are not really rules because they were invented. Language rules are not invented; they exist as a consequence of how the vast majority of native speakers use the language.

Let’s take a look at what some others have to say.

“According to Laurie Bauer, professor of theoretical and descriptive linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, the "It is I" rule is just one example of how the rules of Latin grammar have been inappropriately forced on English.”

Bauer argues that there's no point in avoiding normal English speech patterns--in this case, "me," not "I," after the verb. And there's no sense in imposing "the patterns of one language on another." Doing so, he says, "is like trying to make people play tennis with a golf club."

http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/langmyths6.htm Refer to myth number six. Right click, and open the link to stay on this webpage.

Here’s a quotation from a usage note for the verb "be" at Answers.com.

“Even if everyone could follow it, in informal contexts the nominative pronoun often sounds pedantic and even ridiculous, especially when the verb is contracted, as in It's we.”

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=be - Follow the link and scroll down to read the entire usage note. Right click, and open the link to stay on this webpage.

And here’s another. http://www.ucsc.edu/currents/01-02/04-15/rules.html

“Myth 5: Expressions like "It was me" and "She was taller than him" are incorrect; the correct forms are "It was I" and "She was taller than he."

Pullum: Stuff and nonsense. In fact, stuffy nonsense: The forms with nominative pronouns sound ridiculously stuffy today. In present-day English, the copular verb takes accusative pronoun complements and so does "than." My advice would be this: If someone knocks at your door, and you say "Who's there?" and what you hear in response is "It is I," don't let them in. It's no one you want to know.”
________________________________________

A phrase such as "that's she now" sounds ridiculous, just as the AHD usage note and other articles indicate.

Once, on a reflex, I politely said "him" when I heard someone say "It is he", as, clearly, "that's him" is usual and normal. It's amazing how indignant this person became. At least now I know how quickly one may rush to the defense of their beloved “linking verb rule”. Well, lessons are learned every day, and I’ll tread much more lightly the next time I’m in the presence of “the linking verb rule”, which, by the way, is not a rule.

Saying "It's me" is correct in every way one can understand the word "correct" in the context of teaching English and English grammar.

Business Dialog - Forget - Stative and Progressive

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:36:56 PDT

Some verbs can be both stative and progressive. Let’s take a look at the verb “forget” in this short dialog.

Ted: I couldn't believe it! I forgot his name! He's one of our most important customers.

Terry: Well, you have to get that under control. It seems that you often forget people's names.

> This is habitual and repetitive. Therefore, we use the simple present, which is "forget" or "forgets". It would be possible to intensify the action by saying "You're always forgetting people's names". Using the progressive form could also indicate that this is a temporary state, as in "You've been forgetting people's names lately".

Ted: Okay, I have to get going now. I have an appointment at one.

Terri: Hey, wait a minute. Aren't you forgetting something?

Ted: What am I forgetting?

> The progressive form is really all that's possible here because the action is occurring at the moment the conversation is taking place. As well, the progressive form indicates a temporary action. It would hardly be logical to say "Do you forget something?" in this context.

Terri: The samples and the proposal? They're in this folder.

Ted: Oh yes... Thank you. See you later.

Terri: See you later.
______________________________________________________________

Here we see that “forget” indicates something that is temporary without using the progressive form. This is a temporary state. In this case, saying, “I’m forgetting his name now” would not be a likely expression.

"Hey, I met the new product manager this morning. I forget his name now, but he seemed like a good guy."

This is another possibiligy, and, maybe, a more likely possibility.

"Hey, I met the new product manager this morning. I forgot his name, but he seemed like a good guy."

Another possibility is “I can’t recall his name.”

ESL Grammar - Prepositions "for" and "to"

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:28:52 PDT

Ways to use for

Sometimes people are not exactly sure of when to use for. A common error is using to instead of for. Here are a few explanations of how to use for and some examples.

1) We usually follow for with a gerund, an ing form, to speak of a consequence or the cause of a reaction.

Example: She got a $100 dollar ticket for speeding.

The consequence can be good as well.

Example: She got an invitation to the political forum for speaking up at the chamber of commerce networking meeting.

Example: They were rewarded for capturing the great white shark.

Here are three more examples:

I would like to thank all of you for attending today's meeting.
Why was she pleased with them? She was pleased with us for speaking up at the meeting.
Why were they disappointed with them? They were disappointed with them for not being more vocal at the meeting.

2) We use for to speak of a purpose.

This type of fishing rod is used for deep-sea fishing.

3) Also, we use for to speak of something that has a purpose, is set a aside for a purpose, or, we could say, something that is earmarked for a person, or persons, to have and use.

Example: The food at the receptionist's desk is for the meeting in conference room B at 11:30.

4) We use a noun or a noun phrase after for to express a person's purpose.

Example: Where do you want to go for lunch? Let’s go to the Sandwich Factory for lunch.”

5) We use to + verb to express a person's purpose.

We went to the mall to do some shopping. not ~~We went to the mall for doing some shopping.~~

6) We use to in order to indicate movement in a particular direction.

Examples:

We're walking to the park.
We're driving to the market.
They're running to the bus-stop.

Nasality - Accent Reduction

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:39:12 PDT

Two of my accent reduction business English students, who live and work in Boston MA, experienced some success in diminishing the nasal-like quality of their speech. Without a doubt, this takes some practice. As well, some understanding of why one’s speech sounds nasal could be helpful in one’s effort to produce speech that is less nasal.

What does it mean to sound nasal?
Here’s a dictionary definition of “nasal”.

http://www.answers.com/topic/nasal

Nasal
1) Of, in, or relating to the nose.
2) Linguistics.Articulated by lowering the soft palate so that air resonates in the nasal cavities and passes out the nose, as in the pronunciation of the consonants (m), (n), and (ng) or the nasalized vowel of French bon.
3) Characterized by or resembling a resonant sound produced through the nose: a nasal whine.

Why does my voice sound nasal?
There’s more to this explanation, but for now, let’s just say that this is related to your palate. Here’s a dictionary definition of “palate”.

http://www.answers.com/topic/palate

palate: The roof of the mouth in vertebrates having a complete or partial separation of the oral and nasal cavities and consisting of the hard palate and the soft palate.

This is a key factor when considering why one’s voice sounds nasal: The palate is responsible for a complete or partial separation of the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. Your soft palate has something to do with why your speech sounds nasal or sometimes sounds nasal. Here’s a dictionary definition of “soft palate”.

http://www.answers.com/topic/soft-palate

soft palate: The movable fold, consisting of muscular fibers enclosed in a mucous membrane, that is suspended from the rear of the hard palate and closes off the nasal cavity from the oral cavity during swallowing or sucking.

This is a key factor when considering why one’s speech sounds nasal: The soft palate closes off the nasal cavity from the oral cavity. Your hard palate does not move as the soft palate does. Here’s a dictionary definition of “hard palate”.

http://www.answers.com/topic/hard-palate

hard palate: The relatively hard, bony anterior portion of the palate.

When the soft palate is lowered, air is permitted to pass up through the nose, or first through the nasal cavity, resulting in nasality. When the soft palate remains in its position, closing off the nasal cavity from the oral cavity, air cannot go through the nose, but it has to go somewhere. Where does it go? It goes from your throat through your mouth, thereby producing a tone that is not nasal, or at least not as nasal as when the soft palate is lowered. It would seem, I imagine, that producing weaker vowels would send sound up to the back of the throat and closer to the nasal cavity, instead of up through the front of the throat and closer to the mouth. This contributes to nasality. Notice where the vocal folds are: they are to the front, closer to the bottom of the mouth and in the throat.

According to the definition of “nasal”, you are producing a nasal-like quality in your speech because you are lowering the soft palate in your mouth when you speak. So, in effect, to practice sounding less nasal, you want to work towards not lowering your soft palate when you speak. This means speaking more from your throat, or the lower part of your mouth. Try not to speak through the upper part of your mouth. If the soft palate is lowered, then this is cause for producing a nasal-like quality. However, it would seem that you can’t prevent your soft palate from moving, as you can other parts of your body from moving. So how do you keep yourself from lowering your soft palate when this movement seems to be involuntary? You’ll have to work at it, and here is how you can do it.

Part 2

Limited jaw movement means less enunciating and weaker vowel sounds, which could, in part, cause one’s voice to sound nasal. You should produce stronger vowel sounds and enunciate more: work harder to produce sound by moving your mouth and lips; speak with more definition. You’ll have to speak more slowly in order to do this, which could be a point of frustration. However, gaining something often means giving something up. Keep in mind you can work towards speaking quickly and reducing nasality. It just takes practice.

Here’s an excerpt from Google Answers.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=224409

Can I change my voice so that it sounds less nasal? If your voice sounds nasal, it is likely that you use limited jaw movement when you speak. That is, you probably open your mouth rather limitedly as you talk. When you speak or sing, the sound waves coming from your voice box are influenced by the spaces of your throat, mouth, and nose (think of the spaces as auditoriums). If you speak or sing with limited mouth opening, you diminish the pleasing effect which your mouth space can have on the sound waves, and, in turn, you emphasize the effect your nasal passages are having on the sound waves. You can lose the nasal quality and achieve a brighter, fuller voice as you learn to move your jaw generously as you speak (or sing).

What is automatic routing?

Hold your nose while you talk. You will not be able to make the sounds of the nasal consonants, m, n, and ng because these are nasal consonants and your nasal cavity cannot be blocked if you are to produce these sounds. You could say that these sounds are “automatically routed through your nose”. You should be able to hold your nose and produce any other sound. If you find that your sound is cut off or halted while you making any other sound, then this means you are producing sound through your nose, not your throat. This is why your voice sounds nasal. Take note of which sounds are cut off or halted, and practice making these sounds come through your throat. If you can do this, you should hear a lower deeper sound and feel the “pressure” move out of your nose, diminishing nasality. If you can reduce nasality in this manner, that’s good. However, it will require practice and a conscious effort, just as any other technique does.

An excerpt from this blog article speaks of “automatic routing”.

http://www.l2pnet.com/node/27

Automatic Routing: At this point, I should mention the three so-called nasal consonants. These are sounds that must be routed through the nose: M, N, and NG (as in the word "sing"). For fun, try holding the sound M for ten seconds. In the midst of your humming, close your nose with your fingers. No sound! That's because the M must come out of your nose. If you have a very bad cold and your nose is so stuffed up that no air can pass through, you'll notice that your M sounds like B, your N sounds like D, and your NG sounds like K. "I got a code in my dose and I cadt seenk." If you're working at reducing nasality, there's no need to worry about the nasal consonants. Even with intentional half-yawning, your palate will allow for the nasal consonants without even having to think about it. Read the full article: http://www.l2pnet.com/node/27.

Enunciating, or articulating, more when you speak means opening your mouth more. Speaking with more definition will require you to move your mouth and lips more. This also means producing stronger and longer vowel sounds, which makes your throat work harder, as this is where the vowel sounds come from. In other words, moving your mouth and lips and producing stronger vowel sounds is the work required to permit sound to come more through your throat – the lower part of your mouth – and not through your nose – the upper part of your mouth.

Here’s a reply to a question at an online forum.

http://soft.com.sg/forum/all-about-singing/83611-nasality-2.html

so maybe I should open my mouth more when I sing do you think?
Yesh :} That was my point. It opens up your throat more (or you could see it as having a bigger 'output' space) so that it won't go through your nasal cavity much.

You could practice making a habit by just dropping your jaw, like .. completely just hanging there off your mouth and sing a note. It won't be nasal I'm pretty sure. From there, just work on getting used to opening your mouth more and implement it slowly into your singing habit.

It's pretty logical come to think of it, I mean.. if your mouth is closed, your voice can't "exit" much. So they'll find a detour and get all cramped up into your nasal passage instead, which has no opening at all. So in the end your voice is just caught up in a traffic jam in your face, and they'll resonate there / become nasally. Lol

Read the full article http://soft.com.sg/forum/all-about-singing/83611-nasality-2.html.

Here’s an article on eliminating nasality.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-2-Things-You-Must-Do-to-Eliminate-a-Nasal-Voice&id=2241191

The 2 Things You Must Do to Eliminate a Nasal Voice

In the English language, there are only three sounds that should vibrate in your nose and they are referred to as your nasals: the m, the n, and the ng sounds. What this means is that any word you say with any of those letters or sounds will vibrate in your nose to some degree. Words like, Maine, plan and ring.

The problem with excessive nasality is that you are sending more than your 'nasals' through your nose and that is why you may have a whiny sound or a twang. The good news is that nasality can be eliminated with a bit of practice and the retraining of your inner ear. Read the full article: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-2-Things-You-Must-Do-to-Eliminate-a-Nasal-Voice&id=2241191

Conclusion

What does this mean for those who want to diminish nasality?

Produce longer stronger vowel sounds.
Enunciate more: move your mouth and lips more to better articulate English sounds and produce stronger vowel sounds. English sounds do seem to require more work.
Hold your nose while you speak. If you notice that the sound is cut off, it’s likely because the sound – the air – cannot pass through your nose. Practice bringing the sound through your throat, which will produce the softer lower sounds that are not part of nasality or the nasal-like quality you want to eliminate. Take note of the specific sounds that sound nasal when you speak, and practice producing these sounds through your throat.

Again

Produce longer stronger vowel sounds.
Enunciate more: move your mouth and lips more to better articulate English sounds and produce stronger vowel sounds. English sounds do seem to require more work.
Allow sound to come from your throat, not up through your nasal cavity; keep the soft palate in place, not lowered, which prevents the sound from entering your nasal cavity, which then produces a nasal-like sound.
Speak more slowly while you practice in order to reach your objective.

Accent Reduction Boston MA English Boston MA ESL Boston MA

General American English from Answers.com and Wikipedia

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:48:07 PDT

English Language Note 1 - General American English

What is General American English?

This text is from from Answers.com.

The speech of native speakers of American English that many consider to be typical of the United States, noted for its exclusion of phonological forms readily recognized as regional or limited to particular social groups and for its frequent use as a norm of pronunciation by national broadcasters.

USAGE NOTE The label General American is often used to describe a variety of speech that lacks any of the stereotypical markers of regional speech or of the speech of particular social groups, as in the omission of the (r) sound in words like car and card. It should be noted, however, that this label still permits a great deal of regional and social variation. In other words, General American should not be identified with any specific American accent.

American English - Wikipedia

American English (variously abbreviated AmE, AE, AmEng, USEng, en-US, also known as United States English, or U.S. English) is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of native speakers of English live in the United States.

English is the most common language in the United States. Though the U.S. federal government has no official language, English is considered the de facto language of the United States because of its widespread use. English has been given official status by 30 of the 50 state governments. Continue reading here.

Syncope Elison Accent Reduction Pronunciation

noreply@blogger.com (Pro ESL) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:38:21 PDT

Syncope and Elision

The word "every" is pronounced ev'ry. The second e sound is entirely eliminated. The technical words for the elimination of sounds are "syncope" and "elision". This specific sort of vowel sound elimination, or specific type of syncope, does not occur with great frequency, but it does occur in some common words. Pronouncing "camera" as "camera" instead of "cam'ra" would be an indication that English is not one's first language. The same thing goes for "chocolate", which is pronounced "choc'lət.

Answers.com

Glossary of linguistic terms

What is elision?

vowel sound elimination.pdf download from The ESL EFL Pages

Accent Reduction Boston MA English Pronunciation Boston MA

General American English Pronunciation of the United States This text is from from Answers.com.

The speech of native speakers of American English that many consider to be typical of the United States, noted for its exclusion of phonological forms readily recognized as regional or limited to particular social groups and for its frequent use as a norm of pronunciation by national broadcasters.

Accent Reduction Boston MA General American English Pronunciation

Learning and Teaching English: Learning and Teaching English: Two Classifications...

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:45:52 PDT

Learning and Teaching English: Learning and Teaching English: Two Classifications...: "Statement I propose two classifications for English language learning, English language teaching, and English language skills development: ..."

The Business of Learning and Teaching English

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:32:38 PDT

A) What types of organizations provide English language courses and classes? There are private English language schools, non-profit funded programs, adult education centers, Craig’s List tutors, community college ESL programs, university ESL programs, and onsite in-company providers. I’ve worked with private organizations, non-profits, adult education centers, home-tutoring, with two community colleges, and onsite providers. Pro ESL, my business, is an onsite or in-company provider for international professionals and internationals here for research and other academic purposes.

B) What types of ELLs – English language learners - are there? Temporary stay students, or home-stay students, who attend high-priced private English language schools; shorter-term economic immigrants here to save money and go home; longer-term economic immigrants, who seek legal resident status and citizenship; refugees and political asylees, who enter the country with legal resident status. Economic immigrants, both short-term and long-term and refugees and political asylees, often attend non-profit or funded ESL programs, as well as adult education centers and sometimes community colleges. The degree to which these demographic groups learn English well varies from person to person. Also, academic types are here: researchers, MBA students, visiting scholars, and those who need to publish a paper or an article in English. They attend adult education centers, in-house university programs, and seek out private tutors. Lastly, there are immigrant professionals, who come here in search of a “better way”, or perhaps to simply experience living in the USA. I’ve taught and teach English language learners who are professionals and who are here for academic-professional purposes.

C) There are ESL students and EFL students. What’s the difference? ESL – English as a Second Language - refers to learning English in a country where English is the first language. EFL - English as a Foreign Language - refers to learning English in a country where English is not the first language. Though one does need to study and learn, ESL students, living in an English-speaking country, can rely more on acquiring language through exposure, experience, and practice, while EFL students rely more on learning English and studying in order to make progress and to be prepared for traveling, using English for professional purposes, or academic purposes. These are very general distinctions, and distinguishing between the two is not always clear once people start reaching higher levels of ability.

D) I hear this question sometimes:“They live here. Why don’t they learn English?!” Here are some reasons people have difficulty learning English: Some people lack the very basic educational and learning experiences that, here, we take for granted. Some people – from developing countries - have to learn how to learn. There are overwhelming personal responsibilities. People with families have two or sometimes three jobs. Employers can be very demanding in certain situations, leaving little or no time to attend classes. Traditional values: sometimes women don’t work in some families from certain cultures; therefore, at home, families speak their native language. So if a husband has a 70—hour work-week, and a wife stays home – not affording her the opportunity to be among people who speak English or take time to go to classes – it’s difficult. Husband and wife have time for life’s essentials, and money and family are more essential than English – even while living in the USA. Sometimes people live in a neighborhood where people mostly speak their first language, and, as well, their work requires them to speak and listen very little or not at all. Also, some people are concerned that their children won’t learn their native language. In short, it’s possible to live here and be isolated from the greater community. This, along with a lack of sufficient learning experiences, makes learning English difficult for some economic immigrants and some refugees and political asylees.

E) Why is it not always possible for ESL speakers to get what they need from an English language course? There are many types of English language learners with different abilities and from different backgrounds. It’s not possible to accommodate everyone’s individual needs. Students are disappointed by some programs because they are static and lack a dynamic approach. Language learning is not a linear process – it’s circular. In any one class there’s a range of abilities, needs, and different areas in which learners need to improve. Students take away some knowledge and notes to study from a course, and they’ll get some speaking practice. However, this doesn’t mean they get from a course what they expected or what they need. Students have related to me that some courses, especially writing and pronunciation-accent courses, don’t meet their expectations: Cookie-cutter methods don’t work well. Also, some ESL instructors’ notion of “preparation” is deciding which pages to photocopy from a book to use as material handouts in a class. Sadly and unfortunately, that is a fairly common approach to preparation.

F) What makes a good English language teacher and ESL communication coach? 1) Knowledge of how English works – the nuts and bolts of English – how it’s put together 2) methodology – how one teaches, how one explains, how one engages students in both a student-centered style and a teacher-centered style: A good English language teacher – ESL communication coach - possesses the following: creative ability and imagination; empathy; patience; good listening skills; the ability to explain English and answer questions about English; a sincere interest and curiosity about others; the ability to make learning an engaging and interactive experience; the ability to make learning both an intellectual and fun experience; an understanding of one’s students; organizational skills; resourcefulness.

English Language Tips and Advice - 1 - Uncountable

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:46:35 PDT

Hey, Steve!

It was nice talking to you. Thank you for your advices and tips. Have a good week.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
_________________________________________________________________________

Hi Lucas,

It was good talking to you as well. By the way, it's "Thank you for your advice", not "Thank you for your ~~advices~~". “Advice” is uncountable in English, just as "information" is uncountable.

You can find two PDF documents on uncountable nouns at The ESL EFL Pages . They’re in the beginner section, but that doesn't mean they’re just for beginners. Language learning is not a linear process, nor is it only a bottom-up process. It's both top-down and bottom-up.

Beginner ESL PDF Business English PDF Business English PDF

Have a good week, too.

Steve

English for Professionals Boston MA
Business English Boston MA

Speech - What is speech?

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:56:22 PDT

Speech for ESL speakers

Speech, speaking technique, helps us to be strong and effective communicators. The manner in which we deliver our message during business presentations and meetings is important for the obvious reason that we must keep our audience interested in what we are saying. Of course, being an effective and strong communicator is also important for speaking with clients and speaking with professional colleagues in everyday situations. In speech development, we aim for improvement by taking a full-circle approach.

Here is what we focus on in speech development and speaking skills for presentations.
It is important to produce clear speech sounds with definition. This is enunciation and articulation. Another key factor in good speech and speaking habits involves using tone and not sounding monotonous. Of course, speakers must hold their listeners' attention and interest. One should set a tone by being expressive. Here are some ways in which one uses tone to be expressive:

Use tone to communicate the right level of enthusiasm.
Use tone to communicate friendliness.
Use tone to express sincerity
Use tone to communicate formality, authority, and seriousness.
Use tone to express informality and convey an easygoing attitude.
Use tone to convey an appropriate level of personableness and personality.

Pragmatic features of speech and speaking

One should use different levels of volume, as well, in order to maintain speech that is not monotonous. In this way, good speech takes into account added stress as a means to convey meaning. We add stress to individual words or phrases in order to emphasize (emphatic stress), to communicate contrast (constrastive stress), and to introduce new information (new information stress).

Nonvocal qualities as pragmatic features of speech or speaking

Speakers should look at their audience and make eye contact with individuals from time to time. Of course, direct eye contact is largely affected by the size of one's audience. As does tone of voice add to the expression of one's speech or speaking, facial expression also adds to the expression of one's speech or speaking. One should vary one's facial expressions accordingly: smile, look serious, look thoughtful, appear relaxed or at ease. One may also use pauses and hesitations to call attention to important points. Gesticulations may also be part of a speaker's expression.

Signaling the end or start of a new segment

Speakers may use these techniques in order to signal the end or the start of a new segment:

Pace: slowing down and speeding up
Intonation: Falling intonation often signals the end of a segment
Volume: Lowering one's can indicate the end of a segment.

Conclusion: There's more attached to the meaning of your words than simply the words themselves. There's more that goes into conveying what you want to say or communicate to your listeners than simply the words that you speak.

Accent Reduction Boston MA
English Language Training Boston MA
ESL Communication Coaching Boston MA

What is accent reduction? What is pronunciation?

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:12:59 PDT

Though there are common items which all English language learners focus on when it comes to pronunciation and accent reduction, English language learners are better served, and oftentimes require, individualized pronunciation and accent reduction programs in order to reach their proficiency goals.

What is accent reduction? What is pronunciation? What do we work on when we learn and teach better English pronunciation? Here are some areas of focus for pronunciation improvement and accent reduction.

Contrast in volume between content words and function words
Weak forms and strong forms of function words
Stress patterns of individual words - multi-syllable words - e.g. exterior, experiment
Intonation patterns - the contrast between content words and function words
Focus word - the most important or prominent word in an intonation unit: a sentence, a clause, or a phrase
Falling intonation at the end of an information question - glide or step down at the end
Rising intonation at the end of a yes-no question
Types of stress: emphatic stress, contrastive stress, new information stress
Intonation stress patterns for lists and choices
Time-stress quality of English pronunciation
Neutral vowel - schwa
Contractions used in both speaking and writing
Linking - connecting syllables and words
Producing stronger vowel sounds - tense and lax vowel sounds
Speaking faster - speeding up and slowing down
Thought groups - places where it's natural to pause
Types of stress: emphatic stress, contrastive stress, new information stress
Connected speech patterns - contractions used in spoken language - reductions, deletions, assimilation
Minimal pairs - vowel sound distinction
Tone - expressive quality of speech that conveys feelings and emotions
Reducing nasality - talking through one's nose
Pitch - the consistent high or low quality of one's voice
Musicality - musical qualities, or melodic qualities, that a speaker produces which are not appropriate to the L2 - target language - and which could be produced as a result of transference from the speaker's L1 - first language.

Accent Reduction Boston MA - Accent Training Boston MA - English Language Training Boston MA - ESL Communication Coaching Boston MA

Neutral schwa vowel sound description - Accent Reduction

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 22:38:59 PDT

The symbol for the neutral schwa vowel sound is an upside down e. It is part of the International Phonetic Alphabet – the IPA.

o What is the neutral schwa vowel sound?

The neutral schwa vowel sound is the most frequently used vowel in English. Not producing the neutral schwa vowel sound is in part what gives those whose second language is English an accent or pronunciation that is different from those whose first language is English. Producing or not producing neutral schwa vowel sounds affects the quality of one’s pronunciation and how natural one sounds when speaking English. Therefore, it is very important that ESL speakers who are concerned about their pronunciation and accent learn to use this sound.

o How does one produce the neutral schwa vowel sound?

The neutral schwa vowel sound is produced without tightening the throat and vocal cords, which is not the case for the other vowel sounds. To produce the neutral schwa vowel sound, your throat must be relaxed and the air passage must remain open. Your mouth will remain open slightly, as well, in order to produce this sound.

o What does the neutral schwa vowel sound like?

The pitch of the neutral schwa vowel sound is low, and it is barely audible. It goes by so fast when someone is speaking that you may not even notice it’s there. For example, the indefinite article “a” is often – or almost always - pronounced as a neutral schwa vowel sound. Therefore, the untrained ear may not recognize the difference between these two sentences when spoken very quickly: 1) That’s a good book. 2) That’s good book. The neutral schwa vowel almost sounds like nothing. It’s something like a low-volume, low-pitch, very short grumble or grunt.

Teaching the schwa British Council BBC

Accent Reduction Boston MA
Pronunciation ESL Boston MA
Speaking Skills Boston MA

Accent Reduction Boston MA
English Language Training Boston MA
ESL Communication Coaching Boston MA

Eight things that good writers do

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:37:02 PDT

What is a good writer? That's a good question. However, a more apt question is this: What do good writers do?

1) Good writers conform to language conventions as they pertain to writing. (Spoken language offers more flexibility.)

2) Good writers use grammatically accurate language.

3) Good writers combine words, phrases, and clauses in ways that contribute to expression, intelligibility, and creative character. One creatively uses language to communicate effectively. However, this is not the same as being creative in such ways as using adjectives and adverb phrases to be expressive, for example.

4) Good writers use the right word at the right time and do not purposely use words to try to impress their readers. One should not purposely try to use "big words", for the most part, though one may be taken up in thought from time to time trying to find the right word.

5) Good writers produce a text that is in agreement with their purpose. One's purpose in writing defines the character and image of one's writing. Some writing deals with more serious subject matter, and some writing deals with less serious subject matter.

6) Good writers don't write too much and don't write too little.

7) Good writers focus on creativity to the extent that it is practical for the purpose of the writing. For example, business writing such as reports, grant requests, technical writing, and replies to customer inquiries are not meant to highlight one's creativity. When writing a short story, for example, creativity tends to take center stage along with the story itself, or the message. Sometimes writing can be technical in nature, yet the author may have somewhat of a flair for creativity at the same time, as in the book "The Language Instinct", by Steven Pinker.

8) Good writers don't think too much about what they have to say, and they don't think too little about what they have to say. Good writers are thougthful and considerate communicators to the extent that it is necessary. This adds up to communication that is effective and efficient.

Professional Writing Skills Boston MA
Business English Boston MA
Business Writing Boston MA

Accent and Pronunciation - Tense and Lax Vowel Sounds

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:16:01 PDT

An important part of speaking clearly and producing intelligible English speech is producing sufficiently strong vowel sounds. Not producing vowel sounds that are sufficiently strong contributes to an accent. However, some vowel sounds are not as strong as others. This has to do with whether or not a vowel sound is tense or lax.

What is a “tense vowel sound”, and what is a “lax vowel sound”? Tense vowel sounds tend to be longer and stronger than lax vowel sounds. If a word ends with a voiced sound, then the vowel preceding it is tense, or it tends to be longer and stronger. If a word ends with an unvoiced consonant, then the vowel preceding it tends to be more lax or relaxed. It’s not as much work to produce lax vowel sounds as it is to produce tense vowel sounds.

Here’s a list of unvoiced sounds:

/p/ /f/ /k/ /s/ /sh/ /ch/ /th/ (unvoiced) (there's a voiced /th/ as well)

Generally, the rest of the consonant sounds are voiced. Vowel sounds are voiced. However, remember that schwa ə is a neutral vowel sound, and it is not strong or long. It’s very weak and barely audible.

Here are some examples of lax vowel sounds.

loss, toss, fax, top, yet, note, wrote, ship, shop, net

Here are some examples of tense vowel sounds

buy, why, far, pen, knew, do, phone, cell, sell, glad

Producing vowel sounds that are sufficiently strong is an important part of speaking clearly and producing intelligible English speech.

Pronunciation focus - tense vowel sounds

Find a short article or write a short paragraph. Underline the words with tense vowel sounds and practice saying them.

This is sufficient information for English accent and pronunciation teaching. For more information on tense and lax vowel sounds, refer to Teaching Pronunciation page 96.

voiced - Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

unvoiced - Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Accent and Pronunciation - the sound of "ed"

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:14:15 PDT

The past form of regular verbs ends with "ed". From time to time, English language learners have asked me about the correct pronunciation of "ed" at the end of regular verbs. Pronouncing "ed" incorrectly is something that contributes to one's accent. However, with some understanding and practice, this is something one can correct. Though it may not be entirely obvious, there is a way to know how to pronounce "ed" at the end of past tense regular verbs.

If the last sound of a verb is "p, f, k, sh, ch, or s", then "ed" sound like "t". These sounds, "p, f, k, sh, ch, and, s", are called unvoiced sounds. So we can say that we pronounce "ed" as a "t" sound when the last sound of a regular verb is not voiced. These sounds are called "unvoiced", or we say that they are not voiced, because there is no vibration of the vocal cords when we make them. For example, in the words "stopped", "watched", "walked", "faxed", "priced", "finished", "worked", "produced", and "washed", "ed" sounds like "t".

If the last sound of a verb is "t" or "d", then "ed" is pronounced like this "əd". For example, "ed" has this sound in the words "quoted", "decided", "ended", "contrasted", "needed", and "wanted". The remaining sounds in English are voiced, with the exception of "schwa", which is represented by an upside down "ə". These sounds are called voiced because there is a vibration of the vocal cords when we make them. If a verb ends with a voiced sound, then "ed" sounds like "d". For example, in the words "stayed", "emailed", "compared", "cared", "pleased", "discovered", "played", and "considered", "ed" sounds like "d".

So if you know someone at work who needs some help pronouncing "ed", now you can help them.

voiced - Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

unvoiced - Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Register tip for meetings

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:06:48 PDT

Softening requests for suggestions and opinions at a meeting

Here are a few ways to ask for suggestions and opinions at a meeting.

What do you think?
What do you think we should do?
Can you offer any suggestions?
Do you have any ideas?

There could be times that you want to soften a request for a suggestion or an opinion in order to lessen the chances that your listener, or listeners, will feel pressured. One’s tone of voice is important, and equally important is the tone of one’s words. The more words we use, the more polite and careful we tend to sound. However, it’s important to not overdo it. Here are a few ways to soften requests for opinions and suggestions. Notice that a request does not have to be in the form of a question, as a statement can imply that the person speaking is asking a question.

Do you happen to have any ideas?
I was wondering if you had any suggestions.
Would you happen to have any suggestions?
I was wondering what you might think.
I was wondering what you thought about this.
I was wondering if you could offer any suggestions.
Would you happen to have any ideas about what we could do?

These are a few sentence starters. You could use them to think of a few more ways to request suggestions and opinions. The example sentences are general. You could think of ways to finish these sentences by thinking of a context, real or invented, in which to use them.

I was wondering … …
Would you happen to … …?
I was wondering if … …
Would you happen to … … ?

Accent and pronunciation tip for presentations

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:16:26 PDT

Quick preparation for presentations

For ESL or EFL speakers who need to quickly prepare for a presentation, I suggest focusing on added stress. Added stress plays an important role in adding clarity to one’s speaking and enhancing one's overall intelligibility. It helps listeners to fully understand and take in the meaning of what one is communicating.

Marking a text for added stress is the starting point when one needs to prepare quickly. While practicing unmarked pronunciation patterns is the logical starting point for intonation practice, marking a text for added stress is more practical if one has a relatively short time to practice preparing for a presentation.

What types of added stress are there?

• Emphatic stress – adding volume to key words for emphasis

• Contrastive stress – adding volume to contrasting words and ideas

• New information stress – adding volume to words or phrases that bring in new ideas or the start of a new segment

Additional types of stress to consider in preparing for a presentation include list stress, choice stress, and focus word, or tonic, stress.

Focusing on added stress is a good way to make the best of practice time before a presentation and to ensure that the student is not overwhelmed by other aspects of English pronunciation and accent that he or she may not have previously spent enough time with. With minimal preparation time, it’s best to take into account other aspects of pronunciation and accent improvement as it is convenient and the need arises. It should not be one’s goal to improve one’s pronunciation and accent in all ways possible just a week or two before giving a presentation.

Related article: Teaching English Intonation to ESL and EFL Students

Accent and Pronunciation Practice for Chemists

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:16:42 PDT

Two-syllable nouns: The first syllable is the stressed syllable in two-syllable nouns most of the time.

Adjective-noun combinations: In adjective noun combinations, the adjective, the first part, sounds stronger than the second part, the noun.

1. The first part sounds stronger. The intonation is higher. It carries more volume.
2. The second part sounds weaker. The intonation falls. It carries volume.
3. Take note that each word in a pair has an intonation pattern – a stressed syllable.

Compound nouns: Two words combine to make a compound noun. The first part of a compound noun sounds louder. The second part sounds lower.

Refer to The Pronunciation and Accent Pages for examples.

Pronunciation Practice for Chemists

Thanks to Mr. Guch for allowing his list of chemistry words to be a resource for these pronunciation practice lists.

adjective-noun chemists.pdf View Download

multisyllable chemists.pdf View Download

nouns chemists.pdf View Download

Accent and Pronunciation - Content Words and Function Words

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:17:05 PDT

ESL speakers are often concerned about speaking correctly, which could mean speaking without grammatical errors. Of course, one should try to speak correctly, and it's important to try to avoid very noticeable or serious grammatical errors when speaking. However, not making grammatical errors, or making very few of them, is not what people appreciate and notice the most about one's ability to speak English. People notice one's pronunciation. People don't ask for repetition because of grammatical errors as much as they ask for repetition because of pronunciation errors. That's right - pronunciation errors. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that one's accent is oftentimes the sum total of all of one's pronunciation errors, and sometimes minor grammatical errors.

Though one may think of grammar when thinking of speaking correctly, grammatical errors don't interfere with one's ability to be understood as much as one's pronunciation errors do. It is the combination of one's pronunciation errors that could present a challenge to native English speakers when listening to ESL speakers. However, if being understood when speaking is not a problem, then some ESL speakers might still wonder what gives them an accent. Once again, it's mostly, though not always, the sum total of their pronunciation errors.

The contrast between content words and function words is an important part of English pronunciation. Content words are the important words in our speaking. They give information. By contrast, function words are structure words or grammar words. Although function words contribute to meaning in some way, they don't carry information in the same way content words do. There are different types of function words, or grammar words, and they are part of limited lists. We use them to connect content words, or information words. Unlike function words, content words are unlimited. Generally speaking, content words sound louder, or have higher intonation, than function words. Because the content, or the information, has more prominence, minor grammatical errors don't stand in the way of communicating one's message as much as much mistakes in the pronunciation of one's content or information words. It is this contrast between content words and function words that allows one to speak "broken English" - English with many errors - and still be understood. People hear the content. That's what's important. By the way, this is not to downplay the importance of grammatical accuracy. However, the purpose here is focus more attention on the importance of pronunciation. For professional purposes, pronunciation is the appearance of one's speaking while grammar, it could be said, is the appearance of one's writing.

So here it is. Content words sound louder than function words, and this contrast contributes greatly to intelligibilty when speaking English, intelligibilty referring to the ease with which one is understood when speaking. The contrast between content words and function words indicates a wider ptich range in English speech, more so than in some other languages. Here are the content words and the function words, which, by the way, should be part of one's knowledge base in learning and teaching English pronunciation.

• Content Words - Information Words - Important Words - With the exception of 5 and 6, content words are part of unlimited lists.

1. nouns
2. verbs
3. adjectives
4. adverbs
5. interrogative pronouns
6. negative auxiliaries

• Function Words - Grammar Words - Structure Words - These words are part of limited lists. For example, there are a limited number of pronouns, but an unlimited number of nouns. Nouns are content - information words.

1. pronouns
2. prepositions
3. conjunctions
4. articles
5. auxiliary words
6. determiners

Prices - business news media

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:24:55 PDT

Speaking of business English, let's look at the word "price", a common enough word in business English. Everyone talks about prices. But it's not the word "price" that's important. It is the way in which we use the word "price" that's important. The word "price" often appears in the business news media.

Here's a list of ways in which the word "price" is used in common phrases. We call these common phrases "lexical phrases" or "fixed expressions". And while it may not be entirely interesting to everyone, it could be of, at least, some interest to those whose second language is English, and it may be interesting to those who teach English. As well, it could be interesting to anyone who just happens to find words interesting. How we use the word "price" in business news media is just another way of thinking about "business English". Also, all these ways in which we observe people use the word "price" bring to mind, once again, the lexical approach to learning and teaching English vocabulary, or at least ideas surrounding the "lexical approach". Of course, none of these sentences or phrases are "original".

Many of these phrases are familiar, and some may not be so familiar. Using the "highlighter" option in the Google toolbar, we can take a look at how any of these expressions are used and get some idea of the frequency with which they occur.

Here's an example: "Prices plummet". Results 1 - 10 of about 102,000 for "prices plummet". (0.33 seconds)

Prices continue to plummet.
Prices have taken a nosedive.
Prices have dropped sharply.
Prices have been skyrocketing.
Prices have taken a dramatic fall.
Prices are climbing.
Prices are on the rise.
Prices have risen sharply.
Prices took a hit.
Prices plunged.
Prices are sinking.
Prices are heading down.
Prices have taken a tailspin.
Prices are going way down.
Prices are slipping.
Prices have hit rock bottom.
Prices are at an all-time low.
Prices are winding down.
Prices are back on the rise.
Prices are back on the increase.
Prices are on the upswing.
Prices are on the downswing.
Prices have leveled off.
Prices are remaining stable.
Prices have been slashed.
Prices are expected to tick upward.
Prices are being driven down by ...
Prices are expected to put a damper on ...
Prices are on the downside.
Prices are on the upside.
Prices are favorable.
Prices are looking good.
Prices have hit hard times.
Prices are tumbling.
Prices are at a crossroads.
Prices are on the slide.
Prices are soaring.
Prices are flying.
Prices are running.
Prices are chugging along.
Prices are on an incline.
Prices are crashing.
Prices are colliding.
Prices are hitting ...
Prices are being hoisted.
Prices aren't so hot.
Prices are frozen.
Prices are chipping away at ...
Prices are doomed.
Prices are storming.
Prices are pushing.
Prices are creeping up.
Prices are creeping down.
Prices took a hit.
Prices have taken a hit.
Prices are going to take a hit.
Prices are a ripoff.
Prices jump up.
Prices bounce off the bottom.
Prices are orbiting.
Prices are out of control.
Prices are bleeding.
Prices are falling hard.
Prices are killing ...
Prices are going through the roof.
Prices are hitting the ceiling.
Prices have hit the floor.
Prices are spiraling.
Prices have taken a bite out of ...
Prices are eating up ...
Prices are inching their way ...
Prices are firing up.
Prices are pulling ...

"Something" can drive prices down. Prices have been driven down. Prices are being driven down.

There can be "a downfall in prices", "a decline in prices", "a steady decline in prices", "a surge in prices",

Prices can strike. Prices have struck ...

Prices can drain. Type "prices drain" in the Google search box. Be sure to use quotations.

"Prices are below * level " Results 1 - 10 of about 2,300,000 for "prices are below * level". (0.12 seconds)

Questions and comments are welcome.

English Language Proficiency

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:40:30 PDT

What does English language proficiency mean to you?

Oftentimes people develop enough ability in the English language to communicate and function well, but that's not always sufficient. The same ability one has for communicating internationally with other ESL speakers might not be sufficient for working and doing business in an English-speaking country. Each person has different goals and requirements in the area of improving their ability to use the English language. With that in mind, using English for international business and professional communication while living in a country where English is not the first language is not the same as using English for business and workplace communication in an English-speaking country.

Working in an English-speaking country, where one uses the language every day, could require a greater commitment to achieving higher levels of proficiency, which, in part, could come through continual exposure to the language. However, exposure to the language might not be sufficient. One may be required to take a more active role in developing more proficiency for business, professional, and workplace purposes in an English-speaking country. How far does one want to, or need to, take one's proficiency in the English language? What is your purpose in using the English language? Though many people will say similar things, everyone has different answers to these questions. What are your answers?

Business English Defined

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:12:54 PDT

What is business English?

Business English is everything. So how do you define something that is everything? You can't. Business English, or business language, is something different for everyone. For some people business English is the vocabulary and manners of expression found in different worlds of business such as finance, commerce, business administration, corporate communication, marketing, management, advertising, event management, and customer relations. As well, business English is vocabulary and manners of expression found in business media such as magazines, newspapers, business news broadcasts, and online publications. For some people, business English is the language that is specific to a particular profession.

Business English is the communication of professions and workplaces. This communication includes meetings, presentations, interpersonal communication - internal and external communication - negotiations, written communication, small talk, and socializing. Business English means something different to everyone.

Before continuing, let's point out three misconceptions about "business English" or "business language".

Business English is always formal. False We adapt our language to suit each situation. This has to do with register.
Business English follows prescriptive grammar rules. False One only has to listen to businesspeople speak in order to find out that certain prescriptive notions of correct English, such as using "whom" and always using "may" for requests, are not requirements for the makings of business English or "good business language".
Business English is only for people who "do business". False Business English, or business language, is for everyone. Business English is the language people use for professional purposes at work.

"I'll shoot you an email". That's one example of business English or business language because people in business say it, but, of course, it hardly begins to define business English or business language. Business language is the language that we use for business. That's good, but which business? Of course, business English is the language of our businesses, not just the language of business. Business English means something different to everyone.

Teaching Business English

It's important to know about the language people use for their professions, businesses, and work. This information allows us to teach business English. Because we need this information in order to teach business English, it means that there is no such thing as a "good" business English course book or method book in the business of teaching business English. Authors of such books and the language schools that use them seem to think that it's possible to capsulize the idea of "business English". This is like trying to pour an ocean into a container the size of a pond - impossible. They think there's a way to inform the teaching of business English by prescribing what teachers should teach, how they should teach, and what course participants should learn. These books are not "business English". They promote a kind of "one-size-fits-all" thinking that is entirely impractical and way off the mark when it comes to what is practical in English language learning and English language teaching. They may be okay for some people, but they're certainly not okay for all people.

Business English is the communication of professions and workplaces. Business English means something different to everyone.

Meetings - participating and leading
Speaking to workplace colleagues and professional associates
Presentations
Internal communication
External communication
Telephone Communication
Negotiations
Speaking to clients and customers
Speaking with managers and supervisors
Speaking to vendors and customer service
Writing - Email, Reports, Business Letters

What does business English mean to you? What are your thoughts on business English? Please, post your comments.

Business English Boston

English Language Communication Coach

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:30:16 PDT

ESL teachers, or "ESOL instructors", are highly skilled language training professionals. However, for those who are English communication coaches, as well as professional teachers of English, the meaning of ELT, English language teaching, is augmented and taken to a higher level. English communication coaches and language trainers raise the bar for ELT. Unencumbered by traditional administrative dictates, English communication coaches bring a dynamic approach to ELT and add another dimension to English language skills development. The combined skills and knowledge of those who are both English communication coaches and professional teachers of English are unparalleled in the field of English language teaching - ESL and "ESOL".

What does an English communication coach do? Of course, an English communication coach does all that an "ESOL" instructor does, but, of course, that's not all. English communication coaches provide an incomparable and rich language training experience by combining skill, creativity, sensitivity, and knowledge of English with a practical understanding of their course participants’ professional language needs. That said, an English communication coach guides students in becoming more competent communicators and gaining greater confidence in their professional and workplace interactions.

English Communication training and coaching Boston MA
English Language Teaching and Consulting Greater Boston MA

Pronunciation and Accent Reduction
Communication Skills

English for Meetings - expressing disagreement

info@proesl.com (Steven David Bloomberg - PRO ESL) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:04:33 PDT

It's easy to tell people that you agree with them. However, depending on the circumstance, it may not always be easy to tell people that you disagree. It's especially important in business meetings and workplace meetings for all members of the team to say what they think. This may be easier said than done. While it may be easy to speak up for some people, other people may feel uneasy about speaking up because they are concerned about the possibility of offending someone. ESL speakers who may find it easy to disagree in their first language may find that they don't have the same ease of expression in English. Though it's impossible to know what our training course participants may want to, or need to, disagree with at a meeting, we can help them out by presenting them with ways to begin. I call these ways to begin "sentence starters". These sentence starters provide ESL speakers with a way to express disagreement in a tactful and polite manner.

Here are some sentence starters to help ESL speakers tactfully express disagreement at a business or workplace meeting. These sentence starters are ways to lead into an explanation as to why one disagrees. Now, these could work well for some people in some situations, but, of course, they will not be the right things to say for everyone in all situations. Finding the right way to begin depends on one's reason for expressing disagreement. We learn about the language our course participants use for meetings in order to teach them how to say what they want to say and what they need say. We find out about their language for meetings.

I wouldn't say it's quite like that because ...
I agree with that up to a point, but ...
I understand what you're saying, but ...
I understand what you mean. However ...
I wish I could say I agree, but ...
I would agree with that, but ...
I think we should explore some other options before we ... Has anyone thought of ...
I don't feel that it's right to ... because ...
I feel that it would be ...
I don't feel that it would be in our best interest to ... because ...
I think it might be better to ...
I think it might be better if we ...
Has anyone considered ...
I would like to say I see it that way. It's just that ...
I hate to disagree, but I really believe that ...
I don't want to make any waves here, but ...
I'm not 100% convinced that ...
I'm not convinced that ...
I think that's true up to a point, but ...
Yes, that's true. However, I think ...
It might be better to ... because ...
I feel that it might be better to ...
I think it might be better to ...
If we do ..., then ...

All of us have felt it necessary at one time or another to say something when it may not be convenient to do so. Here are a few phrases that might help out in this area.

If I could just say one thing before we continue ...
I hate to interrupt, but ...
Please, excuse me, but If I may, I would like to say that ..
May I, please, add something here?
Please, excuse me, but there's something I should say about ...

Another consideration: Choosing a few "good words" to get started might not not be sufficient. One's tone of voice is important as well. Our tone of voice projects something about our attitude. The quality of one's tone might be affected by one's proficiency in English pronunciation and the sound of one's accent. While tone of voice may not be of concern for everyone, it can be for some people. It's certainly worth giving this some attention while helping our course participants become more confident and competent communicators.