Services

Respect and Recognition

Excellent communication skills are at the heart of every successful personal and business interaction and are essential to being treated like a professional. However, for some non-native speakers as well as those with regional accents or poor speech habits, it isn't an easy goal to achieve.

Accent Modification

Accent modification training will enable you to be clearly understood and speak with confidence and ease. You will learn how to overcome the personal and social barriers that prevent listeners from focusing on you and the important things you are trying to say.

Accent modification is not an ESL course or a program designed to minimize your ethnic or cultural identity. It is about making your communication as clear and effective as possible.

You Can Benefit from Accent Modification

Specialized accent modification and communication services can help if you...
		are frequently asked to repeat yourself
		know that your communication skills are preventing you from advancing, but you don't know how to identify and change your speech patterns
		find it difficult to effectively communicate on the phone or in person with colleagues, supervisors, clients and important customers
		feel that people are focusing more on your pronunciation than the message you are trying to deliver
		are uncomfortable speaking in front of groups of people, participating in team meetings and giving presentations

Regional Accent Modification

Regional dialects can be charming, and help to define us as individuals. They can allow us to fit in with our families and friends, and can unite us as a unique geographical group. However, sometimes the Boston accent can be perceived by others in a less positive light. If you are an actor who is being typecast, or a professional in a business setting whose Boston accent is holding you back, consider regional accent modification. The Whittaker Group offers individual training to add a more neutral, non-regionalized style of speaking to your repertoire, to use in desired situations such as auditions, interviews, and presentations.

If you would prefer a small group environment with other wicked nice Boston speakers, look into our classes being offered at the Media Performance Institute of Boston Casting at: www.bostoncasting.com. Our next session begins on Sunday, January 23, 2011 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and runs for four consecutive weeks! Sign up today!

Listen to Marjorie's interview with Emily Rooney and the owner of Boston Casting, Angela Peri by clicking here.

Read about regional accents in a recent Boston Herald article by clicking here.

Look for our newest product, Boston RULES, a comprehensive training manual for reducing a Boston accent, due out in early January!

Communication Enhancement Programs

In addition to our programs that focus on Standard English pronunciation, The Whittaker Group addresses other communication issues that affect job performance and interpersonal relationships. Some examples of our customized corporate training includes:

		presentation preparation and delivery for business and educational settings
		writing for clarity and effectiveness
		intonation training and the rhythm of conversational speech, including pitch and stress
		figurative language, idioms and advanced vocabulary building
		rapport building through small talk and conversational skills
		effective telephone skills

If you are also seeking soft skills training to complement your accent training -
Neels & Company - Strategic Business Communication provides consulting and soft skills training to professional services firms covering all areas of business communication, offering seminars on business etiquette, networking, and customer service, as well as one-on-one coaching.

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