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Associate ESL: Pronunciation Struggles & How To Solve Them

Associate ESL (English as a Second Language) just means learning English as a Second Language for a corporate environment. This can look like working with our team to create a customized ESL program that seeks to address and improve specific professional skills, like public speaking or business writing for ESL associates, for example. Or maybe you own a construction company; associate ESL could also look like creating an industry specific English program that is specific to the construction industry. Whatever your corporate goals are for employee ESL  our team of expert instructors can help you meet them by addressing your safety concerns at construction sites and complying with OSHA standards of safety. After all, if your associates are struggling to understand safety instructions, your team becomes at risk of injury and your business more vulnerable to preventable lawsuits. Considered one of the hardest, learning English as a Second Language is more difficult for adult learners; even more so when learning with coworkers.

 

Associate ESL and common pronunciation struggles:

- Trying to "speak like a native"

Associate ESL, Foreign language ClassesRegardless of the native language, it is nearly impossible for anyone to speak without an accent. No matter where where you go in the world, there are different accents heard in every country; some are even difficult for fellow natives to understand, let alone people who speak another language!

Solution:  Understand that "speaking like a native" is subjective. There are phrases and pronunciations that change throughout the country and there is no universal way to "speak like a native." Be mindful when learning from natives who have thick, regional accents as this can complicate the process even more. The solution here, unfortunately, is to acknowledge the accent, and work around it as best you can. This may even look like employee accent reduction classes!

 

- Pronunciation starts at the mouth

While there is overlapping between languages due to geographical proximity, different languages sound foreign for a reason: certain sounds simply don't exist. For example, in Hangul (North & South Korea's native language) consonants are expressed with tensity, so "F", "V" and "TH" sounds don't exist, making it harder to understand the nuances of the English language.

Solution: Start at the very beginning. Instruction on how to place the tongue in the mouth to produce the necessary sounds is needed. It feels silly to the learner, because making a sound you've never made before feels foreign - but the more guidance and practice, the better. Helping to distinguish the new sounds from other sounds is the next step until finally, it doesn't sound so unfamiliar. The good news is, whether it's online or onsite English training, all of our programs are unique and engaging✅ as online classes are taught 100% LIVE✅ through our webinar style platform✅ that brings the classroom to you.

 

Our highly engaging In-Person English Training for employees and interactive Corporate  English classes online with live native-speaking teachers are easy to access from wherever you are. We offer Real-Time Private and Group Corporate English Training. Get a Free Quote for your Industry Specific Onsite or Online English Classes for Companies.

For more information contact our Language Training Department:
Phone: (617) 731-3700
Email: training@languageconnections.com

 

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Molly Romano Remote Copywriter

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