ENGLISH LESSONS: ACCENT REDUCTION AND UNDERSTANDABILITY IMPROVEMENT

“She literally changed his life.” ~ Janet Andrew, Executive Career Coach

One-hour reasonably-priced sessions. Price depends on how many lessons are purchased. Write jennifer (at) discreetguide (dot) com for further information.

This training program is designed for English learners who want to reduce their accent and improve their understandability. Individual 60-minute sessions focus on diction, fluency, rhythm, pitch, and syllabic stress to create a voice that is uniquely yours. Teaching techniques include video analysis, “singing along,” tension reduction, minimal pairs, and speaking exercises. The objective is to ensure that you are understood — not to eliminate your accent. Lessons are lively, fun, and conversational with exercises designed for your specific needs.

We have had clients from Qualcomm, Intuit, Teradata, Uber, Kroger, Dow Chemical, and lots of biotechs and engineering companies. We love working with technical people, financial professionals, STEM types, and doctors.

The program makes heavy use of technology, including vocal analysis software, videos, and audio segments. Clients can see their own vocal inflection on a monitor compared to a native speaker which allows for faster progress.

We also use a unique handbook, not available anywhere else. The handbook was written over six months as the program was being developed. Read an excerpt here.

A standard program is comprised of ten one-hour sessions. Sessions are private and confidential. They can be provided in person in a safe and supportive environment or online through Zoom or Skype.

Because we started with Mandarin speakers as test learners as we built the program, we know what the challenges are. Several of our Chinese clients spoke English very well, but Americans found them hard to understand. Asian professionals who are looking to build their professional image are good candidates for this program. We also have solid experience with Koreans and people from Taiwan.

As the program has developed, our clientele now includes many Spanish speakers and people from Eastern Europe, so our expertise has expanded. We have had great success in helping our clients sound more like native English speakers.

The key instructor, Jennifer Crittenden, has a B.A. in Linguistics and French, and a CELTA certification to teach English as a second language, as well as over twenty years of corporate experience. She is the owner of the Discreet Guide®, a professional development training company.

Testimonials:

“Jennifer is a very professional English teacher. She is so friendly, kindly, nice that I am always very glad to have English conversation with her. She cares about not only my language skill, but also my career growth and personal feelings. She is more than a teacher to me. I can’t wait to see her every week. Absolutely recommend!”  ~ Katie C.

“My wife found Jennifer online and arranged our first class. I had my doubts about taking the accent reduction classes since I have been working in the USA for many years. But I am from Spain and had noticed people having difficulty understanding me sometimes. By the end of the first session with Jennifer, I had a good feeling so I purchased a package of 10 lessons. She sent me recordings of our sessions which were helpful. By the 10th lesson, I noticed some improvements in my pronunciation and confidence so I continued my classes with Jennifer. She is dedicated, patient, and professional. I definitely recommend her.” ~ Alfredo G.

“My husband and I both admire Jennifer because she is an excellent teacher. She did a lot for me, and I would like to study more with her in the near future.” ~ Jane Li

“I would highly recommend Jennifer Crittenden. English is my second language and I have had the pleasure of being her student. Jennifer is a very patient and organized teacher. Her ability to connect with her students and her talent at teaching complicated concepts and sounds in a simple way are truly superior. She always has great initiative and positive attitude. Jennifer’s dedication to teaching makes her an ideal candidate for a teacher.” ~ Marina B.

 “I worked with Jennifer for a span of four months in her program Your American Voice. I can attest that I benefited considerably from her coaching, dedication, and encouragement. Jennifer devised a program specifically tailored to my needs, which were to find a way to improve the way I present myself as a financial professional. Through practice and other creative approaches, such as adopting the speaking styles of some well-known individuals, I was able to identify the issues associated with my speech and alleviate them. In our sessions, Jennifer was patient and made me feel comfortable to not be afraid of making mistakes and correcting them. Jennifer was always prepared and open to new ways of helping me with my business speech. I would recommend Jennifer and the American Voice program to anyone who is looking for a way to improve his or her executive presence in business settings, and find a speaking style that would be in line with his or her personality.”
~ The Program’s First Graduate

I sent one of my clients to Jennifer to help with some speech issues that were impeding his job search and after a few months was frankly blown away by his transformation. He spoke with such confidence, and his articulation and fluency were much improved. I was astounded with the positive change that I observed, and how she literally changed his life.”
~ Janet Andrews, CEO, A Career Above / Executive Career Coach

Click here for the press release announcing the program.