If you were born in China but now live in the United States, you are part of a large and talented group of people. According to the latest census information, there are over 1.6 million Chinese immigrants in the United States. Of these, two-thirds are of adult working age and two in five have a college degree or higher; however, two-thirds have limited English proficiency.

This means that, if you are Chinese and living in the United States, there is a good chance that you are a highly educated person who has come to the United States expecting to succeed, but you may have trouble advancing in your career because you have not mastered the nuances of the English language.

ESL classes are a wonderful place to start and they do a terrific job of teaching the basics of English vocabulary and grammar. I highly recommend them!

The problem comes for many people who have learned to speak and write English but find that they still cannot communicate with native English-speaking Americans. Have you experienced this? Have you had someone ask you to repeat yourself when you thought you had been perfectly clear? It can be frustrating and disheartening, especially for someone who has worked so hard, to find that it is not a lack of education or effort that is holding them back, but the difficulty in being understood.

So, if you have taken ESL classes and you speak English every day, what can you do to be understood more easily? One of the best things you can do is to focus on reducing your accent. You can ask American friends to gently correct you when you mispronounce a word. Write down words you have trouble saying correctly and practice them at home.

Every language has rules to its pronunciation, and understanding those rules is vital to reducing an accent. There are some rules in English that are very different from the Chinese rules,so they can be quite confusing to Chinese speakers of English. Some of these include:

distinguishing between the r and l sounds

distinguishing between the n and ng sounds

knowing when to pronounce final consonants

understanding the difference between voiced and unvoiced consonants, such as k and g, p and b, and t and d

You will probably experience the most rapid results by working with an accent reduction specialist, either locally or over the internet through webcam classes. Webcam classes typically provide the most private, flexible, and cost-effective option. Accent reduction specialists with a background in speech pathology have been specially trained to teach people how to hear the subtle differences between sounds and how to position their lips and tongue to produce certain sounds. They can recognize where you are having difficulty and teach you new speech patterns that will make speaking English much less frustrating.

Why don't you take the free online speech and accent screening at www.losemyaccent.com It only takes a few minutes and you will get great tips on improving your communication. Lisa Scott is a nationally certified speech pathologist who specializes in accent reduction training. Great communication is vital to a productive life, and Lisa is passionate about helping you increase your productivity by removing communication barriers. She offers a free online speech screening and follow-up phone call to determine if her classes will benefit you. If you are tired of being misunderstood and are ready for a change, please visit www.losemyaccent.com

[Edited by Administrator (admin) 2014-04-12]