What’s wrong with these sentences?
Bushisms: U.S. leader sets standard for mangled phrases during presidency By The Associated Press President George W. Bush will leave behind a legacy of Bushisms, the label stamped on the U.S. leaders original speaking style. Some of the president’s more notable malapropisms and mangled statements: -“I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.” […]
Florida woman claims ‘Merry Christmas’ greeting got her fired
Hello all, I should not be working on Christmas eve, rather enjoying my drink and relaxing. This article caught my eye, and I had to pass it on. I could spew a lot of my opinion here, but for now all I want to say is that this article is ‘interesting’ and ‘disturbing’ at the […]
Surviving the Work Christmas Party
‘Tis the season to be invited to Christmas (or ‘holiday’ or ‘festive season’, etc.) parties sponsored by your place of employment. At first it sounds like a great idea: take a day or half-day off work, mingle with friends and co-workers, eat free food and drink free booze. What a great way to get into […]
Communication Workshop NOV 22 for Immigrants
BRASI Presents: BrasiMPACT: Communication Skills Refinement; Impact & Influence Focusing on quickly building interpersonal communication skills and public speaking improvement, with a segment on accent reduction. Geared towards professional immigrants who need to deal with clients, suppliers, managers etc. Ric Phillips, Communication Coach, will provide the small-group training. Saturday, November 22 2008 9am-3pm North York […]
The Complexity and Power of Words
The interesting thing about words is that they have different meanings to different people, even when using the same language, due to the way we process, filter and finally understand information. What does a word mean to you? Does it mean the exact same thing to every member of your family, community, country or language […]
Foreign Accent Syndrome?
Hello, I saw this news clip today online, and was so amazed by it, I thought I would pass it on to you. It’s about people who suffer some sort of brain trauma, and when they recover, they speak in a new voice – usually with what seems to be a recognizable regional accent like […]
Use ‘Chunking’ to Help Speak Clearer
Hello everyone, Whether you have a ‘thick’ accent or whether you are speaking to someone who has it, there is something you can do to assist the clarity of the conversation. Break up your sentences into smaller chunks, or phrases. Many people wrongfully assume that when you can speak English fast, it is a sign […]
English Idiom Ebook, If You Like
Hello my friends, Someone emailed me and asked where I got the “Dead Idioms” from (previous post). I sell a downloadable ebook called “Everyday English Idioms”, and that is where they came from. I would be happy if you wish to purchase this ebook. Click here to see it, preview a few pages, and then […]
Dead Idioms?
Hello all, Using idioms (expressions) that are up to date and appropriate will help you fit in better in conversations and allow you to understand more discussions in everyday situations. Using an old ‘dead’ idiom can make you sound a bit foolish, or out of touch. Here are a few idioms that use the word […]
ESL Resources? Please go here
Hello, As a Communication Coach I work with many different people from many different walks of life, and I have the pleasure here in Toronto of coaching hard-working immigrants who struggle with ESL (English as a Second Language) and English fluency. I just want to remind any of you out there that I have two […]