“Should I Get Accent Reduction Lessons?”

This is a very common question I hear from immigrants and overseas workers as we discuss their coaching options.  Though everyone’s case is unique, here is my general advice: If your (heavy) accent is stopping you from being confident, from making friends and/or from making (more) money, then YES.  Do some accent reduction for your […]

Office Talk – Expressions

“The Office” can be used to mean any job or typical day.  You do not actually have to work in an office. Example: John comes home tired, looking stressed and burned out.  His wife asks:  “Hard day at the office?” He replies:  “Oh yeah.  We’ve got a new manager/supervisor/accountant/secretary/etc. causing me grief because…” Once again, […]

Good Reason to Live in Vancouver, Toronto or Calgary

A survey published by the Economist Intelligence Unit says Calgary is the fifth most livable city in the world. The U.K.-based group analyzes 30 factors to establish its annual rankings, including stability, health care, culture, environment, education, infrastructure and personal safety. Calgary was among three Canadian cities to land in the top ten, with Vancouver […]

PM and U.S. President Obama announce shared vision

I enjoy watching and listening to politicians give compelling speeches.  Harper’s speech is pretty straight forward and easy to understand for all, with positive emotional content.  It’s a good speech.

Accept, except, access, excess, etc.

This is a common speaking mistake.  When English words have a double c (cc), we sometimes pronounce the first c as hard, like a K, and the second c soft, like an S.  For example: “Accept” is pronounced AKSEPT, not ASSEPT. “Access” is pronounced AKSESS, not ASSESS.  That’s a different word with a different meaning, […]

“I’ve been here for 14 years – but I still can’t speak English well!”

(Original post from 2011)  This is what I heard today over the phone from a potential client.  She does not have a thick accent but she does has one.  She sounds fairly confident and certainly intelligent.  She has a couple of degrees and valid work experience.  So what’s the problem, right? She sometimes feels shy […]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

On behalf of 3V Communications I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a fantastic New Year celebration to ring in 2011. All the best! Your Coach, Ric Phillips

“Squish” the middle vowel in some 3-syllable words

Take a look at these 3-syllable words: Business Chocolate Corporate If we read them as if English was a syllabic language, like Japanese for example, then we would read/pronounce them “bus-i-ness”, “choc-o-late” and “cor-por-ate”, right? But that is not the way we say it, at least here in North America. The way the word is […]

Transfer Worker from China gets Speaking Award

Hello everyone, I would like to share an email I received today from Grace, one of my private coaching clients here in Toronto.  (I have her permission to share this.)  Before I do I just want to give you a little background on her.  She has been transferred here from Shanghai, China, and works for […]