Structures, Expressions & Style in Common Usage

Course Outline: This course is designed to follow accent modification. It focuses on areas of speech as they relate to the workplace. This encompasses the grammatical structures commonly used in speech, as well as idiomatic expressions that have a figurative meaning, and subjective areas of speech, such as style, level of formality, and communicative approach. The program is designed to help non-native speakers of American English feel more comfortable and confident when speaking one-on-one in person or by phone or in teleconferences, in meetings, social gatherings, or challenging workplace situations.

Prerequisite: This course follows accent modification. A knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), word stress patterns, neutral intonation patterns, and use of breath and air flow is expected.

This course includes the following topics:

Common structures of expression

Idioms & expressions

How verb tense creates nuances in meaning

Alternative expressions: gerunds vs. infinitives, tone & style

Roleplay dialogs

Mechanics: prepositions & phrasal verbs, article usage, and integrating new expressions

Small talk and making conversation

Reinforcement of accent modification concepts

Communicative approaches

What to say in bad situations

Asking questions and speaking in meetings

Personalized 1-1 sessions with the instructor provide the opportunity for the participant to ask specific questions, gain risk-free practice using new structures and expressions in various situations, and explore alternative forms of expression. This also allows for introspection to discover which style, tone, structures and expressions are appropriate in a variety of diverse workplace situations. This course includes a manual with exercises to reinforce concepts.

Each one hour session consists of a discussion on one or more of the above topics, along with the opportunity to relate the concepts to a specific workplace situation. Role plays allow the participant to experiment with new approaches and strategies and get feedback. Participants are also encouraged to bring specific situations or language examples from the workplace to discuss with their personal coach.

The goal of this course is for the participant to leave feeling empowered to have discussions with any number of people in a variety of situations and environments with comfort and confidence level necessary to communicate effectively.