From Basic ESL to Ivy League Professor
An Accent Reduction Success Story
A Single Class That Changed Everything
Zoey bought a single accent reduction class in January 2024.
She had arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, the previous September from China. While she had a strong academic understanding of English, her speaking abilities were limited, and she had a strong Chinese accent.
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She knew that if she wanted to advance professionally, she needed to improve her English and develop an effective speaking voice.
The Challenge:
Mastering English in a New Environment
Zoey found it difficult to communicate effectively at work and with friends, struggling with pronunciation and fluidity in conversation. Chinese is a vowel and pitch based language, while North American English is consonant based, relying heavily on pace and emotion. The two languages could not be more different from a structure, sound, and delivery standpoint.
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St. Louis, a classic Middle American city, is not known for its diversity. While not unwelcoming, she was often treated like an outsider. Her accent was frequently pointed out, which affected her confidence. She connected with other Chinese students at the university but knew that if she wanted to stay in the U.S., she needed to improve her speech and master modern communication.
Speaking for Success: A New Goal
As a teacher's assistant and research student in social media data tracking, Zoey was expected to present complex, data-heavy research in class. Her goal was to improve her speaking abilities for lectures, research conferences, and ultimately, to secure a permanent professorship at an international university. She needed to work on engaging speeches, interview preparation, and confident body language to connect with her audience and advance in her career.
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It was clear that Zoey was passionate about her work. My job was to help her use English to showcase her brilliance to the world.
The Accent Reduction Journey
I recommended one-on-one coaching sessions, twice a week to ensure consistency. Like any skill, speech work requires repetition and habit building. Zoey, determined to improve, booked multiple class packages on Fiverr, the platform where I began to teach from.
Step 1: Mastering the Sounds
We began with accent reduction, focusing on the technical shifts in sound placement that improve pronunciation. First, we tackled TH, R, THR, L, and D, working through words, sentences, paragraphs, and finally, free speech. Then, we moved on to S, T, ST, V, K, and P, studying how different consonants shape communication. Some sounds are meant to be sharp and dynamic, while others are smooth and comforting.
After several weeks, I could already hear the improvement. Not only was Zoey easier to understand, but she was also using English to enhance her diction, pitch, and pace.
Step 2: Developing Speech Flow and Confidence
Physical placement of sound is only part of accent reduction, the flow and rhythm of English matters. While English isn't as fluid as Italian, Spanish, or Punjabi, it still requires a natural connection between words for clarity and confidence. Zoey needed to master the art of communication to ensure she could present her ideas with authority.
As Zoey's speech improved, she sought out more opportunities to communicate. This naturally led us to the world of public speaking.
The Art of Public Speaking
A well-delivered topic is like a great meal. Data are the raw ingredients, can be dry or dull. But when you add salt, fat, acid, and heat (diction, emphasis, variation, and pace), those ingredients transform into something rich and engaging. Add beautiful plating (visuals) and the right atmosphere (dynamic body language), and it becomes an experience that is unforgettable, and that makes the audience appreciate both the speaker and the message.
How we say something is often more important than what we say. In a highly technical field like social media data tracking, Zoey needed to do more than present numbers,she needed to keep her audience engaged. Public speaking is an art, and mastering it would be key to her professional growth.
Some lessons focused on vocal pitch, pace, and diction to help her use her voice effectively. We worked on storytelling techniques, making research relatable through analogies, metaphors, and pop culture references. We also focused on body language and stage presence to help her command the room with confidence.
Real World Application
To put these skills into practice, we focused on an upcoming solo, 50 minute research presentation, complete with slides, a microphone, and a Q&A session. This was a huge milestone for someone who had struggled with English just six months earlier.
We worked on vocal training for long-form presentations, practiced physical grounding techniques to manage stage fright, and developed strategies to handle distractions and mistakes in real-time.
The result was that Zoey presented at multiple universities and technical conferences with great success. She even emailed me after her first presentation with the words, "I nailed it!"
Preparing for the Biggest Leap:
University Interviews
With her speech skills improving, Zoey was ready to apply for high-level university professorships. This required a new set of skills. We focused on making her technical speaking concise and clear. We studied how to read the interviewer’s cues for stronger answers and how to reframe tricky questions to showcase her strengths. We also practiced confident body language and strategies to help her connect with hiring committees.
The results were impressive. Zoey received ten interview requests and landed eight offers from international universities.
The Power of Speech Coaching
Zoey is one of my proudest success stories. She trusted the process, committed to improvement, and built the confidence to use her voice over time through hard work and consistency.
She was always brilliant. Speech coaching simply gave her the tools to showcase it.
Ready to Transform Your Speaking Skills?
Whether you're working on accent reduction, public speaking, or professional communication, you don’t have to do it alone.
Have you ever struggled with confidence in your speech?
What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to speaking in English? Let me know, I’d love to hear your story!
Want to start your own journey to confident communication?
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