Unique Languages response to new survey on English pronunciation

April 14, 2012 - PRLog -- The big news in the world of English language communication this week was the survey of British employers that suggested that 67% of the bosses surveyed believed that a "posh" accent was a disadvantage at work as the speaker was perceived as arrogant and that they had probably got the job through the old school network.  64% felt that a neutral accent was the best choice.

I tend to take these kind of surveys with the proverbial pinch of salt, but in this particular case I am inclined to agree.  Speaking as someone from South East England, my natural reaction when hearing someone speak with received pronunciation is similar to that of the respondents.  I don't like the fact that I have this preconceived notions of people's backgrounds but I think it's shared by the majority of people.  

Pronunciation tends to be an area of language teaching that EFL tutors shy away from or tack on at the end of a lesson for ten minutes.  Unique Languages tells its' instructors to be unafraid of having pronunciation practice play a prominent role in lessons.  Our mantra is that lessons are at the direction of the learners and from the language instructors I have spoken to, language learners prefer some time devoted to pronunciation.  There are a wealth of materials on the web and in book form to help with lessons in this regard.  

And what if a language learner asks us to help them with received pronunciation?   We tend to suggest that a more neutral accent is preferable but if received pronunciation is requested then we will follow that request.  

For further information on Unique Languages and how we can help you to improve in the language of your choice, go to our website:  http://www.uniquelanguages.com or call us on 020 3566 0145.

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We organise language training for organisations and language learners across London and within the UK. Our range of languages taught is wide and ranges from English as a Foreign Language to Russian, Spanish and German plus many more. Our courses are tailored to the needs of the learner and can be taken at any time and any location.

For more information on how Unique Languages can help you, go to http://www.uniquelanguages.com or call us on 020 3566 0145.