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Understand and
Be Understood

Online communication coaching and courses in:

  • Accent and English pronunciation

  • Intercultural communication

  • Professional communication skills (presentations, email)

  • General phonetics for singers and language learners

Do you ever say...

I don't feel confident because of my accent.

People always say, "What?" when I talk.

I want to advance in my career, but I worry they won’t promote me because English isn't my first language.

He's a brilliant team member, but we have trouble understanding him when he talks. 

It's hard to navigate the cultural differences at work.

Crystal Geode Slice
How I can help

For you

  • Improve your confidence ​speaking and presenting in English

  • Modify intonation and rhythm to speak clearly while still sounding like yourself

  • Pronounce key vocabulary in your professional field without embarrassment or confusion

  • Feel confident when making telephone calls, speaking at conferences, presenting at meetings, or interviewing for jobs

  • Build relationships based on the content of what you’re saying, not how you’re saying it

  • Navigate deep-level cultural differences

  • Gain a deeper understanding about your own speech and communication patterns

 

For your employees

  • Make the most of your talent pool without language or culture being an obstacle

  • Support your team's professional development

  • Increase cultural sensitivity and support diversity of ideas and viewpoints

  • Show your team members that you are invested in their potential

"I think it is one of the most useful things that I have done because every class we made use of every minute. When I was starting, people would say 'Huh? What did you say?' I feel that this disappeared. Now I don't get this feedback. I got a lot of confidence."

"Wendy is an amazing teacher. Her ability to teach and motivate has been crucial and a tremendous support."

"Wendy designs courses and coaching with the person at the center of things. Her ability to choose the right level of complexity to create meaningful conversation helps you make the most of your time and take away practical tips and techniques into the real world."

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Bio

Wendy Kohn, MS, CCC-SLP is a culture and communication specialist and speech-language pathologist based in Massachusetts. Her combined background in communication disorders and teaching English and professional communication skills to non-native speakers has given her a multi-faceted understanding of human communication from an intercultural as well as scientific perspective.

 

With work experience in India, Mexico, New York City, and her native Boston, she has coached and trained professionals from more than 30 countries. Her clients have come from such diverse work backgrounds as information technology, higher education, law, business consulting and finance. She spent two years at Microsoft’s largest technical support center in India offering customized coaching on communication and intercultural skills to engineers offering top-level support to customers around the globe.

 

Having lived abroad herself, she draws on her own experiences with the challenges of communicating across cultural and linguistic boundaries. She is most energized by finding people’s unique strengths and helping them express themselves authentically and with pride. Clients appreciate her compassionate, down-to-earth style and subject matter expertise. 

Why Rune is different

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These aren't your typical accent reduction classes. Here's why:

​

  • There's nothing wrong with your speech. The fact that you're bilingual (or trilingual or more) is an asset, a marketable skill, and something to be proud of. Your accent isn't something to lose or reduce.  Learning how to modify your speech or cross cultures is a tool in your toolbox, not an "improvement" or a change in your identity. The goal is to be you--in English.

  • I don’t decide alone what you need to work on. I can identify what help you be understood better, but we decide together what targets help you meet your goals.

  • We don’t aim for perfection. The purpose isn’t to fool everyone into thinking you’re a native speaker. That is for actors. It’s okay for you to have a foreign accent and to still aim for clearer communication. 

  • I am sensitive about the language I use. Certain terminology and descriptions can perpetuate bias or cultural supremacy. I recognize that many dialects of English exist and there isn't just one way to learn to talk.

  • We can talk about other things besides pronunciation. Sometimes other factors hinder connection, like body language, rate of speech, and cultural factors.

Customized Instruction

We will tailor your program to not only on your personal goals but also your working and learning style.

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​Some people want​​

  • A consistent program that addresses a few goals with hierarchical activities

  • Help pronouncing specific sounds that make speech harder to understand

  • More direction and trainer-led structure

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Others prefer

  • Specific questions or projects, working on whatever is more relevant for them in the moment

  • Help with aspects of speech that cover whole sentences and conversations, such as rhythm and intonation

  • Bringing their own materials and steering training themselves

 

My goal is to create training that fits into your life and addresses what’s important to you.

Book a Meeting

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