http://www.corspan.org/rss-news.php CORSPAN members in the news en-us Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:52:55 GMT CORSPAN members Lynda Katz-Wilner and Marjorie Feinstein-Whitaker, authors of RULES for Using Linguistic Elements of Speech: A Resource and Interactive Workbook, have appeared in a variety of print media outlets in 2008:

The Baltimore Jewish Times featured Lynda Katz-Wilner in an article (6/13/08) discussing accent modification training with internationally trained physicians.

Marjorie was interviewed for an online diversity-executive magazine article on 6/11/08 discussing how accent modification training positively affects a company's bottom line.

Lynda and Marjorie wrote an article entitled, Keys to Optimal Patient Care which was published in the Advance for Healthcare Careers Annual Resource Guide (2008) and Advance for Speech Language Pathologists & Audiologists (May 2008).

Their article "The Communication Component," was published in Advance for Nurses (2/4/08).

Marjorie and Lynda contributed, "Accenting the Positive", to the April 2008 issue of Language Magazine: The Journal of Communication and Education.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=7 Corspan members Vicki McKenzie, Pat Gomola and Nancy Morgenstern were featured in the September 5th edition of the New York Times' Connecticut Weekly Edition. The article, “Accent? What Accent?”, was written by Gary Santaniello.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=19 Nancy Morgenstern, a corporate speech communication coach and founder
and princiapl of SPEAKBEST LLC, was quoted on August 31, 2007 in The
Hartford Courant. The article highlighted verbal crutches used by
celebrities as well as job candidates.
Read the article here.
http://www.courant.com -- search Nancy Morgenstern
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=3
When someone speaks with an accent, it can be a charming way to hear information. Or it can be a frustrating exercise in miscommunication for the speaker and listener alike.
Critical information can get garbled by a speaker�??s pronunciation, inflection or intonation, which is especially problematic in medical, academic or business settings.
Some international professionals are turning to accent trainers to help them hone how they handle sounds found in the English language rather than their own.
Roberta Stanwood of West University is a speech-language pathologist who began offering accent training a year ago.
�??An accent isn�??t a disorder,�?� she said.�?� It�??s a natural occurrence of learning a second language as an adult.�?�
Improving a speaker�??s pronunciation doesn�??t eliminate his or her accent, which is a component of identity and personality, she said. Proper pronunciation is �??the icing on the cake�?� of mastering a new language, she said. �??Once you learn a (correct) pronunciation, it becomes a habit.�?�
English has about two dozen sounds that typically confound, she said. Among them are combinations such as �??ng�?� and �??th,�?� or blended ones using �??r�?� and �??l.�?�
Those who learn English often overlay the rules of their native language, she said.
Similarly, every linguistic background has a set of sounds that might creep into pronunciation, whether it�??s using �??w�?� for �??v�?� or �??sh�?� for �??ch.�?� Stanwood�??s client base is well-educated and fluent in English, but also motivated to master a few troublesome sound combinations. Her students have been natives of China, India, South America and the Middle East, many of them from Texas Medical Center institutions.
Former client Guo-Ping Chang, for example, took two semesters of weekly training sessions after coming to this country two years ago.
He knows his speech has improved because his advisor stopped asking him to repeat what he was saying and started asking him about the details of his research.
Chang said he�??s a more confident speaker in front of Americans now and a better listener when others speak English with an accent.
Over at the University of Texas Health Science Center system, students, faculty and staff have access to accent training workshops. In-house surveys of these groups revealed their interest in improving communication skills, said Dr. Ronald Johnson, chief academic diversity officer for the system.
The workshops are funded by an education grant, but private lessons with accent coaches like Stanwood are not, he said.
Calling herself a �??teacher not a therapist,�?� Stanwood has been a speech-language pathologist for more than 25 years.
She decided to expand into accent training because she enjoyed teaching English as a second language at her church and realized she could use her clinical background in a new way.
Her company, Accent Training Resources in Rice Village, offers a pronunciation-modification program developed by Dr. Arthur Compton, founder of the Institute of Language and Phonology in San Francisco.
The 13-week program includes an initial assessment ($300) and weekly private or semi-private sessions (fees vary) customized to correct what the client�??s assessment uncovers. Clients typically learn two to three sounds a week.
�??It�??s a motor skill you have to learn,�?� Stanwood said. �??You�??re building a new pathway.�?�
While hearing acuity helps with language tuning, any progress or long-term retention demand practice between sessions, she said, �??(as) with any skill you�??re learning for the first time.�?�
Clients who do their part report a 60 percent to 70 percent increase in their ability to pronounce sounds correctly, she said.
Like Chang, they might also find themselves aware of their countrymen making the mistakes they previously did.
For information, call 713-666-0926 or visit www.accenttrainingresources.comBY CYNTHIA LESCALLEET, Tuesday, August 7, 2007 3:23 PM CDT-- Examiner intern Neely Brandfield-Harvey also contributed to this story.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=2 Judy Cavallo, a Corporate SLP in Oyster Bay, NY, was recently quoted in
a New York Newsday article highlighting the verbal crutches that plague
the speech of celebs in the spotlight, as well as job candidates
participating in interviews.
Read the article here... http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzumm0823,0,4743603.story
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=4 Judith
Bergman's company, Triangle Speech Services, was recently featured in
the Independent Weekly, a news and entertainment publication targeting
the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill areas of North Carolina.
Read the
article here .
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=5 Marjorie Feinstein Whittaker, of The Whittaker Group in Boston, and Lynda Katz Wilner, of Successfully Speaking in Maryland, have just authored and published RULES (Rules for Using Linguistic Elements of Speech): A Resource and Interactive Workbook. It was recently launched at the ASHA convention in Miami and received wonderful reviews.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=15 Speech coach expands offerings, reach with webinars, podcasts and CDs

Dale Klein has built a business helping Capital Region professionals make better presentations, eliminate accents, land good jobs and package sales pitches.

To view the article, click here.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=8 ASK THE EXPERT

When Words Are Elusive

Karen E. Klein

The problem: My mother is in her 80s and still lives independently. Recently, however, we've noticed she's quite frustrated because she's having trouble remembering words. What can we do to help?

The expert: Judy Cavallo, licensed speech-language pathologist and director, New York Speech Consultants, Oyster Bay .

The rules: Mild word-finding problems are a normal consequence of aging. There is no evidence that we lose words with normal aging. Instead, we have difficulty retrieving words that once were readily available.

The strategy: You may be able to help your mother compensate for her word-finding difficulties by encouraging her to gesture and use related words to communicate her needs. Also encourage her to engage in mental activities such as reading, working puzzles, playing Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit or chess to keep her mind active. The more we use language and encounter new words, the better our chances of maintaining those words as we age. Just like our bodies, it is possible to exercise our brains to keep them healthy.

How it works: Teach your mother these techniques and encourage her to use them when she's having trouble finding a word: Pantomime (using her hands to describe an object or an event); describing objects she's trying to recall ("you use it to pound nails" means "hammer,"); circumlocution (saying as much as possible about the word she's thinking of); providing related words ("drink, mug, hot, black" for "coffee"); and using synonyms or antonyms. For instance, ask her to use another word that has the same meaning ("couch" for "sofa") or the opposite meaning ("not new" for "old").

The results: While it's normal to experience occasional difficulty finding the right word, frequent word-finding problems may be a warning sign of Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. If you and your mother are concerned about her communication problem, a medical exam may be warranted. Early diagnosis and treatment of dementia can slow the progression of symptoms. Speech therapy can help improve and preserve communication and cognitive functioning.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=9 Communicating the importance of appropriate communications

By Adina Genn

Badly construed messages can destroy your bottom line.

That “New Yawk” accent may be a put-off for Midwestern customers and a poorly written proposal may get tossed in the trash, but many business owners may not realize that ineffective communications may be why they’re not winning accounts.

Two new Long Island companies hope to help others hone their communications skills, but they face a major hurdle: proving the value of their service, even if they can’t specifically quantify the number of opportunities lost to poor communications.

In fact, linking communication to business results is a top industry challenge, according to a 2005 study by the San Francisco-based International Association of Business Communicators Research Foundation.

Judy Cavallo applies a mix of strategies that has helped her land 15 clients for her Oyster Bay company, New York Speech Solutions, which she opened in March 2006. A licensed speech-language pathologist who also teaches American Broadcaster English, Cavallo provides accent modification, speech and voice improvement and public speaking courses.

Clients who find her through her Web site or through networking events – including doctors with heavy accents or others in the public eye – are eager for help. In some instances, her clients’ employers have sponsored training.

But Cavallo wants to land more corporate clients, perhaps even some who don’t yet realize they need her help, and is pitching a program on telephone etiquette and accent modification to large companies.

Organizations are often “judged by whoever answers the phone,” she said, and by their customer service and sales reps. In trying to win big accounts, Cavallo cites tools that she says help improve customer rapport and increase productivity and sales, thanks to fewer communication breakdowns.

Claire Meirowitz and Natalie Canavor face similar hurdles. In October 2006, they started C&M Business Writing Workshops, a Babylon- and Northport-based company that aims to design custom-tailored programs to help organizations improve their print and Web communications.

“The challenge is to show prospects what would be accomplished with better writing,” said Meirowitz, who with Canavor writes for IABC’s publications.

When pitching clients, the partners point to a 2004 National Commission on Writing Study, revealing that large corporations spend several billion dollars annually to improve employee writing. Currently, they have proposals out to law firms, colleges and libraries. Other businesses are deferring their decisions, they say, until they plan budgets for upcoming training.

To boost visibility and credentials, they plan to publish a business-writing book, speak before professional groups and sponsor an upcoming IABC meeting. They balance this marketing strategy with running separate companies – Meriowitz owns an editing business while Canavor, a former LIBN columnist, works as a communications consultant and features writer.

It can take years to build clientele. Just ask Rich Atkins, who started his company, Port Washington-based Improving Communications, in 2001. In 2006, it finally “kicked into high gear,” Atkins said, although it was a struggle until then.

His client list includes LIPA, Scholastic and Hilton, according to ImprovingCommunications.com.

Atkins now travels nationally, speaking to human resources associations, meeting new prospects and lecturing about positive praise and personal effectiveness.

“I can’t say by taking this course, you’ll maximize results,” Atkins said. “But I can say you’ll have an increased perception of expertise.”
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=12 Lynda Katz Wilner, Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker, and Lorna D. Sikorski, presented a workshop at the ASHA Convention in Miami on November 18, 2006 entitled "Designing 'Culture Savvy" Accent Training for Medical Professionals.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=14 Lynda Katz Wilner, of Successfully Speaking in Maryland, and Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker, of the Whittaker Group in Boston, published an article in the October 1-15, 2006 edition of the INDIA New England newspaper on the accent trainers' views of accent modification.

Read the article here
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=16
“Physicians say effective communication boosts their self-confidence, eases their interactions with colleagues, and improves patient care.”


So reads a headline for an article in which Everett Leiter and one of his past trainees were featured. Everett Leiter, is director of Confident Speech in New York City. He was quoted for his views on why accents are so persistent, and his trainee described benefits he received from the training. The article, “Accent on clarity: Doctors seek classes to Americanize their speech”, appeared in the September 18, 2006 issue of the American Medical News, a publication of the American Medical Association.

The article describes various concerns that physicians have about the clarity of their pronunciation. One physician said that it could be a distraction to the patient-physician relationship. Others were worried about the possibility of being misunderstood by patients if their pronunciation, voice, and stress patterns differ dramatically from the usual American patterns.

The full article is available online for members of the American Medical Association at www.amednews.com
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=18 Corspan President, Dale Klein’s article, Successful Telephoning: Tips, Techniques and Taboos was published in the September 11, 2006 edition of Advance Magazine for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=11 SPEAKBEST, LLC
was featured on "What's My Line?", the Morning Show with Allen, Mike
and Allison on 100.5 FM, WRCH in Farmington, Connecticut. Listeners
asked questions and attempted to guess Nancy Morgenstern's profession.
One listener guessed that Nancy's work involved speech communication
training and Nancy was interviewed by Alan, Mike and Allison who asked
questions about Accent Modification coaching and training
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=28  Corspan member Janet Skotko, was featured in the April / May issue of News-Line for SLPs in an article entitled Finding a Variety of Solutions Through a Variety of Positions.


Additionally, in the near future, Janet will begin serving as the SLP blogger for Therapy Times. Janet's practice is The Voice Institute, and is located in Tampa, Florida.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=25 2006 Corspan President, Dale Klein's article, Graduates: Get the Job You Deserve, was published in the May 1 edition of Advance Magazine for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=26 Lynda Katz Wilner, of Successfully Speaking, in Baltimore, Maryland has had recent press about her work in the area of Accent Modification with International Medical Graduates/Non-native Physicians. An article about her work was written up in the Owings
Mills Times and The Jeffersonian, a business newspaper for Baltimore County, in January 2006.


Another article about Lynda Katz Wilner and her work with Accent Modification with Physicians was featured in the Health and Science section of The Baltimore Sun on July 14, 2006 and was also published in the Los Angeles Times on July 24, 2006 and The Houston Chronicle and several online medical websites.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=17 Nancy Morgenstern, Principal and Founder of SPEAKBEST, LLC in Avon,CT, has been featured in The Hartford Courant on Dec. 26, 2005. The accent reduction program offered by SPEAKBEST was described. A senior level executive and engineer was interviewed regarding his experience with SPEAKBEST. He emphasized that communication skills became more important than technical skills as he advanced in his career.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=24 Lynda Katz Wilner,
Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker, and Lorna D. Sikorski presented
“Integrating Language, Culture, and Accent Training in the Medical
Community” at the 2005 ASHA Convention in San Diego. The presenters
discussed the importance of an integrated holistic approach when
developing accent modification programs for this unique professional
community.The presenters are conducting a confidential online
survey to gather data regarding current perceptions, challenges, and
strategies related to communication in the healthcare setting. Native
and non-native English speaking professionals in the medical field are
urged to participate in this survey.  Findings will be published at the conclusion of this study.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=22 CORSPAN President Shelly Wallace (www.AccentManagement.com ) along with Corspan Past-President Barb Christensen (www.SpeechAdvantage.info ) presented a seminar entitled “Accent Modification: The Next Step” to colleagues at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) national convention.


The seminar focused upon an intensive method of training accent modification, client motivation, assisting clients with carry-over of newly learned materials into conversation, and simplifying administrative tasks.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=23 Corspan member Dr. Patricia Wolf Gomola, director of the Speech and Language Institute in Middletown, Connecticut, was a featured speaker at the American Academy of Private Practice Speech Pathologists and Audiologists 2005 spring conference in Miami, Florida. She addressed two sessions on the topics of accent reduction and corporate speech pathology. Dr. Gomola is also a former Corspan board member.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=20 Washington, DC

Sharon Heffley’s Accent Modification Center was featured in the April 21, 2005 issue of the South China Morning Post.

The article discusses the communication problems encountered by Asians who work in the United States. Steven Knipp, reporter, observed class and provides insights from the client and instructor's point of view. Click for the full story.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=21 Everett Leiter’s accent modification practice Confident Speech has become part of the popular fascination with “makeovers.” Leiter was interviewed by NYC24 , an online magazine focusing on “Real New York Stories.”The story about the accent programs at Confident Speech
is featured in “The Makeover Issue” ( March 11, 2005.) The story
includes Leiter’s answers to frequently asked questions about accent
modification, some tips for pronouncing American English, and two
before/after comparison recordings (audio streaming).
Click for the full story.
http://www.corspan.org/in-the-news-item.php?n_id=27