Successfully Speaking

 
 "Achieve Excellence in Communication"
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Lynda Katz Wilner, M.S., CCC-SLP is a corporate communication trainer and 
a Speech and Language Pathologist.
She is the founder and director of Successfully Speaking, a woman-owned communication consulting firm, which specializes in professional speaking skills, foreign accent modification, and regional dialect reduction for native and non-native speakers.

Ms. Wilner developed and published Medically Speaking: Accent Modification for the Medical Profession, The Medically Speaking Inventory: Assessment of Accented Speech, and collaborated with Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker in the development of  RULES, Medically Speaking RULES, Medically Speaking Idioms, RULES BY THE SOUND, and Boston RULES. She trains individuals, groups, and trainers around the United States with her unique programs. 
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 February 2012

Hello Colleagues and Friends,

 

I hope all of you are off to a wonderful, prosperous, and healthy New Year! It has been a busy time for Successfully Speaking. As many of you know, my colleague and I design accent modification and communication skills  training materials for non-native English speaking professionals. Our joint company is ESL RULES, a division of Successfully Speaking.
 
We are currently posting brief pronunciation lesson videos to help individuals master pronunciation rules for the American Accent. These are posted weekly, as well as a weekly blog. See videos
 
Please feel free to share these lessons or blogs with your employees as you see fit. 
 
If you have questions about how to approach employees with communication issues, I will gladly speak with you and give you suggestions. 
 
Looking for topics for Lunch 'n Learn sessions? Let's talk about how Successfully Speaking can help your employees or staff achieve excellent communication skills.
Contact me  for a free consultation.
  
Women's Voices: Why do women use a "crackly" voice?
 
We have heard about Valley Girl speech or "uptalk," a pattern of pitch rises that undermine a speaker's credibility. Now many young women today are speaking in "Glottal fry" or "Vocal Fry."
 
 
What is this phenomenon? I have noticed this vocal pattern particularly when speaking to women in their 20's to 30's. Now I am finding that the media is taking note. Is this voice pattern intentional? Are they trying to sound more authoritative? This "crackly voice" can actually be sabotaging their professional image! It is often due to lack of proper breath support when speaking and it sounds like a tired voice; one that does not project well and is often difficult to understand. Can they change it? Absolutely yes!

Our Vision

Successfully Speaking enables individuals from diverse backgrounds to achieve excellence in communication and maximize their professional success.

 

Warm regards, 

 

Lynda
Lynda Katz Wilner, M.S.
Successfully Speaking
Telephone/Fax: 410.356.5666