Companies want to show that they are inclusive and have a diverse workforce but often hesitate to hire immigrant workers because of the fears associated with communication barriers these workers can face.  Managers can often assume that by treating everyone the same, they are acting fairly, but when communication skills are lumped into this train of thought, problems will occur.  Accented speech can lead to observable problems such as no one understanding his/her verbal communications.  Meetings become a source of frustration and lead to complaints.  Perhaps he/she is being excluded from meetings and verbal workplace dialogues in general.  Finally, he/she may be disengaged from their work and be subject to negativity and inappropriate remarks from co-workers.

One common mistake is to address communication issues through English language training courses.  In fact, the most respected forms of English language measurement, TOEFL (American English) and IELTS (British English) tests, do not measure spoken English effectively for use in Canadian workplaces.  This means that English languages courses will not address the workplace communication issues, and not provide any new knowledge to the immigrant employee who has most likely already successfully completed a TOEFL or IELTS test during their foreign credentialing process.  All English language training courses focus on the structure of the language but not the mechanics of speaking English.

Accented speech can be properly addressed with a training program on the mechanics of speaking English.  In fact, many aspects of speaking, such as voice projection, appropriate tone of voice, rate of speech, and register, are also studied by native speakers of English who wish to improve their speaking skills.  The accent reduction training provided by L2 Accent Reduction Centre incorporates all of these aspects of speaking as well as a focus on specific sounds to help people become effective communicators in their workplaces.

Adding accent reduction services to your workplace training toolbox is an essential part of helping your diverse workforce to better performance in 2012.