Overview of services

Ear & Speak’s clients are a diverse group (accountants, IT professionals, builders, salespeople, politicians, diplomats, students, teachers, immigrants, locals, and more), and their needs are equally diverse (from English accent reduction to foreign language pronunciation, elocution lessons to public speaking, etc). (Our clients’ reviews)

Our focus is on achieving change.

Training is one-on-one, face-to-face in Melbourne (all training goals) or one-on-one online anywhere else in Australia (accent training). Face-to-face clients will attend appointments at Ear & Speak’s office in Flinders Street, Melbourne CBD.

We provide tailored, adaptive training, with open and honest feedback. We approach our clients’ needs with analytical skill, and personal and cultural sensitivity.

About training

Using our linguistic expertise, we combine elements of elocution, accent coaching and public speaking  to develop your skills in English, depending on your particular needs. We want to solve the simple things, urgent problems and the hard issues for you. In a straightforward, no-nonsense manner.

At Ear & Speak the focus is on the challenges faced by the individual client. Emphasis is placed on:

  • continuous analysis of your problems/progress, not a first-session checklist,
  • practice as part of everyday routines,
  • strategies and exercises to solve your problems.

We focus on flexible and dynamic one-on-one training because typical group training and short courses (eg, at TAFE colleges) are rarely suitable for people who have become used to speaking English.

Supporting the specialist advice given to clients are:

  • unique materials, recordings and exercises chosen for your goals and needs,
  • the Ear & Speak Client Area website, with tips and resources,
  • additional wordlists and recordings prepared specifically for any special problems you encounter.

And beyond these basics, we engage clients in wide-ranging and in-depth conversation about exactly the things they would discuss in their work and their social life. We’re not scared of conversation about auditing, project management, teaching, ceiling trusses, tempering couverture, circuit boards, viticulture, aeronautics, systems architecture, landscaping, habeas corpus, wound management, mise en place, psychiatric taxonomy, your weekend, or anything else (we’ve trained all sorts, from diplomats to sex-workers).

Real communication practice!

1 Flexible and dynamic communication training (Melbourne)

Flexible face-to-face training, across one or many aspects of communication, depending on your goals. We help both second-language and native speakers of English. Please tell us if you have questions.          
Some clients just come for accent modification or improving their ability to express ideas (elocution lessons), while others combine things like conversation skills, medical and job interview preparation, perhaps accent, and more.

2 Short intensive accent reduction program (Melbourne)

We can tailor training to fit into a narrow timeframe for clients who can’t attend open-ended training but can accept the challenge to work strongly on one or two serious accent problems in a short period.

This is not intended for people who could attend regularly over a longer period (this would result in much better progress). Contact us well in advance if you are considering the Intensive Accent Reduction option.

 

3 Live online accent reduction program online (Australia)

A unique online solution for clients who cannot get expert face-to-face training: Our Accent Reduction at Home program was developed because of the number of requests we get from people living outside Melbourne, often in small cities/towns, especially from international medical graduates and other professionals needing to improve the clarity of their spoken English. Online, serious, outcomes-focused training: Accent Reduction at Home.