Corporate Speech Pathologist Helps New Immigrants with H-1B visas and Others with Communication Challenges

Foreign-born technical workers who have received H-1B visas are now entering the US to start their new jobs. Many of them are fluent in English but difficult to understand at times. Training is offered locally to help them become more productive, and suggestions are made to help others understand them better.

Highly skilled foreign-born workers with the coveted H-1B visas are entering the United States this month. Although they may be fluent in English, many have difficulty pronouncing it clearly.
"English has some sounds that are not found in other languages, such as "th"," reports Katie Schwartz, CCC-SLP, director of Business Speech Improvement of Chattanooga, and author of Talking on the Job. "People often do not say these sounds at all, or substitute other sounds that are easier for them to use. New immigrants may also want to speak English quickly, to show that they speak it fluently." The combination of mispronounced sounds, different pitch patterns when asking questions or making statements, and a rapid rate causes others to have difficulty understanding the new workers, Schwartz said.

Schwartz offered some tips for newcomers and others who speak English as a second language. She suggested that people keep a list of words that are difficult for them to pronounce, and to slow down when others do not understand them. Sometimes the new worker will need to describe an item, or use another word for it if others cannot understand what the newcomer is saying. If the worker continues to have difficulty being understood, or is in a job which involves talking to people under stress, such as a computer help desk, the worker should receive professional training in pronunciation. Listeners who have trouble understanding a speaker should speak slightly slower themselves, and ask the person to repeat the message or say it in other words which may be easier to understand. When a speaker talks slightly slower, it encourages others to speak more slowly, too, which may help improve their pronunciation.

Business Speech Improvement offers intensive, work-related training in pronunciation. Other courses available include lip-reading/hearing education, voice, presentation skills, and inter-cultural communication. Classes are offered on-site for both individuals and small groups.