David Berlin's ESL/Accent Reduction Lessons

My name is David Berlin. I am an ESL/Accent Reduction tutor who provides accent reduction training to clients anywhere in the NJ/Manhattan area. I have been working in the field as an accent reduction specialist for ten years, and my training can help you to:

  • Understand American idioms and idioms used in business
  • Get along better in America-to have an easier day to day life, order food in restaurants, do shopping and banking, and conduct personal business
  • Rise further in your profession without your accent holding you back
  • More easily make American friends and small talk--both in business and in social situations
  • Speak English more clearly and understandably
  • Better understand American culture and American corporate culture
  • I can't call you. You have to call me. Call me today at (732) 807-5424. My name is Dave, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

I have had over a hundred clients just like you--people who worked in the financial sector, software project managers, IT people, business owners, executives, and many, many others. For most clients, it takes about four months of working with my accent reduction techniques to reduce accent to the point that speech is either unaccented or just barely accented and very understandable to Americans and others who speak American English.

As a specialist in accent reduction, I work with the student customize a structured training plan for the student and we work together--first we work on the rhythms, intonation, and stresses of American speech (the "music" of speech), then I help train the student to isolate and properly pronounce sounds he or she has trouble with that exist in American English. Then we learn to link everything together so that speech flows smoothly.

Along the way, I answer questions about American idioms, culture, corporate culture, and other fine points of American life that sometimes mystify people who aren't used to them. Did you ever wonder why Americans seem so unfriendly? Why we prefer to be alone or alone with our families so much? Have you ever been mystified by the sports terms you hear your American supervisors use in business?

Did you ever wonder what "Monday morning quarterbacking" or "full court press" or "knocking it out of the park" was? Has someone ever told you that you needed to "step up to the plate", and you thought they were inviting you to dinner?

Have you ever spoken out at a meeting with what you thought was a great idea and had your supervisor humiliate you in front of all your colleagues and warn you afterward not to do it again? Have you ever wondered why that can happen in a country where "rugged individualism" is supposed to be the rule? Do you ever use words that seem to shock people when that wasn't your intention? These are all simple American cultural issues that many immigrants to America have. I can help to explain why they exist and how you can best handle them.

I am kind and easy to work with. My style is relaxed but firm and progress-oriented. I have current references, and I can provide a loaner textbook for the first lesson. Usually I require that students keep a notebook, and I have many handouts. I work with recordings a lot, and I will sit with a student during a lesson and offer real time speech critiques to help the student improve.