«The Lowdown: Improve Your Speech - American English for Chinese Speakers» by Mark Caven

Useful tips to help achieve a more professional level of speech. We live and work in a global market - but English is still regarded as the international language of business. It is the most widely spoken second language in the world and those who can speak it with clarity have a great advantage. Used properly, speech can help us to achieve a greater level of success. Clear speech sends out the message ‘I am in control, I can take charge,’ inspiring confidence in those around you. ‘The Lowdown: Improve Your Speech - American English for Chinese Speakers’ is primarily aimed at those who have a working knowledge of the English language, but who want to continue to improve their clarity of speech and their accent. When you speak different languages, you use the same muscle groups - but in different ways. Through easy exercises and helpful hints, this title will help you make the necessary adjustments to achieve clearer English, giving you confidence and helping you to make the best impression possible – whether at work or when socializing. Topics covered include:
• Understanding the mechanics of language
• Why placement of the tongue is crucial
• How vowels are formed
• Learning how to think in English
• The importance of tone and stress