Fluent and Fearless

In this episode, host Katherine Arthur is talking about something that sounds small, but can make a tremendous difference in how natural your American English sounds. It‘s the American mouth posture. Now, that phrase can sound a little strange at first. “Mouth posture” is not something most people spend a lot of time thinking about in daily life. We think about words. We think about grammar. We th...

Join host Katherine Arthur as she reveals the most common pronunciation mistakes ESL professionals make.  Many of these pronunciation mistakes are incredibly common—even among highly educated professionals like physicians, engineers, researchers, recruiters, and executives. The pronunciation mistakes that make the biggest difference are usually not the ones people expect. Today we're going to talk...

On this episode, host Katherine Arthur tells you about a challenge that almost every professional who speaks English as a second language encounters: Understanding native speakers in real conversations. Maybe this sounds familiar to you: Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone was speaking English, you knew the vocabulary, you understood the topic, and yet somehow you still felt lost? Maybe...

If you speak English as a second language, and you've ever thought: “American English speakers talk too fast.” “Why do Americans seem to skip words?” “Why can I understand English in a textbook but not in real conversations?” This episode is for you. Because the answer often comes down to sentence stress. Sentence stress is one of the biggest reasons why spoken English sounds so different from wri...

This is something that almost nobody discusses enough in  American English pronunciation. It's not vowels. Not the R sound. Not TH. Not even accent modification. We're talking about word stress. And if you've ever thought: "People understand me, but I still don't sound quite natural." Or "My pronunciation is pretty good, but conversations still feel harder than they should." Word stress might be t...

Have you ever been in a group discussion and thought, “I have something to say, but everyone is talking, and I don't want to be rude”? Then later, you replayed the group conversation in your head  and thought, “Ugh. I should have said something.” You had an idea. Maybe even a really good one. But the conversation moved too fast. Everyone kept talking. You waited for the “right” moment, and somehow...

Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, medical assistants, technicians, researchers—if you work in healthcare and speak English as a second language, host Katherine Arthur has an episode just for you. Because healthcare communication is different. The pressure is higher. The conversations move quickly. The stakes are emotional. And sometimes you have only a few seconds to explain something clea...

On this episode, host Katherine Arthur is talking about something almost every English speaker struggles with at some point. You know the moment: Someone asks you a question in a meeting. You’re introducing yourself. You’re speaking during an interview. Or maybe you suddenly become the center of attention in a conversation. And instead of speaking clearly and confidently… your brain starts running...

On this episode of Fluent & Fearless, host Katherine Arthur talks about something that sounds helpful… but actually holds a lot of ESL speakers back: Trying to speak English perfectly. Now, on the surface, that sounds like a good goal, right? But the more someone tries to be perfect…the less they actually speak. And over time, they find themselves trapped in a cycle of silence. "Cycle of Silen...

 We tend to think about our voices only when something goes wrong--when speaking feels strained, when our throat is tired at the end of the day, or when others start asking us to repeat ourselves. But our voice is working for us constantly. It carries our thoughts, our personality, our professionalism, and our presence in the world.  And like anything we use daily, it needs to be taken care of. Ho...

In this episode, we’re going to unlock one of the biggest secrets to sounding natural in American English. It's not vocabulary, and it's not grammar. It’s really not even pronunciation…although all of those things are important. It is rhythm. Specifically, syllable stress. You can pronounce every sound correctly and use perfect grammar, but still sound unnatural, if the rhythm of the language, isn...

Many ESL speakers are highly educated. Successful in their careers.  Excellent at what they do. And yet when they speak English — especially in important moments — they still hesitate. They second-guess themselves. They overthink. They feel self-conscious. They worry about how they sound. They wonder if they came across the way they intended to. And sometimes that experience can feel really confus...

In this episode of Fluent & Fearless, host Katherine Arthur answers this question: “If I change the way I speak, am I reinventing myself?” That question can feel surprisingly emotional. Because your voice is personal. The way you speak is tied to where you come from, who raised you, what languages shaped you, and how you’ve moved through the world. So it makes sense that working on your accent...

Healthcare recruiters can face many communication obstacles when speaking English as a second language. They work in a fast-paced, phone-intensive career field. Repeating themselves all day to job candidates can be exhausting. So what can they do to communicate more effectively? Join Katherine Arthur as she has the answers for you. Believe it or not, the goal is not perfection, or sounding “more A...

On this episode, host Katherine Arthur from ProNounce Speech and Accent Specialists talks about something deeper than pronunciation or speech. Why all of do all of us want to be understood so badly? Learn why  that feeling is not just about language.  It’s about being human. pronouncespeech.com

Healthcare recruiting is a fascinating and demanding profession. You’re connecting hospitals with physicians, nurses, and other medical specialists. You’re coordinating interviews, explaining opportunities, and often guiding candidates through major career decisions. That means communication is at the center of everything you do. And when English isn’t your first language, even very small pronunci...

If English is not your first language and you work in a professional setting, today’s episode is especially for you. I’m Katherine Arthur from ProNounce Speech and Accent Specialists, and today I'm talking about something I hear in coaching all the time. This is what some of my clients tell me: that they know they’re good at their job, but they don’t feel confident when they speak English at work....

In our last episode, host Katherine Arthur talked about how Zoom and virtual meetings have changed the way all of us use our voice, and why so many people experience what’s often called Zoom fatigue or Zoom voice. Today’s episode is a follow-up, and it’s an important one. Because if you’re a professional who speaks English as a second language, virtual meetings don’t just feel tiring—they can feel...

Have you ever finished a Zoom meeting and thought, “Why does my voice feel tired?” Or maybe you’ve noticed your voice sounds flatter, tighter, or less confident online, than it does in person. If so, you’re not imagining it. In this episode, host Katherine Arthur discusses how Zoom and virtual meetings have changed the way we use our voices,  and why so many professionals are experiencing what’s o...

Join host Katherine Arthur, MA, CCC-SLP as she talks about something that affects a lot of smart, capable, high-achieving people—especially professionals—and especially professionals who speak English as a second language. We’re talking about analysis paralysis. What it is. Why it happens. How it shows up in professional communication. And yes—how it can quietly stop ESL speakers from seeking acce...

Join host Katherine Arthur as she welcomes Dr. Aubrey Snyder, who is definitely a clear and confident communicator, and someone who is absolutely fluent and fearless. Dr. Snyder's work is transforming the way women connect, heal, and see themselves. She’s the founder of Her Circle: The Friendship Hub, a growing community designed to help women build genuine friendships, reclaim their identity beyo...

If English is your second language and you work in healthcare, whether you’re a nurse, physician, therapist, technician, or support staff, small talk can feel awkward or unnecessary. You might think, “I don't have time to talk. I just want to focus on patient care.” But here's what you need to know: in healthcare, small talk helps build trust, teamwork, and psychological safety, with patients and...

Today we’re tackling a topic that many people who speak English as a second language secretly dread… small talk. Our last two episodes talked about the number one fear of many people, and that’s public speaking in front of a group. But, small talk and speaking one on one with someone you don’t know well can be just as intimidating. If English is not your first language, small talk can feel confusi...

Presenting to a group of your medical peers is nerve-wracking enough, and if you speak English as a second language, that adds a whole new challenge. If this describes you, I’ve got advice that will help you meet that challenge, and overcome it. You’ve got the potential to become fluent and fearless. So let’s do this.    

If you’ve ever felt your heart race, your mouth go dry, or your mind go blank right before a presentation at work… you are not alone. Even highly skilled professionals experience these symptoms when it’s public speaking time. It's called stage fright, performance anxiety, or microphone phobia. However you frame it, this pre-show panic attack is not a lot of fun! But, here’s the good news: this ner...