The InFluency Podcast

What does it take to feel safe and supported in your workplace or when immigrating to a new country? What is the right way to respond when you feel judged? Or criticized by others? What happens internally (and ultimately, how does it affect your communication abilities) when you feel stereotyped – only because English is not your first language? And why does it bother people when they're constantly asked "where are you from"? In my Immigrant Experience series, I've been sharing stories of students who immigrated to English-speaking countries. But I also want to share insights from people whose work involves supporting marginalized communities, including immigrants. One person who can speak to that experience is Gina Gomez, a business strategist & advisor who has founded a business development company that works with some of the biggest companies in the world. Gina's company specializes in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. She has helped dozens of clients (myself included) create an inclusive and respectful business. In this episode, Gina and I discuss how being a speaker of English as a second language in certain environments could foster microaggression and micro-inequities. She will explain what those behaviors are, what they look and sound like, and how to manage them in the best possible way. She will also share some insights from her own personal and professional experience, as well as tips and strategies on how to deal with microaggressions and discrimination. To learn more about Gina and her work, visit her at: https://ginagomezandassociates.com and connect with her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ginagomezandassociates/ #immigrant_experience If you like this episode, you'd love to meet Rita and Marcelo, who shared with me their immigrant experience. – Battling Discrimination and Discovering Self-Worth in a New Country – She immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 45… this is what happened

English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I'll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we're going to talk about the word 'pretty'. Here's a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: pretty: pri-dee [IPA: ˈprɪɾi] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/pretty/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

If English is not your native language, does that mean you have to compromise on the things you want to achieve in your life? Listening to the stories in this episode, you'll see that the answer is absolutely not. For my students who you will meet in this episode, English used to be a huge obstacle that was impossible to overcome. But with the right strategy, practice technique, and mindset, they were able to make an incredible transformation in their English that led to making incredible changes in their lives, well-being, confidence, self-worth, and even salary! These are the stories of my New Sound students. Each of these remarkable individuals shares stories about their English journey, and especially their moments of success – a true testament to the fact that English doesn't have to be a barrier in our lives. And if you have the right roadmap, getting to that point is closer than you think. Watch the episode and hear Oscar Montez, who joined NS after watching my previous student success panel… now HE is the one sharing his success story today; and Francis Kodama, who felt like he lost his super powers when he moved to Canada, but has now gained them back again; as well as Jelena Tosovic, who doesn't let her fear of making mistakes hold her back from achieving professional success! You'll also get to know Jessica Anderson, who landed a job in the US after taking New Sound; and Aline de Souza, who found freedom in English; and Šárka Mitterwaldová, who now loves speaking in English and does it proudly and joyously. Learn more about my signature program: https://hadarshemesh.com/newsound/

Does a native accent guarantee ultimate confidence and freedom? Recently I've been getting a bunch of questions from people who want to speak with a native accent because they don't feel confident in English. But is that the solution? In this video, I'll answer that! I'll also share with you what has REALLY helped me and thousands of my students reach limitless fluency (Hint: YES it's about pronunciation, and NO, it's not about sounding native!) You'll get to hear some of my students too, who will share their experiences and how they have changed. Check out more episodes on this topic: Speak English Like A Native Speaker – THE MYTH https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/speak-english-like-a-native-speaker-myth/

English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I'll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words, common names, and expressions. This week we're going to talk about the words 'eventually' and 'actually'. Here's a loose transcription of the words as explained in the episode: eventually: uh-ven-shuh-lee [IPA: əˈvenʃəli] or uh-ven-chuh-lee [IPA: əˈventʃəli] actually: ak-chuw-uh-lee [IPA: ˈæktʃuəli] or ak-shuh-lee [IPA: ˈækʃəli] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/eventually/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I'll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words, common names, and expressions. This week we're going to talk about the saying 'figure it out'. Here's a loose transcription of the saying as explained in the episode: Figure it out: fig-yuh-ruh-dawt [IPA: ˈfɪɡjər əɾ aʊt] or [IPA: ˈfɪɡjər əɾ æʊt] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/figure-it-out/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

How do you feel about yourself when you speak English? How do you handle criticism about your English? The way you experience your English is key to your communication, confidence, and growth as a speaker. In this episode I'll discuss two types of mindsets: fixed mindset and growth mindset, and how you can shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset in specific situations, so you can achieve more freedom in your English. Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck https://youtu.be/hiiEeMN7vbQ My episodes about mindset in English: The Single Most Effective Way To Improve Your English https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/how-to-improve-english/ 5 things I wish I knew about English Fluency when I was 20 https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/finally-fluent-in-english-2/ 10 ways to DESTROY your English Fluency https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/speak-english-fluently/ Why English learners Fail https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/why-english-learners-fail/ What Do You Do When Someone Criticizes Your English? https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/how-to-handle-criticism-of-your-english/

Episode 200! Woo-hoo! In this podcast-convo, I'll share with you what I loved most about making the previous 200 episodes and what I'm hoping to do more in the next 200 episodes! I'll also share with you a list of the 10 most downloaded episodes of the InFluency podcast, and what I think about them! And here they are!! The Schwa: How One TINY Sound Can Make a HUGE Difference How to effectively practice your intonation in English Why I Quit Acting and Became an Accent Coach | My story 10 Things You Should Stop Doing if you Want to Speak English Fluently American Intonation: What They Don't Teach You In School How to Stay Motivated When Learning English Why pronunciation is important when learning a language Why Perfectionism Will KILL Your Fluency How Small, Smart Choices Can Transform Your English | The Compound Effect Why do I feel like a fraud every time I speak English? | The Impostor Syndrome If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/

In this Immigrant Experience interview, we'll hear the story of Marcelo Silveira, who moved from Brazil to the U.S. for work. In this interview Marcelo openly talks about his experience as an immigrant and the rough start he had when he first moved to the U.S. He talks about the loss of identity as an immigrant and the need to reinvent himself. He also talks about what it was like to be facing small incidents of discrimination, that affected his self-worth and confidence. But most importantly he will tell us about overcoming all obstacles and reinventing himself in this new country. Marcelo is an inspiration and an active member in our community, and I'm proud to call him our student. Every immigrant has a story. A story about their journey, their identity, their accomplishments and struggles, and of course, the place of English in it. Many of my students are immigrants, I was an immigrant myself. There are commonalities, for sure, but each story is unique, a story worth telling and listening to. If you'd like to share your English story as an immigrant, we'd be happy to hear it (click here https://bit.ly/3GSp6d4). During the next few months I'll share some of your stories, answer questions you might have, and host immigrants, as well as people whose work involves English and the immigrant experience. Some videos on the things we talked about with Marcelo: How to gain confidence in your English https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/confidence-in-english/ Why it's not cool to talk about people's accents https://www.instagram.com/p/CRCErfFCplG/ DON'T ASK me about my ACCENT https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/dont-ask-about-my-accent/ Other guests of the Immigrant Experience Series: Rita's Immigration journey https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/192/

English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I'll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we're going to talk about the words 'her' and 'hair'. Here's a loose transcription of the word as explained in the episode: hair: her [IPA: heəɹ] her: h'r [IPA: hɜːɹ] or h'r [IPA: həɹ] hurt: h'rt [IPA: hɜːɹt] You can watch the video version here: https://hadarshemesh.com/magazine/her-hair/ If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://hadarshemesh.com/audio-accent-course/ You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/ Join our Facebook community to connect with non-native English learners from all over the world: https://hadarshemesh.com/influency-community/