It is relevant to share a bit about my own language development, my education and career – the context that led me to devote myself full-time, for many years, to the creation of this Course.
I grew up in India where I went through most of my education. Though my parents came from different language backgrounds, the language spoken at home was English. My mother learned English at a Convent School in Bombay from Irish teachers. My father qualified at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, becoming, in his career, the Legal Director for a multi-national organization, and later, the Principal of a Law College. Other influences included schooling at British schools for expatriates in India and subsequent schooling in the Indian Public School system.
My mind was opened to the subject of Linguistics while at college. After a Bachelor's degree in English & Psychology, and then, a Master's degree in Sociology, both from Bombay University, I went on to have a career in Human Resource Management & Consulting with well known companies in India, the Middle East and the United States.
I continued my education, along with my profession. In India, my learning from a two year foundation course for a doctoral level program in Human Resource Development contributed greatly to the scientific approach underlying the development of the American Accent LearnwayTM. After moving to the United States in 2003, I earned a Master of Science Degree in Human Resource Management from Golden Gate University, in San Francisco.
Over the course of my life, exposure to the diverse Accents of English across the world, the phonetics of other languages, and subsequently, to the English spoken in America, also provided relevant background for this work.
I see that the present work called upon all that I have learned as a student in the areas of Human sciences and Language, and as a Human Resource Development professional. It required learning about what is knowledge, – and how to create it. The excitement of this pursuit was also important. From the beginning, I saw the purpose as bold. It was actually a much bigger adventure than I anticipated, with many unknowns to consider along the way. What has been most personally satisfying is that it all conforms with fact.
I believe it will be useful for many people. I am keen that everyone who is interested in speaking the American way see what has been learned. For me, both the journey and what it revealed has been fascinating.