Our catch phrase is on its way.

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

The Jingles are very effective in helping people develop. But if misused or misunderstood, they can cause heartache…

Today I observed one of my wonderful clients for the first time in several months. When I measured his “applied pronunciation” (the pronunciation he has developed through Jingles training), nothing seemed amiss.

However, when I examined his pronunciation further, I noticed inconsistencies that he had not exhibited before. More significantly, I could see that this normally optimistic, cheerful gentleman was suffering from some form of depression.

I learned that on a recent “Jingles measurement”, he had failed to attain a score of 89.0 (required to attain the “Exemplary Level”), his score 88.85 falling just 0.15 points short of the goal. This “failure” (in his view) had disturbed him greatly, sending him to seek the advice of various other pronunciation specialists -- AND non-specialists!). Advice from those various people (some of who were but personal friends) confused this client further, making his depression even more severe.

Only at the end of my busy workday did I realize how serious the plight of this client is. Within the past few minutes, I have emailed him, offering some free make-up sessions, taught exclusively by me.

When I find that “The Jingles” have not been used properly (AND humanely!), I take immediate action to rectify the situation.

I will report further on this particular client’s situation in a subsequent blog.

Steve Walker, Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.