Goal is at first a thought and then a movement process from Point A to Point B. The sad issue is we first need to draw the outline of point B, then flesh the skeleton, then dress it up and lastly add cosmetic touches. Now you would need the help of something more than a Google Map and a yet to be identified GPRS system to track the path one must take to reach the goal.

It is a journey that one sometimes never completes or for that matter, never completes on time. Its a goalpost that often shifts like the sands of time itself. More like sand dunes in a dessert forever making us navigate changing landscapes. So its better to concretize it, set a short time frame , hopefully achieve it or understand ...once and for all time, that you are not one of those select few that make and reach goals.
Just to make you smile ....those who do this [make & reach goals] are called successful and often climg to the top of their own Mt Everest. 

Whats the big deal?

• Not everybody succeeds. 
• Not everybody remains steadfast
  
• Not everybody avoid the temptation of leaving one goal and starting another !!!!
  

Not all of us win the race of life. Its OK if you think you won some and lost some. For others its failure that eats them. For a few they go beyond their goals and help a nation to reach its goal and some rare specimens help humanity to reach their potential in a limited lifetime. 
So ponder long before you even set a goal.

Both are not only possible but require a degree of skill and insensitivity. It also requires suspension of disbelief and a momentary detachment from reality. The applause however reluctant does follow. Sometime in jest , sometime in awe at the madness of it all. And as the numbers 1.2 billion Indian head count grow by the second as it were the mistakes we make while speaking English have all but convinced the masses that others speak it wrongly. Take the hissing "S" and how it gets stretched or shortened or twisted beyond recognition. Even a conversion to "sh"  is fraught with the potential to generate many a suppressed smile , on the verge of discreet laughter, that we feign "rhino-skin syndrome" and plough ahead manfully. Ignorance sure is bliss. Then the rope trick starts with a suggestion to mimic the Indian equivalent of 'S' ...the Sa sound and then a temporary halt in the 'SIr' sound ...and the caravan moves into the SH and St and any other blends you can think of before bringing the house down with an Indianism like "let me explain you" which is guarenteed to leave everyone tongue-tied and mesmerized. More on this next week as I must urgently ta-akk with my "cousin brother" Keep talking till then !

Its pretty easy to sound nice. Say it right. Smile and let imagination take flight. Try "looking" at all C /Ca/Cha as a K as in 'Kay'
and visualize this 'kay' elemnt when you say "katchit" or "karacter".  Its a process of visualization and that can impact intonation and add meaning to what yo say. There are some other tips like knowing when to pronounce 'x' as an {egg} and when to keep the 'x'  as a simple 'x'. Check out if 'x' is followed by a vowel and change the 'x-factor' into an egg. For example is a good "eggzample" and the experience is called expertise. When you mess it up then its called free entertainment ! If all this didn't make an impact "purse" your lips together, hold it tight for a microsecond and blow out the letter "explosive P" as in powerful, playful, payment , performance and perfect. If you like complications form the letter 'm' hum a little"imm" and gain immortality ! Example: Many, More, [A]mericans, love Mom's Indian Curry. The letter  M is like preformed concrete. Think of it, close your lips, it gets sealed and exits nasally to form "more sense" I recommend you try it. Its not rocket science or yoga. Plain common sense can make you sound better. English is a language of many variations and the thrill is in the 'kill'. Figure that one out and feel liberated.

Accent is an ID Card of a group of people from a common geographical area. The nuances of the area reflect in the sound and from that the speaker is identified as a South Indian or North Indian or for that matter an American. So the best way to approach an Accent Training Program would be to focus on The Origin, Position and Shape of the 26 alphabets at the time of delivery. Once you get this right you are on the way to speaking English like a true native speaker. I would consider some effort to learn the 44 phonemes could make the transition simple. The role of coach and mentor becomes all important in the context of individual mistakes arising out of similar sounds found in the speakers mother tongue. The fancy and much maligned MTI surfaces and little or no details are available as to how this can be neutralized. More on this language journey soon. BeeJay -Founder and Chief Trainer BeeJay's English Academy