What Fred and Ginger can teach us about speaking English at work

Have you ever heard the saying, “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels”? This analogy can be applied to those using their second language to achieve success in their careers or education. Despite their hard work and functional ability, they may be unfairly criticised for their accent and receive less credit.

This is especially true in multinational companies in Asia where those with better English proficiency, even if they have only 50% functional ability, are often given an unfair advantage over those with 90% functional ability but less fluent English.

But the good news is that spoken English training is now readily available online. With the right resources and tools, anyone can improve their pronunciation and achieve their full potential in their career.