Columbus-An Ohioan who lived in Wuhan, China, for 6 years released a book that helps the shy, foreign, or frustrated to improve English-speaking skills.
Seeking Balance: The ultimate guide to English-speaking excellence for the shy, foreign, or frustrated focuses on providing useful tips on what to say in conversation.
The author, John McGory, says his experience in teaching college freshmen at Jianghan University showed him a difficult struggle for those speaking English is knowing what to say.
“Whether you’re a Chinese student or a shy American, one of the biggest roadblocks to communication involves how to carry on a conversation. Too often emotions get in the way. Speakers may know English but lose their balance from the fear of being embarrassed.”
McGory says English speakers need to train like an athlete, practicing drills and with friends. The book provides easy-to-follow suggestions involving common speaking situations such as greetings, invitations, talking while eating, and presentations. The book gives model conversations, practice suggestions, and 365 speaking tips.
McGory came back to America in February when the coronavirus hit Wuhan. He says the last days in Wuhan were traumatic as were the 14 days spent in quarantine at the Miramar Marine Base in San Diego.
“January and February provided a number of harrowing experiences from the empty streets of an 11-million-person city to the rescue flight home. 2020 has been a long year and we will all be glad when it’s behind us.”
His experience received extensive media coverage including interviews on CNN, NBC Nightly News, the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, Fox News, CCTV in Beijing, and the Los Angeles Times.
Many English speakers continue to suffer negative impacts from the long periods of lockdown due to the virus, according to the author.
“Students and adults need to consciously engage in conversation to keep speaking skills sharp. Talking to your neighbor or calling a friend on the phone once a day are two easy ways to maintain communication skills.”
McGory provides English-speaking consultation to people of all ages and nationalities through his company, the American Speech Company. He is also working on a second book which is a historical fiction novel about Wuhan and the virus outbreak.