The Language Acceleration Program was developed by Edwin Thomas. The program is now marketed as Accela.

1. Language Acceleration Program©
Curriculum
Week 1 – OBJECTIVE: Build confidence by exploring what REALLY happens when one is speaking a second language A. The Inner Game of Using a Second Language – “Every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an inner game. The former is played against opponents, and is filled with lots of contradictory advice; the latter is played not against an opponent, but within the mind of the player, and its principal obstacles are self-doubt and anxiety.” Timothy Gallwey, Author, The Inner Game of Tennis
1. Performance = Potential – Interference
i. Your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, actions, motivations, AWARENESS
ii. The contradictory advice you have received about speaking English
B. Pronunciation Practice – words that begin with:
1. Th
2. Sh
3. Wh
Week 2 – OBJECTIVE: Creating Awareness through listening
C. The Inner Game of Using a Second Language – Interference
1. Hearing versus Listening
i. Definition of Hearing – Hearing is merely the act of the ear perceiving sound.
ii. Definition of Listening – Listening is something you consciously choose to do. Listening requires awareness and concentration so that your brain processes meanings from words and sentences. Listening leads to learning and to better personal achievement through greater performance.
iii. Things that interfere with listening as it pertains to customer service professionals:
a. Conversing with someone else while speaking to the customer
b. Lack of interest
c. Tiredness or illness
d. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES
e. Lack of empathy
f. Preoccupation with problems outside of work
g. Jump to advising without understanding the issue
h. Daydreaming
i. Selective listening
j. Inappropriate seat posture
k. Background noise (within customer engagement center or where the customer is calling)
D. Active Listening Exercise
1. Listen to 3 calls with an average time of 10 minutes to mentally note what customers requested
2. Use words with Th, Sh, Wh at the beginning or end when talking about the calls
E. Pronunciation
1. Ch
2. a,e,i, o, u, ou, ie, z, h,s
Developed by – Edwin D. Thomas

2. Week 3– OBJECTIVE: To identify and explore the use of challenging words that interferes with Performance
F. Difficult English Words for Spanish Speakers that Interfere with Awareness and Potential
1. Individual identifies words on list or creates a list
2. Group practice pronunciation of words
3. The Inner Game – Understanding Self when communicating
i. “Understanding is the desired outcome or goal in any communication process. It starts with self.”
G. Pronunciation Practice
1. Words beginning with W, R, H, V, S
2. Listening exercise listen to 7 calls and;
i. Practice responding TO customers’ requests in pairs using words identified on list
H. HOMEWORK: Visit AT&T.com be prepared to tell the group about:
1. a device offered by AT&T and identify challenging words
2. a service offered by AT&T and identify challenging words
Week 4 – OBJECTIVE: To reinforce newly developed patterns of awareness about listening
I. Participants will listen to calls and view YouTube videos from various regions in the United States where accents are or might interfere with listening
1. Each person will be required to respond to calls and videos using words or more that begins W,R,H,V,S, Th, Sh, Wh, Ch, and end in th,sh, ch, s, and w
J. Pronunciation Practice
1. G, J, Q, X,B, U
Week 5 – OBJECTIVE – To explore the realm of potential that allows the participant to offer great customer service using listening and conversational skills
K. Listening and its affect on being motivated to offer customer service - The customer who calls AT&T has an objective — a problem that needs to be solved, a question that needs to be answered. They may even have a secondary objective or an unspoken objective. It’s up to you to be able to interpret, question, respond and take action.
1. Identifying the problem at the outset of the conversation through active listening
i. 70/30 guideline 2. Personalize with a Purpose – Customers buy solutions to problems. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical so they want their solutions to validate their feelings.
i. You are an extension of those “feelings” of validation
ii. How Personalization with a Purpose helps validates a customer’s “feelings.”
a. Soft Skills
i. Good telephone manners will take you places that other skills cannot
b. Awareness of self during conversations
i. You can give something no one else can to customers – YOU
c. Deliver the Unexpected - Anticipate needs by looking beyond the problem and solution using probing questions
d. Conciseness and Efficiency Explaining a Bill
i. Use of Tools such as myCSP
ii. Transition Statements
L. Pronunciation Practice – List of States and Cities that Interfere with Performance
1. Participants will say the names of states and cities that are difficult to pronounce and the Workshop facilitator will repeat immediately after to reinforce correct pronunciation and listening skills

3. Week 6– OBJECTIVE: To Reinforce Awareness and Listening Skills
M. Participants will form groups of 2 – 3 persons and each group will chose words they think will be difficult for the other groups to pronounce
1. Group with the most correct pronunciations wins
N. Pronunciation Practice – Ci, Hi, Words with challenging plural forms
O. Group pronunciation practice of “Eligible” “Educated” “Eligibility” “Technique” “At” “IOA Pyramid” words that end in “ed”
P. Participants will listen individually to a call and prepare a response to deliver to the group
Q. Homework – Practice
Week 7 – To Help Participants Create Awareness about Reading Comprehension R. Participants will read relevant motivational stories to enhance identification of key ideas, important details and structures that enable comprehension ( 9th Grade Fog Index)
1. Performance techniques:
i. Retelling
ii. Making connections
iii. Visualizing
iv. Wondering/Questioning
v. Making inferences about important ideas
vi. Understanding text structure
vii. Summarizing
viii. Synthesizing EXAMPLE: Global Communications Wireless Service Solutions Our coast to coast wireless services will keep you in touch - not just in the greater Seattle metropolitan area, but throughout North American with the North American Wireless network. Employing state-of-the-art Bluetooth interconnectivity, this wireless web ensures that you'll have access to a powerful network that allows you dedicated access to the Internet through your mobile phone accessing more than 3,000 local wireless providers across the continent. The Benefits As many mobile professionals know, accessing the wide variety of Internet providers across the country can cause many a headache. If you are a power Internet professional, you will appreciate our service that has united the often confusing web of local Internet connections into one easy-to-use package. Our low rate plans include the ability to choose your own extended area for the application of special low rates provided by this package. Or you can choose our flat-rate continental plan which includes always-on connection coverage in 42 of the continental United States. TRUE OR FALSE 1. This wireless plan is intended for mobile phone users who do not have Bluetooth capacity. 2. Customers use their mobile phones to access the Internet. 3. Internet connection is provided by more than 3,000 national wireless providers. 4. Local Internet accessing procedures can be confusing. 5. You can choose a plan only for your local extended area, or for national coverage. 6. Coverage is provided in all the continental United States.
S. Pronunciation Practice
1. Cognates and Homophones

4. Week 8– OBJECTIVE: Capstone Exercise
Z. Each participant will play the role of a Customer Service Representative using real world examples of calls
1. Each will be expected to practice awareness of what goes on during the exercise and conduct a:
i. Self –assessment related to the reduction of interference and how potential and performance increased
AA. Participant Evaluation of LAP