Globalization has boomed outsourcing in India. Since a lot of communication has to take place with overseas clients, these outsourced companies seek employees with excellent English speaking skills. Indians are globally known for their articulate English speaking skills. However, India being a country known for its diverse languages and dialect mixes, English spoken in various parts of India has invariably got traces of the native language. Hence, Indian English may not necessarily be understood by the native speaker of English because of lack of clarity in accent. This incomprehensibility can lead to confusion in the flow of communication. Globally understandable English following the norms of international phonetic standards is imperative to iron out the traces of mother tongue. This has given birth to the need for accent neutralization training. This training generates awareness on the concepts of sounds and stress in words and sentences. A person who undergoes the training can notice a significant clarity in speech and speed in pronouncing the words. This awareness can reflect positively for the individual and the organization he works for. This paper gives an understanding about the need for accent neutralization training in general and generates awareness on the right manner of pronunciation and stress leading excellent communication skills at work.

Communication, the two way process of sending as well as receiving a message, is effective only when the receiver gets the original message without any distortion and generates the desired response to the sender. However, in reality, this process is not always smooth. There are various barriers that can create holes in the communication bucket causing vital information to be drained out. This results in the distortion of the original message. Barriers could be many like physical environment, mental blocks, language and even the accent of the speaker. A major barrier for English, the corporate lingua franca of India, is the influence of the accent imported from the native mother tongue.

Unprecedented globalization has led to outsourcing boom in India especially in the IT and ITES sectors. These sectors have an ever increasing need for excellent English speaking professionals. Employees of these organizations belong to diverse languages, races and cultural mixes. Thus, the need to communicate in a globally acceptable language has given rise to the demand for good speakers of English. However, language being native to every country and every community, it is but natural for non-native speakers of English to speak the language with traces of the mother tongue rhythm. Employees of these outsourced companies have to acquire a globally understandable accent of English as part of their job demands.

Soft Skills Journal, Globalization, Communication Skills, Physical Environment, Mental Blocks, Information Technology, IT, Linguistic Proficiency, Socioeconomic Background, Educational Background, Accent Neutralization, Periodic Monitoring.