Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash

Table of Contents

1. Special Announcement

2. Preface

3. Main Article

4. Stuff

Special Announcement: I'm Launching a Podcast!

Firstly, a big thank you to my focus group, who took the time to listen to my podcast this week and gave their honest opinions.

🎤 You can check it out here: https://podcast.shaysharon.com

Here's what you can do on the site:

1. Click “Listen on” - and choose the podcast service you like best (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many others).

2. Or, scroll down - and listen without signing in to a podcast service.

Feel free to reply to this email with any thoughts you want to share. I'm already working on improving my voice, speaking at a good pace, and trying to be more energetic (but not too much 😀).

Hope you enjoy it!

And if you like it, please click the 5-star button to help it reach more people 🙏 
(same goes for my YouTube videos)

Preface

Last week, I published a YouTube guide on clinical photography 📷.

This guide is based on what I've learned from taking over 20,000 clinical photos in the past 9 years.

Some of you have asked if you can use your phones for clinical photos 🤳 . I'm going to answer that here:

Using a phone has two main problems: bad lighting and difficult zoom.

Zooming can be addressed by moving your phone closer to the subject. But lighting is a big issue. It's almost always the cause of a bad photo. So ensure light shines on your subject, even if it turns your picture yellow. Then, use your camera's flash. The photo might be mediocre, but at least it will be in focus.

On the same note, making YouTube videos and starting my new podcast have been challenging. For those of you who wonder - “Why do you need all this?” and “Where do you find the time?!” my answer is simple: I've learned a lot over the years, and I want to share it. Using YouTube and a podcast lets me reach more people.

The second reason is the challenge 🧗.

Filming videos, recording a podcast, and improving them over time can lead to unexpected and happy surprises. That's what "serendipity" means, a word I really like.

And just for the record, I didn't know what serendipity meant until a few years ago 😊.

As promised, today we'll talk about having an accent. It's something many people, including myself, deal with every day. So I'm going to share what I've learned.

Enjoy #49!

Main Article

"We should learn languages because language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly."
— Kató Lomb

🇺🇸 I only really noticed my accent after I moved to the US.

Even though I spoke a lot of English as a PhD student 🧑‍🎓 and doctor 👨‍⚕️, it was here in the US that my accent seemed to stand out more.

Let's be clear. An accent isn't a bad thing. It can make the way you talk unique.

But sometimes, an accent can feel like a big, annoying problem 😠.

For some reason, certain accents are perceived as charming attributes. French 🇫🇷 and Italian 🇮🇹 are perfect examples. It's like they add depth and richness to your identity.

My accent, however, is the absolute opposite 😃.

This brings us to the tricky parts of having an accent:

🔵 It can interfere with good communication.

🔵 Sometimes, people think it means you haven't fully become part of their local culture.

🔵 It can make you feel like you're at a disadvantage.

Sounds pretty bad, right? 😅

🤔 It's not all negative, though. Living in a country where people speak English will improve your English skills at rocket speed.

💡 But what I want to share today is an interesting observation that became apparent to me after spending 20 months in the US:

The accent itself isn't the problem. The real challenge is being able to quickly and clearly express your thoughts.

Choosing the right words is the difficult part. Not how you make them sound.

If you don't pick the right words, two not-so-great things can happen:

1. The person you're talking to might not understand you and could get impatient.

2. They might misunderstand you, which is even worse.

🗣️ So, what's my advice?

I have two tips, one for the short term and one for the long term:

1️⃣ Short term - Concentrate on getting your message through.

Remember, getting your thoughts across is more important than how it sounds. Take your time. The first few months will be challenging, but it will get much better.

2️⃣ Long-term - I think everyone should speak at least two languages,

and ideally, learn the second one later in life.

I believe adults who learn a new language become more open to different opinions and cultures. This can make communication easier.

So, no matter your age, try to learn a new language. You need 300 words to manage in a foreign country and 1,000 words to carry a good conversation.

🚸 And for those with kids - invest in their second (and third) language skills. It will change their lives.

"A different language is a different vision of life."
— Federico Fellini

🇮🇱Take my home country for example: I think everyone in Israel should be able to speak Hebrew, English, and Arabic, and be tested on all three in 12th grade.

Speaking all three languages myself, it makes a huge difference not having a language barrier.

Isn't it funny, knowing all these languages, but still worrying about my accent?

But hey, it gave us something to think about this week 😃.

"One language sets you in a corridor for life.
Two languages open every door along the way."
— Frank Smith

Stuff

🎙️Equipment I use for my podcast and YouTube videos:

Blue Yeti microphone and an ARISEN microphone pop filter.

But my Blue Yeti microphone has already broken: the headphone jack is loose and doesn't work. This is critical because now I can't listen to myself while recording, and I have to wait until completing the recording. Very frustrating and counterproductive.

This will let me see how good their warranty service is. I'll keep you updated.

💽 Software for recording and editing my podcast:

Audacity. It's totally free.

🌐 Website for uploading my podcast:

RSS.com. It's a great deal for students and educators at only $5 a month. When you upload it here, your podcast gets sent to all services. Unlike my newsletter that I have to copy-paste multiple times (which I absolutely hate doing 🤦‍♂️).

Epilogue

That's it for this issue.

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Have a great weekend!

Shay