An individual who speaks English as a second language often encounters difficulties with communication. In spite of their command of the English language, their pronunciation or intonation patters may sometimes prevent them from being clearly understood.

What is Accent Modification?

Accent Modification is a systematic method for changing speech patterns, including pronunciation, voice projection, and intonation. The program is designed to help individuals with mild or strong foreign accents, or those in need of general speech improvement, develop clearer communication.

Who can benefit from Accent Modification?
Clients can benefit from the Accent Modification program if their accent affects their ability to:

• Communicate effectively within a work or social setting
  
• Be understood without having to repeat themselves
  
• Feel confident in their communication abilities
  
• Complete business presentations or meetings
  
• Communicate effectively on the phone
  

What can I expect at an evaluation?

The program begins with a personal analysis of the client's speech. This analysis reveals exactly how an individual's pronunciation varies from standard American English and identifies specific areas for concentration.

What is involved in the program?

The speech pathologist will teach appropriate speech modification techniques, as well as the basic sounds and principles of American English. You will learn to discriminate between different speech sounds, with special emphasis placed on 1) pronunciation, 2) complete word production, and 3) voice projection.

The program also focuses on:

• Intelligibility of sounds at word, sentence, and conversational levels
  
• Dialect training
  
• Use of idioms, contraction, and articles of speech
  
• Rate, intonation, and volume of speech
  
• Voice improvement
  
• Public speaking and presentation skills

These language fundamentals are practiced using conversational speech and giving presentations.

Each class is individually tailored for the client to practice within their work/social setting using functional techniques. Past comparisons have shown that students who attend all the appropriate sessions and practice diligently can expect to experience at least a 50% change in their accent/dialect.

Call 919-595-2006 for more information.