Accent Modification for Individuals

Our speech sounds and the intonation we use to express ideas develop as we grow, without our conscious awareness. Everyone has an accent, but in the context of our home region, we are very rarely aware of the way in which accent affects communication.

Nonetheless, a mismatch of accent between friends, colleagues and other members of your community can result in miscommunication, social barriers, and frustration. In some cases, it can also result in a loss of professional advancement.

The goal of modern accent modification training is not to eliminate your native speech patterns, but to train you to perceive and produce alternate patterns for use in desired situations. The outcome is an increase in the clarity of your communication.

Your accent modification program will include:

• A comprehensive initial speech analysis
• Goals and plan that are customized to your needs
• Specific instruction in how to produce the speech sounds you need to master
• A brief re-assessment at the end of your program
• Practice materials are yours to keep and include a workbook, and cassette tapes or CD-ROM with interactive exercises (combination packages with both tapes and CD-ROM are available)

Please note that the need for accent modification is not considered a medical condition. Therefore, it is not covered by health insurance carriers as a speech therapy service.