Speech Language Spot Accent Modification Services

Accent reduction is a very common concern for anyone whose mother tongue is not English. People often spend years becoming fluent in English and yet sometimes people don’t seem to understand you. Accents and dialectical differences can negatively affect your career, social interaction, and self-esteem. Many people with English as their second language wish to reduce their native dialect and improve their intelligibility. It should be noted, however, that accents are NOT a speech or language disorder, however can be significantly reduced with the help of a Speech Language Pathologist.

Accent reduction, also known as accent modification, accent neutralization, or accentuation is a systematic approach to learning or adopting a new accent. It is the process of learning the sound system, or phonology, of a language or dialect.

The method involves identifying deviations in the person's current speech from the desired accent, such as pronunciation, speech patterns, and speech habits and changing the functional way that one uses the mouth, teeth, and tongue to form vowel and consonant sounds. Oftentimes, it also includes modifying a person's intonation and stress patterns, as well as changing their natural speech rhythm to better match the desired language. Using this method, individuals who are mastering a second language, are taught to alter their speech to resemble the accent of a certain group of people thereby greatly enhancing the clarity of their communication in work and social settings. 

With lots of practice and the help of a qualified Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), you can learn how to alter your speech pronunciation.  You  will be able to reduce your accent to more closely resemble the accent of native English speakers and improve your overall speech clarity and intelligibility. Accent reduction or improvement focuses on teaching students how to pronounce difficult consonant and vowel sounds, intonation, stress, and rhythm. Speech pathologists are well versed in the differences of all dialects and can help you meet your goal.

• An initial assessment will evaluate your current speech sound pronunciation, consonants, vowel production, intonation, and rate of speech. A personalized therapy program will be created to help you meet your goals.
• Assessment is conveniently provided via Telehealth

• Weekly or bi-weekly training sessions will be coordinated to fit your schedule.
• Therapy sessions are conveniently provided via Telehealth

For more information, or to schedule an assessment contact us.