How Speech Therapy Can Help You with Successful Accent Modification
Whether you’re applying for a job or trying to effectively communicate with your friends, you know that having a strong accent can sometimes make things difficult.
In fact, many people feel that they have been turned down for jobs and directly discriminated against due to their accents.
And even if you haven’t faced any serious (not to mention, highly illegal) “consequences” because of your accent, you might still feel a bit embarrassed by how it impacts your ability to be understood.
No matter how long you’ve known your second language, accents can be seriously tough to get rid of on your own.
So, what’s the solution? For many, it’s taking a speech therapy. Read on to learn more about how it helps.
How We Can Help
If you’re interested in accent modification chances are that you’ve already tried to work a little bit on your own to reduce your accent.
The problem is that, without professional help from a native speaker, it can be very difficult to identify the specific words, phrases, and patterns of speech that are tripping you up.
To put things into perspective, think about how you feel when you hear someone else speaking in your native language.
You notice the words they’re not pronouncing correctly, you pick up on when they’re emphasizing different parts of a word, and you can sometimes even see in their lips and tongue where they’re going wrong.
Working with a professional speech therapist will help you to understand the mechanics of how to change your pronunciation for accent modification.
For example, a speech therapist may have you watch the placement of your teeth behind your tongue as you talk about yourself or read a passage out of a book. You might be surprised to learn just how much of speaking without an accent relies on muscle memory.
A professional will tell you the adjustments that you need to make, and will also help you to identify incorrect patterns in your speech.
You’ll Get Conversation Practice
Another reason why speech therapy for accent modification is so beneficial?
Because it gives you the chance to practice your conversation skills with a native speaker.
Especially if you don’t get the chance to speak English very often, or if your friends have other foreign accents, it can be tough to figure out how the language should sound.
Your speech therapist will be able to help you to uncover the patterns in your speech and even the way you form words that are responsible for much of what you say getting lost in translation.
Conversation classes will also help you to understand the natural pacing and rhythm of a conversation — so you can learn how to speak both quickly and clearly. Remember, it’s not just about getting rid of your accent, it’s also about mastering the general flow of conversation.
Finally, conversation and speech therapy will seriously boost your confidence. The more opportunities you have to converse with a native speaker, the better you’ll feel when speaking to anyone and in any situation.
You’ll Get Custom Support
Each accent sounds different and comes with a unique set of challenges.
If you’re from Dubai, for example, you’re not going to have the same speech patterns and accent tags as someone from Mexico.
The benefit of working with a one-on-one speech therapist is that you’ll get solutions that are unique to your accent. These experts understand the exact differences in accents, and they’ll create a one-of-a-kind curriculum that helps you to reduce your own.
In other words, you won’t be dealing with a one-size-fits-all solution, as you might be with a book or even a podcast about accent reduction.
Additionally, you and your speech therapist will also discuss your goals for accent reduction.
Why is taking this course important to you? What do you hope to achieve? What kind of accent would you like to have? How will this improve your job prospects or help you to realize your dreams?
Having someone to help keep you accountable is an invaluable part of the accent modification process. It’s easy to give up when you’re trying to reduce your accent on your own.
However, having someone to encourage you, reinforce these patterns, and even challenge you to do better?
That’s a recipe for lasting success.
What To Expect From the Great Speech Accent Modification Training Program
Many people may feel nervous before scheduling a session with a speech therapist for the first time, whether for accent reduction or any other purpose.
Remember that there is no reason to feel embarrassed.
Your therapist is there to help you, not to judge you.
Especially in your initial session, you can expect to answer lots of questions about your background, how long you’ve been speaking English, and the different places you’ve lived that have informed your accent.
Usually, the first session will be spent getting to know one another and then creating a unique schedule that works for both parties.
However, you should also expect to hit the ground running — so come to your first session ready to go!
Where Can You Find Accent Modification Programs?
We know that you’re incredibly proud of your accent — after all, it’s part of who you are and where you come from.
However, we also understand that there may be personal and professional reasons behind your pursuit of accent reduction. No matter your goals, our speech therapists are here to find the solutions that are right for you.
We’ll work with you every step of the way to ensure that your accent doesn’t hold you back from doing what you want with your life.
Spend some time on our website to learn more about the wide variety of speech programs we have to offer.