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Accent modification is a service provided by trained professionals to help you improve your communication skills. The service has been known as Accent Reduction, though the old term carries unintended connotations. Accent modification is the systematic change to your accent to improve speech clarity.
Although the term "accent reduction" can seem hurtful and controversial, we hope that "accent modification" can more accurately depict the service as something that can help you improve your speaking skills in your secondary language.
The answer is simple.
Because every language has its own sound system, and using the intended sound system of a language and pronouncing words correctly is an important part of achieving language fluency.
If English is not your native language or you grew up in an environment with a certain accent, you will tend to follow the rules of speech sounds, rhythm, and intonation from your native language while speaking English. This can lead to others becoming confused or misunderstood when you speak because you use a different set of rules than they're used to.
Not everyone has the benefit of socializing with people with many different accents. Some people find it hard to process the rules of accents different from their own. Because the world has so many language, there are also many different accents. By training to use the sound system of the language you're learning, you will be better able to adjust your speech to suit your audience.
Some common terms in accent modification are the following:
Speech sounds are the consonant and vowel sounds of a language.
They can also interact in different contexts to make up the subtle speech sound patterns of one's accent.
Stress patterns and intonations are how you vary the loudness and pitch of syllables in a sentence. In the English language we stress certain words in order to exaggerate an idea or concept.
Resonance is how “nasal” you sound, or how much sound is traveling through the nose and mouth. Most resonance sounds varies for vowels, oral consonants, and nasal consonants. In the English language most speech resonances are more oral than nasal.
To achieve fluency in a foreign language, you must understand the proper pronunciations and sounds.
Imagine someone is learning your native language and they're trying to speak it. They are consistently pronouncing things wrong. You're probably thinking about how hard it is to understand them. It is important to remember that all accents are unique and special and can add to your identity. However, if your accent impacts your confidence and/or how well others can understand you, accent modification can help.
Learn more about accent modification on our page or book a free consultation to speak with our SLP.
