Accent Reduction

Working Words for Clarity

Most weaker areas in English pronunciation are due to the habitual ways speakers use their mouth to produce sounds --  different from the ways we use our mouth to produce sounds in American English. In our work together, I help you recognize the difference between the old habit and the way to produce a more standard sound, and help you begin to develop new habits that are more in line with those of native English speakers.  By learning and practicing the correct pronunciation and intonation patterns during our sessions, followed by consistent practice between sessions, your corrected speaking patterns will quickly become habitual.

How does it work?

It depends on the individual client, but a typical session would include any or all of the following:

• A review of pronunciation and other speech focal points.

• You read a formal passage relevant to your career or one that’s of interest to you, and I note mispronunciations and/or mistakes made during formal speech. We then practice relevant pronunciation techniques and discuss proper intonation.

• We interact naturally, discussing various subjects such as your hobbies and interests so that I can bring to your attention areas of weakness in conversational English, and techniques for improving them.

• We engage in brief role plays of situations you may face in your career or daily life, such as job interviews, conversations with bosses or employees, talks you need to give to an audience, etc., to help you increase your fluent expression and confidence in those situations.

• We review the main areas of focus during the session.

• We agree on focus points and goals for the next session. I will often also provide recordings of my own speech for you to listen to and reproduce for practice.

My coaching is centered around your goals and needs, so we can work on every aspect of English that’s helpful for you. I can work with you on formal speaking skills, such as job interviews and presentations, informal speaking skills such as idioms and common phrases, or any combination of the two. I guarantee you’ll gain confidence in both professional and personal communication.

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