Accent reduction is a very common concern for anyone whose mother tongue is not English. Even if your English is fluent and yet sometimes people don’t seem to understand you. People’s difficulty understanding your accent can negatively affect your career, social interaction, and self-esteem. That is why some people want to change or reduce their accent. It should be noted, however, that accents are NOT a speech or language disorder, however, an accent reduction should be highly considered.
Accent Reduction Types
Accent reduction, also known as accent modification, accent neutralization, or accentuation. There 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 several steps. They include identifying deviations in the person’s current speech from the desired accent,such as pronunciation, speech patterns, and speech habits. The other method is changing the way one uses the mouth, teeth, and tongue to form vowel and consonant sounds. Or modifying one’s intonation and stress patterns, as well as changing one’s rhythm. Using this method, individuals, such as those who are mastering a second language, may alter their speech to resemble the accent of a certain group of people. It will enhance the clarity of their communication with those people.
Accent Reduction Treatment
With lots of practice and the help of a qualified speech-language pathologist, 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 speech clarity.
Therapy
- An initial assessment will evaluate your sound pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm of speech. Personalized goal settings will improve your speech in the long run.
- Weekly or bi-weekly training sessions will be necessary to fit your schedule.
Accent reduction or improvement focuses on teaching students how to pronounce difficult sounds, intonation, stress, and rhythm. Speech pathologists also use activities, games, and printable workbooks to help students practice what they learn.