FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is online Accent Reduction Training better than in-person training?
When online Accent Reduction training is delivered with a good understanding of the technology and plenty of available resources, it provides a more convenient experience with the same high-quality care.
A common misconception is that meeting online is not as interactive or personal as in-person coaching. However, online sessions have been widely studied. Research has demonstrated online coaching to be as effective and equivalent to in-person training.
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Why are people interested in reducing their accents?
Most of my clients come from all over the world and are already able to speak English fluently, but with a strong accent. They feel embarrassed or find they can’t communicate as effectively as they want, and this is holding them back from getting a job or having better social relationships. My clients want to learn to communicate as clearly as possible and sound listener-friendly.
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Are you wondering how we connect online?
I offer convenient online appointments from the comfort of your home or office. All you need is a computer or tablet, and an internet connection. Whether you know it as remote, virtual, or online, your sessions will happen from the comfort of your computer. And the benefits of online communication coaching are immense.
The benefits of remote sessions include:
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easy-to-use web-based tools that simplify diagnosis and intervention
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more convenient than traveling to appointments
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interactive and meaningful
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access to an Accent Reduction Specialist from the comfort of your computer
Online sessions are an effective way to connect with anyone who wants to speak with more confidence and greater clarity.
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How does an Online Accent Reduction Program Work?
1 Initial Online Speech Evaluation
The process begins with your being sent an email with a link to the initial speech evaluation. You fill out the question section and record yourself right on your computer. Once this is submitted, Chris Parez will analyze the recording in depth.
2 Creating an Individualized Accent Reduction Program
Chris then creates an individualized Accent Reduction program that will address all of the sounds that you find challenging, and that will help improve your intelligibility and reduce your accent. Improving pronunciation is the main focus; however, grammar and intonation will also be addressed.
3 The Typical Online Accent Reduction Training Course
The typical Online Accent Reduction program consists of 13 one-hour classes, over a video conference call, once a week. You are provided with a manual and an online practice lab to practice your weekly assignments. In the next to last week (week 12), an online post-evaluation is administered to measure the rate of improvement that you have accomplished.
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Do employers reimburse employees for the cost of Accent Reduction training?
Many companies will cover the cost of Accent Reduction training for their employees to improve their communication skills, especially when they have to interact with people over the phone, give presentations, or collaborate with people in person. You should check with your supervisor and/or HR Manager to see if your company offers any type of reimbursement programs, or if you can obtain a stipend to cover your costs for Accent Reduction training.
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Is Accent Reduction Coaching the same as Speech Therapy?
Accent reduction training, even when provided by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, is not considered speech therapy because an accent is not considered to be a speech or language disorder. Speech therapy occurs when the client has a disorder. Accent reduction training indicates that the client does not possess a speech, language or hearing disorder that may affect their ability to acquire new sounds. If the client is suspected of having one or more of these disorders, the accent reduction coach must refer the client to the services of a licensed speech pathologist professional in the state.
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Why use a Speech-Language Pathologist for Accent Coaching?
Although accent coaching is not considered speech therapy, there are many benefits as to why you would want to use a certified Speech-Language Pathologist as an accent reduction coach. The most obvious reason is that the training of a Speech-Language Pathologist requires the highest level of knowledge and expertise for teaching the acquisition of sounds or phonemes, and demands the highest level of training to elicit new motor patterns when re-learning and re-training the brain to speak a new language.
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Is an Accent Reduction coach imperative or can i improve on my own?
While there is some degree of improvement that occurs naturally when speaking a second language over time, many individuals are unable to take their speech to the next level without coaching. The main reason for this is because second language learners are often unaware of the numerous sound variations and differences that occur in the second language. It is only with auditory-training and the acquisition of new motor patterns through working with an Accent Reduction coach can a second language learner make the changes necessary to accurately speak the new language. There is more to this answer as well, and we can discuss all the different reasons as to why Accent Reduction coaching can be an enormous benefit to your speech communication improvement; however, the words that I most commonly hear from my clients is "people don't always tell me when I make a mistake, and that's why I keep making it." Considering this statement, coaching can and will serve as a safe and productive space for the improvement of your speech and communication.
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Will the Accent reduction specialist Develop a Customized Learning Program for me?
As a speech-language pathologist and accent reduction specialist, I will create a customized individual learning program for you based on the analysis of your speech evaluation. My program of instruction is based on the Compton P-ESL Accent Reduction Program, developed from 20 years of research aimed specifically at helping non-native English speakers and English speakers with regional dialects to reduce their accents while increasing their Standard American English pronunciation skills.
The customized program designed for you will address voice projection, grammar, intonation issues, and Standard American English pronunciation.
Clients are expected to attend all sessions throughout the program and practice diligently (approximately one hour per day). Clients who do this can expect to achieve clear, understandable speech, and at least a 50% improvement in reducing their accent by the end of the training.
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If I have been speaking English as a second language for a long time, am older or have a strong regional American English accent, can I still improve the way I speak?
YES! The most important factors are whether you are motivated to improve and are willing to practice new patterns of pronunciation.
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