FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Dive into the common questions clients ask about accent modification services.
What is accent reduction?
Pronunciation is not widely or well taught in schools and adult education. You must first understand exactly how you are producing the sounds you are making - usually drawn from your native language and approximating English sounds. This creates heavily accented speech. You are using your native sounds to produce English and you don’t even realize it! During accent reduction training, I teach you how to use your lips, teeth, tongue and/or palate to form native sounds. We then put these together into words, phrases and finally sentences and thoughts. I help you every step of the way as you master fluent-sounding English with a Canadian/American accent.
Which accent would I learn?
I am trained in the Broadcasting American accent (similar to what I speak natively) and used on TV and broadcasting channels for news and podcasting. It is considered the most professional English accent an is relatively neutral, not associated with any particular region. But I also live and work in Toronto, Canada and I bring all this experience to my classes. I can teach you the subtle differences between Canadian and American accents if you are interested but usually students are happy to sound native with a largely neutral north american accent.
Can a person truly erase their native accent?
Yes and no. Have you heard actors and actresses put on a new accent for a film or TV show? They worked with an accent coach, voice coach or Speech Language Pathologist to mimic these new accents. It is possible. However, most students simply want to be reliably understood. After all, your accent is part of your culture and heritage and need not be totally erased unless you chose to do so! Especially in urban areas of North America, having an accent is not a bad thing at all and you can still sound native with a slight accent. I will help you achieve the level of English accent you would like to achieve - either to be understood and fluent, or sound completely native.
Will I sound like a woman if I have a female coach?
No. I understand that this is a big concern for some cultures where women tend to have a very different cadence than men. But in American and Canadian culture it is unusual for a woman to use a different cadence than a man, especially in the workplace. and if you are tending that way, as an accent coach I am trained to hear it and correct you! See my blog for more interesting topics like this one!