Accent Modification / Reduction

Are you having a hard time being understood? Is your accent affecting your work performance?

Gain more confidence and clarity in Canadian English with the help of speech therapy.

Express Yourself in a Canadian English Accent

Learning how to speak a second language is a challenging but rewarding effort. But in some cases, learning grammar is not enough. Your accent can still affect how much other people can understand you.

Your native accent can become a barrier to communicating successfully, even if you have your English grammar rules right. If you’d like to:

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not be asked to repeat what you just said

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be easily understood by co-workers

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get your message across better in presentations and meetings

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be more confident when speaking in front of crowds or groups of people

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improve your use of Canadian English in everyday speech

Apheleia Speech can guide you on your journey to being more comfortable with using a Canadian accent for your everyday English speaking.

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What is Accent Reduction?

Accent reduction (or modification) is the process of learning and adopting a new accent.

Communication skills are not only about your knowledge in a spoken language. Being understood by others is just as significant. When your accent gets in the way of being understood by others, then it becomes necessary to modify it.

There are many situations where someone may need accent reduction, including:

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working in a voice-heavy industry like telemarketing

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migrating for non-native English speakers

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portraying roles in a different accent

Accent training does not aim to get rid of your original accent or break the cultural ties. Rather, its goal is to improve comprehension and exchange of ideas.

How long does it take for an accent to be modified and reduced?

The time it takes depends on the person’s speech goals and consistency. It may take 1 to 6 months to see considerable change.

It is important to be clear with your speech therapist or accent teacher on what your goals are. This way, they will know what to look out for and where to focus on your training for faster results.

Canadian Accent vs Other English Accents

The Canadian accent and the American accent have many sounds in common, however certain vowel sounds and words show some regional differences. For example, the Canadian pronunciation for “*about”* would show a subtle but distinct difference.

These differences in spelling, vocabulary, and intonation patterns are common not only between American English and Canadian English, but also with other English accents around the world.

It takes time to learn these nuances especially if you are a non-native speaker, but with the proper accent training and practice, you’ll connect with people more effectively in Canada.

Speech Therapy for Accent Reduction/Modification

Your speech therapist will help you gain more awareness on how you can modify your accent. They will identify key concerns in your articulation, intonation, and pronunciation of the English language.

They will also advice with accent reduction tips and exercises you can easily practice in real life as well as introduce conversational training for your natural accent improvement.

Your Speech Therapist will:

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assess learned speech patterns that need to be modified

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introduce key phrases and terms used in a native language setting

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fine-tune your accent sounds to Canadian accent sounds

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help evaluate your progress over time

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enhance speech and communication skills overall

Achieving a clear Canadian English accent will take time, but with consistent practice and guide from your speech therapist, you will be on your way to it much faster.

OUR SERVICES

How Apheleia Speech Therapy Can Help

Make it easy to communicate your ideas in both professional and personal settings with the help of our speech-language pathologists.

Accent Modification

With your specific goals in mind, our licensed speech therapists will develop a program to help get you through difficult sounds and pronunciations for better communication.

Lauren Templeton

Owner & Speech-Language Pathologist

Get Started and See How it All Works

Fill out the form below to be taken to a short questionnaire. You can also send us an Email or text/call us at (613) 707-9211.

**By filling out this form you consent that we may contact you at the email and/or phone number provided.

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