Everyone speaks with an accent, which vary between regions, states and countries. While some are proud of their accent, others may be frustrated, as the way they speak makes it harder to communicate. Accent modification can help you reduce your accent so that it is easier to converse with others who speak differently than you.
What Are Accents?
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, an accent is a unique way that groups of people speak the same language. This natural part of spoken language depends on many factors. The most common groups are:
- Regional accents – people who come from one part of the country sound different than those from other areas
- National origin accents – people who learn to speak a language as an adult will sound different depending on their first language
Accents are not a speech or language disorder.
Why People Seek to Change their Accent
Accents can make it hard for people to understand you, which can be frustrating if you are constantly asked to repeat yourself. This can make school, work or other activities challenging.
The most common situations in which someone is looking to change their accent include:
- Actors who are training for a role
- Professionals who want to improve their communication
- People who are looking to get rid of their regional accent
- Someone who speaks a second language
How to Change Your Accent
The process of changing your accent is called accent modification. The process takes a lot of work and practice, and can be overwhelming to attempt alone. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help.
The first step of accent modification is for your SLP to understand why you speak the way you do. This includes how you say different sounds, the rhythm of your speech and the stress you put on certain sounds.
Your SLP will ask you to read words and sentences aloud as well as listen to how you speak in conversation. They will discuss the areas of speech you wish to change and put a plan in place to accomplish the goals.
Your speech-language pathologist will use this information work wit to help you change your accent.
To learn more about accent modification or to schedule an appointment with an expert, contact Evergreen Speech & Hearing Inc today.