Trust is Key
Trust is Key For many of you who want to reduce foreign or regional accents, one of the main motivations to do so are underlying feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness, and shame about the way you speak. Perhaps you have been frequently asked to repeat yourself when the listener did not understand what was said the first time. Often, you are asked where you are from, leading you to think that people are noticing how you are speaking rather than paying attention to what you are saying. By enrolling in an Accent Reduction program, a sense of trust needs to be established between the learner and teacher. To learn and make progress, learners need to feel that they are in a safe environment and that it is okay and natural to make mistakes. As human beings, making mistakes is at the heart of learning something new. For some, it is intimidating to change long-established speech patterns. Learning and practicing new speech patterns can flourish when there is a well-established sense of trust between the learner and teacher. Once a student experiences increased confidence when speaking with their teacher during lessons, this confidence will begin to carry over into their daily lives. Is your accent hindering your success? Here are some ways to know if your accent is standing between you and your success in an English-speaking society. Are you often misunderstood? Do people frequently ask you to repeat yourself? Do you feel that people are focusing more on your accent than on what you are saying? Do you fear that your accent is standing in the way of getting the job you want or from being promoted at work? Do you feel embarrassed and upset when people have difficulty understanding you? Goals of Accent Modification The most important goals of accent modification are speaking English with improved pronunciation and being clearly understood by others. While retaining the charm of your native accent, you will be able to: Be understood at work and at school Enhance your social communication Achieve greater career and professional advancement Build your self-confidence Trust me; I have been doing this for many years, and I know you won’t regret putting in the time and effort to improve your pronunciation of American English. My program has benefited thousands of individuals from around the world, and it can for you, too! To learn more about the various programs offered and to enroll, visit this page. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am here to support your learning journey! About Derra Huxley, Speech and Language Pathologist I am a California-licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in Los Angeles. I earned my Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Communicative Disorders from California State University, Northridge. I work as a Preferred Trainer with LDS & Associates – Accent Modification Program, and I am a member of CORSPAN (Corporate Speech Pathology Network). I collaborate with people of all ages to improve their communication and pronunciation skills in schools, hospitals, and private practice settings. To learn more or to contact me, complete this form or reach me at 818-421-7444. I look forward to hearing from you! Previous PostNext Post
