What should I expect when I work with The Right Accent Academy?
Why should I choose you?
There is no such thing as Accent Elimination. You should expect to improve your natural speaking ability to be better aligned with the American business and cultural style. Mary is able to incorporate a unique combination of academic and scientific credentials as a practicing, licensed Speech-Language Pathologist having equal experience of working with children and adults. You will benefit from her knowledge of the function of cognitive-linguistics, auditory processing, respiration and the vocal mechanism as it applies to communication. An even more powerful tool that Mary brings to her clients is over 25 years working as a credentialed Financial Advisor. It is with this background that she will be able to help you to polish your Leadership image and position your communication style to “sound smart” as you lead meetings, make presentations and powerfully influence your targeted audience.
How long before I see results?
Changing our accent is not an intellectual exercise. It is a behavioral change. Research tells us that it takes a minimum of 66 days to build a new behavior into our lives. We are each individuals. We cannot predict specific outcomes with human behavior. Most of our students are busy, goal-driven personalities. We have noted that if students incorporate classroom taught techniques into 15 minutes of formal daily practice and 3 or more targeted and personalized conversational applications/daily, the student should experience appreciable improved clarity in approximately 3 wks.
Why do your methods work?
Our methods recognize that speaking is a whole body experience. There is no specific “prescription” for changing an accent. We shun the inefficient and time consuming method of focusing on American vowel and consonant production as a first step in changing a speaker’s cultural speaking blueprint. Our initial focus is to use auditory, visual and kinesthetic cueing to have the client synch thoughts with speaking mechanism. Therefore, we find quickest and most long-lasting success in teaching the distinctive American speaking intonation patterns, first. We find that by using this method, our students are better able to execute crisp, sharp speaking clarity and that the many of the foreign accent traits “shape away” or are minimized. If the client decides to further the speech clarification process, at approximately the time of the 4th lesson, a complete evaluation is performed. It would be then that further recommendations would be made that would likely incorporate specific adjustments in muscular force, tension, oral resonance, vocal volume and correct articulation of American English sounds.
How long before I see results?
Changing our accent is not an intellectual exercise. It is a behavioral change. Research tells us that it takes a minimum of 66 days to build a new behavior into our lives. We are each individuals. We cannot predict specific outcomes with human behavior. Most of our students are busy, goal-driven personalities. We have noted that if students incorporate classroom taught techniques into 15 minutes of formal daily practice and 3 or more targeted and personalized conversational applications/daily, the student should experience appreciable improved clarity in approximately 3 wks.
Why do your methods work?
Our methods recognize that speaking is a whole body experience. There is no specific “prescription” for changing an accent. We shun the inefficient and time consuming method of focusing on American vowel and consonant production as a first step in changing a speaker’s cultural speaking blueprint. Our initial focus is to use auditory, visual and kinesthetic cueing to have the client synch thoughts with speaking mechanism. Therefore, we find quickest and most long-lasting success in teaching the distinctive American speaking intonation patterns, first. We find that by using this method, our students are better able to execute crisp, sharp speaking clarity and that the many of the foreign accent traits “shape away” or are minimized. If the client decides to further the speech clarification process, at approximately the time of the 4th lesson, a complete evaluation is performed. It would be then that further recommendations would be made that would likely incorporate specific adjustments in muscular force, tension, oral resonance, vocal volume and correct articulation of American English sounds.
What materials should I use?
You will purchase a (thorough) 190+ page handbook, Accent Reduction 101, at a cost of $175, providing both visual and auditory support as your primary text. You will provide your own personal speech notebook, which you will also bring to class. It will log your “speech triggers”, red light drills, self-evaluation and weekly goal tracking.
If you do not elect the classroom method… or if you want extra self-directed practice, you may choose the Cloud-based, AI method of study. You will have 24-7 access to rehearse your speech. Instruction and weekly support will be provided as you advance through the customized modules at your convenience.
Address:
6510-A South Academy Blvd. #123
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Phone:
(719) 428 0540
Fax:
(719) 301-7517
mary@therightaccentacademy.com
