Accent Reduction For Clarity In English

An accent is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, accents bring colour and vibrance to a conversation and we should be proud of our accents. However, at times, your accent can get in the way of being understood. And being difficult to understand is quite the conversation killer. You may not get that job you applied for or that role of basketball captain you volunteered for. It all sounds quite discriminatory, but that's the reality of life. You need to be understood to survive. I too had a strong Singaporean accent when I arrived in Australia in 2006. I was poorly understood because I had non-english words in my lingo such as the famous "lah" and had to modify my speech patterns for clearer communication especially knowing that I work in a hospital. 

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Since my training as a voice artist, I have listened to hundreds of hours of speech by professional actors and narrators from movies and documentaries and developed methods for reducing my accent. My approach is not down to boring theory but focus on phonetic training, listening exercises, recording and listening to your voice and benchmarking it with the rhythm of the English language. It’s hand-on (or rather ears-on!) from the get-go!

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My approach to accent reduction is with patience and acceptance, and understanding that the goal here is not to erase one's cultural identity, but to enhance clarity and understanding in communication via the English language. I cannot, choose not, and am not trained to "bring out" the British, Australian, or American accent in anyone. I am quite against it. I believe you and your child should be proud of who you are and your heritage and this includes your accent. This course however will help you or your child reduce the accent with the aim of being understood in Australia, allowing you to better socialise with the local community and make more friends in cultural communities other than your own.