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Accent Vs. Identity

Your accent is a reflection of your identity, culture and personal history and deserves to be respected and valued. In this article, you’ll learn what accent modification actually is, the ethics behind it and what success actually looks like.

Accent Vs. Identity Read Post »

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Bilingualism And The Better Brain

A constant perspective I hear from bilingual individuals, particularly those whose first language isn’t English, is that they feel inferior. That having an accent and speaking another language puts them at a disadvantage for building connection, respect and growth as communicators both personally and professionally. This article will demonstrate why that is not true. It will demonstrate that you as a multilingual speaker are at an advantage – even when it doesn’t feel like it. In this article, the term bilingualism will be used to embody both multilingualism and bilingualism.

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Understanding and Mastering English Vowel Sounds

As a speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Well Said, I’ve had the privilege of working with many individuals who are navigating the journey of accent modification. Whether you’re learning English as a second language and are new to Canada, refining your pronunciation for professional reasons, or simply wanting to feel more confident in your speech, I want to start by saying this (as I say to all accent clients): No one should ever feel ashamed of their accent (every has one after all, no matter your linguistic background).

Understanding and Mastering English Vowel Sounds Read Post »

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What Kinds Of Speech Sounds Do We Make In English? Understanding Consonants

Understanding consonants is essential to improving speech clarity, especially if you’re working on specific speech goals in therapy. In this blog post, I’ll explain the different types of consonants we produce in English and why knowing about them can help you, whether you’re an adult refining articulation errors, working on an accent or just trying to speak more clearly.

What Kinds Of Speech Sounds Do We Make In English? Understanding Consonants Read Post »

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English Prosody And Word Stress

Many clients who would prefer to modify their accent often consider speech sounds such as a different production of the sound ‘r’. However, another way to modify an accent is to consider the rhythm of the language. Every language has its own prosody which helps speakers sound more similar to native speakers. This can be an important area to consider when modifying an accent.

English Prosody And Word Stress Read Post »

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Curious English

A common question I get from many of my clients of accent modification is, “why does it sound like that?” They are referring to the lack of one-to-one correspondence between sound and symbol. English seems to be a toss salad with five exceptions accompanying each rule.

Curious English Read Post »

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Pronouncing a Sound You Can’t Hear

We often work with people who know that they have trouble with certain sounds, but who say they don’t hear the difference between their version and the “correct” version. How can they learn to say what they can’t even hear? We often work with people who know that they have trouble with certain sounds, but who say they don’t hear the difference between their version and the “correct” version. How can they learn to say what they can’t even hear?

Pronouncing a Sound You Can’t Hear Read Post »

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Prosody: The Music of Language

Prosody describes the pitch, loudness, and rhythm of speech. It is understood in two components: stress and intonation, and has multiple layers that subtly yet dynamically impact our message’s meanings. To learn more about Prosody, one of our Speech Language Pathologists explains further.

Prosody: The Music of Language Read Post »

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The Many Faces of T

T is often a difficult sound to grasp for non-native speakers of English, and it isn’t because the sound is hard to pronounce. Instead, it is because what we think of as the “T sound” is actually composed of several different sounds, and pronouncing the T correctly requires an understanding of the rules surrounding which version to use in a given word.

The Many Faces of T Read Post »

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Can You Change Your Accent?

This blog post addresses: What is an accent? What is the difference between accent modification and accent reduction? What is involved in the assessment? Why Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy? We also feature linguistic background and philosophies when working with accents.

Can You Change Your Accent? Read Post »

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Top 3 French Accent Tips for Bilingual Speakers

As a bilingual country, most (if not all) Canadians encounter French at some point throughout their lives, whether at home, in school, work, or in their travels. When it comes to reading, writing, or understanding the language, English speakers who have studied the language may feel perfectly comfortable—until, of course, it comes time to speak it aloud! Unfortunately, though anglophone students in Canada often spend years in school learning French, many feel hesitant to speak it due to difficulties with their accent.

Top 3 French Accent Tips for Bilingual Speakers Read Post »

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Research Round-Up: Accent Modification FAQ

Accent Modification is a mystery to many – the public, ESL Educational Community, and speech-language pathologists. Likewise, I frequently find myself explaining what accent modification is, and answering what I call ‘accent modification frequently asked questions’. Whether you are a person who is interested in accent modification for yourself, an employer who is interested in accent “softening” for an employee, or a native English speaker curious about this speech-language pathology specialty service, then please keep reading for research-based answers on accent modification…

Research Round-Up: Accent Modification FAQ Read Post »

Accent Modification and Accent Reduction

People often ask me, what the difference is between accent modification and accent reduction? My answer is there is no real difference but there is a linguistic difference. Why do both these terms exist since accent reduction and accent modification both describe the process of learning the standard American accent? One is an old term, and one is a new term.

Accent Modification and Accent Reduction Read Post »

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