Why You Should Take Speech Reduction Classes with a Coach
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If you've always struggled with your English accent, you've probably considered taking accent reduction classes. You've probably explored the Internet and checked out some cheap kits that come with CDs that are meant to help you improve your speech. Read more great facts on accent reduction training, click here.
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Maybe you've even met some accent reduction trainers or coaches who offered individual or small group classes, but at a higher cost. So which one is better, the CD's or a speech coach? A speech coach will surely be more expensive, but will it be worth the added cost?
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Fantastic question. A lot of those kits you found online can actually be helpful. The problem is, they're not specifically targeted to you. That means you could end up wasting time practicing sounds that don't even really affect how you talk.
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For instance, there are more than 50 sounds in the English language, but a mere 10 to 15 sounds will actually have an impact on non-native speakers' speech. How can you tell which ones you have to improve on? If you work with a qualified speech coach, you can begin your program with a custom speech analysis and overall plan to make sure that only the sounds you need are addressed. As well, majority of those kits won't provide feedback, which is very important because it's your way of assessing whether or not you have improved. However, if you want to be assisted by a trained professional who can tell you if you're finally producing the sounds right, then you can be sure that your accent reduction class will be worth the cost.
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If you want to work with a coach in private, this is highly possible as most trainers do work in this set up. They can come to your home or office, or you can also agree to have your classes over the Internet, which is a huge convenience. There are employers who pay for the training of their own employees when their job performance is directly influenced by their accent.
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Finally, you may ask, where can I find an accent reduction trainer? There are plenty of them online, that's for sure. But of course, not all of them are created equal. You have to hire someone with a background in speech pathology, which is really where the problem lies for those who have trouble creating speech sounds. Speech pathologists will not only tell you to improve on sound some sounds, but will actually tell you how to do it based on their expert knowledge and experience. Please view this site http://www.ehow.com/how_4809072_rid-of-accent.html for further details.