People sound differently for a variety of reasons. Some come from different parts of the country and “carryover” features of their original language. Speakers from different parts of the same country have varying accents. Our accents reflect our social, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. How Can Speech Therapy Help Reduce or Modify Accents? Many individuals who choose to reduce or modify their accent seek Speech-language pathologists (SLPs), whom are communication experts. SLPs are qualified to evaluate your accent, and provide coaching and instruction to help improve your communication skills. How Do Speech Therapists Evaluate Your Accent? When beginning services to modify your accent, your speech therapist will start by comprehensively evaluating your accent and speech patterns. They’ll ask you to produce different sounds and read words and sentences out loud to develop a better understanding of: -How you produce different sounds -The rhythm and intonation of your speech -How you sound in conversation -How your accent impacts your daily life -Your overall intelligibility They may also ask questions about your personal language history that could be relevant to your care. These can include: -The languages you speak -Age in which you learned new languages -Where these languages were learned (e.g., school, home, community) -Length each language has been spoken -Which languages are used at home, work, or socially Based on this information, your speech therapist will develop an accent modification care plan to help reach your communication goals. Which may include pronunciation training, at-home exercises to reinforce new lessons, and clear objectives to demonstrate progress. What are the Benefits of Online Speech Therapy for Accent Modification? Online speech therapy for accent modification is an effective alternative to more traditional, in-person settings. Instead of meeting with your speech therapist in person, you connect with them virtually through video chat. While you’ll continue to receive the same quality of care, online speech therapy is often much more affordable. Many people have busy working or academic lives, not to mention family responsibilities, which can make commuting to the speech therapist in the middle of the week very inconvenient. Not only can you meet with a qualified speech therapist at the click of a button, and from the comfort of your home, but you can schedule sessions around your busy life.