Foreign Accent Modification Program

For people with mild or strong foreign accents — or those who want to improve their speech — UPMC offers a 13-week accent modification program.

Foreign accent modification is a defined method for changing speech patterns to help achieve clear English:

• Pronunciation
• Voice production
• Intonation
• Rhythm

Our goal at the UPMC foreign accent modification program is to help you communicate better in work and social settings, giving you greater confidence.

Who Might Want Accent Modification Training?

You may want to complete our training program if your accent affects your ability to:

• Communicate clearly with patients, clients, colleagues, or friends.
• Be understood without having to repeat yourself.
• Feel confident when speaking.
• Conduct business presentations or meetings.
• Communicate effectively on the phone.

What You'll Learn at Foreign Accent Modification Training

Based on the Compton Pronouncing English as a Second Language (P-ESL) program, you will learn:

• Fluency of American English sounds at word, sentence, and conversational levels.
• Dialect training.
• Impact of non-verbal communication.
• Use of idioms, contractions, and articles of speech.
• Rate, intonation, and volume of speech.
• Voice improvement.
• Public speaking and presentation skills.

Each client of UPMC's accent modification program receives:

• A basic evaluation.
• Training by a licensed speech-language pathologist.
• Class materials and weekly homework.

Our program also offers weekly private tutoring sessions.