Taking the plunge into accent training: Why speech therapy? And why now?

As with most things in life, you probably want the best “bang” for your buck when it comes to accent work. So, you might be wondering why you would want to pay for accent training from a speech therapist when there are other (i.e. cheaper) options out there?

And if you’re a lifelong procrastinator like myself, you might even find yourself knee-deep in excuses as to why now is not the right time to start.

Yes, everyone has excuses

“I’m too busy!”

“I just don’t think I have the energy for one more thing in my schedule.”

“Accent training – in this economy?!”

You might even have doubts about whether you can improve your accent.

Let’s tackle those pesky excuses and doubts, first. It can be easy to forget that all good things take time. If we think about our important relationships, education, careers, or anything else we prioritize, they all require a time commitment. So, if you think that accent training would be worthwhile for you in the long-run, then it absolutely deserves your time. (And it may not take as much time as you think.)

Still with me? Fantastic! If you’ve made it this far, then I’m certain you have the energy, will, and interest to take on this new challenge. We’re all human, and we all make excuses–especially when we want to avoid situations that may be difficult or unfamiliar. But we also do our best to prioritize what’s important to us, personally. Would accent training be more uncomfortable than the stress of having to repeat yourself again in a job interview? Or the sinking feeling when you miss out on an opportunity to share your ideas at work, simply because your accent makes you self-conscious?

Myth: I’m too old to get rid of my accent

And while we’re on the subject of excuses, let’s put to rest the idea that you can’t do accent work. Neuroplasticity dictates that our brains are like balls of clay–malleable and able to adapt through experience. When an adult seeks to learn something new through experience, their brain is working on structural elasticity. The elasticity of the brain allows itself to “re-wire” at any age. Much like muscles of the body, the brain also can grow and change. Learning and new experiences cause new neural pathways to form and strengthen. And when skills are not practiced regularly, they become weak and eventually die. Think about how strong your algebra skills used to be, or maybe all the Shakespeare you have read and dutifully forgotten.

Accent training might seem daunting, but you are worth the investment. So, let’s talk a little bit about that investment–and why a speech therapist is perfectly positioned to help you meet your speaking goals.

Improving your accent is an investment

I’ll be the first to tell you that cost is a valid consideration. If you truly don’t have room in your budget for the accent training you want, it might be time to make a plan for how to get there financially. Certainly, you’ll also want to consider the potential returns (i.e. how improved communication could help you advance your career or ace a big job interview). But if you’re ready to take the plunge, you might be tempted to bargain shop. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for, and you want to give your time, money, and energy to an expert who knows what to do. There are certainly options out there, so let’s consider some of them:

Free Videos/Apps:

Free videos are abundant on the internet. And perhaps, you can watch enough of them that everything starts to “click”. But even with all that time investment, free videos and phone apps don’t come with the individualized, one-on-one training or feedback. And who are the folks in the videos? Do they know what they’re doing? You might have to do some digging to figure that out. Given the time investment, your returns are likely to be minimal without individualized attention.

Books:

These offer a small, upfront cost to work on your accent. However, similar to videos or apps, you’re left without any feedback or additional input to help you reach your goals.

Cheap Coaching/Classes:

These options are easy to find and allow you to meet one-on-one or in a group. They typically emphasize improving your pronunciation. Sounds great, right? But…many of these programs indicate that you’ll need to meet more than once a week, and it will take several months to see real results. The money adds up, to be sure. And it’s less clear whether you’ll ever get significant support with other key aspects of American English: prosody, grammar, vocabulary, or social conventions. Meeting so often and for so long, you also risk frequent interruptions and even burnout.

Classes with speech-language pathologists (SLPs):

SLP’s like Heather, Brianna and Delaney (see our About page for details), on the other hand, are highly knowledgeable in all areas of speech and language–grammar, prosody, speech sound production, social communication, and vocabulary. They understand your challenges on a deeper level because they’ve spent years studying and treating these areas clinically. Receiving one-on-one attention from an SLP means a highly individualized plan that will touch on any or all of these areas and adjust from week to week, depending on what you need.

SLPs also rely on a little something called motor learning. If you’re a musician, you know that learning a new song takes painstaking practice and effort–until your brain and your fingers have learned it. If you’re a runner, you know the mental and muscular effort that goes into training–and how it becomes easier over time. Likewise, if you’re engaged in accent training, your brain is working on a different set of muscles. Retraining those tiny muscle movements takes lots of practice and effort–until it doesn’t.

Still with me? I knew you were!

Learning something new takes time. It takes effort. It takes a real commitment. And you’re worth it! If you’re ready to make the commitment, then you owe it to yourself to get the best and most out of that investment.

At Evolve Speech, we can help you take that first step–and many more–toward improving your communication and increasing your confidence. Contact us today for a free consultation!