Best-Kept-Secret Career: Accent-Reduction Specialist

By Marty Nemko

Posted: December 11, 2008

Snapshot: A customer-service person in India speaks perfect English but wants his accent more clearly understood by Americans. A Chinese scientist at a government lab speaks poor English and in such a heavy accent that it's hard to understand him. A corporation has executives with thick Brooklyn, African-American, Latino, or southern accents, and the company believes they'll be more credible if they sound more like a TV news anchor. These are typically the clients of accent-reduction specialists, also known as accent neutralization or accent modification specialists. Demand for this specialty is strong. Most accent-reduction specialists come from the ranks of speech therapists or English-as-a-Second-Language teachers.

Getting there: Typical qualifications: a master's or Ph.D. in speech-language pathology, a license in speech-language pathology in your state, or a specialty credential in accent reduction or ESL training.

Learn more:

Tell Me More About Relax and Speak!

Tell Me More About Relax and Speak!

Psych.

No one cares about your advertising.

Chris of FL @ Nov 10, 2009 15:59:46 PM

Accent Reduction Training Academy

http://www.relaxandspeak.com

I am a program manager for relaxandspeak and have seen this profession grow rapidly in the past ten years. I don't know whether it is a fade or if more qualified teachers are helping others with their language communication. In my experience, as a manager of online training at ARTA, there is definitely more qualified teachers helping more students. Thus, the older this profession gets, then the better trained the teachers will be, and that means more and more people will get the help they need.

For more information about becoming a ARTA Certified Accent Trainer, visit http://www.relaxandspeak.com

Amanda of CA @ Oct 29, 2009 23:01:25 PM

Accent Reduction Training

I have been teaching accent reduction/elimination for over the a decade. As a Senior Trainer, with www.relaxandspeak.com, we have developed a teacher certification program that we feel better prepares current and new instructors in the field of Voice and Speech.

Travis James

Travis James of CA @ Oct 13, 2009 16:25:44 PM

Add Your Thoughts
About You

advertisement

U.S. News Rankings & Research

Best Places

Search for the perfect place for you and your family.

Best Careers

Careers that offer strong outlooks and high job satisfaction.

Car Rankings & Reviews

Make an informed choice when shopping for your next car.

advertisement

Slide Shows

The 10 Best Places to Find a Tech Job

IT service jobs—in engineering and in software services—have fared well in this economy.

advertisement

Subscribe

U.S. News Digital Weekly

A weekly insider's guide to politics and policy — in a multimedia, digital format. 52 issues for $19.95!

U.S. News & World Report

6 months of U.S. News & World Report's print edition for only $15. Save up to 67% off the cover price!