Some people find accents they perceive to be different from their own difficult to understand. This can be problematic, particularly for those whose employment depends on the effective conveyance of thoughts. That’s where online accent reduction classes can come in. While they’re not for everyone—there are potential drawbacks—such courses can help people communicate better. They also can heighten confidence and cultural awareness and promote personal and professional growth. While there are a lot of options out there, some are better than others. To help you find the best one, here are the top online accent reduction courses available as recommended by American pronunciation and fluency expert, Emma Miller.
What are Accent Reduction Courses?
As the name implies, these courses are designed to mitigate non-native accents. While each program is different, they all aim to enhance clarity of speech for non-native English speakers. They also seek to build speakers’ confidence in their ability to communicate. For example, a course may focus on the pronunciation of American English vowel and consonant sounds, word endings, word and sentence stress, and rhythm and intonation. It may also seek to help the student understand spelling rules and their relationship to pronunciation. Further, a course may offer interactive activities and tips on correcting pronunciation challenges, and opportunities to address real-world community needs.
What is an Accent?
An accent is the way in which people in a certain country, area, or social group pronounce words. It is defined by how sounds are produced. When someone says a person “has an accent,” they usually mean the person’s accent differs from the local one. But what many people don’t realize is that every person speaks with an accent.
Top Online Accent Reduction Courses
There are courses that can help people soften their accents. According to Miller, these are the best ones—based on user-friendliness, affordability, accessibility, and customized coaching.
- ELSA Speak – This user-friendly AI-powered program is designed to improve a person’s American English accent by thoroughly examining speech patterns. Advanced technology identifies speech deviations and provides instant feedback, resulting in a highly personalized learning process. ELSA, an acronym for English Language Speech Assistant, also offers a host of lessons and exercises that focus on aspects ranging from intonation to particular phonemes. Note, though, that while AI is the star of this program, it also represents its limitations: the lack of nuanced feedback or customized coaching that a human would provide. Cost: Subscriptions start at $11.83 monthly, with a free seven-day trial.
- PronunciationPro – This well-crafted program includes recorded feedback, self-study, and one-on-one live sessions to help individuals improve their English pronunciation and overall fluency. It features an easy-to-follow orientation that navigates the user through the PronunciationPro website. People can then begin the 12-module training at their own pace, only advancing to the next module after finishing the previous one. Enrollment includes access to worksheets, audios, and weekly video lessons to create a comprehensive learning experience. Note, though, the lack of bespoke coaching, a mobile app, or AI feedback. Cost: $1 for the first week, then $47 monthly.
- Accent Advisor – Accent Advisor separates itself from rivals with its innovative instruction approach. An accent coach leads the seven-year-old program with one-one-one sessions and very little reliance on supplemental materials. It’s recognized as a leading U.S. American accent training and pronunciation school. Training is delivered entirely via Skype, and one-on-one, 25-minute classes are offered around the clock every day, allowing students to focus on their progress and specific needs. The price tag is about $300 for around 16 sessions, which may be prohibitive for some. Cost: Roughly $300 for 16 sessions.
- Chatterfox – This program’s biggest draw is that it provides customized feedback from certified accent coaches, delivered through a unique coaching approach. In addition to human coaching, Chatterfox offers a host of interactive practice sessions plus AI-powered instant feedback. The combination of human and artificial intelligence interaction is what makes this accent reduction approach different. The Chatterbox focuses on intonation, word stress, muscle memory, and articulation awareness, with courses structured in sound-grouped modules, allowing students to use their facial muscles to master distinct sounds. Students also get visual guides and AI-powered practice activities. Cost: There are two pricing tiers; $47 monthly includes personal coaching, and $12.95 monthly, which includes interactive video lessons, practice exercises and fluency practice. Both plans come with a three-day free trial and seven-day money back guarantee.
- American Accent Training – This is not an online class, but neither is it an in-person course. Rather, it’s a venerable book that offers a traditional but proven approach to accent reduction. Established more than 30 years ago by language expert and author Ann Cook, the program focuses on American pronunciation, voice quality, linking, and intonation. It provides audio lessons and a comprehensive guide for students who speak one of 10 languages, making for a more customized learning experience. One caveat: unlike most online programs, there’s no free trial or money-back guarantee. Cost: The guide, with an audio CD, is available for $81.15 on Amazon.
Online Accent Reduction Courses: The Bottom Line
When people bring up “accent,” they typically mean pronunciation that’s different from their own. Unfortunately, this narrow definition often gives rise to prejudice. People are commonly judged by how they speak. Such courses can and do help. Because they’re virtual, they’re also flexible: people can learn anywhere, at any time. Classes are also generally personalized to meet students’ individual needs, and they’re convenient. All that’s needed is an Internet connection.
What’s more, online courses are usually more affordable than their in-person counterparts and can commonly be purchased on a weekly subscription basis. They’re also confidential. Many people feel self-conscious or embarrassed about their accent, and these digital classes allow a degree of privacy.
There are some potential drawbacks as well. For instance, there’s no way around potential technical issues; something can fail. Further, these courses offer limited opportunities to practice pronunciation in real-life situations. They also lack accountability, since it’s easy to skip classes or turn in minimal effort. And some students don’t like the lack of social interaction.
The Tomato.ai Solution
Accent training can be effective. However, our AI voice filter works better, faster — and fills a growing need. Those whose patterns of speech are considered unfavorable often find their accent to be a hindrance to employment. This is especially true in positions that require a great deal of verbal communication. Customer call center agents, for example, often have accents that consumers consider “foreign.” Such representatives frequently encounter rudeness and impatience and are often thought of as less competent.
Tomato.ai has the answer. In real time, its linguistic filter clarifies the voices of offshore agents, converting words into those that sound to customers like a native language speaker. The result is improved intelligibility and trust, and reduced customer frustration levels.
