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Accent Modification

Accents can be described according to accentedness, comprehensibility, and intelligibility. Accentedness refers to how closely one’s pronunciation perceptually resembles that of a native speaker. Comprehensibility and intelligibility are measures of how easy a speaker’s message is to understand. Comprehensibility typically refers to a listener’s subjective perception of ease of understanding. For example, comprehensibility measures can be captured via a selection on a Likert-type scale that provides a range from impossible to easy to understand. Intelligibility refers to the amount of a spoken message that is understood. This more objective measurement is quantifiable, for example, by calculating percentage of words understood out of total words spoken.

Every language user speaks with an accent, whether it is considered regional or foreign. A regional accent refers to variation in speech production by native speakers of the same language who may not originate from the same geographical area or socioeconomic class. A foreign accent is mainly the result of the impact of a first language (L1) phonology on the speech production of a second language (L2). Thus, an accent is simply a language difference and not the result of any underlying pathology.

Although foreign or regional accents may preserve ties to cultural and ethnic identities, some individuals choose to voluntarily seek accent modification services. Often, these decisions are driven by a desire to be better understood by friends or colleagues in order to improve social connections and professional opportunities. Accent modification is an elective service within the Speech–Language pathology scope of practice aimed at altering segmental and prosodic patterns of regional or foreign accents to more closely match the target language and accent. This entry briefly describes the work of Speech–Language pathologists and discusses their role in accent modification services.

Scope of Practice and Role of Speech–Language Pathologists

Segmental and prosodic characteristics of speech are modified via targeted production training as a way to directly affect intelligibility, comprehensibility, or both. Because of their understanding of the speech mechanism, in addition to characteristics of segmental and prosodic aspects of speech production, Speech–Language pathologists (SLPs) are ideally suited to provide accent modification and management services.

An SLP’s expertise includes knowledge of pragmatic language skills as well as syntax and semantics of their native language. This equips them to provide more comprehensive intervention. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Scope of Practice, accent modification services fall within the scope of Speech–Language pathology services in that provision of such services modifies or enhances communication performance. Research from other disciplines, such as English as a second language (ESL) studies, also provides guidance about the benefits of various accent modification techniques.

Accent Modification Services

Accent modification and management services promote increased intelligibility and comprehensibility of an individual with an accent. Often, the SLP provides accent modification services to speakers who already possess a moderate to high knowledge of and proficiency with speaking the target language, which is one aspect that differentiates intervention by an SLP from that of an ESL instructor. The ultimate objective is to improve effective communication with listeners in the target environment.

Initial assessment is necessary to inform an individualized plan for each client. The initial assessment includes an evaluation of speech and language production in L2. Initial production elements assessed may include the following: (a) auditory discrimination; (b) speech sound (consonant, consonant cluster, and vowel) production; (c) use of stress patterns at the word, phrase, and sentence level; (d) intonation patterns for various types phrases; (e) use of rhythm and juncture; and (f) impact of rate of speech to intelligibility. In addition, this assessment requires an interview to determine a client’s values and goals, knowledge of L1 phonology or regional production patterns, and consideration of pragmatic variations driven by cultural difference. Results from this assessment inform the plan for accent modification services.

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