What is an accent?

An accent is the way you speak. This includes the muscularity of your vocal tract, the pronunciation of words, and the musicality of your voice and speech. An accent can hold many identifying factors of who you are and where you’re from.

What is accent reduction?

Accent reduction is a process of identifying your particular accent and transitioning it to a different target accent. Usually clients choose an accent that is considered a “standard” in a community. At this time we offer services toward a General American accent and a General Australian accent.

What is a “standard” accent?

A standard accent may be defined as an accent of a community that does not have specific regional features. We offer General American and General Australian, which may go by many different names. By studying one of these accents and acquiring it as your own, people will place you in the country but not know exactly where.

Why might I need accent reduction?

People choose to have accent reduction for many different reasons. Though the Kinetic Foundry loves all accents, some may feel their personal accent is an obstacle in their communication. They may find that people do not listen to what they say because of how they say it. Others may work in an industry where one accent may be more advantageous than their own. There are also those who choose to change their accent purely due to personal preference.

How does accent reduction work?

At the Kinetic Foundry, we start accent reduction by identifying your linguistic background. If English is your fist language, we will analyze the accent of your home community. If English is not a first language, then we will analyze the behaviors of your home language and accent. After analysis, your training will cover the muscularity of the target accent. You will be trained in the pronunciation of words using systems established by linguists. You will also study the stress, intonation, and rhythmic rules of your target accent. Your training will lead you to the practical application of the accent on material that is appropriate for your work and life. Every session will leave you with something specific to work on by yourself in order to keep your progress going. Our goal is to get you in a place where you no longer need us. Just know we are here in case you ever need a check in.

How long does accent reduction take?

It is difficult to conclude exactly how long accent reduction takes as there are several factors involved, on both the instructor’s and client’s part. Factors that may increase your learning rate include: knowledgeable and transparent instruction, well structured and scaffolded curriculum, the ability to identify the client’s learning styles, and the client’s consistent meaningful practice. We guarantee the first three and specifically choose clients who we feel will follow through with the fourth. If you are looking for a quick fix or expect that you will master a skill set after one hour of practice then The Kinetic Foundry is not for you. We do not promise fast results but we do promise quality instruction.

Why should I choose The Kinetic Foundry?

With The Kinetic Foundry, you are not hiring a coach, you are hiring a team of specialists. These specialists are consistently adjusting their pedagogy as your challenges and goals are developing. Your session doesn’t end when a specialist and you say goodbye. While you continue your self-practice, your team is holding meetings about your progress and next steps. We specialize in evidenced-based approaches that produce meaningful change. If you are looking to invest in your ability to communicate at the highest level then our team can take you there.