As a language and dialect enthusiast, I love everything about accents and dialects. I adore how a person’s accent tells you parts of their story. Each person has a truly unique way of speaking that reflects their identity. The English language has hundreds of accents that are all beautiful in their own unique way. Add non-native accents and you get an amazing mix of truly unique ways of speaking.
We live in an international world and many different ways of speaking are bound to end up in the same place – be it in the workplace or elsewhere. Sadly, this means that speaking with a thick accent (be it a non-native accent like Japanese or German or a native one like Glaswegian or Cockney) can sometimes get in the way and make a speaker feel self-conscious or insecure. Some accents stick out from the mixture more than others and sometimes that’s just not what you want. When you are delivering an important presentation, for example, you want the audience to listen to what you’re saying rather than how you say it.
Accents are not rigid. The way we speak changes over our lifetime and we can – and regularly do – alter the way we speak depending on who we are talking to. With my expert knowledge in phonetics I can help you alter your accent in appropriate situations without losing your native accent.
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- Perhaps you have found yourself feeling insecure because of the way you speak.
- Perhaps you’ve had people underestimate your abilities because of your accent.
- Perhaps you are merely taken aback/astounded by English orthography and sometimes have no clue how to pronounce certain words or phases.
- Or perhaps you just think accents are fun and you want to learn more about the way you speak.
I will use my linguistic training to create unique sessions for you personally that will help you understand and control your facial muscles and teach you how to overcome challenges that you might face in everyday life because of your accent. You will learn how to take control of those muscles so that you can adapt your accent in appropriate situations. After my coaching sessions you will no longer feel insecure or be underestimated because of the way you speak but you will also gain a deeper appreciation of your native accent.
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I offer workshops as well as individual coaching and can work in person or online. My rates vary from project to project so please contact me for more information and to discuss what you have in mind.
Dani Morse-Kopp 