Accent Assessment

Whether or not you have a strong accent is a very subjective issue. We sometimes get native English speakers asking us to reduce a strong perceived accent. However, there are some clear objective signs that you may need to do something about it. Find out for yourself here: Take the Accent Quiz.

An assessment is a prerequisite for any of our tailored coaching programs. So if you have set yourself personal targets or if your manager has identified personal development needs, then an assessment is a great place to start. That said, some of our clients are simply curious or want a starting point to create their own personal development journey. Book an assessment here

Quite the opposite! In Australia, being able to speak another language fluently puts you in the top 20% of the population. If, like many of our clients you can speak three or more languages you are 4 in the top 10%. Rather than feel stupid, you should be congratulating yourself. Multiple studies show that you can expect to significantly slow cognitive decline and extend your life between five to seven years. We also find that most of our clients have as a minimum a Batchelor’s degree. Many have higher degrees and post-graduate qualifications. Universities are not in the habit of handing those sort of qualifications out to stupid people.

Your accent, but hopefully not as strong. We work primarily with clients in Australia and New Zealand. However, people in other English speaking countries will get some benefit from our program, particularly those in former Commonwealth countries. See our article here

No. Assessments are completely stand alone. There is no obligation to do anything further. We will even give you suggestions about things you can do to improve your speaking skills that don’t involve one of our programs.

Typically an assessment session takes about an hour, but we suggest that you allow an hour and a half. Clients often have questions, after all this is probably the first time that you realised that anything like this existed!

Besides a detailed examination of your problem sounds, we look at things like pace, volume, intonation, vocal variation, physical issues with your voice and your ability to control breath and speech. There is an Australian vocabulary assessment and you will be asked to read a few short passages. If you have conditions like dyslexia or vision impairment it is important that you flag these at the outset.

No! The assessment is definitely not a test and there is no preparation, apart from an information form. The assessment is designed as a gap analysis. It takes a snap shot of your skills and knowledge now and then compares that with where you want to be. The plan we develop aims to fill the gap. Click here to book an assessment.

No! We assume that you already have a good grasp of the English language, sufficient to have passed an IELTS or similar exam. We find that nearly all of our clients have a better grasp of English grammar than most people who claim English as their first language. If you need English language tuition, there are plenty of services that offer this, we’d be happy to point you in the right direction.

Probably not! No one we have worked with so far has completely lost their accent, but that’s is definitely not the aim of our program. We aim to help you communicate more effectively in English. We believe that accent is a key part of who you think you are, so losing 6 your accent would be to lose part of that identity. Besides most of our clients have passed the age where they have the ability to sound like a local. Read our article here

That’s complicated! Of course, good courses do. A lot depends on who taught you and their understanding of the language. Typically, English language schools in non-English speaking countries do not understand one of the keys to sounding natural, namely rhythm. English has a different rhythm from many world languages like Hindi, Mandarin and Spanish. Unless your school taught you the correct stress patterns and you learnt when you were an adult, you are likely to have a stronger accent. Every language has its trick and English’s is rhythm.

Coaching is a personal tailored program set at your pace and for your specific needs. Your coach is your friend, mentor and chief whip! You could think of a coach as being your unreasonable friend encouraging you to achieve your best.

Our programs run over three or six month periods and vary in intensity, from once a month (Explorer), through twice a month (Professional), to weekly (Executive). Onsite options are available for residents of the Melbourne metro. Costs for coaching programs range between AUD$900 and AUD$12,000 +GST.

If you are not looking for coaching we also offer online programs Click here to visit the course page. We can also offer onsite training for groups Click here to arrange a meeting.

No. It’s good to have an initial face-to-face meeting, but that’s always possible because of time or geography. We use Zoom to carry out client meetings. The Zoom app is available for most major platforms click here to visit the Zoom website.

We regularly use offices in Narre Warren and Richmond in the Melbourne metro area. With a little notice we can also carry out in person meetings in the following metro locations: Ringwood, Chadstone, Caribbean Park, Bundoora, and Highpoint For details visit the Waterman Business Centre website here.