Frequently Asked Questions
PRONUNCIATION/ACCENT TRAINING
Q: WHO BENEFITS FROM PRONUNCIATION/ACCENT TRAINING?
A: Non-native speakers of English and/or individuals with a regional dialect that want to improve their public speaking skills for personal/professional growth purposes.
Q: HOW IS AN ESL PROGRAM DIFFERENT FROM THIS TRAINING?
A: This course begins where an ESL program ends. Generally, conventional ESL programs emphasize learning vocabulary and grammatical forms. However, many people remain poorly prepared to speak clearly and be easily understood. This course will help individuals achieve their goals of speaking with clarity and confidence so that they are understood by their listeners, the first time.
Q: WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING PRIVATE LESSONS WITH A CERTIFIED SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST?
A: As communication specialists, speech language pathologists (SLPs) are uniquely qualified to provide pronunciation and accent training. SLPs take undergraduate and graduate courses in language development, articulation, phonetics, phonology, and the anatomy and physiology of the speech & hearing mechanism. SLPs are experts trained in modifying, remediating and habilitating speech sound production. SLPs have also received training in voice, and resonance, as well as the suprasegmental aspects of speech, language and communication. These include word & sentence stress, rhythm, intonation, word linking & word reductions. SLPs are also knowledgeable in nonverbal communication skills, such as volume, tone of voice, facial expression and body language. SLPs take a holistic approach, and train English pronunciation and communication skills to refine and strengthen the whole package (verbal, non-verbal, and cultural communication skills). Their education includes years of training and fellowship work (working under another certified SLP), and continuing education hours every year. SLPs hold certification mandated by their state, and by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association. When looking for a professional to assist in your accent management, consider an SLP first!
To learn more about American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certified speech-language pathologists, visit their website: www.ashacertified.org
Q: DOES ACCENT TRAINING REALLY WORK?
A: Yes! Research has shown that individuals who enrolled in these classes and completed the recommended practice exercises, experienced an improvement of at least 50% or greater in their post-training assessments. Regardless of your age, you can still acquire this new skill with guided practice and feedback from the speech professional.
Q: HOW ARE THE SERVICES PROVIDED?
A: This service can be conveniently accessed from your home, school or work office, through videoconferencing/video chat. It is available for individual or small group instruction. Depending on the needs and professional/personal goals of the client, it may be recommended that one registers for either the standard course, which is 13 - 15 weeks of individualized instruction for 1 hour, or 7-10 weeks for 1 hour.
Q: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TRAINING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL?
Ability to speak with clarity and be easily understood
Increase your level of self-confidence
Improve academic/job performance
Strengthen leadership skills and be able to clearly express thoughts to stakeholders/colleagues
Become a suitable candidate for job promotions and career opportunities
Q: HOW DOES A CORPORATION BENEFIT FROM HAVING THEIR EMPLOYEES ENROLL IN THIS PROGRAM?
Enhances the image of the company
Enables better profitability
Improves job performance and productivity
Gives way to employees having better customer relations
Decreases turnover rate and improves staff morale
Q: HOW MUCH DOES THIS TRAINING COST?
A: Please contact us so that we may discuss the program cost.
SPEECH/LANGUAGE SERVICES
Q: WHERE DO YOU PROVIDE THE SERVICES?
A: At this time, speech and language services are provided to residents of Illinois and Indiana via web based video conferencing.
Q: WHAT IS THE PRICE FOR AN ASSESSMENT OR THERAPY SESSION?
A: Please contact us to discuss your rate.
Q: DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE AS PAYMENT FOR SERVICES?
A: CLEAR EXPRESSIONS is out-of-network for all insurance providers. However, upon request, a superbill can be provided for speech and language services, so that you may submit and be reimbursed by your insurance company.