Accent Reduction: 7 Ways to Pronounce Letter “A”

When there is a need for accent reduction to help speak English correctly, learning to pronounce the letter “A” can be valuable for non-native speakers of English, for professionals with heavy accents and even for native born Americans who grew up in areas of the US where regional dialects are heavy. There are seven ways the […] Read more

Impeccable Diction – Dylan Thomas Reading Fern Hill

Diction is articulation of consonant sounds. Consonants make speech clear, crisp and intelligible. I am so grateful to Arthur Lessac of The Lessac Institute for the training in diction he gave me. I realize that my speech is very easy for listeners to understand because of the Lessac Method I know and teach. Not many […] Read more

Steps for Practicing to Reduce or Modify an Accent

I have been coaching non-native speakers of English to improve their pronunciation for almost four decades.  I was trained by Arthur Lessac in the Lessac Method of Voice and Diction.  Thanks to Arthur’s fine training and method, I can quickly and easily identify the sounds of English that non-native speakers need to learn.  It’s also […] Read more

How Pronouncing Consonant Sounds Clearly Makes a Non-Native English Speaker Easier to Understand

Learning to pronounce consonant sounds is vital to mastering clear, crisp, intelligible speech. This translates into meaningful spoken communication that is easily understood. Pronouncing consonant sounds clearly makes every word you articulate more precise. This in turn makes your overall message more readily understood by your audience, whether it is a small group or large […] Read more

Accent Reduction: Why Pronouncing Consonants is More Important than Pronouncing Vowels

There is no fast and easy way to reduce or modify an accent. If you are going to learn to reduce your accent, it is going to take considerable time and effort to practice. OK, now I have said it! I don’t mean to discourage you, but I do mean to help you be realistic […] Read more

Accent Reduction: Freedom of Speech for Non-Native Speakers of English

People from all over the world come to the US because of the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy in our country. Freedom of speech is among our most cherished and valuable rights which draw ambitious and educated people to our nation. Houston, Texas is truly a melting pot for professionals especially in the oil and […] Read more