Accent Reduction

No matter what your native language is, Jan will help you sound like a true American English speaker.

Because Jan was born and raised in Los Angeles, Jan will teach you how to speak what is called "standard" or "broadcast"  English.

Some of the main areas we will work on are:
Jan Abell Tomoko accent reduction
Tomoko from Japan studying accent reduction
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Angelica, an Hispanic native, working on her accent
  • Pacing. Jan has encountered many students who speak too fast, either because this is a habit they've learned in their own language or because they are self-conscious about revealing grammar mistakes. Jan will teach you how to slow down and be mindful when you speak so that you can correct these errors, making you feel more confident. After all, you don't just want to lessen your accent and still speak bad English!
  • Intonation. American speakers use the rise and fall of their voices ("intonation" or "inflection") to ​express their emotions and emphasize key words in a sentence. Many languages are very flat and don't alter or change pitch and volume to express surprise, anger, or delight. Learning how to use proper intonation is extremely important if you want to sound like a true American speaker.
  • Articulation. English contains some specific consonant and vowel sounds that do not exist in many languages. Jan will teach you how to form these difficult sounds.
  • Phrase groups. Many non-native speakers tend to read as if all the words have the same importance and relationship to each other, rather than being grouped phrase by phrase to indicate where one idea stops and the next begins. This is another important aspect of sounding like an American English speaker.
I was looking for quite a while for a teacher for accent reduction and improving the voice quality. I usually act on what my intuition tells me. And I was right when I discovered Jan. My mind was saying "I have a feeling about this lady" and now I am more than happy to have this great opportunity to work with her.
She is an amazing teacher and a very kind person. Her approach is effective. People tell me that I sound much better with every lesson I take. And her lessons are so much fun, I am always looking forward to them. Honestly, I am blessed to know her.
—Elena N, Moldova