WHO IS THE SPEECH PRO?

Jeffrey S. Klein, MA, MFA, CCC-SLP, is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with 25 years experience as a classically-trained stage actor/director. His diverse repertoire includes 30+ accents and dialects and he has worked with numerous professional speakers, high-profile actors and celebrities.
He is now offering classes (private or group) in accent modification for corporate and/or healthcare professionals, as well as dialect coaching for actors. Professional Affiliations include:

• ASHA (American Speech-Language and Hearing Association)
• MSCC (Medical Speech Council of California)
• SAG (Screen Actors Guild)
• AEA (Actors Equity Association)
• CVHP (Citrus Valley Health Partners)* 

*Working with Citrus Valley Health Partners, Mr. Klein developed a unique program  entitled "Speech Clarity for the Medical Professional", an accent training seminar for foreign-born professionals who are motivated to develop improved pronunciation and intonation patterns of the American Speech Sound System.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM TAKING A CLASS?

It truly depends on your level of motivation, and your ability to practice learning a new accent: American English. You will not "unlearn" your native language accent, but you will learn a new one. You can expect to change your well-worn speech "differences" because you will learn the skills to alter your accent ON DEMAND.  As for motivation, let's put it this way: "Argue for your limitations, and their yours".  If you wished to be an opera singer, your lifestyle would REQUIRE a fundamental change, including finding a good singing teacher and disciplining yourself with focused practice.  Accent modification classes will provide you with the necessary tools to productively change your native accent whenever you chose to do so. American Speech sounds and intonation patterns are easily learnable. You can expect the class to give you the following tools:

• Ability to pronounce American English speech sounds correctly
• Understanding the differences between your native language and the English sound system
• Clear intelligibility when speaking in American English with others             
• Training your ear to focus on the stress and intonation patterns of words and sentences
• Implementing the cultural rules of using American English in different communicative contexts
• Learning the sound symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
• Familiarizing yourself with the subtle nuances of American communication, including idiomatic expressions and slang