IT'S NOT WHAT
YOU SAY.
IT'S WHAT THEY HEAR.
Accent training for international professionals living and working in North America
Trusted by:
You have enthusiasm and deep expertise in your field. But instead of focusing on sharing your ideas, you're wondering whether people are receiving what you actually meant.
This is where it all begins.
Are you ready to be fully understood in American English?
Do any of these sound like you?
You have difficulty connecting with North American colleagues
You stay quiet because you're worried about your pronunciation
You rehearse a sentence in your head before you say it out loud
You get reactions that don't match your words or your intent
You replay conversations in your head, wondering why they felt slightly off
You feel like a quieter version of yourself in north america
Being understood exactly as you intend is possible.
Even if you've taken the most advanced English classes and have worked in North America for years— together we can get to the root of what's really happening so that the message people receive finally matches the one you're sending.
don't worry,
Listeners correctly read a speaker's intention 73% of the time—on words with no meaning at all. The melody alone carried the message.
Journal of Memory and Language (2016)
Hellbernd & Sammler
Hi, I'm Victoria
I hold a Master's in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Columbia University and my Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Having grown up navigating multiple languages and cultures, I understand the challenges my clients face not just theoretically, but personally. In addition to English, I speak Polish, French, and Greek. My TEDx talk on cross-cultural connection has been viewed by more than 38,000 people worldwide.
Over 15 years, my work has spanned neurorehabilitation, accent reduction, and high-stakes communication — the last decade focused exclusively on international professionals living and working in North America. Drawing on that experience, I identified the highest-leverage shifts and shaped them into one focused program. Together, these shifts have helped hundreds of professionals communicate clearly, share their ideas freely, and finally be understood the way they intend.
speech-language pathologist and speaker
Hi, I'm Victoria
I hold a Master's in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Columbia University and my Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Having grown up navigating multiple languages and cultures, I understand the challenges my clients face not just theoretically, but personally. In addition to English, I speak Polish, French, and Greek. My TEDx talk on cross-cultural connection has been viewed by over 38,000 people worldwide.
speech-language pathologist and speaker
Over 15 years, my work has spanned neurorehabilitation, accent reduction, and high-stakes communication — the last decade focused exclusively on international professionals living and working in North America.
Drawing on that experience, I identified the highest-leverage shifts and shaped them into one focused program. Together, these shifts have helped hundreds of professionals communicate clearly, share their ideas freely, and finally be understood the way they intend.
Listeners read a speaker's intention 73% of the time from tone of voice alone, even on nonsense words.
In a study by Hellbernd and Sammler
— Journal of Memory and Language (2016)
In American English, being understood
takes more than the right words.
work
together
Learn more in the video below.
Pronunciation isn't about polish; it's how your words land.
English isn't phonetic. The way a word is spelled rarely tells you how it sounds, so a single sound can turn one word into another, creating immediate confusion and miscommunication.
American English is Harder than it Looks
1.
Rhythm isn't about speed; it's how your message lands.
Melody isn't about style; it's how your attitude comes across.
3 reasons why
In English, stressed and reduced words do real work, carrying both your baseline message and your emphasis. Get the rhythm wrong, and your listener hears something you didn't say.
Melody is the rise and fall of your voice, and in English it signals attitude. The same words can land as friendly, cold, or sarcastic, so the wrong melody changes how you come across.
2.
3.
Questions?
I've got answers.
1. WHAT IS ACCENT REDUCTION?
I've helped hundreds of multilingual professionals regain their confidence in English using neuroscience-based techniques that actually work. This isn't theory - it's results.
2. WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR WORKING TOGETHER?
The first step in the process is the evaluation, during which I learn about your goals and do an in-depth analysis of your speech. Afterwards, I write up a detailed evaluation that outlines all of the speech sounds and patterns you need to work on to improve your communication skills. In our sessions together, we meet weekly to cover all of the topics that were identified on the evaluation.
3. WHERE DO THE SESSIONS TAKE PLACE?
All meetings, both evaluations and follow-up sessions, take place remotely. You will receive a link to join once you book your session.
4. DO YOU TEACH THE AMERICAN OR CANADIAN ACCENT? ARE THESE THE SAME?
While there are obvious similarities between these accents compared to English from another continent, in general, it is immediately apparent whether someone is from Canada or the United States. Is there a better target to aim for? It entirely depends upon your goals, and the circumstances in which you find yourself; it is not a matter of one accent being right, and the other wrong.
5. I JUST WANT TO SOUND MORE "NEUTRAL" RATHER THAN CANADIAN OR AMERICAN, IS THAT POSSIBLE?
Because individuals in every area have a distinct manner of speaking, the idea of “neutral” will be a question of relativity based on your target audience. It would be impossible to give someone a neutral accent without a context, because what is “neutral” to a speaker in Toronto, is “accented” to a speaker in London, and vice versa. So if your target audience is within North America, we can achieve a more “neutral” accent by giving you speech features that most North Americans use, based upon speech sounds and voice patterns.
6. IS THIS COVERED BY MY EXTENDED HEALTH PLAN?
You need to check the fine print of your extended health plan, as each is different. I am licensed as an orthophoniste (speech-language pathologist) with the OOAQ in Quebec, and I will provide you with an invoice that you may submit to your insurance if you do have coverage. However, understanding your plan and your coverage is your sole responsibility, and I do not communicate or bill your insurance company directly.
I would be delighted to accompany you on your journey to effective communication in American English. Send me a message about yourself and your goals and we’ll take it from there!
My email is victoria at accentography dot com, if you prefer email.
I’ll be in touch within 48 business hours.
I’m looking forward to connecting with you!
Get In Touch
