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Accent American

Speak Clearly. Communicate Effectively.

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American Accent Training

Meet Dr. Ojakangas, a trained neuroscientist and certified speech-language pathologist. She will be your Accent Coach!

“I can help you improve your accent by at least 50%.  I will create a personalized program tailored to your unique communication needs as an English speaker. This can also include work on public speaking, interview techniques or other communication areas.”

Phone: 401-954-5148

Did you know…

  • 8 out of 10 employers admit to making discriminatory decisions based on regional accents.
  • Customers view business professionals with an accent as less credible than native speakers.
  • Students give non-native English speaking professors a 29% lower rating on “Rate my professor.”

Don’t let your accent keep you from the career you desire.

Success Stories

The strength of this course is the specificity…

The strength of this course is the specificity. Dr. O. diagnosed and ranked prominent issues that I have and tailored the self-practice course to address my most prominent flaws. Excellent!

Dr. C. Wacharamanotham, Switzerland

A real professional accent coach…

“Dr. O. is a real professional accent coach and not an ESL teacher. If you seriously want to improve your accent, her classes should be considered as a first priority.”

Yugo Fujinami

Boosting my confidence in speaking English…

“I was frustrated because it seemed to me that only a few of my MBA classmates fully understood what I said… therefore I worried that I would fail courses due to such issues… Thanks very much Dr. Ojakangas, for helping my speech becomes less-accented and boosting my confidence in speaking English.”

Andi Widianto

Excellent, in-depth accent coaching!

I highly recommend Dr. Ojakangas (Catherine)to anyone looking to improve their pronunciation, no matter their background. Not only is she incredibly knowledgeable about everything involved in pronunciation and how to address issues, but she is also adaptable and organized, making her lessons feel perfectly tailored to my needs. As a native French speaker, I’ve found that it’s especially hard to lose the French accent as an adult. But thanks to Catherine’s expertise, I finally have hope that I can overcome it.

What truly stands out about Catherine is her deep understanding of the intricacies behind pronunciation issues. I’ve tried many online tutorials before, but none compare to the in-depth approach she offers. Catherine knows exactly how to break down complex concepts and offer solutions that fit my personal needs.

Her training routines have made a real difference in my pronunciation, and I’ve already seen progress. The recordings she provides are particularly helpful, allowing me to track my improvement and hear the subtle changes in my speech. I’ve even caught myself speaking with an American accent, and those moments are what keep me motivated to continue.

Catherine also makes learning enjoyable. She’s easy to talk to, and her supportive nature makes every session engaging. Thanks to her, I no longer feel ashamed of my accent. While there’s still work to do, I’m confident that with her help, I’ll reach my goal. I couldn’t thank her enough for the encouragement and the tools she’s given me to succeed.

Jordane.L., entrepreneur, native French speaker

Excellent accent coaching!

I worked with Dr. Ojakangas for 3 months. I want to thank her for her encouragement and positivity. She is a wonderful teacher and a warm and personable human! I would highly recommend her coaching.

Olga D., Russian sales consultant

I wish I had known about Accent-American’s coaching earlier!

“I took the 16-week accent coaching program with Dr. Ojakangas.  Overall, it was an amazing course.  I learned how to pronounce words and sentences in the American way.  The assessment at the beginning helped me identify what issues my English had and what I should focus on.  Lessons were tailored to what I needed.”

Akihiko Ito, Product Manager

I strongly recommend Dr. Ojakangas!

Catherine is a great accent/communication coach for American English. She teaches in a way that is very different from typical English classrooms. At the beginning of the course, Catherine did a detailed assessment and planned the course with a very specific focus on identified problems. During the 20-class period, I have improved immensely in the accuracy of pronunciation. Also, Catherine did post-course assessments to measure the improvements.
I strongly recommend Catherine’s course to anyone who is not a native English speaker and wants to improve your conversational speaking significantly.

Xinwen Zhang, CTO/Co-founder, HireEZ (formerly Hiretual)

I would definitely recommend Accent-American to anyone…

“In addition to working with my accent, Dr. Ojakangas helped me with presentations I had to do for high management (several CEOs), reviewing the contents, making it clearer, correcting and helping me to stand and say my speech! I would definitely recommend Accent-American to anyone needing help with American English!”

Naima Semache

Catherine tailored the course to meet my needs…

“I explained to Dr. Ojakangas that what I needed was not only to learn the pronunciation, but also how to present materials professionally and in an effective way. Catherine tailored the course to meet those needs, and I think that was very effective… I’d recommend it to anyone who has come to America from another country!”

Luiz Greca

I learned the system of American pronunciation…

“I went to an English language center for two weeks before working with Dr. Ojakangas, but they didn’t teach me how to pronounce English as Americans do. At Accent-American… I learned the system of American pronunciation, which I think is important to do business internationally…

I would absolutely recommend Accent-American’s courses to friends and colleagues!”

Japanese businessman

Dr. Ojakangas demystifies American accents and how to achieve one!

When Dr. Ojakangas and I started working togethe, my accent was already quite subtle and I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to help. During our first meeting, she won my trust when she found several areas I could work on. Two months later, she has completely transformed the way I speak!
I love working with Catherine and only wish I had found her sooner. She demystifies the American accent and gives easy, step-by-step instructions appropriate for any level. I want to tell my immigrant parents, their friends, and my friends all about her: She’s the instructor we’ve been looking for!

T.Z., 29 yr old native Chinese speaker, product manager, entrepreneur

I give her teaching a 10 out of 10…

“I took the 13-week individual course from Dr. O. and I LOVED it! I am more confident now when speaking, and when I make a mistake I know the scientific basis and can correct myself. The program, materials, and most of all Dr. O.’s expertise were all great. I give her teaching a 10 out of 10, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to improve their American English pronunciation!”

Entrepreneur, MBA candidate, Russian speaker

Loved the experience and the results!

I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Ojakangas for 13 weeks on modifying my accent. She is pleasant and highly knowledgeable. The workload is reasonable, and you see the results throughout the program. I love the fact that your journey doesn’t stop after the program ends. You will learn how to continue to learn and be given the tools and resources to keep improving forward.

Jian, Native Mandarin Speaker, IT Professional

I don’t think anyone can find a better teacher…

“During conversations I would always get the question: ‘Where are you originally from?’… This prompted me to take an accent reduction cohort class at a public university, which helped, but not to my satisfaction. Then I found Cathy… I don’t think anyone can find a better teacher than Cathy!”

Adrian Padurean, M.D., M.B.A.

She will help transform your deficiency into efficiency!

“I came from Cameroon knowing how to speak English, but not the standard American English. My intonation was crazy, I chewed some of the words, especially the last sounds of a word and my pronunciation to many words was funny. Many people could not understand more than 60% of what I was saying. Three weeks after enrolling with Accent-American I realized people didn’t have to ask me to repeat myself for them to understand what I was saying! I had conversations with people. My intonation got better and better. I could pronounce words clearly without swallowing my words and, above all, I could easily communicate with people without the fear of not being understood. Thank you, Accent-American (Dr. O.) for helping me!

Dr. O., who asks you to call her Cathy, is patient and has excellent teaching skills, the assignments and pace of the class are perfect. She will help transform your deficiency into efficiency! You can achieve your goal with personal effort and Cathy’s instruction.”

Seminarian, French/English speaker from Cameroon

It was a correct choice to take this course!

” This was the first time in my life to learn native English so systematically.  After learning essences such as the IPA, word intonation and word linking, I realized that my speaking skills in English, as well as the listening skills, improved steadily.  I am quite sure that this course was my concrete step to becoming a proficient English speaker.  I think this course is extremely recommended to Japanese people who are struggling to master the English spoken language.”

Tatsuro Hanada

The best pronunciation class…

“Dr. Ojakangas’s training was the best pronunciation class I have ever had!”

Vice President, Investment Banking, Japan

I’d highly recommend her…

“In a warm, inviting, and relaxed atmosphere, Cathy identified what specific aspects of my speech pattern could hamper my audience from receiving and understanding the main points of my presentations. Cathy then gave me techniques and methods to slow down my speech rate during public presentations, as well as suggestions as how to become a more dramatic and effective speaker. I’d highly recommend her to others seeking to improve their presentation and communication skills.”

Scientist, Louisiana native

Very pleased with the services she provided…

“I visited Accent-American because I was having difficulties expressing myself clearly in English. I am from Japan and, although my English is good, I needed some assistance. Sometimes my boss had difficulty understanding my conversation. Dr. Ojakangas determined what sounds I needed to improve, and how to come to the main point of discussion directly. I am very pleased with the services she provided.”

Japanese scientist

I feel much more comfortable now in front of the class…

“I worked with Dr. Ojakangas for six months on pronunciation as well as public speaking skills. I don’t think any other course could have provided me with such detailed analysis of my accent and instructions on how to improve. I feel much more comfortable now in front of the class I teach. Her teaching of pronunciation and her suggestions to improve my presentation skills were tremendously helpful! Thank you, Dr. O.!”

Business School Professor, from Turkey

FIVE STARS COURSE!

I worked with Dr.Catherine Ojakangas over a 16-week period. I felt that Dr. Ojakangas was very committed to helping me reach my goals to improve my English pronunciation. Her methodology is very effective. She helped me realize various pronunciation mistakes that I was completely unaware of. Most importantly, she taught me the correct pronunciation and gave me exercises to help with the learning process. I definitely recommend Dr. Ojakangas for those who want to reduce their accent and speak more confidently!

E.Y., Financial Manager, Petrochemical Company (from Brazil)

I learned so much!

“My work at Accent-American with Dr. Ojakangas can be described In one word, several syllables: A-MA-ZING! And also REWARDING! I learned so much! I was looking for something different and I found it! I’m now more confident because I learned a lot in regards to the vowels, the consonants, and the intonation of American English. I was always afraid to exaggerate too much when speaking the American language; Dr. Ojakangas reassured me. She gave me this confidence by her knowledge, her patience also and her availability when I had questions.

In addition to work with my accent, Dr. Ojakangas helped me with presentations I had to do for high management (several CEOs), reviewing the contents making it clearer, correct and helping me to stand and say my speech! The lessons are also oriented towards your needs. I would definitely recommend Accent-American to anyone needing help with American English!”

Quality Assurance Manager, France

Her encouragement throughout the sessions was remarkable…

“Knowing what my mistakes are was huge for me. Knowing my areas of weaknesses and working through them gave me a weekly dose of confidence. There is no session that I did not have an AHA! moment. The AHA! moments made me look forward to the sessions. I believed that the more AHA!moments that I got to, gets me close to completely eradicating my accent. What I enjoyed about Dr. Ojakangas is how she was able to inject humor into her sessions. The humor made it fun and exciting even though I saw her late evenings after work when I was almost tired. Her encouragement throughout the sessions was remarkable. Even when you think you are disappointing her, she finds a way to support and cheer you on. This was a valuable and rewarding experience. Certainly, it’s a milestone toward a complete eradication of my accent.”

Nigerian education professional

Identified my weaknesses and gave me the right tools…

“Just before I moved for the first time to the US, I wanted to strengthen my English, to feel comfortable with my pronunciation, and to improve my communication skills. Dr. Ojakangas (Catherine) did all that and more. She tailored a 3-month course, which answered all my needs. From the evaluation through each session, Catherine identified my weaknesses and gave me the right tools to improve those and to achieve my goals. I would highly recommend Dr. Ojakangas’s courses to any international professional who wants to improve their English communication.”

MBA candidate, Israel

Very satisfied with the progress I made…

“Catherine at Accent-American gave me the tools I needed to considerably improve my accent. The first-week evaluation was instrumental in identifying my weaknesses, communicating my goals, and establishing a plan of action tailored to my needs.

During my 17-week program, Catherine designed coursework content in accordance with our plan of action and provided personalized advice (both during our coaching meetings and through emails) and tools (e.g. audiotapes, personal recordings, workbooks, guides, homework assignments) to help me achieve my goals by the end of the program. I am very satisfied with the progress I made during the program and I would not have improved that quickly without Catherine’s guidance.

Accent-American’s program provided me with effective communicative skills and helped me feel more confident when speaking English.”

Investment Banker, Credit Suisse, France

A real professional accent coach…

“I took a small group, online course for 10 weeks with Dr. O. Three of our group were in Tokyo, and one was in Boston. I believe the course has three main advantages. First, the course’s quality is significantly high. Cathy’s comments in classes always come from her deep knowledge of the field. Second, the course covers comprehensive topics of American accent. Comprehensive learning has much more value than learning a part of a subject. Third, Cathy’s instruction is always easy to understand and she is very supportive to make students go further. I personally asked her to make sample readings of some short passages not in the course, and she was glad to do it for me. My accent improved significantly.

All of these advantages come from the fact that Dr. O. is a real professional accent coach and not an ESL teacher. If you seriously want to improve your accent, her classes should be considered as a first priority.”

Japanese businessman/entrepreneur, Tokyo

Learn to speak English like an American with our customized accent modification courses.

Improve your accent.

You'll see results after the very first lesson. And motivated clients usually improve 50% (and often much more) by the end of the course.

Communicate with confidence.

Clear speech doesn't just increase your confidence as a professional. It also increases your client's trust in your expertise.

Get that promotion.

Being clearly understood will help you meet your career goals and get the promotion you deserve.

Why you need an accent coach...

I often hear individuals say that they thought they could improve on their own with a CD program or book. They thought that they could learn to speak like an American by speaking the language every day, recording and analyzing themselves,  and working hard to develop their English. But, they became frustrated with little results.  Why?

When you listen to yourself try to say a new sound, even if you record yourself, you often cannot tell if its right or wrong.  This is because your auditory discrimination system in your brain can't tell the difference between the right and wrong pronunciation.  This leads to frustration and little improvement.

As your personal accent coach, I will analyze your speech and give you the feedback required to change your brain pathways so that you can hear and produce the American English sounds and intonation correctly.

Dr. Catherine Ojakangas is a neuroscientist and a nationally certified speech language pathologist with over 25 years of experience. She has studied the brain and the neural pathways involved in learning a new motor skill.  She has a proven track record of helping business professionals solidify new speech patterns. It's time to put an end to the unfortunate consequences of foreign accent discrimination.

Click the button to request a professional consultation with Dr. Ojakangas.

Get Started Today

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711 College Street
Woodland, CA 95695

TEL: 401-954-5148

Speak Clearly. Communicate Effectively.

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Woodland, CA 95695

Tel: 401-954-5148

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