The Accent Expansion Program is a nationally recognized program focusing on interactive, effective communication techniques with nonnative English speakers to improve their pronunciation and intonation of English. Participants take part in one or two sessions each week as individuals, pairs or in small groups with trained speech-language clinicians from the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences in the School of Health Professions.
Contact Dana Fritz via email or at 573-884-7538 for more information, schedule and fees. Tuition fee waivers are not applicable for this individualized program. Faculty, students and staff actively follow the University of Missouri’s nondiscrimination policy.
Information for participants
What is the Accent Expansion Program?
The MU Speech and Hearing Clinic has been serving children and adults with communication disorders or differences on campus since the 1940s. Students, faculty and community members interested in improving their ability to be understood by American listeners have been served for many years by this clinic. The current MU AXP program opened in 2006 and serves people wishing to work on pronunciation and articulation of English phonemes (consonants and vowels), word stress, intonation and prosody.
This program is primarily focused on improving understandability. That may include vocabulary, grammar, social language and overall communication skills. Our program’s efficacy and outcomes have been studied and reported nationally, and our participants report an increased confidence when speaking in informal and formal situations. Our program was recognized as a Diversity Champion in 2009 by the American Speech Language Hearing Association.
Who works here?
The MU Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences teaches and trains students in the field of speech-language pathology. These students are required to obtain 25 observation hours and 400 clinical clock hours before graduation. Graduate students and faculty members in our department are the clinicians for MU AXP. Students are supervised by certified and licensed professionals throughout their training and serve participants individually, in pairs or in small groups.
Selected publications
- Fritz, D.R. 2017. Case 24: Accent Modification in a Thai-Speaking Graduate Student, Casebook in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (Branski & Molfenter, eds). Thieme Publishing: New York City, NY.
- Fritz, D.R. & Sikorski, L.D. 2013. Efficacy in Accent Modification Services: Quantitative and Qualitative Outcomes for Korean Speakers of American English. ASHA Perspectives, 20, 118-126.