Teach Accents & Pronunciation: How To Get Started

So You’re Curious About Teaching Accent & Pronunciation?

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here—because this work is more than just possible. It’s powerful.

If you're a Speech-Language Pathologist, ESL teacher, actor, or language professional, offering accent and pronunciation training is one of the most rewarding and flexible ways to use your expertise—and get paid well for it.

The average rate for accent and communication coaching ranges from $100 to $200+ per session. That’s not an exaggeration—it’s the going rate for this kind of specialized, high-impact service.

Why So Many Professionals Are Turning to This Work:

• You set your own schedule.

• There’s little to no paperwork.

• You work with motivated students who want to be there—and who deeply value your support.

• You can start simply and grow your services into courses, workshops, or high-end coaching programs.

And the best part?
 

You don’t need to invest thousands of dollars or years of your life to get started. A computer, a clear plan, and a little training are all you need.

But here’s the problem:
 

Many people don’t even realize this is a career option. And even when they do, they tend to overthink it. They assume they need more credentials, more experience, or more time before they can begin.

That’s just not true.

If you’ve ever helped someone with speech, taught English, studied phonetics, or even coached performance—you’re already more qualified than you think.

My Story (And Why It Might Sound Familiar)

When I started 25+ years ago, I was a brand-new SLP who quickly realized that the traditional path wasn’t for me. I loved working with people—but not with piles of paperwork, endless red tape, or data-heavy tasks that made my clients feel like numbers.

So I pivoted.

Accent and pronunciation training felt exciting, creative, and human. But I didn’t know where to start. I had tools from my SLP background—but no clue how to teach an accent or build a coaching business.

I thought you had to be born with some kind of magical “accent ear” or study for years.

Turns out? You don’t.

There’s no secret talent required. No special degree. No license. You just need to know how to get your students results—and that can be learned with the right training and a solid structure.

If you’d like to learn even more about what you need to do to start your career as an accent and pronunciation teacher, click here to download my FREE Getting Started Guide.

What You Actually Need to Teach Accents & Pronunciation

Let’s break it down.

1. Learn to Do a Simple, Effective Accent Assessment

You don’t need any complicated testing protocols or expensive assessment materials.  Because the main goal of the initial session should be to build a relationship, an informal conversational evaluation during the first session is the actually the best way to evaluate your potential student. 

Plus, a formal evaluation is not really an accurate depiction of how your student sounds in real conversations.  Reading is much easier than talking conversationally without the prompt of the words written out in front of you, so the more conversational speech that you can hear and evaluate, the better.

One of the things that I always do during an assessment is to ask my student to choose a speech model.  This is someone who is their gender, approximate age, and has a style, image, and way of speaking that the student feels is representative of himself or herself. 

And remember, The General American Accent is not always the best accent for every student.  Not everybody wants one or needs one.  Be sure you understand the student’s speech and pronunciation goals and always respect those goals.

The goal for my students is NEVER to “lose an accent" or “reduce an accent.”  There is nothing wrong with having an accent.  The goal is always for the student to feel confident and be easily understood in any situation.

Tip: Ask your student to read a short passage, describe their day, and speak freely about their goals. Take notes on common substitutions or sound patterns.

2. Structure Your Sessions for Real Progress
Good sessions don’t just focus on sounds. You’ll also guide your students in rhythm, intonation, voice, vocabulary, presentation skills, and more.

Tip: Start with a warm-up activity (like minimal pairs or shadowing), focus on 1-2 high-impact goals, and end with applied practice in conversation.

3. Use Professional, Age-Appropriate Materials
Skip the babyish worksheets, outdated poems, and cheesy cartoons. Your students are adults. Use modern, relevant, engaging materials they’ll actually enjoy practicing with.

Tip: Use video or audio clips from TED Talks, job interviews, role-play scripts, or casual conversations to practice real-world listening and mimicry. Choose material that matches your student’s professional or personal goals.

Your Coaching Can Go Far Beyond One-on-One Sessions

This work is flexible. Once you know how to teach, you can deliver your services in a way that fits your lifestyle:

• 💻 Private sessions on Zoom

• 🎤 Online workshops

• 👥 Group coaching

• 🎓 Self-paced online courses

• 📁 Practice materials (audio, video, worksheets) for purchase

• 💡 A mix of any of the above

You don’t need a full caseload. You need the right students—and a proven approach that helps them get real results.

Common Myths—Let’s Clear These Up

MYTH: “You need a special license or certification to teach accents.”
Nope. There’s no national board or license for accent coaching. Anyone can offer this—but the best coaches know what they’re doing and how to deliver results.

MYTH: “You have to be a native speaker.”
Absolutely not. You do need to speak English fluently and confidently—but many of the most successful coaches I know are non-native speakers who built their own incredible communication skills and now help others do the same.

MYTH: “You can’t do this full time.”
I’ve done it for over 20 years—and many of my students now do it full-time too. It’s 100% possible to build a sustainable, profitable career.

Let’s Get You Started the Right Way

I created a FREE Getting Started Guide to walk you through the basics:

• What to teach

• How to structure sessions

• Where to find students

• What materials to use

• How to avoid common mistakes

📍 Click here to download your free guide

You don’t have to figure this out alone—and you don’t need to be perfect to get started.

You just need a plan, a little training, and the confidence to say:
“Yes. I can help someone speak more clearly—and I’m ready to start.”

Let’s make it happen.