I teach non-native speakers of Standard American English to speak clearly and expressively.
Meet Grace Wood
Welcome to Prestige Accents, my Accent Reduction Coaching business. I teach non-native speakers of Standard American English to communicate clearly, expressively, and conversationally.
I developed my expertise through decades of teaching students from around the world. I created my unique approach to Accent Reduction by drawing on my master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and specialized training in acting, improv, animation, design, the creative process, and broadcasting.
On my About page, you'll learn more about my education, teaching experience, and the wide variety of clients I've coached across many industries.
I look forward to helping you communicate effectively and confidently in English.
Accent Reduction
I offer one-on-one Accent Reduction Coaching lessons via Zoom. Since an accent is a collection of speaking habits, I guide you in developing and integrating new habits so they become automatic. Our goal is to use my systematic approach to Accent Reduction to build a solid foundation that we can then apply to the communication tasks that matter most in your professional or personal life. This approach creates a truly customized context for practicing new habits and refining your accent.
If you're curious to learn how we work together, the goals that guide our work, how we measure progress, what the learning experience is like, and what's included in the lesson package, please click the button below to learn more. You can also read and listen to client Success Stories on that page, including work with speakers of other English dialects. If you’d like to discuss working together, please contact me to schedule a free consultation.
Advanced Coaching
Some clients are happy to achieve their goal of speaking more clearly, expressively, and confidently in one 16-lesson series. Many others continue to apply their pronunciation foundation to communication tasks such as interviewing for jobs, interviewing job candidates, making small talk, making presentations, or pitching a product, idea, or company.
We do typically work on some of these customized communication tasks in a first lesson series, depending on the number and types of accent habits to be integrated.
Some clients simply enjoy learning, building confidence, and improving their spoken English, so they continue my coaching, sometimes for years. Their solid foundation allows us to explore a wide range of topics and communication tasks. Head to the Advanced Coaching page for examples.
Here’s what clients are saying
“I didn’t realize how impactful accent reduction sessions could be until I started learning with Grace. My only regret is that I didn’t take these classes much earlier.
I truly enjoyed learning from Grace. She is an excellent teacher, and I was genuinely impressed by the amount of effort, structure, and detail that has gone into the books and learning materials.
In a short period of time, I have made significant progress, and I now feel more confident in business meetings with colleagues and customers. While I still aspire to continue improving the way I speak and pitch, these sessions have already made a significant difference in how I communicate.
I highly recommend Grace to professionals, especially those working remotely, who want to improve their communication, clarity, and confidence.”
“Grace helped me prepare for a difficult presentation at an important conference. She literally saved me. Grace helped me with all aspects of the presentation, from story construction, English grammar, pronunciation and of course, accent. Although I am not a native speaker, I presented a high-level presentation and received applause. Grace was my heroine, and for that, I am grateful to her. ”
“Working with Grace has proven to be one of the best investments I’ve ever made in my professional development. A key aspect for any leader is clear communication, and Grace has been instrumental in this regard. She pinpointed the specific challenges I faced and then guided me in mastering the American accent, significantly enhancing my communication skills. Moreover, working with Grace was not only immensely beneficial but also thoroughly enjoyable.”
“From the very first session, Grace was able to identify my sticking points, and she devised a custom plan to improve on each. I had a custom homework attachment at the end of each session along with related coursework and speech samples. All of the material is very detailed and very well prepared. After 16 sessions, I can easily hear the difference between the initial and final speech samples I recorded. I am very pleased with the results and would recommend it to anybody who wants to improve on their communication skills.”
Contact us for a free 30-minute consultation
Let’s meet on Zoom. I'd love to discuss working together.