English learners all over the world have the same question: how can I speak more like a native speaker? A big industry has grown up around helping non-native English speakers change their accent. Accent is more than simply how you pronounce individual words. It also includes the stress and intonation patterns for whole sentences. There are many books and software programs, online and in-person courses that promise to teach a "native accent." But is it really necessary to sound exactly like a native speaker? Some experts say it is not. Eusebia V. Mont leads the Accent Modification Program at the University of Maryland’s Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences. Mont talked about it to VOA Learning English. The Accent Modification Program serves students, faculty and the local community. Students come to the program for one or two school terms. They meet in a group for 90 minutes a week. Each student meets with one other student and a clinician for more individual work. Altogether the program amounts to about 60 hours of learning in class. Mont says the time needed to improve is different for each student.
Title: Keep Your Identity While Changing Your Accent
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/1ba0394c-8171-446e-b489-c34d6b672705_hq__1_.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Keep Your Identity While Changing Your Accent' data-article-id='3889'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9167'>English learners all over the world have the same question: how can I speak more like a native speaker?</span> <span data-start-time='9167' data-end-time='18313'>A big industry has grown up around helping non-native English speakers change their accent.</span> <span data-start-time='18313' data-end-time='25208'>Accent is more than simply how you pronounce individual words.</span> <span data-start-time='25208' data-end-time='33083'>It also includes the stress and intonation patterns for whole sentences.</span> <span data-start-time='33083' data-end-time='44646'>There are many books and software programs, online and in-person courses that promise to teach a "native accent."</span> <span data-start-time='44646' data-end-time='50521'>But is it really necessary to sound exactly like a native speaker?</span> <span data-start-time='50521' data-end-time='54104'>Some experts say it is not.</span> <span data-start-time='54104' data-end-time='66000'>Eusebia V. Mont leads the Accent Modification Program at the University of Maryland’s Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences.</span> <span data-start-time='66000' data-end-time='71167'>Mont talked about it to VOA Learning English.</span> <span data-start-time='71167' data-end-time='81063'>The Accent Modification Program serves students, faculty and the local community.</span> <span data-start-time='81063' data-end-time='86771'>Students come to the program for one or two school terms.</span> <span data-start-time='86771' data-end-time='90771'>They meet in a group for 90 minutes a week.</span> <span data-start-time='90771' data-end-time='98083'> Each student meets with one other student and a clinician for more individual work.</span> <span data-start-time='98083' data-end-time='104646'>Altogether the program amounts to about 60 hours of learning in class.</span> <span data-start-time='104646' data-end-time='111188'>Mont says the time needed to improve is different for each student.</span> 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fall in the sound of your voice when you speak'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/the_ability_to_read_and_write.wav'><span>the ability to read and write</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/the_rise_and_fall_in_the_sound_of_your_voice_when_you_speak.wav'><span>the rise and fall in the sound of your voice when you speak</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/the_leader_or_head_of_something.wav'><span>the leader or head of something</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/the_belief_in_a_god_or_higher_power.wav'><span>the belief in a god or higher power</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=13010 data-hint-location='81063' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/who_comes_to_the_program_for_one_or_two_school_terms.wav'>Who comes to the program for one or two school terms?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='students'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/teachers.wav'><span>teachers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/lawyers.wav'><span>lawyers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/animals.wav'><span>animals</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/students.wav'><span>students</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=13011 data-hint-location='9167' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/a_big_industry_has_grown_up_around_helping_nonnative_english_speakers_change_their__blank_.wav'>A big industry has grown up around helping non-native English speakers change their <span class='blank'>accent</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='accent'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/hair.wav'><span>hair</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/eye_color.wav'><span>eye color</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/accent.wav'><span>accent</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3375/style.wav'><span>style</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button 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