According to US News and World Reports, Accent Modification Trainer is one of the eleven “best-kept-secret careers” for 2009. They are in alphabetical order, so we come out on top. 
Here’s what the article gives as a “snapshot” of the profession:
A customer-service person in India speaks perfect English but wants his accent more clearly understood by Americans. A Chinese scientist at a government lab speaks poor English and in such a heavy accent that it’s hard to understand him. A corporation has executives with thick Brooklyn, African-American, Latino, or southern accents, and the company believes they’ll be more credible if they sound more like a TV news anchor. These are typically the clients of accent-reduction specialists, also known as accent neutralization or accent modification specialists. Demand for this specialty is strong. Most accent-reduction specialists come from the ranks of speech therapists or English-as-a-Second-Language teachers.
The reporter got what we do, but used the term accent “reduction” rather than accent “modification.” I think modification is the more accurate term, since we are changing, not reducing people’s accents, but “reduction” is easier to understand. I find that when I say “accent modification” I frequently have to further define what it is that we do.
Well, great to know that we’re in a hot career! Let’s hope 2009 will be a good year for all of us.
