For several years, Alia Curtis lived in an international community and observed her professional friends suffering humiliation in restaurants, other public places, and in their workplace. Speaking with a heavy accent denied them both respect in public and upward mobility on the job.
Being American, but of African decent, female, and formerly speaking with a regional accent, she could relate to the struggle and decided to do something about it. She studied, received certification and volunteered to teach Accent Reduction in her community where she learned hands-on to recognize and resolve a variety of speaking distortions. She later taught at the University of Pittsburgh's General Studies Program and McKeesport Hospital's Foreign Intern Program, where she learned to work with multi-level and diverse groups of professionals.
After years of study, research and addressing the speaking needs of her students and clients from around the world, Alia developed an affordable six week personalized, intensive Accent Reduction program based on Dr. Daniel P. Dato’s approach, and authored two “Accent Survival” mini-e-books titled (1) "How to Understand Regional Accents"and (2) "How to Choose an Accent Reduction Trainer".
These books are based on questions that she received from her clients and students. Her information is well researched and will be beneficial to all non-native speakers of English living and communicating in the American culture.
Alia plans to have an ongoing series that will guide second language speakers through the maze of communicating in America. She also writes and edits copy for second language speakers of English and presently conducts private Accent Reduction Sessions in Oakland, California.
- Native English Speaker
- Certified Accent Improvement Specialist
- BA in Interpersonal Communications
- MA in Writing
- ESL Training - Berlitz School of Language
- Instructor English Literature/ Grammar and ESL-all levels
- Published Journalist
- Co-author of ESL Reading/Comprehension Textbook
Contact: Alia Curtis 510 763-8806 alia_curtis@yahoo.com
Oakland, Ca.