Helping Speech-Language Pathologists and ESL Professionals Build Successful Accent Coaching Practices Since 1978
You already have the clinical knowledge or teaching experience.
What you may not have is a proven system for turning that expertise into a specialized service that clients actively seek—and willingly pay for.
That’s why the Institute of Language & Phonology exists.
For more than four decades, we’ve helped speech-language pathologists, ESL instructors, and communication professionals learn a structured, research-based approach to American English pronunciation instruction that produces measurable results while opening the door to new professional opportunities.
Whether you’re looking to expand your private practice, add a high-value service to your current position, or create an entirely new source of income, the P-ESL Method gives you the tools to do it with confidence.
More Than a Certification
Anyone can watch a few videos on pronunciation.
What separates successful accent coaches is having a systematic process they can confidently use with every client.
The P-ESL Certification Course teaches far more than pronunciation techniques. You’ll learn how to:
- Conduct professional pronunciation assessments
- Identify the speech patterns that matter most
- Design individualized training plans
- Deliver measurable results in as little as 90 days
- Work effectively online or in person
- Build a profitable accent coaching service around a proven methodology
When you complete the course, you won’t simply understand the method. You’ll be ready to use it with paying clients.
Built on Decades of Research
The P-ESL Method was developed by Dr. Arthur J. Compton, whose research into accented American English pronunciation has influenced pronunciation instruction for decades.
Rather than treating every accented speaker the same, Dr. Compton analyzed pronunciation patterns across speakers representing more than 100 language backgrounds. His research demonstrated that pronunciation challenges follow predictable patterns influenced by a speaker’s native language.
That research became the foundation for a structured instructional system that has continued to evolve through decades of practical application and updated online delivery.
Today, the course includes modern video instruction, web-based assessment tools, online practice resources, and guidance for delivering services remotely while preserving the same evidence-informed instructional framework.
Why So Many SLPs Choose Accent Coaching
Speech-language pathologists already possess many of the skills needed to become excellent pronunciation instructors.
Accent coaching allows you to apply your expertise in an exciting new way.
Many certified instructors use the P-ESL Method to:
- Add private-pay services alongside their current employment
- Reduce dependence on school or insurance-based positions
- Work with motivated adult professionals
- Offer services entirely online
- Build flexible schedules around family or retirement
- Create additional income without opening a traditional clinic
If you’ve ever wished your expertise could create opportunities beyond traditional therapy settings, you’re exactly who this program was designed for.
ESL Instructors: Add a Specialized Skill That Sets You Apart
Many English language programs emphasize grammar, vocabulary, and conversation.
Pronunciation often receives limited attention.
The P-ESL Method fills that gap.
Certified instructors learn a structured approach for teaching American English pronunciation that complements—not replaces—traditional ESL instruction.
The result is a specialized service that helps international professionals communicate more clearly while giving instructors another valuable offering they can provide.
A Community That Continues After Certification
Your certification is only the beginning.
Graduates become eligible for AccentLink, the Institute’s optional professional resource center designed to help instructors continue growing.
Depending on your membership, resources include:
- Marketing training
- Refresher course access
- Downloadable teaching materials
- Professional resources
- Certified instructor digital badge
- Opportunity to appear in the public Instructor Directory
- Ongoing articles and business insights
Your certification itself never expires.
Once certified, you’re certified for life. AccentLink simply provides optional resources for instructors who want continuing support.
A Legacy of Professional Credibility
The P-ESL Method has been taught for more than 30 years and continues to be updated for today’s online learning environment.
The certification has been completed by speech-language pathologists, ESL professionals, educators, and communication specialists throughout the United States and internationally.
For many years, the program also offered ASHA Continuing Education Units through the Association’s Approved CE Provider program. While CE offerings have changed over time, the instructional methodology, research foundation, and professional standards remain central to the program’s development.
What Graduates Are Saying
This section should feature authentic stories from your certified instructors.
Instead of generic testimonials, use detailed case studies such as:
“Thank you for your wonderful course and kit. It will help me a lot in the future! “
Erin C., 2012 ILP Academy member and Certified P-ESL Instructor
“I was so drawn in by your content that I completed the course in one weekend!! “
I just couldn’t stop because it was so interesting. The content was presented in a straight-forward manner that wasted no time in getting the facts to this course participant. In fact, you should let people know that, at the conclusion of the course after the exam has been taken, participants will have the knowledge base needed to immediately begin coaching clients. That is NOT to over-simplify the P-ESL content. Rather, the presentation of the course content is such that it is clear, well detailed and concise.
Charles T., 2022 ILP Academy Member and Certified P-ESL Instructor
“I am very glad I finally found a course that integrates so well theory and practice! “
Diana P., 2015 ILP Academy Member and Certified P-ESL Instructor
“Thank you all for your hard work! I enjoyed the course very much and look forward to putting this method into practice.”
Bodhi M., 2014 Academy Member and Certified P-ESL Instructor
“I can’t believe a week has gone by already since my colleague and I completed the training. We’ve already started the process of engaging students.”
“I am in awe of your willingness to offer support and guidance to the rest of us based on your own experiences. What you shared was extremely valuable. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Lisa, Certified, 2016 workshop attendee and P-ESL Instructor
Our Mission
We believe talented speech-language pathologists and ESL instructors deserve more opportunities to use their expertise.
We believe international professionals deserve access to highly qualified pronunciation specialists.
The Institute of Language & Phonology exists to bring those two groups together through research-based training, practical tools, and a proven instructional system that has helped instructors build meaningful careers while helping clients communicate with greater clarity and confidence.
If you’re ready to expand what’s possible in your career, we’d be honored to help you take the next step.
The Expertise of the ILP
Training provided by The Institute of Language & Phonology is powered by:
- a start-to-finish approach showing you how to address each step of every process – from program development to acquiring new clients to delivering measurable results and exceeding client expectations
- instructors who bring both head and heart to the game — our professionals are insightful, experienced, and effective – we practice what we teach;
- practical insights based on the latest research — our core is academic and research-based, but our results-oriented approach is not reluctant when it comes to generating income and building a business around your valuable skills. It’s the reason most certified instructors seek this training.
Our team consists of expert consultants, master trainers, skilled coaches, and insightful researchers. Our clients and students represent universities, hospitals, corporations, privately-owned small businesses and independent solo-preneurs around the world committed to offering world-class services to a diverse marketplace.
Joe Comeau
In 1994, Joe graduated from St. John’s University in Jamaica, New York, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Arts, and continued his education with a Master of Science in Education and Communication Disorders degree from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. Joe was awarded the Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA in 1998 and is a licensed speech pathologist in North Carolina.
Joe has been in the field of accent and pronunciation instruction since 2001, when he purchased his first client training materials and acquired his first paying client using the P-ESL method. From there he created his own professional consulting and training business. In 2008, he was appointed Director of the Institute of Language and Phonology – Training Division, succeeding the 20-year leadership span of Dr. Compton, and the three-year training leadership of former Director Shelly Wallace.
Joe has delivered professional training and coaching services to corporate and individual clients around the country. Joe uses the results of his practice-building, networking, and marketing techniques as a guide in instructing other speech professionals desiring growth in their practices.
In addition to accent modification, Joe has also presented coaching programs that helped participants speak with a compelling presence, use their voice to command any size audience, and give organized presentations that truly capture the attention of the audience.
Lori Edwards
In 2008, Lori approached Dr. Compton with an unsolicited and forward-thinking proposition: make the P-ESL method and materials available to anyone, anywhere using the latest web-based technologies. After years of attempting to offer her services in a rural setting with a limited marketplace, Lori envisioned the ability to assess and train clients via her computer, maintaining the same evidence-based effectiveness that has always been an integral part of the P-ESL method. She knew there was a robust marketplace for her services, and she was committed to developing her skill set, but she also knew that those opportunities lay beyond the boundaries of her home town in Cottonwood, AZ. After teaming up with a talented programmer who designed the first web-based prototype for web-based P-ESL assessments, she contacted Dr. Compton to discuss her vision. The rest is everything that ComptonPESLOnline.com (the online hub for web-based P-ESL assessment) has evolved into. The number of instructors using ComptonPESLOnline.com to grow their independent businesses and expand the reach of their professional services now outnumbers the use of the original printed format of Dr. Compton’s Phonological Assessment of Foreign Accent.
Mark Edwards
Mark is the other half of the technological/clinical team that approached Dr. Compton with their plans to bring P-ESL to the web-based world. With Lori’s clinical guidance and input, he designed the Online Assessment from the ground up. Shortly after that, he applied his technical skills to the development of the P-ESL Online Practice Lab (www.ajcomptonpesl.com), bringing the entire program online and enabling instructors to deliver comprehensive training programs in an exclusive web-based format.
These web-based tools can now be used by any Certified P-ESL Instructor who wants to take advantage of the speed and convenience of web-based assessment and instruction. Mark and Lori Edwards remain committed to making these tools a valuable and indispensable resource for accent reduction specialists with continuous developments and enhancements. Contact the ILP Design and Technology team at info@comptonpeslonline.com.
Dr. Arthur J. Compton
Creator of the P-ESL Method of Accent Modification and CEO of the non-profit ILP Research Division, and a true pioneer in the field.
Dr. Arthur J. Compton founded the Institute of Language and Phonology in San Francisco, which by 1976 launched a publishing arm, Carousel House Press. He subsequently began developing his renowned Compton P-ESL accent modification program in 1978.
Dr. Compton’s impressive background includes teaching at the University of California, Berkeley and California State University, Hayward. Dr. Compton’s experience in education also includes an associate professorship at the University of Iowa, where he developed academic programs in Psycholinguistics and Child Language.
Since the early 1980’s, Dr. Compton has developed numerous tools to test the linguistic skills of children and adults and has enjoyed having much of his work reviewed and published in academia. Dr. Compton received the Editor’s Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for his phonological research with children. Dr. Compton’s San Francisco-based practice focuses on developments in accent modification and child phonology assessment. Sculptor, artist, published poet, and classic automobile buff, Dr. Compton has a Bachelor degree in speech pathology and a Doctorate of Linguistics from Ohio State University.