A comprehensive collection of training courses you can complete on your own time

Enroll today, and start learning in our self-paced courses that will teach you how to develop, use and market your skills as a Certified PESL Instructor.

Introducing….

ILP Academy is a web-based hub of activity and resources for all things related to the art, science and business of accent modification and pronunciation instruction using the PESL method. Whether you’re new to this niche or you’ve been serving clients for a decade or more, you’ll find classes and content here that will help you further develop your skills and services.

The core content is presented in a series of web-based courses you complete on your own and at your own pace. Some of these courses are based on the content of live workshops presented by the ILP, but these are not recordings or transcripts of our workshops. These are carefully designed, thorough and expanded web-based courses presented in a combination of audio, video and text.

Throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s, ILP had become a well-known presenter and host of live workshops in cities throughout the United States. In 2008, ILP began making this training available to even more individuals through online learning. While the face-to-face dynamics of a live workshop cannot be easily replicated in a web-based courses, the courses in ILP Academy make up for this with a much broader and expanded scope of information. In other words, there’s much more content presented in our online courses, and virtually no time constraint. (You’ll have access to the course content for an entire year after you enroll.)

Our workshop attendees would leave their events with everything they needed to begin working with clients. As an online student, you’ll receive the same materials or their digital equivalents. Today’s clients are looking for web-based services more than ever, and the PESL certification course will absolutely prepare you for success with today’s market.

Some of our courses may require a short completion exam to qualify for ASHA Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The exams are never intended to create a barrier to success, but to simply give you an opportunity to show you’ve absorbed the basics. You’ll work completely on your own and at your own pace.

Registration in ILP Academy includes:

the entire PESL certification course, online, in a self-paced format, completed entirely in your web browser (desktop viewing in Chrome, Safari, of Firefox is recommended)

support from course organizers and other Academy members using social media platforms

a budget-friendly and safer alternative to workshop travel

Continuing Education Units (ASHA) for select courses, for qualifying ASHA members

I am very glad I finally found a phonology course that integrates so well theory and practice! – Diana P., 2015 ILP Academy Member

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 PESL 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 PESL Instructor

Thank you for your wonderful course and kit. It will help me a lot in the future! – Erin C., 2012 ILP Academy member
Erin C., 2012 ILP Academy Member

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 ILP Academy member
Bodhi M., 2014 ILP Academy Member

“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.”
Jane D., Certified PESL Instructor, Grand Rapids, MI

“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 PESL Instructor, West Vancouver, BC

Dear soon-to-be Certified PESL Instructor,

If you’ve had a strong urge to explore the feasibility, practicality, effectiveness and motivating nature of accent and pronunciation training in a variety of professional settings (corporate training, 1-on-1 client work, web-based instruction or in clinical workplaces), you’re invited to discover the research-based and highly structured yet flexible design of the PESL Accent Modification Method today in an online course designed to be completed at your own pace, built upon the same concepts, materials and content presented at our live 2-day workshop events in the past, but with so much more!

You can complete the entire training/certification program here, and also learn essential business development and marketing skills. The certification course here at ILP Academy is self-paced. Take a week. Take two. Take a month. You’ll have access to the course content for one full year.

Getting started and creating a foundation in this unique line of work doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You need a plan, a structure and an openness to developing business and marketing skills, which were very likely not a part of your academic or clinical training.

For four decades, The Institute of Language & Phonology has been a leader in presenting valuable and practical content in each of those areas, bringing driven professionals further down the path of creating, expanding or enhancing their professional skill set.

SLPs… are you curious about what it’s like to work with motivated adults outside of academic, institutional, and clinical settings…

Perhaps you’ve heard people speak of this intriguing field called Corporate Speech Pathology… perhaps you’ve always had a strong interest in “accent modification” but were never sure how to get started…

and you’re looking for a new way to use your skills and credentials because billing, paperwork and documentation have begun to suck the joy out of your daily work…

or you still do truly enjoy your day-to-day responsibilities, but you’d like to add accent and pronunciation training to your current clinical offerings and bring in some new clientele?

Maybe you’d just like to get started, as quickly as possible, teaching accent and pronunciation instruction for a fee, but don’t want to start from scratch, re-invent the wheel, and wing it. (And you’re curious about how figurative language fits in, as well.)

ESL Instructors, have you been looking for a structured, organized and systematic approach to correct your “improvised” attempts at teaching American English pronunciation?

Do you have a sneaking suspicion that it might be lucrative and even fun to apply your existing knowledge in professional settings with people who want your training services… and clients who are driven and motivated to succeed?

You love your professional background, and certainly have no regrets about what you’ve accomplished, but you feel ready for something new, something different without changing career fields…

Perhaps your goal is to spend more of your time doing what makes you happy, while still using your professional strengths and skills. Perhaps you are ready to spend time with some of the most motivated clients you’ve ever worked with.

Every one of those reasons was true for me when I decided to start offering my professional services in this field. And here are a few things I wish I knew back then:

Don’t listen to any discouraging voices from people who are not familiar with your skills or professional background. This is a great, exciting field and these services are in demand wherever you can find motivated professionals.

There just is no other program as comprehensive, flexible and effective at accomplishing its purpose (measurably improved pronunciation accuracy and clarity) as Dr. Arthur Compton’s PESL Method.
Months and years have a way of flying by while you’re not looking. It never pays to put off the decision to explore and learn something new. You’re going to discover options you don’t yet know about after taking the first couple of steps. Furthermore, a year from now you’ll regret the steps you don’t take today, so now is really the best time to get started .

I’m Joe Comeau, the Training Director, workshop leader and course coordinator for the ILP Training Division.

If you’ve got the drive, you can discover ways of shifting your focus to begin using the same 24 hours each of us are given every day to accomplish new tasks that move you in a new direction. Like many SLPs with experience in nearly every clinical setting, after being a certified SLP for a decade, I began to yearn for something new, different and… well, just more interesting to do with my time and my skills.

If you undoubtedly believe that you just don’t have the time to explore options because of your current commitments, then that will be true until you stop believing it. I mention this because I’ve heard many fellow SLPs and other professionals say they’d love to explore and develop the opportunity to begin offering accent and pronunciation training to motivated adults but just can’t seem to find the time to fit it into their current schedules.

Once you change your beliefs and time management habits, you’ll find new opportunities. There’s already a large and growing community of professionals doing what you WANT to do, with an ever-expanding market place. (You can find and contact some of them with your thoughts and questions by browsing the ILP Trainer Directory.)

There’s an even more robust community already inside The ILP Academy – just on the other side.

ILP Academy opened in 2012, with past workshop participants invited to tour and review the content. After the peer review process was complete, the doors were then opened by invitation only to a small number of professionals ready to make the plunge. Now the entire suite of online courses known as ILP Academy is open to general enrollment for all who have an interest. Hundreds have enrolled since we’ve opened the doors to our virtual training center. By the end of 2015, over 300 individuals had earned Certified PESL Instructor status by completing the training courses online. About 100 individuals have become Certified PESL Instructors each year since then.

You don’t have to be a speech-language pathologist.

Although it helps tremendously (because you will already be familiar with the concepts, terminology and methodology used in the PESL method), it is not a requirement for providing accent and pronunciation instruction. It was created for SLPs, by SLPs, but the delivery of accent modification instruction is not regulated by state or national licensing boards in the United States. The talented pool of Certified PESL instructors includes ESL teachers, linguistics instructors, drama and voice coaches and foreign language teachers.

Our courses are appropriate for any professional with at least three years of professional experience in the fields of communication disorders, ESL instruction, linguistics, voice and diction coaching, or any individual currently enrolled in a graduate-level program in Communication Disorders.

Learn every step of the process of guiding clients from poor levels of communication to measurably improved American English pronunciation.

Upon completion of the The Compton PESL Accent Modification Certification Course, you’ll be recognized as a Certified PESL Instructor and receive a certificate of completion. ASHA members will be eligible to receive 1.0 ASHA CEUs for completing the certification course.

You will receive (at no additional cost):

the Phonological Assessment of Foreign Accent kit, which contains:

Phonological Assessment of Foreign Accent instruction manual-
Phonological Assessment of Foreign Accent Stimulus Word Book-
Two printed copies of the Phonological Assessment of Foreign Accent response booklets (testing protocols)

Screening Assessment of Foreign Accent kit, which contains:

Screening Assessment of Foreign Accent instruction sheet/words and reading passage-
Two printed copies of the Screening Assessment of Foreign Accent screening forms

a teacher reference copy of the Compton P-ESL Client Workbook

plus, an assessment account for the Compton PESL Online Assessment (the exclusive web-based client testing hub) and 1 web-based assessment for your first paying client.

You’ll have all the tools you need to begin offering services in face-to-face and web-conferencing settings.

Accent modification and pronunciation instruction for foreign-born ESL speakers continues to be a service in high demand among professionals in leadership, management and entrepreneurial roles. These will be your new clients!

The PESL course has a long history (three decades) of being the “go-to” approach for pronunciation and accent instructors. It is used not only by independent trainers, but by dozens of university speech clinics around the US, and by English language teachers around the globe. They love having a reliable and systematic approach.

It begins with a personalized assessment.

Using the same approach taught in ILPs foundational workshops, you’ll learn the step-by-step systematic approach to guiding clients toward clearer, confident, easier-to-understand pronunciation of American English, with a strong emphasis on personalized learning.

A thorough assessment and analysis process reveals the specific sounds that are making an individual sound “heavily” or noticeably accented when speaking American English. The criteria for defining a “heavy” accent is highly subjective, but let’s agree that this type of speaker has difficulty expressing a message clearly, despite being proficient with English vocabulary.

The assessment creates the roadmap – the individualized training program unique to each client.

Assess and teach one person at a time, or combine the analysis results of several learners to create a group learning experience. An instructor can create learning groups containing up to 5 individuals – all with different L1 (native language) backgrounds. The student’s pronunciation of English may bear the strong influence of Russian, Chinese, Spanish, any of the Indo-Pakistani languages, Greek… you name it. It doesn’t matter. They will each learn from individualized programs and they can learn simultaneously in group classes.

You won’t need to “match” students by their language background. You’ll be given the step-by-step instructions that make it possible to design a 90-day learning program that teaches everyone in the group only the pronunciation skills they need to make their speech easier to understand in any social or professional setting.

at least 50% easier to understand – in the first 90 days.

50% more accurate.

50% fewer pronunciation errors.

50% less frustrating repetition

But the 50% benchmark is not a self-imposed limit. It was the average improvement level shown by hundreds of speakers from over 100 different language backgrounds in the research-based design used to create the method. That means some scored lower, some scored higher. This is not about hyped-up claims. This is not about eliminating accents. This is about teaching clients a skill they can activate whenever the situation demands clearer, more accurate and easy-to-understand spoken English skills.

Ask any trainer who has delivered or conducted an entire individualized PESL program with paying clients. They will inevitably tell you that results are very often in the 60, 70 sometimes even the 80% range. If the client uses the techniques taught in the course and commits to a regular practice routine, it would be unfair to the client to expect only a 50% change. The typical client is a highly-motivated professional who understands the need for improved communication skill. It’s a very refreshing change for many instructors looking for something outside traditional clinical settings.

English is the preferred language in business and professional settings around the world.Students, leaders, managers, business owners, corporate officers, movers-and-shakers and deal makers everywhere want to, need to communicate clearly in English to achieve their personal and professional goals. There is a huge, healthy, competitive market for pronunciation and accent instruction services, and a relatively small pool of professionals prepared to deliver the service. And we haven’t even begun to discuss web-based training options.

Every component of the PESL training system can be delivered online by a certified instructor (you!).

You may need to up your game in the area of technology and web-based conferencing platforms, but it’s a necessary and rewarding process if you’d like to expand your possibilities and offer your skilled training services to professionals nearly anywhere in the world.

Prefer a face-to-face style of training? ILP Academy courses will prepare you for all of the options. Our traditional and web-based assessment and training tools can be used in virtually any training or consulting arrangement – be it virtual or in person. Picture yourself teaching clients in your own studio, classroom or office? You’ll get everything you need by completing the course. Ready to train your clients via web-conferencing or telephone? You’ll get everything you need by completing the course.

ILP Academy members get an “instant upgrade” to our inner networking and resource circle: AccentLink Pro

Academy membership includes one year of extended access to AccentLink Pro. Membership starts the day you enroll. [learn_more caption=”AccentLinkPro Benefits”]AccentLink Pro membership is only open to those who have completed the live 2-day workshop or the web-based certification course. (The Compton PESL Accent Modification Method Certification Course). Benefits include: a listing and profile in the Trainer Directory at 800-language.com, access to members-only downloads/forms for your business, and discounts on future purchases of trainer and client materials. This package of benefits can be purchased separately for $50 per year, but is included with all ILP Academy memberships.[/learn_more]

PLUS –

Updates to everything added to the academy during the term of your membership; when we add new courses, ASHA-certified SLPs can complete them for additional CEUs if they are offered. A portion of our courses include CEU eligibility, and a portion of our courses are designed for your professional and business benefit. Even if you are not ASHA-certified, the content will be relevant and valuable.

New business resources and information added frequently.
Community-driven message forums on nearly every Academy page for questions, comments and idea-sharing among participants.

CEUs can only be awarded to those completing a course for the first time, or once per calendar year for each course offering.

Join now to finally kick start your interest in accent training.

Join now to complete the course again as a refresher if it’s been a while since you completed the intensive 2-day workshop. You’ll be working your way through the most up-to-date and current version of the P-ESL certification course in just minutes from now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What exactly is in the ILP Academy? How do I complete the courses?

A: The ILP Academy contains the complete PESL certification course presented in a web-friendly self-paced format. CEUs (Continuing Education Units) are offered to all qualifying individuals (current ASHA members) who submit a completion exam presented at the end of the course with a passing score. Passing the PESL Completion Exam also earns you a Trainer’s Kit containing everything you need to get started with traditional and web-based training. The site also includes courses on marketing, web-based teaching and business development. Most of the courses can be completed for CEUs, but not all of our classes are relevant to the development of clinical skills, so there will be courses that are offered simply for your business and personal benefit. If you are not interested in CEU’s, or are not an ASHA member, or don’t even know what ASHA is, you are still invited to enroll for your own professional advantage.

Q: How long does it take to complete a course?

A: It all depends on how you pace yourself and what your schedule allows. If you breeze through the material with your mouse on the scroll bar, you probably won’t absorb and retain as much as you would if take your time to capture all the details. Some existing members have completed the PESL Certification course in just a few days. Others have completed it in a few weeks. Just about everybody goes through the material more than once.

Q: What if I don’t like it?

A: The courses are detailed, thorough, and content-heavy. A little peek would not do them justice. But once you make the commitment, you’ll have 3 days to request a full refund – no questions asked, no hard feelings, but no certification status. We don’t want anyone to regret their membership or investment. We want the investment to provide a great return for you, so we’ve put everything we have into the Academy, and plan to continue developing courses over time.

Q: Are any purchases required after enrolling in the Academy, or after completing the courses?

A: Not for training or certification purposes. Every student learns how to conduct testing and training with the goal of providing services for a fee. Your paying clients will be expected to pay for their course materials, which must be purchased by the instructor (you) with the cost passed on to the client. The client’s payment for these materials can be charged as a separate fee or factored into your training fees. Client materials cost just a little over $100.00. You’ll be purchasing practice materials for your clients, but the expense should be passed on to each client.

You will learn how to use the PESL method and materials in traditional (pen-and-paper) and digital (web-based) formats. If you chose to use the traditional approach, you may need to purchase additional assessment (testing) forms in the future. If you prefer web-based testing, your first online assessment is free. Additional assessments must be purchased. All ILP Academy members receive 3 traditional testing books and 1 web-based assessment in their certification package. Traditional testing books are approximately $50 for a pack of 20. Web-based assessments include an entire suite of online recording, storage and analysis tools which significantly decrease the amount of work and time required compared to traditional testing, and are approximately $20 per client.

Q: When I’m working with clients, how long are the sessions, and how long is the program?

A: In the certification course you will learn about options that allow you to design trainings that last from 6 to 13 weeks, with sessions ranging from 60 to 120 minutes.

Q: Are Continuing Education Units offered for these classes?

A: Yes, for some of them. The Institute of Language is approved by the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) to offer Continuing Education to speech-language pathologists, audiologists and speech/language/hearing scientists. Currently, two of our online courses (the P-ESL Accent Modification Method course, and the Marketing Essentials course) offer CEU awards upon completion. The PESL Certification Course awards 1.0 Continuing Education Units for completion.

This PESL Certification Course is offered for 1.0 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional Area)
View the Course Outline here.
ASHA CEUs for each offering may only be awarded once per 365 days.

Q: Which is better… the live workshop or the web-based courses?

A: Which do you prefer? Which format matches your preferred learning style? Do you like the live interaction and professional gathering of a workshop, or would you like to go at it on your own, conveniently, late at night or early in the morning, whenever is best for you, in sweats or pee-jays, on your laptop? It’s really up to you. One important distinction to consider is the extra content offered in the web-based Academy classes.

Q: I’ve already attended a live workshop. Does that entitle me to access the online courses?

A: No. The ILP Academy tuition is the same for everyone.

Q: Will I ever have to be re-certified, or repeat the training?

A: No. Many certified instructors have chosen to repeat the training after many years of inactivity, but the certification status you earn the first time you complete the course will not expire.

I thank the Institute for the wonderful web course. It truly changed my way of instructing and has enabled me to not only be a better English teacher, but also has led to me opening my own business. Your courses change lives. – Marshelle, 2018 ILP Academy member

The Compton PESL method and materials have earned enough trust and familiarity in our professional arena to become the first choice and business-generating foundation for hundreds of active trainers around the world. That in itself creates enormous potential for each of our students. Should you decide to join, you’ll be studying, learning and ultimately using Dr. Arthur J. Compton’s renowned PESL Accent Modification Method as arranged and presented by a team of active and passionate professionals comprising The Institute of Language & Phonology:

The ILP Training Division: course design and coordination, Continuing Education administration

The ILP Design & Technology Division: support and development for the exclusive web-based screening, assessment and client practice programs

The ILP Research Division, including Carousel House publishing: development and distribution of materials used by PESL instructors

I’m hoping the information provided here makes this decision an easy one for you, and I look forward to welcoming you as a new or returning ILP Academy member, and congratulating you once you’ve earned your certification status.

All the very best,

Joe Comeau, CCC-SLP, C-PESL

ILP Training Director

Enroll in the PESL Certification Course

Enroll for 1 year with a single payment: $550

Enroll for 1 year with 2 monthly installment payments: $275 x 2

Choose your plan on our Courses page.

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 PESL 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 PESL 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 PESL 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 PESL assessments, she contacted Dr. Compton to discuss her vision. The rest is everything that ComptonPESLOnline.com (the online hub for web-based PESL 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 PESL 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 PESL 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 PESL 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 PESL Method of Accent Modification and CEO of the non-profit ILP Research Division, and a true pioneer in the field.

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.