Anyone, anywhere in the world, can access the P-ESL Certification Course at 800-language.com, and yes, the P-ESL Accent Modification Method can be highly effective for use by instructors in Australia.
The P-ESL method is designed to address common pronunciation challenges and includes techniques adaptable to a wide range of language backgrounds and English accents. While the P-ESL method focuses on American English pronunciation, many principles it employs—such as rhythm, intonation, and articulation practice—are universally beneficial and can be adapted for clients seeking clearer speech in diverse English-speaking contexts.
There are notable differences between the rhythm, intonation, and articulation of Australian English and American English, and these differences can influence how each accent is perceived and understood.
Many users of Australian English may speak with a more syllable-timed rhythm rather than the stress-timed rhythm more typical in American English. This means Australian English can sometimes sound more evenly paced, with less of a pronounced emphasis on certain syllables compared to American English, which tends to be more stress-based with a clearer division between stressed and unstressed syllables.
Intonation patterns can be quite distinct, particularly with what is widely known as the “Australian Question Intonation” (AQI), where rising intonation is used even in declarative sentences. This pattern can make statements sound more like questions to American English listeners. Additionally, the pitch range in Australian English may be slightly narrower, especially in informal contexts, making the overall melody of speech sound more even or flat compared to American English.
In regards to articulation, Australian English has several vowel and consonant differences. Australian English speakers may use a fronted /u/ sound in words like “food” (pronounced closer to “feud”) and a more open /æ/ in words like “trap.”
Australian English tends to use the “r” sound in a non-rhotic way, meaning it’s often dropped at the end of words or before consonants (e.g., “car” sounds more like “cah”). The “t” sound is also articulated differently in some positions, and intervocalic “t” often sounds like a tap or is pronounced very lightly.
Each of the examples above could be considered examples of phonological differences that do not significantly interfere with intelligibility when working with international clients. It’s unlikely (although not impossible) to find clients with L1 Australian English seeking the services of a P-ESL instructor teaching American English, or the other way around, since P-ESL methodology is most typically used to address intelligibility challenges. Then again, some clients will have particular motivations and goals and could very well be interested in adapting a more “American,” or a more “Austarlian” pronunciation/intonation pattern for professional purposes.
Instructors using the P-ESL method in Australia may find it beneficial to consider these nuances, especially if they are helping clients adapt their speech for more Americanized pronunciation. Conversely, they could adapt certain aspects to better fit Australian English, depending on the client’s goals.
Instructors in Australia could apply P-ESL with clients aiming to neutralize a strong accent, improve intelligibility, or speak more clearly in both local and global settings. Moreover, the method’s flexibility means instructors can tailor it to the specific needs of Australian clients, adapting certain sounds or intonation patterns if desired to better align with Australian English norms.
The P-ESL Certification Course will teach and show you every step of the assessment/evaluation process, and the teaching process. Once you are certified, you are certified for life. Assessments and Client Practice Programs must be purchased once you have paying clients, but your first Assessment portfolio is free, and the cost of Client Practice Programs can be absorbed by your client/training fee.