Using Alexa in Accent Modification

Alexa can set alarms, set reminders, play music, answer questions, search the internet, and control smart home devices. She can also tell you jokes, provide interesting facts, and even play games with you. Alexa is a smart voice assistant and with a little creativity, can become your accent modification assistant 🤓

I want to share 7️⃣ ideas for using Alexa with your accent modification clients.

1. Word pronunciation 🗣

You can ask Alexa how to pronounce any word. Just spell the word and Alexa will say it (with the programmed accent). Have the client imitate the word.

2. Word meanings 🤔

Ask Alexa the definition of any word. Then have the client use that word in a sentence or question. This is a great way to help clients learn unfamiliar words.

3. Idioms 🤪

Ask Alexa for the ‘daily idiom’ or ask her to define the meaning of idioms. Then discuss how to use the idiom in different situations.

4. Telling jokes 🤣

You can have the client tell Alexa a joke or have Alexa tell your client a joke. Either way, this is guaranteed to get laughs. From there, you can discuss what made the joke funny, like a play on words. Then have the client tell a joke to family and friends for homework.

5. Listening comprehension👂🏼

Ask Alexa to tell a story, the news, or facts about a given topic. Then have the client answer comprehension questions, answer inference questions, or re-tell the story.

6. Play games 😎

Just ask Alexa to ‘play a game’ and hear the endless possibilities. Let the client choose and let Alexa do her thing. Once she asks a question, you and the client can discuss the answer and then have the client shout it out. This is a great way to work on listening comprehension, increasing utterance length, new vocabulary, and conversational skills.

7. Speaker’s intelligibility 🎉

Talking with Alexa is an indirect way to work on one’s own intelligibility. If Alexa does not understand, she will politely ask for clarification. Most people will repeat the question by changing something about their pronunciation (i.e., speaking slower, over-enunciating, getting louder) or grammar.

 

For more ideas for using Alexa in speech therapy sessions, check out How to Use Alexa in Speech Therapy.
For more accent modification resources, check out my store on Teachers Pay Teachers.