[kriro]

I have very mixed feelings on this.

First of all, it feels like a patch for latent discrimination. I'd rather strive towards a world where accents matter less than fixing accents. Sure very thick accents can hinder communication but I feel like improving that a bit is enough. There's no need to perfectly emulate the native accent (and let's not forget about the differences between say Jersey, Oklahoma, Boston and L.A.).

Secondly, I'm not sure an app is really needed for this. Someone dedicated enough to install an app for this might also be dedicated enough to turn on Netflix and just speak along until they sound similar to the actors.

Either way, good luck to the team.

[Mikeb85]

> First of all, it feels like a patch for latent discrimination.

Try learning a language that's not English. You're definitely judged on your accent, ie. your ability to properly pronounce words. If you want to fully assimilate to the environment you choose to exist in, speaking with less of an accent helps with being understood. Also, the 'standard' American accent (ie. Hollywood/West Coast accent) is understood by absolutely anyone; even those who are new to speaking English.

Heck, even English speakers from regions such as the Caribbean, England, Australia, etc..., turn their accent 'off' in business environments to be better understood. Many native English speakers can't even understand creole from the Caribbean for example.

Accents can definitely also hamper communication. I'm a native English speaker who's interacted with many immigrants so I can definitely understand almost every accent. But two immigrants both speaking English as their second language and from different parts of the world will often have trouble, I've seen it plenty. Even my girlfriend, who speaks English at quite a high level but isn't native, has a difficult time if I speak too quickly using local slang and pronunciation (and our accent barely deviates from standard American English).

Focusing on a standard pronunciation, especially in a job or school environment, helps a lot.

[ilyausorov]

Hey, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

When it comes to striving for a world where accents don't matter, we feel the same way.

In fact, our dialect coach, Ron Carlos, slacked me earlier today: "We truly hope that one day accents won’t matter, but until then we have folks who feel embarrassed about their accent which keeps them from showing up with their full selves. We’re here to help those folks feel more confident with their speech."

What we're trying to help users with is learning the physical skills that make up their account: pronunciation, speech rhythm, intonation, stress -- ultimately, how to speak the way they want, with the ultimate goal of helping the user become more confident and clear in their speech. If the way they want to sound is exactly like someone from Jersey, Boston, L.A. or anywhere else, we're happy to support them!

[Gortal278]

I wouldn't really call it discrimination if the dude on the phone has a hard time deciphering what type of sandwich you are trying to order, or talking to a stranger in a loud bar who needs you to keep repeating yourself.

I think the need for this stems from a desire to be understood. Though I understand why the OP would list discrimination in their sales pitch.