NYWIFT Blog

By Daryl Bright Clay

Let’s give a warm welcome to new NYWIFT member, Melanie Fox!

Melanie Fox is a linguist who turned her passion for accents, dialects, presentations, and language learning into a thriving coaching business. 

Melanie empowers actors and public figures to speak clear, confident English through accent reduction, interview and presentation training. She also trains actors to master authentic English and Spanish dialects. She is a paid public speaker who helps her audiences “Hack into Language” and hosts a new podcast, “Hack That Accent.” 

Melanie holds a Masters of Science degree in Linguistics from Georgetown University. She credits a lot of her inspiration to two semesters studying abroad at la Universidad de Salamanca in Spain.

In our interview, she discusses how her work as a dialect coach spans multiple industries, her coaching success stories, and how she encourages clients to maintain their cultural authenticity while adjusting their presentation to match their business goals. 

Melanie, you’ve had an impressive career spanning over 20 years. What initially drew you to the field of linguistics, and how did your passion for languages evolve into SpeechFox? 

At age 6, I met my childhood best friend, Ada Yung. When I visited her home, I met her family and heard Cantonese for the first time. Ada’s mom Helen and I would sit together – I would teach her pronunciation tips for American English and she would teach me Cantonese phrases. And that’s where I became hooked on teaching pronunciation (“accent reduction” or accent modification) and addicted to language learning. 

Fast forward to my junior year in college, I studied abroad in Spain at la universidad de Salamanca, where I continued my language teaching and learning journey. I sought out “intercambios” or language exchanges. I helped one particular student, who failed her senior year English exam six consecutive years prior, pass her English exam after only three impromptu test prep sessions in a café! This inspired me to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to adults immediately after graduating Georgetown University with my Master’s of Science degree in Linguistics. 

My clients are THE BEST – and because of their successes, my popularity grew largely by referrals. I now coach native and non-native English speakers including actors, executives, and public figures around the world in accent reduction, dialect coaching, and presentation/interview skills.

I highlight several of my clients’ success stories on each service page at: www.speechfox.com

You mention blending science and street cred in your approach to speech coaching. Can you explain what that looks like in practice and how it benefits your clients? 

My clients have three-dimensional needs – often, it’s not “just” accent or dialect work in isolation – actors and public speakers that seek pronunciation coaching need to apply their clear, confident, and authentic delivery to an audition or a keynote or even a wedding speech!

When I mention “street cred,” I’m referring to my work on the front lines of sales, marketing, and client services – and hands-on leadership in startups through global organizations.

Where the academic side of linguistics can feel theoretical, presenting on stage and leading global webinars forces you into the practical side of speech and language. Whether you’re in sales or business development, you’re likely selling something – whether it’s winning over the press, persuading your IG followers, or convincing an audience via other media.

Dialect coaching is an important aspect of your work with actors. How do you approach helping them master a new dialect, and what makes your method stand out from other approaches? 

The keyword that describes what sets me apart is FOCUSED. I’m very clear in my role as a dialect coach. My coaching covers all aspects of the speech part and I stay in my proverbial lane. By this, I mean that I focus my coaching efforts on very specific areas: consonants, vowels, syllable stress, intonation, and other language choices like pacing, pausing, gestures, etc. I make sure my clients feel these patterns so that they can get some muscle memory but then let go and “play,” making their own acting choices.  

I’m also very good at prepping actors for an audition quickly and effectively. For example, I mark up sides or scripts with the specific dialect directions an actor needs to make that accent authentic, believable, and clear. This way, their interpretation sounds accurate and respectful – and, at the same time, the actor has a lot of room to make their own acting choices. So I see my role to be a key resource who empowers actors with language skills, and I allow them to bring their acting skills and perspectives to their character.

Why is it important to you that your clients feel empowered in their language skills while also honoring their individual backgrounds? 

Accents are interesting. Everybody’s got one… or more! And there is no one right way to speak. To share a geeky word, your own unique dialect is called your “idiolect.” And I encourage my clients to make intentional choices that make them feel clear, confident, and authentic.

So, for instance, if you have a non-standard or regional accent, speaking in this dialect might serve you well with family and friends. I call my Brooklyn-style homespeak, my accent “comfy pants.” 😉 That said, those comfy pants may not reflect the image I’d like to portray in my business life. So folks with a non-standard sound may feel less confident using this style during broadcasts, interviews, in the media, or in high-stakes business meetings. I encourage my clients to think of the unfortunately named “accent reduction” to be a way of adding a new options for speaking rather than getting rid of something that’s part of their identity. 

For non-native English speakers, my clients may want to leave their accents behind them, as they feel they are learning and correcting. This is a personal choice, and I’m empathetic to it, as I share this feeling as I aim for near-native fluency in Spanish. So in this case, I’d say that you can still preserve your background in the way you share your culture and even some of the musicality in your speech, even if you aim to modify your pronunciation, word choice, and grammar to model off of native speakers.

Do you have any stories of clients who gained confidence in their speech and went on to secure major opportunities or promotions?

Yes indeed – many! I’ll highlight clients from different backgrounds.

One of my most beloved clients is a prominent Michelin Star chef who felt held back by his Indian accent. He felt held back by negative judgments and it hurt his confidence in accepting television and other appearances, but he didn’t want to sound fake and lose his identity. After working together, he shared with me that I gave him the “gift of confidence,” which he now demonstrates in his movies, interviews, public speeches, and philanthropic work globally.

Two of my wonderful clients are talented actors on the award-winning series, Shogun. Although they may be able to use a Japanese-accented English sound in their character portrayals, they find casting directors typically value clarity over all else when it comes to speaking with an accent. In addition to pronunciation, both clients mentioned that support in modeling stress and intonation patterns have been very impactful in their auditions.

Other incredible clients who continue to shine bright on stage and screen include a Brazilian boy band, a Chinese rapper, a Ukrainian folk singer, a Russian model, and keynote speakers from all over the world.

What brought you to NYWIFT?

I heard about NYWIFT from a friend, Vashti Klein, an award-winning filmmaker, singer-songwriter, and founder of Butterfly Effect Productions. When I viewed the NYWIFT website, I not only saw a wealth of resources and felt the creative power of NY-based creatives, but I also spotted some of my dearest friends in the event photos!

What excites you most about the future of your work at SpeechFox, and what’s next on the horizon for you and your clients?

I am excited about bringing the work I do for private clients to be more accessible to the public, including working actors who may not have the financial resources to invest in dialect coaching at this stage in their careers. So I will share my resources through:

• My new podcast (coming soon) called “Hack That Accent,” where I will devote episodes to various accents from around the world and invite guests to share their accent journeys: https://speechfox.com/hackthataccent/
• Just-in-time Accent/Dialect Tips via Instagram (coming soon): https://www.instagram.com/speechfox/  
• A new community for actors (and related creatives) called “Rebel Actors” that I’m launching with my husband and two of our actor besties. We will offer various workshops for actors, and I will run group workshops for dialect coaching and accent reduction/modification via Zoom as well as in person in NYC.
• A free accent self-help guide on my website: https://speechfox.com/subscribe-to-download-your-free-guide/  

I’m also doing public speaking on the topics of language learning, using your accent to enhance your story, networking, and presenting with clarity and confidence.

I network a TON, so if anyone wants to grow their network in NYC, Los Angeles, or internationally, I encourage you to reach out so that I can invite you to some of the groups I frequent, from local to global and from corporate to creative!

Learn more about Melanie Fox of Speech Fox through her website: speechfox.com, on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram at @SpeechFox. 

(All images courtesy of Melanie Fox)