ACCENT REDUCTION TIPS FOR ROBERTO BENIGNI: `SPEAK SLOWER'

ACCENT REDUCTION TIPS FOR ROBERTO BENIGNI: `SPEAK SLOWER'

BOONTON, N.J. (Wireless Flash) -- Now that Italian actor Roberto Benigni has won two Oscars, he's becoming a real Hollywood hotshot. Problem is, some folks don't understand a word he says. To the rescue comes executive speaking coach Reesa Woolf, who suggests Benigni can reduce his thick Italian accent by using a few simple strategies. First, he should speak slower so folks can get used to his peculiar pronunciations of English words. Second, Benigni should make sure he doesn't lop off the last letter of certain words, such as saying "goin" instead of "going" and "don" instead of "don't." Finally, Woolf says the Italian comic should ask an English- speaking friend to listen to his speech and point out his faults, then practice the most troublesome words over and over. Although the voice coach says she can help Benigni communicate with his American audience, she admits his garbled English is so important to his act that he may not want to reduce his accent at all.

CONTACT: Reesa Woolf, ****; Boonton, NJ; 1-800-769-6653 or (973) 335-7361