Accents For Actors
If you are an actor, you have no choice. You need to sound perfect.
But don't worry! We have the plan, the experience, and the skills to get you a flawless accent or dialect without sounding fake or affecting your performance.
But First, Let's Get Real About Accents and Dialects
It is not realistic for me to say that you can easily learn a perfect American Accent or other dialect to use all the time, in your day-to-day speaking situations and that no one will ever ask you about your accent or where you are from again.
Even with tons of practice, most non-native speakers don't lose their accent completely, and you know what? That’s ok.
Because even though I can't promise that you will sound like a native speaker of English 100% of the time in every conversation, I can promise that you can learn a legitimate, native-sounding American accent or other dialect to use for scripts, sides, monologues, and performances. As you memorize the lines, you memorize the accent right along with it.
"You can’t just wait until you get a casting that requires a certain accent and hope to learn it a few days before the audition. Learning an accent is a step-by- step process that takes time, preparation, and practice. Most of my students feel completely ready to use their new accent at an audition in about 3 months."
- Jessica Kijowski, MS, CCC-SLP
Here's How It Works
When I work with an actor on any accent, I spend the first session explaining the difference between the current accent and the goal accent. After that, we will learn how to pronounce each goal sound, practice it in all possible contexts, including conversation, which is the biggest challenge. As your coach, I offer constant corrections and cues, until you learn to hear and correct mistakes on your own. And you will...with a little time and practice!
We also learn to re-write words and phrases to elicit the correct pronunciation so you that you can prepare your own scripts. (No, you do not need to know the IPA. I'll help you find a way to rewrite that makes sense to you.)
I am always very careful not to interfere with the character or the intention of a scene. Although I will teach you appropriate intonations and rhythm of the accent or dialect you are learning, I give you the space and freedom that you need to create the character and give your best performance.
After Completing The Program You Will
-
Be able to apply the American accent (or your goal accent/dialect) to any script with just a few hours of prep time
-
Be able to rewrite scripts phonetically (how they sound) so you can practice with the goal accent or dialect
-
Have some proficiency in other dialects of American English (I incorporate other dialects as a teaching tool and it is so effective!!! Bonus: You might be able to use that dialect as well)
-
Be able to confidently use the new accent or dialect without sounding fake, robotic, or ridiculous. Natural, fluent speech is ALWAYS the top priority
We currently have a waitlist of students for private sessions.
If you are interested in scheduling a private session, please complete the form on this page and we will notify you when sessions become available. Thank you!
*By submitting this form, you agree to receive email communications from The Accent Channel. You can easily unsubscribe at any time.