Warning: Don’t Take Another Accent Training Class Until You Read This
I have seen actors – native and non-native – go for multiple dialect training classes just to learn a new accent and come out with something not remotely close to the real authentic accent.
Or even worse hire a dialect coach for only one session prior to an audition to nail an accent. While this may be beneficial it usually results in an evocation rather than an accurate portrayal of the character.
This can get quite frustrating, and it could make you question how can I improve? Maybe just take more classes or more sessions with a private coach?
Personally, I don’t think that will fix the problem. In fact, you might be setting yourself up for more problems and create bad speech habits.
Let me offer you some tips before you take that next dialect class:
Select the Desired Accent
You must have a desired accent in mind and stick to that accent before going for a dialect class or coach.
I know, simple but not always taken seriously.
It’s easy to try a dialect class here and there but making it a selected focal point allows for deeper concentration when learning. Now, this could be based on a role you are auditioning for, or a role you are preparing to film or play.
This is great, but this is better:
Select a dialect you want to audition for in the future.
Actors have a habit of preparing for a role when it comes to them…why not prepare now!
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!
Identify Related Accents
Some languages have their roots in other languages.
This means they will have a lot of the same nuances, pronunciation patterns, and other similarities to that other language. To learn the accent of your choice, taking an entry-level course in the related language will do you a lot of good.
Even if it is not acting related, listening to the accent is just as important as speaking the accent.
This is a good reason why British actors find it easier than most, on average, to learn the American accent – and vice versa. The same would not be true if, say, a native Spanish speaker wanted to learn an American accent.
Choose A Qualified Coach
Many people are of the opinion that dialect coaches are expensive, apropos settle for the cheaper alternatives. Well, what you buy is what you get – an unqualified coach.
You might ask, how do you choose a qualified coach? For one, they should be native to the accent you are learning.
Wait…what? You mean I can't learn an American accent from a British or a French coach?
Yes, of course, you can, but don't expect to sound American.
Let me explain.
A coach who is native to the accent will heighten your learning experience with authenticity.
They will have stronger cultural awareness, higher capabilities to identify nuances in speech patterns, and approach cultural aspects to the accent that a non-native coach might not be aware of.
In fact, working with a non-native dialect coach may not only be a waste of time and money but could make learning that accent even more difficult. Unconsciously you pick up the accent of your coach and even other peers in a dialect class - be aware that this could happen.
After all, unlearning all you have learned from a non-native, unqualified coach becomes another process on its own, i.e. having to break bad speech habits.
Give it Time
Impatience is the biggest cause of failure for most actors trying to learn a new accent.
I know that you might not have a lot of time between now and the audition or commencement of filming, but putting that kind of pressure on yourself will only cause more headaches and stress for you.
You have to understand that native speakers of an accent grew up around it. Thus, they have had all of their lives formed around the accent.
You cannot aim to cram a lifetime of such experiences into a couple of days or hours.
If you see anyone who offers you such a deal, I suggest you run. No matter how seemingly simple an accent is, there is no way you can be rolling it off your tongue perfectly in just a few days.