Dialect and Accent Development

The Sound and Style of American English
for Speakers of Other First Languages, 3rd Edition
(Book & 6 CDs)

by David Alan Stern, Ph.D.

Program Overview/Description

People from many professions, not just acting, want to reduce their native accent and/or make themselves understood more clearly when speaking American English. Business professionals are particularly interested in presenting a more distinctly American speech presence. Learning to speak American English naturally is becoming increasing popular with actors from Europe, Asia, and Africa, especially as the US stage, film, and television industries present such significant increases in dramatic opportunities. Dr. David Alan Stern’s series highlighting American accents for actors of other native languages has become the premiere acting tool in the non-American actor’s accent arsenal.

Because pronunciation changes alone are not enough to convincingly reproduce any accent, this self-instructional program provides specific skills and drills to learn the resonance, lilt, rhythm, and pronunciation of the American dialect and advanced pronunciation for colloquial speech styles. Drills to help you integrate your knowledge into phrases, sentences, passages, and finally, into your own speech are also included.

Want extra practice material? See Dialect Monologues by Karshner and Stern. Dr. Stern demonstrates 13 popular speech patterns and provides you with the transcripts and CD to read along and hone your new accent talent!

David Alan Stern, Ph.D. has taught thousands of actors and broadcasters to put on foreign accents and regional dialects. He’s worked in Hollywood since 1980 as an accent and dialect coach for the motion picture and television industries. He has served on the faculties of both Wichita State and Penn State Universities while his directed learning system is used in over one thousand college theatre programs and by professional actors around the world! Among his students are Mike Farrell, Jack Klugman, Edward James Olmos, Bronson Pinchot, Lynn Redgrave, Forest Whitaker, and Michael York as well as Oscar Winners Geena Davis, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field and Julia Roberts.

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