“General” American 101: The Essentials

This 2 1/2 hour webinar, taught by Master Teacher Erik Singer, is specifically designed for actors. It will teach the essential foundations of a “General” American accent, and is appropriate for Brits, Kiwis, Aussies, South Africans, and non-native speakers of English.

WE’LL EXPLORE:

·      The “oral posture” of American English

·      The peculiar articulation that is the American ‘r’ sound

·      How to master the difference between the vowels in sheep and ship, green and grin

·      How to master the difference between the vowels in pull and pool, soot and suit

·      How to master the difference between the two different ‘th’ sounds in words like this and thin

·      and several other essential and (often tricky!) vowel sounds.

What is “General” American anyway?

Whether you’re a Brit, an Aussie, a Kiwi, or a non-native speaker of English, you need to find an American English accent that fits you and your casting like a glove. So we’ll also focus on:

·      how to find your American accent—where to look, what to listen for, and more.

·      how to keep practicing on your own (Practice makes perfect, after all!).

For those who have taken previous Knight-Thompson Speechwork accent intensives, please note that this workshop is specifically aimed at actors, and does not assume any prior speech or accent training. Teachers and coaches are welcome, but in order to make the workshop maximally accessible to all, it will be considerably less information-dense than previous all-day accent intensives.