Experiencing Speech: A Skills-Based, Panlingual Approach to Actor Training

Abstract

appendix is included providing the reader some tips and strategies from real-world British and Australian actors about using an American accent. Overall, American Accent Drills for British and Australian Speakers contains a plethora of useful stimuli that target a hierarchy of complexity, moving through single words, short phrases, sentences, and longer dialogues. These drills would be very welcome for any coach seeking coherent examples to illustrate and target specific sounds and for the actor to use in specific, targeted practice. The availability of audio files to supplement the material is vital and a helpful addition to support different learning styles. The volume itself would benefit from visual diagrams to assist with tongue or lip positioning and clearer use of terminology (around / t/ sounds, in particular) would aid its applicability. The addition of missing vowels, in particular KIT, would provide a more comprehensive overview for readers. Nevertheless, Quaid’s pragmatic approach encourages actors and coaches to focus on naturalistic and everyday speech as the aim for accent work, highlighting the need to establish nuance and identity. Quaid’s book is a useful resource for actors and coaches as an overview and summary of a general American accent and provides plenty of stimuli that will help actors and coaches target and develop American accent skills.