General FAQs
What should I look for in a speech coach?
Can I record the classes?

FAQs about accents & dialects
Which accents should I learn?
How do I learn an accent ?
How long does it take to learn an accent?

FAQs about "accent reduction"
Do you have a particular method you use?
Why should I reduce my accent?
Is it better to do private or group classes?
Where are most of your clients from?
How much time does accent reduction take?
How much practice do I need?

Q. WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A SPEECH COACH?
A. First, you should determine whether you would be most benefited by a coach or a speech pathologist. A coach can help you with pronunciation, diction, and learning foreign accents, whereas a pathologist is a medical professional qualified to work with speech impediments and more serious issues.

Once you've decided on a coach, the two most important things to look for are mastery of the subject and clarity of communication. Many dialect specialists have extensive knowledge, but unless they can communicate how to do it clearly, efficiently, and supportively, you may have difficulty assimilating the lessons.

I also think it's important to find a coach with whom you have personal chemistry -- someone you feel you can trust enough to take a risk and sound funny in front of, someone who can laugh with you keep it light even when it's difficult, and most importantly, someone who is patient. As you may know from experience, a person's accent becomes thicker when they're under pressure, so while you want a coach who will challenge you, you don't want to feel bullied or overwhelmed.

Q. CAN I RECORD THE CLASSES?
A. Yes. While I don't think it's necessarily beneficial to record the whole session, you can absolutely record the sounds, words you have trouble with, and my explanations. They can be invaluable for your practice time at home.

Q. WHICH ACCENTS SHOULD I LEARN?
A. Unless you are working on a role that requires a specific accent, it's a great idea to learn new dialects simply to expand your abilities. If you do dialects well, you already have a major advantage when it comes to getting work. In general, all actors should have a Standard British and some form of American Southern. Beyond that, do the following to find your accents:

Q. HOW DO I LEARN AN ACCENT?
A. First, we talk about several factors: your character's language, class, education, location, etc. Once we determine the basic framework for the accent, we might begin with listening to a native speaker. You listen for broad strokes -- the sounds you hear, the words they use, what you think the rhythm sounds like.

Then we begin with placement, where the accent "lives" in your mouth. We start with your placement and move step by step to a new one. We then work through phonetic substitutions, or sound changes, applying each one to words and phrases. Don't worry if you don't know the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) -- I'll help you find your own annotation.

Then we work on rhythm and intonation. I like to think of every accent as a ball that has a certain weight and a certain bounce or way of moving. We start to physicalize the accent so you have a visceral sense of its weight and musicality.

Lastly, as we apply the accent to a scene or monologue, we work on making the work invisible, the final, most thankless part of accent work. You never want the accent to be the point of the scene, and we work on making it seem effortless and natural. Also, if it's a thick accent, we may work on making sure it's comprehensible to American ears. And we may talk about what you can do to adjust the accent in the audition or rehearsal room in order to take direction smoothly and not feel "locked in."

Q. HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN AN ACCENT?
A. Depends how far you want to go. You can get a quick fix for an audition in an hour, but to be fluent in a dialect requires consistent practice in listening and drilling. You are working to capture not only the individual sounds, but the dialect's overall rhythm, pitch, placement, and intonation. You must work until the accent is in the "muscle memory" of your mouth, so you don't have to think consciously about it when you're acting. Remember, the way you speak is a core part of who you are. The same is true for your character. It needs to be "your" language. Here are some ways you can test for fluency:

Q. DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR METHOD YOU USE FOR ACCENT REDUCTION?
A. First of all, I hate the term "accent reduction." I use it on this site because it's a frequently used, commonly understood shorthand. I don't like it because it implies that you're "losing" your accent in favor of a "non-accent." In reality, there is no "non-accent." I don't teach you to lose anything, but rather to gain the option of using General American Speech, which is a neutral-sounding American accent that has no particular association with any one part of the country.

As a text, I work from Edith Skinner's book Speak with Distinction, which is used in most contemporary actor training programs. It is a methodical, step-by-step approach to mastering the vowels and consonants of General American Speech. We start with a conversation in which we discuss your background and your current speech. Then we do a detailed diagnostic of the sounds you struggle with, and I begin to show you, sound by sound, how to shift your pronunciation to the American pronunciation. We also address issues of placement, intonation, the "music" of American speech, how to connect words so they sound natural, and also issues of spelling and vocabulary. From the start, we apply what you're learning to your life, work, and interests, and you have a concrete process you can work with at home.

Q. WHY SHOULD I REDUCE MY ACCENT? ISN'T IT PART OF MY IDENTITY?
A. A common fear about "accent reduction" is that if an actor works to acquire General American Speech, she will be losing a part of his identity. My feeling is this: I think it's a good idea for actors to learn to speak in a number of ways. The more opportunities you give yourself to stretch your capacity to speak in a different way, the move voices you have to bring to a given character. It's just like an American actor learning different dialects -- it's all done so that the actor can bring a variety of characters to life, not only those who speak like her. It's prudent from an artistic perspective as well as a practical one. It doesn't mean you have to speak like that in your daily life, it just means you have a new tool to use if and when you need it. Your accent, native language, and background are an integral part of your identity, but in learning a new way of speaking, you are expanding, rather than erasing, your ability to communicate that identity.

Q. IS IT BETTER TO DO PRIVATE OR GROUP CLASSES?
A. I think dialects can be taught very effectively in group classes. But for working on your own accent, private lessons are an invaluable investment. Since everyone comes to speech work with a different background and different issues, you want a program tailor made for you and your accent. You want to be able to spend the whole session on a single sound, making mistakes, trying again, until you master it in your own time and in your own way. A group class can give you a great introduction to what your problem spots are, but ultimately, private lessons will save you a lot of time.

If they're not cost-effective for you, you can pair up with a friend who shares your linguistic background and ask the instructor about discounts for pairs (I do this frequently), or you can combine group classes with the occasional private session to keep you on track.

Q. WHERE ARE MOST OF YOUR CLIENTS FROM?
While a great deal of my practice is made up of speakers from Japan and Eastern Europe, I've worked with speakers from all over the world. Places of origin include, but are not limited to: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, India, Ireland, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, USA (Brooklyn, Texas, etc.).

Q. HOW MUCH TIME DOES ACCENT REDUCTION TAKE?
A. The most commonly asked question of all. This will vary enormously from individual to individual and will depend to a large extent on how much work you are willing to put in on your own practicing in private and applying what you're learning to everyday encounters. We will spend a great deal of time going over practice methods and discussing ways in which you can "practice" even on the subway.

Q. HOW MUCH PRACTICE DO I NEED?
A. I talk a lot about "muscle memory." This term is used in dance all the time -- the dancer doesn't think about the steps every time she does them. With practice, they exist unconsciously in the muscle memory of her body. Your tongue is the strongest muscle in the body for its size, and it has an incredibly powerful muscle memory. If you practice a sound again and again, eventually, your tongue remembers and you don't need to think consciously about it every time you speak. That's what practice is for -- not to get it right once, but to get it right so many times that it becomes unconscious. So you'll need a lot of practice. And then more. At least 15-20 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week to begin, but each and every day if possible. We'll talk in depth about the best times, ways, and means of practicing.