Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen (with 12 CDs)

Got this as a gift for my partner who plays dnd. He wanted to get better at accents. He was so excited to see some of the voices he wanted such as “Yorkshire.” We havent gotten a chance to look at the videos yet, but Im so excited to. I think in the future (maybe we missed it), it would be easier to have an online code included with all of the samples instead of the CDs. I also think one more page of IPA would be helpful or highlighting/bolding american english IPA. And/Or including examples of what each sound is in a word such as /j/ as in /j^mi/ “yummy.” Love this book though, glad it was available on amazon.

The author of this unique course, Paul Meier, is the undisputed master of this subject. First, we're talking about the ENGLISH language and how it sounds when spoken by people from different countries (and from different parts of this country). And if you're at all like me, the first thing you want to know is what the hell is the difference between an "accent" and a "dialect" ? And if they're basically the same, then why is there an "&" between the two words? Luckily they're not the same...well , not exactly. An ACCENT stresses or accentuates a particular PART of a word. And a DIALECT is a particular way of pronouncing an ENTIRE word. I've always been fascinated by (and jealous of ) people who can speak English with a British dialect, or sound like they're from France, or India, etc. And I promised myself that someday I'm going to learn the same "trick" just for the fun of astonishing my friends with my "alter ego" who is a foreign spy or something equally exotic. I'm now going to begin the course, and hopefully I'll let you know in the near future how successful I've been. Cheers!

I am not an actor, but I love accents. Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen is really good. It is fun to listen to, easy to understand and very interesting. The author addresses each accent in a methodical way, focusing on signature sounds. My contention is that this book is appropriate for the wider public for a number of reasons: 1. Apreciating and enjoying accents is one of the pleasures of living in the multiethnic supersociety that is the English-Speaking World. 2. The natural tendency is for us to pre-judge people by how things come out of their mouths. After reading the book, you realize these differences are pretty superficial. 3. When watching a movie or a play, one can better appreciate when an actor really does the accent well. 4. You can "entertain" family, friends and co-workers! 5. Like any good book, it encourages you to learn more. For instance, how specifically did English culture spread to the various corners of the globe? Do accents give us a clue? I hope that the 24 accents are just a beginning, and that Mr Meier will be adding more in the near future!

This book is simply a must-have for any actor who wants to perfect their accent and dialect work. Each of the chapters of the book clearly lay out the specific sound changes of each accent as well as multiple exercises, both with and without IPA (International Phoentic Alphabet) transcription. Even if you aren't familiar with IPA (in which case, you should invest in a copy of Edith Skinner's Speak With Distinction), the CDs provided with the book provide excellent narration and hearing Paul do the accents is another great way to get into them. Simply put, this book has helped me tremendously in my work and I'd strongly recommend it.

This is an absolutely awesome guide for 24 of the most common dialects and accents that you cold be expected to use in stage, screen and voice over acting. It comes with 12 CDs that follow the text, pronunciation and examples for each of the accents illustrated in the book. Meier is a contemporary voice coach and professional actor who has been in the business for many years and offers one on one coaching today. You can even schedule a skype conference with him. If you only buy one book this year to help your acting career or endeavors make it this one. It's the gift that keeps on giving. This training doesn't feel forced and awkward like in similar guides.

I run a theatre and I've used this book and cd's for so many productions. It's so easy to follow along with the instructor and material. In just a few short sessions, your accent will be sounding great. In a week or two, you could sound like you came from that country. If you're an actor, this is a must have.

The information that is contained in this book and on these CDs is soooooo helpful! No wonder it's been a must have for learning different accents for so long. Also, their customer service is amazing! They fixed an issue that I had right away. I would highly recommend Paul Meier's materials.

Unfortunately, no CDs when you rent this book / CD offer. Very disappointing.

Such a great reference to improve your English language mindfulness. Boosting my fluency , I am looking forward to try out this new incomes.

I'm so grateful for this, this is gold!!! Thank you for the hard work you put into this Mr. Meier.

Great book, incredibly helpful. Don't bother trying to learn on your own. 12 cds and the text are worth the price. Acting students should get one for sure.

A great resource and fully detailed. I use it all the time. I suggest this if you are learning dialects.

It looks like quite a comprehensive guide, but if you don't know IPA, it will not be very useful. The CDs that come with it are a sort of outdated idea. So many laptops/computers don't even have CD ports anymore. It would be great if all the content were put online that could be accessed with a password that was listed in the book.