10 mistakes you could be making if you’re learning a new accent
My friends! Welcome to my new platform, I’m so grateful to have you here. This first post is one that is SO important, and so I’m re-posting it over from my old website and socials because it’s a good way to start! I’ll be on here a couple times per week, and when things settle into a routine, I’ll be sure to let you know when you can expect new posts so you can stop by and check them out!
OK! So, here we go…
You listen but don’t look
Mistake number 1 is something I see ALL the time. Accents are physical, so we have to watch people speak, not just listen. They’re also part of a person / character as a whole, and when we’re trying to authentically portray a different accent, we need to pay attention to everything. Imagine someone speaking in Italian but NEVER moving their hands when they talk? What comes out of your mouth may be perfect, but people watching would go, “mmm… something’s off.”
TV or nothing
There are countless options available when it comes to finding authentically spoken versions of our target accent. Don’t limit yourself to TV and movies. Go to social media, youtube, podcasts, politicians, the news, lectures online, Ted Talks, online courses… broaden your search and investigate. Don’t limit yourself to actors.
You don’t get physical
Those of you who know me will know, this is the part I never ever skip. I work in two languages and a lot of different accents, and when I set my mouth up, it makes a huge difference. If you don’t know what the tip of your tongue is doing vs. the middle of your tongue vs. the back of your tongue in any given moment, it’s going to be really hard to pinpoint what needs to change.
You work on your accent separately
Real talk- I used to do this when I first started out. Guess what? It doesn’t work. It’s great to do a first few passes of your text to work on your accent, but then you have to build the accent into your whole performance.
You don’t keep it fresh
Accents are muscular. Imagine if you went to the gym for a year, got in shape, and then said, “Great. I’m fit. Now I don’t have to work out ever again.” Same thing. If you’re very good at an accent and the muscle memory is solid, you’d probably jump back into it relatively easily. But if you played the piano when you were 17, you might be able to play a few songs still at 42, but it doesn’t mean you can necessarily sit down and play Beethoven having not touched the keys in 25 years.
You don’t record yourself
Getting used to hearing and watching yourself speak is so beneficial. You can’t always trust that your brain is hearing things accurately as you’re saying them. It’s like when you watch yourself on camera for the first time and go, “OMG was I doing that with my eyebrows?!” Watching and listening to yourself helps build awareness, and you start to really hear and feel when it’s sounding accurate.
You keep the volume down
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten to set or rehearsal, and someone says, “I’ve got the accent down.” They show me and it sounds great when they do their lines quietly and out of context. But the problem is, the scene is intense, loud, full of action and movement, and suddenly they realize that it’s not the same to scream in panic in an accent as it is to sit quietly and calmly say those lines.
You trust your friends and family
Ok, trust them in life, yes. At least I hope you do. But when it comes to your accent- they may be super supportive, but they are always going to hear what they expect to hear when it comes to how you speak. I have tested this time and again. The people closest to you are not the best judges. Go out in public. Try it on strangers. Or send it to me for some objective, professional feedback.
You put it on your CV without even trying it
OH guys. If you’ve literally NEVER tried to do an accent, please please please, do not put it on your resume! I’m not kidding, I’ve seen people book a job, the director decides they want the character to be from somewhere else, casting looks at the actor’s CV or spotlight, the accent is listed, they give the go ahead. But, the actor tries the accent, realizes it’s way harder then they thought, and they can’t do it. They lose the job, or worse, are re-dubbed by someone else’s voice. (Yes, I’ve been hired to do that many times. It’s a thing). This isn’t one to bluff about!
You don’t really know how you talk
If you don’t know what you’re starting with, how will you know what to change? Pay attention to your own speech. Watch and listen to yourself speaking naturally. Look for others with the same accent and observe them as well. Build your awareness.
BONUS: You think you can’t do accents
Anyone can learn, including you. Just because it doesn’t come naturally doesn’t mean it’s not possible! Maybe you’re great an accents but all you’ve tried to do was listen and imitate someone, and that isn’t the way you need to approach it (though maybe that works for someone else). If you’re convinced you’re bad at accents, let me prove you wrong!
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