Actors taught phonetics

american nic   Tuesday, January 18, 2005, 23:13 GMT
GAE is General American English. Every generation speaks a little different from the last, some more than others. They speak like their parents until about middle school. Then friends become more important and they speak their own new way.
mad   Wednesday, January 19, 2005, 02:46 GMT
how long does it take to cement s new accent?
american nic   Wednesday, January 19, 2005, 03:08 GMT
Well, I've never tried to get a new accent so I'm not sure. But whenever I've tried to change the pronunciation of a specific word it usually only takes a few day to get used to it. I have no idea how long it would take for a total dialect/accent change. Do any actors/actresses want to respond perhaps?
To Ed   Wednesday, January 19, 2005, 03:54 GMT
Even we know Nicole Kidman was born in Hawaii, but she's grown up in Aussie and she's pround of being an Aussie. Same thing goes with Russell Crowe who was actually born in NZ.
someone   Wednesday, January 19, 2005, 04:07 GMT
Anyone watch 'The Gift'? I think Cate Blanchett's southern accent was good, tho she's Aussie technically.
Ben   Wednesday, January 19, 2005, 14:54 GMT
Nicole Kidman may have been born in Hawaii, but she definitely grew up in OZ. Naomi Watts grew up in both Australia and the UK, which is why she has a slightly peculiar Aussie/Brit hybrid accent.

Australians tend to be very good at American accents. I think this is because the Australian dialect has a similar resonance and intonation to an American one. It's a little slower and more back in the throat than British English.

Same with the Welse (like Catherine Zeta-Jones)--a lot of the sounds in the Welsh dialect are similar to American--particularly the phonemes. Actually, the Welsh are excellent in general at learning accents and languages because the Welsh language much more rich phonetically than English.

Alan Cumming, a somewhat lesser-known Scottish actor who's something of a fixture in New York theatre, is always able to speak with a flawless American accent. It's kind of weird, because in real life he has such a thick brogue.
George   Sunday, January 23, 2005, 00:11 GMT
Re: Actors taught phonetics.

I am a Canadian producer/director/writer for C21ETV. Yes, actors MUST dress up a character they play, along with an accent, if need be. However, what many of you may not know is that, now-a-days, we are conditioned by distributors, in particular in North America, to use "neutral accents" as actors and/or narrators. Finding "neutral accents", is the most dificult job for us.

Regards,

George
from OHIO   Sunday, January 23, 2005, 16:06 GMT
Ed,
Charlize Theron stated in an interview that she learned English when she came over US about 7 years ago. (The interview took palce in 2004).
Personally I don't believe her, but... hey..she is an actress

Tiffany,

Sorry I don't agree with you about Catherine Zeta-Jones.If you listen to her, a longer conversation for exemple, not in her T-mobil commercial :), you'll notice her British/Welch accent.I do...
Nicole Kidman kinda lost her Australian accent, but I still can hear it many times.It depends how long she speaks.It's easier for me to listen for a longer time to recognize better an accent.
from Ohio   Sunday, January 23, 2005, 16:57 GMT
American nic,

I don't know how long you have been in the US, but you siad that you can get used to with a better pronounciation of a new word. I'm studiing now a book+CD-ROM for accent improvement.It seems "preety easy" when I do the exercises while reading the book or repeating after the teacher, but when I want to use what I've learned in real conversation, I can't concentrate. I can use some of them, especially single vowels and constanants, but when I try to to correct my intonation, I can't do it very well, or at least I believe so. I improved the linking and some cluster sounds, but I still have problems with the intonation.
Another problem I have, I can change my accent to be closer to an American one, just when I really concentrate and I remember to do so.:(
Do you have any suggestions? Or anybody else?

Thanks
From Seatle   Monday, January 24, 2005, 02:41 GMT
American nic,

If you really want to learn how to pronounce, speak and read with ease and confidence, and clean up your accent in American English, check out this link: http://www.c21etv.com/esl. Paste it in your browser's address, and check the video trailer out.
from OHIO   Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 14:32 GMT
Thanks American nic.
It seems to be Canadian English.I know that there are a few differences in pronounciation between American and Canadian English.
Thamk you anyway, I appreciate your input.