Acting Class 4

Hey guys!  So, last time in acting class, our teacher gave  us a list of accents to learn and practice for class this week: British, Australlian, Russian, and Boston.  After long, arduous hours of research, and many days driving my family and friends crazy with accents, I think I finally got them to the point where I don't completely suck! :D

So, I thought I'd go over some of the main characteristics of these accents on this blog.

Let's start with British.  The largest part of the British accent is a heavy enunciation on consonants.  Sometimes, when two or more vowels are put together in a word, an extra syllable is added (like in the word road).  Sometimes, letters are over emphasized in words (such that been would sound more like bean)  Most important to the accent, though, are these rules:
"U" is pronounced "Ew"
"H" is never dropped
"T" is dropped all together, with few exceptions

Australian actually sounds a lot like a British accent (because Australia has British roots), but a bit flatter and more sloppy.   A big part of the accent is that you put a large emphasis and stress on the vowels, rather then the rest of the letters in the word and sentence.  The sentences spoken in this accent are fluid and rise up at the end (like you're asking a question).  When speaking, you should utilize your whole mouth (cheeks, tongue, and lips), so that it seems the words are being "chewed."  Some examples of sound change from English to Australian are as follows:
"A" will become "Ah" or "Ay"  
"E" will become "Ee"
"I" will become "Ee" or "Eye"
"O" will become "Aw" or "Ew"
"U" will become "Uh"
"Er" when ending a word, will become just "A"
"G" and "E" when ending a word, will be cut out

The Russian accent is a monotonous accent, so when you speak it, try to stay level with your words.  Also keep in mind that Russians do not use as many articles or prepositions.  So, while you might say "I am going to my friend's house," they might say "I go to friend's house."  Remember:
"W" is pronounced as "V"
"U" becomes kind of an "A" sound
The "H" is pronounced with emphasize
The "R" is rolled

Last, but not least, we have the Boston accent.  The Boston is, in my opinion, the most difficult to prefect, because since it is spoken in America, it is very easy to slip back into the way you would normally say words.  But remember these tips:
The most important rule for a Boston accent is that "R" becomes "AH" (I'm sure you've all heard the "Go Pahk youah cah at Havahd meang Go Park your car at Havard.)
"O" becomes more of an "Aw" sound
The hardest part of this accent is knowing where to put the "R" back in.  It usually goes in between two words, especially if you have removed an "R" from the first one.  Otherwise, it's just random.

Okay, well I think that's it for accents today.  I hope my descriptions helped but if you still aren't getting the hang of it, use Youtube, movies, TV, or everyday interaction to actually hear people who use these accents.  With lots of research and practice, you should be able to pick it up.

Thanks for reading my blog again and good luck with the accents!