Learn any dialect, including "General American".

I recently returned from South Africa, where I coached Oscar-, Grammy-, Emmy-, and Tony-Award winning actor, Viola Davis and the cast of the hit film The Woman King.

I also coached Ms. Davis to sound like Michelle Obama for Showtime's The First Lady and coached the rest of the cast of the "Michelle" segment of this limited series.

I prepped Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn and Casey Wilson in New York accents for The Shrink Next Door on AppleTV+.

Kevin Costner won the Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Mini-series after I prepped him in a West Virginia accent for Hatfields & McCoys.

If you need to learn a dialect, I can help. I coach all the most popular dialects, like English, Cockney, Irish, French, Italian, German, Australian, Brooklyn, Southern and Spanish, as well as less common dialects like Welsh, South African, Thai and hundreds more. I can coach you in any dialect of English spoken on the globe.

My technique for accent training works quickly:clients often remark on their fast progress compared with other teachers. A client recently told me that it worked for her, "because it's systematic". This work begins by helping your brain allow you to hear new sounds, so you can hear and imitate the accent more effectively. We all tend to hear through the filter of our original accent or language; the brain blocks us from hearing sounds that we didn’t grow up using—this is why some adults can be in a new place for many years without adopting the accent of that place. I’ll teach how to physically form the new sounds, which will help your brain create neural pathways to allow you to better hear these sounds, both in yourself and in people speaking with the target accent. You’ll be able to imitate what you haven’t previously been able to hear, which will help change your accent much more quickly. And you’ll develop the ability to know when you’re on- or off-target with the new accent, and know how to correct yourself.

I've coached Viola Davis and the cast of the hit film, The Woman King, episodes of HULU's upcoming series, Washington Black, the films Jingle Jangle and The Birth of a Nation, Will and Jaden Smith in After Earth (in a "future" accent I invented), Jessica Chastain, Jamie Dornan, Ricky Martin, Eoin Macken, Nicolas Cage, Robin Williams, Ken Jeong, Alfre Woodard, Jason Lee, Jason Isaacs in many varied projects, Shia LaBeouf in Honey Boy, Anil Kapoor (Slumdog Millionaire) in 24 and Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol, Samantha Morton, Ryan Phillippe, Roger Daltrey in four different accents and Spanish for CSI, Max Minghella and Sophia Myles in Art School Confidential, Jennifer Garner in Alias, Mike Myers in The Cat in the Hat and thousands of others.

I'm also expert in teaching the general American accent (sometimes called accent reduction, though I don't like the judgement implied in that term) so you don't sound like you have an regional or foreign accent. My physically based technique works quickly, and you'll notice a difference in your sound after only one or two sessions. I helped English actress Julia Ormond sound American for Here's Yianni (in a New Jersey Greek American accent), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Chained, Kitt Kittredge, Che and I Know Who Killed Me, as well as teaching her an old-fashioned Alabama accent for Son of the South, coached Jim Broadbent to sound American instead of using his own English accent for Art School Confidential, and helped Canadian actor Justin Chatwin sound American so he could play Tom Cruise's son in Steven Spielberg's The War of the Worlds.

How does it work?

If you're an actor looking to learn the neutral American accent: please click here and read How Does It Work? on the Corporate Professionals page. I'm expert with actors who are close to having an American accent but need to get that last distance.

If you need a new dialect for an audition or project, it's a very straightforward process:

First I'll explain the vowel chart so you can learn how to form sounds in new accents that you can't necessarily hear at first (you'll be able to hear and use them after a bit of repetition).

Next, we'll talk about the melody, focus and rhythm of the new accent, as well as examining the specific vowel, diphthongs (two vowel sounds that are sounded as one syllable, as in "like") and consonant changes. We'll then practice by reading short sentences focusing on each sound change. These first two steps usually take 20-30 minutes.

We'll use the remainder of the first hour putting the dialect onto your text: I can demonstrate each line which you then repeat after me, or you can read your lines in the dialect while I guide you. If you bring me a copy I'll mark the sound changes onto your text. And some clients ask me to record myself reading their lines in the dialect, which I'm happy to do.

I'll record the entire session (whether at my office, at your location or via webcam) so you'll receive an mp3 file for later review. I'll also provide you with several dialect samples by native speakers digitally, along with the original written material we'll cover.

Most of my private practice is done via webcam: It's like we're in the same room, but we can be thousands of miles apart. I can also display on your screen the notes I make in your script in real time, which makes the process much more efficient. I currently use this technology with clients all over California and across the country, and productions currently emply me to coach their talent in New York, Canada, London and Australia.  

How long does it take?

For most auditions a one hour session is usually enough to cover 3-6 pages of sides. It may take longer if you have more material: a longer scene or an entire script, for example. Being able to speak off the top of your head takes longer, of course: how long depends on how fluent you want to become in the new dialect. If you want to learn more than one dialect, it's easier and faster as you learn additional dialects, because we can compare and contrast them.

Are you available to work by phone or Zoom (like skype, only better)?

While we're still dealing with COVID-19, all private sessions are held via Zoom, enabling me to work with clients around the US and the world. New York client Constance Zaytoun said of working with me by phone: "I’ve actually gotten more from you doing this on the phone than I’ve gotten coaching with someone in person."

I'll email you the written material we'll cover in advance of our session, record the session and email you an mp3 link for later review and include files  of several native speakers using the accent iin English. Secure online payment may be made in advance with a credit card or using Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, Square Cash or the Cash app.

What are your rates?

Rates for private dialect coaching via Zoom vary, depending upon what you need to accomplish, how quickly you need it, and whether you pay for sessions individually or prepay for a package of six sessions. Additional fees will apply for travel to your site. Please contact me for specific information about your needs.

Joel Goldes    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.      818-879-1896