This standard text, now in paperback for the first time-- the companion volume to Foreign Dialects-- American Dialects offers representative dialects of every major section of the United States. In each case, a general description and history of the dialect is given, followed by an analysis of vowel and consonant peculiarities, of its individual lilt and rhythm, and of its grammar variations. There are also lists of the idioms and idiomatic expressions that distinguish each dialect and exercises using them. American Dialects also includes musical inflection charts and diagrams showing the placement of lips, tongue, and breath.
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About the Author
Lewis Herman and Marguerite Shalett Herman compiled this material during more than 25 years of acting, writing, teaching, and studying, in Europe, Hollywood, Chicago, and New York. They also acted and directed for stage, television, radio, and motion pictures.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful, accurate book,
By A Customer
This review is from: American Dialects: A Manual for Actors, Directors, and Writers (Paperback)
This book is a remarkably accurate and knowledgeable way to learn the many American dialects. It is very clear and concise, and would be a great help with the theatre. I spent a lot of time perfecting my New York City accent,and even though a don't do alot of acting it was fun to fool people, & with the help of this book, it worked. An amazing compilation that is clear and focused, it offers an invaluable lesson for anyone that has the time to sit and study it. Wonderful.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a great tool for actors!,
By A Customer
This review is from: American Dialects: A Manual for Actors, Directors, and Writers (Paperback)
An essential tool for any actor who wants to be able to master the regional American accents. Using the international phonetic, this book will guide you through various areas of the USA and allow you to nail down the subtleties of their accent. With this book you'll fool the natives.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
American Dialects manual not for everybody,
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This review is from: American Dialects: A Manual for Actors, Directors, and Writers (Paperback)
I bought this manual to help me when I taught an intensive course for a short term ("J-term" - one week in January) at a secondary school. I used the book when teaching the American Southern dialect, but for most of the kids it was much too detailed and analytical for them. The book contained such a long list of the subtle differences in pronunciation (depending upon region and which consonant precedes or follows the sound) along with all their exceptions, trying to pick out the most important ones to focus on was overwhelming. In retrospect, for this class I could have used fewer, more general guidelines as to the most obvious differences in dialects to focus on. In other words, more drills to practice fewer substitutions. I can see that for a certain type of mind and advanced training for a career in acting, this book would be a good guide, but for my students it was much easier to pick up dialects by listening to them than by memorizing a complex system of substitutions.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Underlying every American regional dialect is a stratum of bedrock that serves as the common foundation for all varieties of American speech. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
important consonant changes, lilt and stress, distinct nasal quality, initial vowel word, medial unstressed, this vowel sound, unstressed vowel sound, certain common words, drill words, preceding vowel sound, final unstressed syllable, more forward position, rural speakers, typical pronunciation, dialect speech, initial unstressed, grammar changes, western drawl, rural speech, unstressed position, torical characters, dialect variants, glottal stop, consonant sound, many highlanders Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
African American, New England, New York, Middle Western, New Orleans, South Carolina, Shenandoah Valley, United States, West Virginia, North Carolina, Far Western, Houghton Mifflin Company, Ohio River, Rhode Island, New Hampshire New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Underlying every American regional dialect is a stratum of bedrock that serves as the common foundation for all varieties of American speech. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
important consonant changes, lilt and stress, distinct nasal quality, initial vowel word, medial unstressed, this vowel sound, unstressed vowel sound, certain common words, drill words, preceding vowel sound, final unstressed syllable, more forward position, rural speakers, typical pronunciation, dialect speech, initial unstressed, grammar changes, western drawl, rural speech, unstressed position, torical characters, dialect variants, glottal stop, consonant sound, many highlanders Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
African American, New England, New York, Middle Western, New Orleans, South Carolina, Shenandoah Valley, United States, West Virginia, North Carolina, Far Western, Houghton Mifflin Company, Ohio River, Rhode Island, New Hampshire New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 36
books:
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book
cites this book:
- The Great Big Doorstep (Lost American fiction) by E. P. O'Donnell on page 90, page 127, and Back Matter
- The Grapes of Wrath (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) by John Steinbeck in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- English Language in America by George Philip Krapp in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Men of the Mountains by Jesse Stuart in Back Matter
- Trees Of Heaven by Jesse Stuart in Back Matter
See all 36 books this book cites
- English Literature And The Other Languages.(DQR Studies in Literature 24) by Marius Buning ton Hoenselaars in Back Matter
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