Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Dick Van Dyke, Rod Steiger, someone was watching

In Oxford to see my dentist, Roz Tritton. Or rather, in Oxford to see my dentist's hygienist. I would just as soon not make a special trip to Oxford to see a hygienist, but dentists don't like patients who cherrypick - you can't have your teeth cleaned locally and then make special trips to see the Best Dentist in the World.

Went into Blackwell's Language Department. Methuen has produced a series called access accents, developed by actors by accent coach Penny Dyer: they have London (Cockney), American, Geordie, Yorkshire, Welsh and Received Pronunciation. The thing that's odd, of course, is that this is a series aimed at actors who are native speakers but want to master a range of accents - as far as I know there's nothing like it for language learners, though regional accents are one of the biggest obstacles. But it's a fabulous idea; I have bought 4 (London/Cockney, American, Yorkshire and RP). Perhaps I can do something similar for German on Garageband.

And now I am late for my bus, half an hour to get up to Headington.

4 comments:

Mithridates said...

"American": hmm. What's THAT sound like?

Any rite: Fank Gawd yaw back, 'ellene. Oi was going frough papahpools wiffdrawal, Oi was.

Jenny Davidson said...

That is super-cool, how can there be such a thing?!? Excellent...

"Post-Google" by TAR ART RAT said...

1.I like how Mithridates has so sucessfully channeled Eliza Doolittle, it is rare that you can actually HEAR an accent popping off the page like that.

2.I second his sentiment(s).

Anonymous said...

I third the sentiments and raise you three public libraries that have not yet seen Your Name Here and, for good measure, I'll throw in a box of raisonettes.