Course Description
This course gives student actors a skillset that allows them to learn accents with speed and precision. Students develop skills to analyze the ingredients of accents inclusive of cultural context, vocal tract posture, prosody, and pronunciation to empower the student to live fully within an accent other than their own. Prerequisite: THR 120 or THR 222.
Syllabus
Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
- Analyze spoken accents inclusive of the ‘4Ps’ of Knight-Thompson Speechwork: People, Prosody Posture, and Pronunciation.
- Apply their knowledge of the IPA to precisely make the sound changes appropriate to an accent.
- Develop a personal method of learning accents derived from the methods explored throughout the semester.
- Create a thorough Accent Breakdown of any accent inclusive of the ‘4P’s.
- Fully embody a character who speaks in an accent that is different from the actor’s accent.
Course Grading Information:
| Activity/Performance Measure | Percentage/Points |
|---|---|
| Gurn Dance Video | 10 points |
| Idiolect Heritage Project | 10 points |
| IPA Knowledge Celebrations | 10 points |
| Accent Breakdowns | 30 points |
| Monologues | 30 points |
| Participation & Growth | 10 points |
Grading Scale:
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 93–100% | A |
| 90–92% | A- |
| 87–89% | B+ |
| 83–86% | B |
| 80–82% | B- |
| 77–79% | C+ |
| 73–76% | C |
| 70–72% | C- |
| 67–69% | D+ |
| 63–66% | D |
| 60–62% | D- |
| 0–59% | F |
Attendance/Participation:
All students are allowed 3 absences to use at your discretion. If you are not feeling well please stay home. If you are experiencing symptoms of illness and cannot stay home, please wear a mask to class. Due to the highly participatory nature of this course illness will spread quickly, so please consider your classmates and teachers when deciding whether or not to come to class and to wear a mask.
All reasonable accommodations will be made to accommodate student hardships, however, students must ultimately be able to achieve the learning objectives of this course to pass the course. More than 3 absences will adversely affect your grade because this class is a highly-participatory, activity-based class.
If you find yourself in extreme extenuating circumstances that you expect will cause you to miss more than 3 classes, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can make a plan of action to determine whether this course is the right fit for you at this time.
Your presence in class is crucial to your success. Please make your attendance a top priority whenever possible. This means taking good care of yourself. Sleep. Eat. Drink Water. Moderation in all things is a means to a healthy life. Please take care of yourself so you can bring your best self to your work.
Course Materials Purchased by the Students:
No course materials are required.
Scholarly Perspectives
This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.