Training & Certification
Supplementing our publications on accents and dialects, we offer one-on-one Zoom and Skype sessions and online and in-person workshops to all kinds of people (actors, non-actors, and instructors/coaches), helping them compete more successfully in the marketplace. Whether you are in the entertainment industry or the accent-modification field, training and certification from Paul Meier will be certain to enhance your capabilities and credentials.
Procedures
A Paul Meier Certificate of Proficiency in the dialect(s) you list on your actor’s résumé is a persuasive credential, and it will enhance a dialect coach’s credentials too (though dialect coaches and accent-reduction teachers require much more additional training, as a PMDS Certificate of Proficiency is not a teaching credential). To earn it, you must demonstrate your ability to apply the given dialect to an unfamiliar text, “scoring” it with the right signature-sound numbers (IPA transcription not required), and speaking it accurately and convincingly. Here, step by step, is your path to that goal:
Step One: Technical Requirements
- a computer with a webcam
- a broadband internet connection
- your ability to create, edit, save, and e-mail sound files of your recorded voice in mp3 format (download guide)
- Acrobat Reader (free download)
Can you comply? Then take the next step.
Step Two: Self-Assessment
We have created a free test for each dialect and accent we publish. After studying the book (or eBook) for the accent or dialect in which you wish to be certified, you may assess your own current skill level by clicking one of the following links:
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BRITISH AND IRISH DIALECTS OTHER ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DIALECTS |
DIALECTS OF THE USA FOREIGN-LANGUAGE ACCENTS
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Step Three: Screening Test
How did you do on your self-assessment? If you scored 80 percent or better, you may be ready for the formal examination and can skip straight to Step Four. If you’re still not sure, you may wish to take a “screening test” to learn what further study (if any) you need. For this, you will create an mp3 recording of yourself speaking a short text, provided by us, and e-mail it back to us together with the text appropriately notated. You will receive our evaluation by e-mail within seven days. You may then elect to study further on your own, purchase a Skype/Zoom session for some intensive one-on-one training, or proceed directly to the formal exam.
Screening test, $35 for a single dialect; $15 for each additional dialect in the same test. Tell us which dialect(s) you have chosen in the “notes to seller” space during check-out, and we will e-mail you the test and the instructions immediately.
Click here to order a screening test.
Step Four: Formal Examination
The exam will be administered in real time in a video Skype or Zoom session with Paul. You will be given an unfamiliar text (about 100 words long) and asked to notate it with the required signature sounds and additional features using Paul’s numbering system (again, IPA transcription not required), and to speak it in the target dialect. While the exam is “open book,” allowing you to use resources from the book you’ve been studying, you will still need to carefully study Paul’s numbering system for each dialect in order to accurately notate the text and speak it aloud within the one hour allowed (most exam candidates find that more than adequate, and an additional hour is allowed for each additional dialect). To take the exam, you will need a broadband internet connection and a webcam. To pass the exam and earn your Certificate of Proficiency, you must score 80% or better in both the written and oral parts of the exam.
Formal examination, $95 for a single dialect; $45 for each additional dialect in the same exam. Tell us which dialect(s) you have chosen in the “notes to seller” space during check-out. We will e-mail you to arrange an exam appointment, and the exam materials will be e-mailed to you at the beginning of the examination itself.
Click here to order a formal examination.
For Instructors & Coaches
Paul continues to informally mentor clients in all fields related to dialects, accents, and voice training. If you are interested in training under his guidance, please e-mail Paul with your details.
