Experiencing Speech: A Skills-Based, Panlingual Approach to Actor Training

Experiencing Speech: A Skills-Based, Panlingual Approach to Actor Training, Second Edition is a beginner’s guide to Knight-Thompson Speechwork®, a method that focuses on universal and inclusive speech training for actors from all language, racial, cultural, and gender backgrounds and identities.

This book provides a progression of playful, practical exercises designed to build a truly universal set of speech skills that any actor can use, such as the ability to identify, discern, and execute every sound found in every language on the planet. By observing different types of flow through the vocal tract, vocal tract anatomy, articulator actions, and how these components can be combined, readers will understand and recreate the process by which language is learned. They will then be introduced to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and will practice using the IPA for narrow transcription of speech sounds. This revised second edition features:

• New and updated exercises exploring vowel charts
• More pathways for connecting speechwork with acting work, including professional applications
• Updated images throughout
• Updated information for instructors and the use of the text in various courses
• New web resources, including additional exercise and video demos.

Experiencing Speech: A Skills-Based, Panlingual Approach to Actor Training is an excellent resource for teachers and students of speech and actor training, as well as aspiring actors looking to diversify their speech skills.