Dialects & Accents

Program Overview

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Diploma Programs

Acting: Film, Television & Voice-Over Diploma

Acting Conservatory Diploma

Comedy Conservatory Diploma

Writing for Film & Television Diploma

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Dialects & Accents

Dialects & Accents

Class Description

Unlock the power of language versatility with either of our Standard American Dialect and Foreign Accents courses. In these dynamic program, students delve into the nuances of the Standard American Dialect, honing their skills to master the most widely recognized and required accent in the entertainment industry. Through rigorous training, participants develop a keen ear for pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm, ensuring authenticity in their performances and widening their range of character portrayals. Additionally, students explore the rich tapestry of foreign accents, from Scottish and Irish, to French, Australian, and beyond. Through immersive exercises and personalized feedback, participants learn to adopt these accents convincingly, adding depth and authenticity to their roles. Led by industry professionals with extensive experience in dialect coaching, our course provides a supportive environment for actors to refine their craft and expand their repertoire. Whether you’re preparing for auditions, roles, or simply seeking to enhance your acting toolkit, our Standard American Dialect and Foreign Accents courses equip you with the skills to excel on stage and screen.

Choose Your Class

• Monday - Standard American Dialect with Ely Jackson - 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
• Thursday - Foreign Accents with Ely Jackson - 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Pre-Requisite

No previous experience required.

Upcoming Classes

• 2025 Dates:
  • Monday Evenings – 7:00pm – 10:00pm with Ely Jackson
  • Thursday Evenings – 7:00pm – 10:00pm with Ely Jackson
• Winter – TBA
• Spring – TBA
• Fall – TBA

Course Summary

A hands-on, detail-oriented approach to mastering the Standard American accent whether you’re a film student, from another country and want to act in North America, a seasoned performer looking to brush up on your skills, a Canadian performer simply looking to cover your “Canadianisms” for work in American productions, a brand new actor or Voice Over artist, or you’re not in the film industry all together or just curious about trying something new! Throughout the course you will work as a class, in pairs and one-on-one with the instructor where you will receive detailed feedback on each week’s work in a specific field that, when honed, will set you apart from the competition. The course will take you through the theory behind the accent, mouth and vocal positioning, cadence, articulation, do’s and don’ts, touching on speech pathology and its role in learning accents and the fun part – putting it all into practice. The only career pathway where watching tv is your homework!

Meet Your Instructor

Ely Jackson

Ely Jackson is a Greek-Australian film & TV actor & Voice Over artist based in Vancouver, BC, where she currently resides working in various creative fields including post-production sound, scriptwriting, audiobook production, voice over instructing, FTV audition coaching & accent training.

Jackson’s versatility as a performer allows her to portray untrustworthy pirates, to smoldering heroines, to aliens from outer space, to elvish warriors, to lending her physicality in creature costumes to the horror genre. In addition to being a LEO Nominated actress for best female supporting role in the motion picture Grand Unified Theory, fan favourites of her portrayals include her role as Scottish Elven warrior Tiandrin in Netflix’s The Dragon Prince (alongside her dear friend, mentor & revered voice artists Jason Simpson) & her work as mom AND daughter AND each of their “mirror monsters” in Monster Loving Maniacs currently streaming on Apple TV. Jackson can also be seen in the recent Percy Jackson & The Olympians on Disney+ & Netflix’s hit series Altered Carbon with a 2024 debut in her beloved horror genre in The Stickman’s Hollow, starring opposite Thomas Cadrot (Scream 6, Supernatural, The Flash) & directed by the up-and-coming talent, Jack Cox.

Her impressive resume includes her work in commercial VO on campaigns such as Afterpay Australia, Coolsculpting Canada & GLADE Holidays: Barbie & The Nutcracker. Ely’s 15+ years in the film industry & its related fields, provide a deep wealth of experience which she brings to both her work & her class room, with her additional skills for the screen including sword fighting, bo staff training, kickboxing, archery, sais, horseback archery, weapons training, 7yrs of singing training & 8yrs of dance. Jackson utilises her unique vocal skills to service the specific needs of various post-production sound studios in Vancouver city, specializing in creature & alien sounds & accents, of which her repertoire includes: Scottish, Irish, assorted British, assorted American, Australian & French.

Ely has a 5-star rating on google as a Voice Over instructor & has been teaching in an academic setting for 4.5 years where she uses her decade and a half of industry experience to guide those passionate about film & television acting & Voice Over acting.

Among her achievements in the entertainment industry including her Bachelor of Communications & Arts with a Degree in Scriptwriting for Film & Television, she is also a published author, penning the first instalment of the historical fiction trilogy The Aegean Series – Snake of the Nile in 2020 for its official release in 2020 & sells her paintings, hand-woven Stefànias & gourmet sugar cookies.

Course Outline

• Intro to basic speech pathology
• The phonetics behind the sounds & words
• The importance of mimicry
• Exploration of how the American accent differs regionally
• Dissecting American monologues
• Putting it all into action!

What Students Say About Ely Jackson

• Ely Jackson is amazing. She’s very motivating, experienced, talented. she knows her stuff and her classes are super fun. Ty Owen VAS Actor Alumni
• Ely Jackson was one of my favourite teachers/coaches, she has such an amazing energy, and really makes you feel comfortable enough to fail. Had a blast here! Evan Ellison VAS Actor Alumni
• Ely Jackson is a superstar as she always ensures she gives you a rich and exciting class while still being strict when she needs to be. Tough love in the greatest form, she pushes you to try harder and do better! Jen S. VAS Actor Alumni

Class Begins

• Class begins the week of: 09/08/2025
• Cost: 3 Equal Installments of $249.99

Full Time Classes

• Acting: Film, Television & Voice-Over Diploma
• Acting Conservatory Diploma
• Comedy Conservatory Diploma

Screenwriting Classes

• Part Time Screenwriting
• Full-Time Screenwriting

Part Time Classes

• Fundamentals
• Audition
• Voice Over
• Dialects & Accents
• Scene Study
• Workshops

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