How to Learn an Irish Dialect

The Irish accent is one of the most sought-after among theater actors. From Shaw to Beckett to Martin McDonaugh, Irish playwrights have written some of the form's most important works. However, many people appreciate the Irish dialect for its inherent beauty. Its almost-natural musicality, a product of the Irish Gaelic influence that lingers even among monolingual English speakers, attracts many casual dialect learners. Even these casual learners must be ready for committed practice, though, if they want to develop convincing "brogues."

• 1

  Decide which type of Irish dialect you would like to learn. Keep in mind that a man from Inishmore may be virtually unintelligible to a woman from Dublin. If you are learning the dialect for a play, try to determine where your character grew up. Otherwise, the choice is open, but be specific.

• 2

  Find a recording of an Irish English speaker native to your chosen region. Look for someone of a similar age, sex and class to you (or your character), because all these factors influence the way a person speaks. Look for recordings online at the International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA) or the Speech Accent Archive, both university-based sites.

• 3

  Record yourself reading aloud. Choose a text that takes you about a minute to read. Avoid scripts already written in dialect, as they inhibit you from understanding your own speech patterns -- a prerequisite for learning a different one.

• 4

  Compare the "lilt" of your speech with your chosen recording. "Lilt" often refers to the "musicality" attributed to Irish English, but every dialect of English has its own lilt, or tonal rise and fall across a phrase. At this point, do not pay attention to individual words.

• 5

  Rerecord yourself reading the text, focusing on changing only the "lilt" of your speech. A good "lilt" can convey a subtle impression of "Irishness" even in the absence of proper consonant and vowel shifts.

• 6

  Compare the number of syllables in common words. English dialects are often distinguishable by whether "blank" vowels called "schwas" are dropped ("elided") in certain words. For example, an Irish speaker may say "suff'ring" (two syllables) instead of "suffering" (three syllables).

• 7

  Rerecord yourself, focusing on the length of each word to establish the rhythm of the speech.

• 8

  Compare the "Rs". The Irish "R" is one of this dialect's most distinct characteristics, and it influences the vowels that come before it. Practice the Irish "R" until you can produce it easily, paying close attention to the distance of your tongue from your teeth.

• 9

  Record yourself reading your text with Irish "Rs."

• 10

  Compare vowels and other consonants. Keep a list of words that sound strange, looking for common letters or letter combinations that differ from your own speech. Practice pronouncing these vowels and consonants in your own dialect and then as the Irish speaker says them, paying close attention to the positioning of your lips.

• 11

  Record yourself once again, including all the consonant and vowel shifts you identified. This is the step in which the regional variety becomes most apparent.

• 12

  Practice. Continue rerecording, listening and adapting until you are satisfied that your reading sounds Irish. Repeat this task with several more texts, until you are comfortable and can anticipate the changes you will have to make.