Client reviews

This course over 10 days has changed everything! – (American DIY)

The Valentine Method is phenomenal and works!

The Valentine Method is phenomenal and works! The 10 day American Accent Challenge Course was so much fun and very easy and clear to follow. I am definitely doing more Accent Challenges whether it be for work or for fun! Sarah has amazing positivity and gave me so much confidence and encouragement to do well. I’m really glad I found you and your course!

What a fantastic way to learn an accent!

What a fantastic way to learn an accent with Sarah’s method of using your own phonetics in conjunction with the very generous and supportive way that Sarah guides you through each of the lessons its like your learning with a group of friends.
And in some respects you are as you have the other people on the course there too which helps with the learning as every person has their own phonetic language.
You will discover that by the end of the course you are talking like a native, with your own spark to introduce you to the accent and get you into the swing of it straight away.
Thanks so much Sarah. I look forward to working with you again and taking more courses with you.

Confidence-boosting and ability-enhancing!

Confidence-boosting and ability-enhancing! Building a monologue over 7 days was a great way to settle certain vowel sounds that trip me up again and again. Very valuable to be able to watch a video of Sarah speaking the text first as helps with mouth shapes and placements. Thank-you! Now just need an audition

Learning the American Accent with Dialect Coach Sarah Valentine

As a beginner in learning a new accent, this course was a perfect way to lay those foundations that I will definitely continue to use in the future. It was so easy to get into and Sarah is very informative about the what’s, why’s and how’s of the accent (if that makes sense).

Highly recommend British Accent Challenge

I have really enjoyed Sarah Valentine’s British accent course. I have an upcoming play where I need to master the accent and this course helped me immensely. Highly recommend it – its easy to follow, learn, understand and the homework really helps you grow. Go on give it a go!!

10-day Standard British Accent

I really enjoyed the 10-day Standard British Accent course and it’s helped me a lot to improve my accent. Being from The Netherlands, I was brought up on American movies, as well as Harry Potter, I watched people with all kinds of accents on the Eurovision Song Contest and sang along to my favourite musical theatre record (Les Misérables) the way the way the Cockney sounding Gavroche did it. So eventually, as an adult, I ended up with a bit of a messy accent, something I thought a director wouldn’t want to work with. This was a huge insecurity of mine, but I feel a lot more confident after Sarah’s great feedback and the possibilities she’s offered me to improve. I’m very thankful!

10-Day Standard American Accent

Thank you Sarah. Even though I was already working on my accent when I started the course, it was your encouragement and feedback that gave me the confidence to believe I could actually do this. That is invaluable and a key component to being able to deliver a believable accent.

She is not cheap but I figure if you want class and the best then she’s worth every penny.

I wanted to say how wonderful my session with Sarah Valentine was. I wanted to learn a Fairmount Indian accent and I had never even heard one before let alone thought I would ever need to learn one. I emailed a few samples before our session.

I found Sarah on the internet and at first, was very skeptical that one could learn another dialect via Skype. Plus she was in New Zealand and I was in Liverpool in Britain. However, I was wrong and it worked just great. She is wonderful, patient, and kind and I will use her again. My only complaint is that the time (one hour) goes far too quickly. She is not cheap but I figure if you want class and the best then she’s worth every penny.

Denise Snoad, Actress

Sarah helped me create a London accent for my character, and she was fantastic! As an Actress herself, she had a clear idea of the sense and meaning of the script, so it didn’t just become about saying words a different way.

Sarah you are the best, thank you for helping me!”

British RP Accent Course is an interactive, clear and easy to follow

Sarah Valentines British RP Accent Course is an interactive, clear and easy to follow learning opportunity. Her teaching is warm and engaging which makes the experience of learning an accent online all the more enjoyable.

One of the best dialect coaches I’ve had the pleasure of working with

Confidence builder

Her honest feedback is invaluable – 10 day American Accent Challenge

I now feel extremely confident in the accent!

Sarah is attentive, friendly and makes you feel comfortable as she takes you through her 21 day British RP accent challenge. I now feel extremely confident in the accent!

Friendly, Fun and Approachable Method

Sarah has a friendly, fun and approachable method for learning a new accent. She is patient, but quick to correct to ensure you get the most out of your session. It is also tailored for you needs and not a ‘one size fits all’.

She is a master in her craft and I consider it an honor to learn from her

10 Day British RP Accent Challenge, 10 Day Cockney Accent Challenge & 10 Day Scottish Accent Challenge.
I’ve always had an intense desire to learn and master accents. Last fall, I searched the Internet to find a teacher/coach who would work with me on learning/improving different accents. Thank God I found Sarah! She is a master in her craft and I consider it an honour to learn from her. I’ve since taken 3 courses with her and have learned so much in the time I’ve studied under her.
The Valentine Method is the key and has made me so much more aware of the specifics in picking up an accent. If you are an actor, professional or just have this desire to learn and speak with an accent, I highly recommend Sarah Valentine. Look forward to many more courses together!

I would recommend Sarah Valentine wholeheartedly for UK accents

I worked one-on-one with Sarah who went over and above with her attention to detail. I would recommend her wholeheartedly for UK accents.

The individual feedback was soooooo helpful.

This has been such an enjoyable week working on the General American accent. I really love Sarah’s technique with different sounds being highlighted and worked on each day and the videos of the text being modelled by Sarah. The individual feedback was soooooo helpful too. Thanks so much Sarah for your time and encouragement. Really enjoyed this process of learning a monologue by building it up bit by bit each day. Big challenge to complete the final monologue today. Great practice for acting and improving my American accent.

Sophia Huybens, Actress

I met Sarah Valentine a couple of months ago when I was preparing for an audition. I needed to learn an accent in a matter of days and although it was short notice she was more than happy to work with me.

I had never learnt an accent before and was worried I would not be able to master it in time. In the few hours we spent together Sarah was able to teach me the tools necessary to learn an accent and also help prepare me for my audition.

I got the role and decided to continue to take voice coaching classes with Sarah because she has a unique style that I found easy to relate to.

Her teaching style is professional but also humorous, which is exactly what I needed to help me relax and learn as much as I could.

She has an extensive knowledge of a range of accents and her enthusiasm and commitment exceeded my expectations.

I am very grateful for all her help and would highly recommend her to anyone wanting voice coaching.

Matthew Chamberlain

Sarah was warm, friendly and bloody helpful in enabling me to get the hang of a Scottish accent. Her approach was simple to follow and I left knowing I had all I needed to do the job. I was also impressed with the range of other regional UK accents she is fluent in and thoroughly recommend her.

Jarred Blakiston

I contacted Sarah when faced with the daunting task of auditioning in a Scottish accent, something I’d not done before, nor ever really prepared for. Spending an hour’s coaching with her assuaged many of the fears and anxiety I had around the accent, and filled me with the confidence I needed to actually go in the room and put forward something worthwhile to the casting director. What’s more, it actually made me excited to do so. Sarah was also very generous with her time, offering to coach me last-minute during the weekend. I highly recommend her knowledge and coaching and look forward to using it again!

This was the third course I’ve participated in

Sarah is awesome at her craft, as usual. This was the third course I’ve participated in. Her videos are amazing and are an outstanding method for hearing and, in particular, viewing the spoken accent. I’ve learned so much from this course — now I’m ready to apply my lessons when needed. Good job Sarah — well done, teacher!

Extremely skilled at what she does…..

American Accent Challenge

I would like to say a huge “Thank you” to my accent tutor,
Sarah Valentine.

Undertaking the challenge of learning a new accent or enhancing an existing one
is a daunting task for anyone.

If you’re unsure on whether or not to train with Sarah, I would strongly
recommend you to go for it – you will NOT be disappointed.
As a student on her ‘Standard American’ course, I can honestly report that she
is warm, welcoming, encouraging but most importantly – extremely skilled at
what she does.
Her insight and attention to detail is remarkable. She gives attention not only
to the more obvious aspects of the accent but also to the little nuances that
make the difference between a passable accent and one that sounds truly convincing.

Being on the course was time and money well spent.

Teen Academy – I have absolutely loved doing this course.

I have absolutely loved doing this course.  It is my second course I have completed with Sarah.  She is simply the best.  Her instructions are clear, precise and easy to understand.  Her feedback is very constructive and delivered in a warm and nurturing manner.  I can highly recommend any of Sarah’s courses to all aspiring  actors

Working with Sarah on this has been a truly lovely experience. 

I’ve just completed the 10 Day Standard American Accent Course, and working with Sarah on this has been a truly lovely experience.

Not only is she kind and supportive, but she gives detailed and honest feedback that has been incredibly helpful for me as someone who hasn’t had all that much experience with accents. My confidence has definitely grown with using it in front of people.

The atmosphere of the community that you work in for the course is always friendly and encouraging, which Sarah most definitely has a hand in. I never felt that I needed to be perfect, which is a relief! I think sometimes we expect too much, but here I knew I could be comfortable in where I was at, which I believe has improved thanks to Sarah. She is dedicated to her teaching, always there with a well placed comment. I will be going over those time and time again!

I’ve really enjoyed her course, and hopefully will be doing another one soon!

Holly Hunter Quote

Quote from Holly Hunter, Oscar Winner for the Piano:

“I was walking through New York and I heard a Jamaican and I thought of you”

– Holly Hunter on the phone to Sarah Valentine.

I have to say it was a great compliment and just too funny. Holly is such an amazing and beautiful person. I loved working with her on Top of the Lake and would love to have the opportunity to work on another great production like that again one day. Best time of my life.
-Sarah Valentine

I thoroughly enjoyed being able to work on my American accent with Sarah.

Jessica’s testimonial from the 21 day American accent challenge.
–
I thoroughly enjoyed being able to work on my American accent with Sarah.
I found her teaching style very clear and helpful which really made me feel like I was learning and improving with each lesson.
I am super grateful to have had this opportunity as an actor because I feel like accents are extremely important.
Learning the accent using phonetics was more helpful than I thought it would be and really allowed me to hear the words correctly.
I would definitely recommend this course for anyone wanting to learn how to speak in an accent and I am super interested in taking another.
Thank you so much Sarah !!

#actor#actors#dialectcoach#accentcoach#accentcoaching#accentcoachsarahvalentine#sarahvalentine#learnenglish#learnamericanenglish#learnaccents#actorslife#pilotseason#dialects

Jaine Kirtley

I highly recommend Sarah she is meticulous in correcting every sound word and phrase. Lesson by skype works very well. Her patience and friendly approach made learning enjoyable even the pronunciations I was struggling with. Sarah helped me with the standard American accent, really looking forward to working with her again.

American DIY course is fantastic

Sarah’s DIY American accent course is fantastic and so user friendly. You can work at your own pace and review as often as needed. Her enunciation of words is so clear, and seeing how the mouth moves to produce the sounds is super helpful. I also loved the inclusion of American phrases to make your accent that little bit better. She is very personable on screen and the video clips are great for illustrating different sounds. Highly recommend and can’t wait to try the other accent courses!

If you’re looking for an accent course then look no further, you’ve found the best!  

Sarah is an amazing teacher. I wish I had discovered these classes years ago.

Yasemin Kafali

I absolutely enjoyed the RP accent course with Sarah Valentine because she is able to simplify the learning process which makes it so much easier and it’s very liberating!

Thanks a million!

This course has been absolutely brilliant!

This course has been absolutely brilliant, and it came at a good time. I think it’s so useful to have a safe place to try out the skill of an accent within a non-judgemental community of actors in the same boat, and I really look forward to more accent sessions. Thanks very much to Sarah for all the hours she put in – very dedicated!

Thrilled to be cast as a ‘British RP Cat’

Having just completed both of Sarah’s 10-Day British RP and 10-Day Standard American
Accent Courses, I would highly recommend them to anyone wishing to learn and/or
improve these accents in a fun, focused and interactive online environment.

I am already using them successfully in my work as a VoiceOver Artist and was
also thrilled to be cast as a ‘British RP Cat’ with The Naples Players Reader’s
Theatre, in an original play called “What is Man?” by Natalie King, all
thanks to what I learned on the British RP course, which I completed the day I
started the Standard American one!

Heartfelt thanks to you Sarah – it’s been an amazing few weeks of learning and achieving;
your teaching method is wonderful and your help, support and feedback really
inspired my confidence!

Jimmy Hazelwood

Sarah is really great at what she does. I had to use an accent coach last minute for a cockney accent, so booked in with her and within in an hour, felt ready to go. She made it fun and enjoyable (we had a lot of laughs) and think her methods really work. She offered extra support outside of the session if I got stuck, which was really appreciated. Thank you – look forward to the next session!

It’s one of the best decisions I have ever made.

10 Day American DIY course

I’m a blind voice-over artist from Melbourne Australia.

I took the American DIY course because I have always wanted to speak with a standard American accent and sound as close to a native as possible. I have always been fascinated by the accent.

I would strongly recommend Sarah, the lessons are short and to the point without needless rambling or big noting. My accent has improved exponentially and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I would recommend Sarah in a heartbeat!

I would recommend Sarah in a heartbeat!
Her courses are essential if you are looking for some more knowledge, confidence, and tools for your actor’s toolbox. Her daily feedback is something that leaves you wanting more, expecting the next lesson to come with a smile on your face. It gets challenging but she is with you every step of the way which makes it enjoyable. I needed more confidence with British Accents/Dialects and she was able to guide me and help me gain more experience, practice more, and eventually gain my so wished confidence.
I can’t wait to start a new course with her!

Sarah is a real expert and I would always work with her again. 

10 Day American Accent Challenge

When I signed up for Sarah’s course, I already knew that my time to practice for it was very limited. My plan was to just take part as much as possible over the ten days, and then go back to the videos later to really start the transition by myself.

I was so surprised, when I realized at the end of it, how much progress I had actually made.

The videos and the feedback were so helpful that I got way more out of it than I would’ve ever imagined, especially with my very tight schedule.

Sarah is a real expert and I would always work with her again.

21 Day Accent Challenge

I’ve had a joy learning from Sarah in the 21-day Accent challenge. I feel like I have an approach to learn ANY language now! Sarah is honest, charming, SPECIFIC, and clearly very passionate about accents, which makes it so easy to learn. This course is a perfect way to jump into learning accents.

It’s always great having someone in your corner backing you

Sarah knows her stuff! She is super welcoming and gives you the confidence to just give it a go. The 10 Day British RP Accent challenge was a blast, I am even more intrigued after completing the course than I was at the start. I love how much detail she goes into when giving specific feedback. Sarah kept me on my toes with what I can work on, which pushed me further. It is always great having someone in your corner thats wants you to do well. Thank you! Can’t wait for another course.

It’s been a real privilege to learn this American accent

I’d like to thank Sarah for doing this 21 day standard American accent challenge for us, it’s been a real privilege to learn this American accent with her. To be honest I thought I had already nailed the American accent, but was shocked when Sarah began showing us how to pronounce the words authentically, and really keep going over the words. Also writing the phonetic spelling meant I could see that I really needed to practise more. Sarah has a fun personality and is awesome to work with. Each day was a new lesson and I was getting the hang of the accent. This was an amazing experience and great opportunity to sound like a true American.

Mark Clare

Sarah’s relaxed and focused accent session was exactly what I needed to tackle a tricky North Country dialect. My confidence to deliver an authentic performance was helped enormously by her expertise.

I would recommend actors don’t hesitate to take advantage of Sarah’s experience and technique.

A really entertaining way to learn

American DIY Course gave me more confidence

21 Day British RP Accent Challenge for voice over artists

For me, the best part of Sarah’s 21 day British RP accent challenge is that all of the students ended up sounding incredibly natural. No “put on” British accents here!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Sarah Valentine

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Sarah Valentine, The Actors Accent Coach, and the service that she provides. We were given a very short time frame for my 11 year old son to learn a British Accent for an audition and Sarah was phenomenal. She was incredibly patient and professional with my son, and the materials and feedback provided helped him to ace the audition!! We could not have done this without you Sarah! Many thanks and we hope to work with you again in the future.

10/10 General Tom Thumb “The Greatest Showman”

Sarah is a phenomenal accent coach and is also incredibly fun and very easy to talk to.

She is honest, and upfront about where your skill level is and she gives great acting advice and insight.

Highly recommend Sarah, for anyone

Arlene Meder

I was quite nervous to meet Sarah for my accent session but she soon put me at ease and gave me confidence to learn an American accent. I look forward to further sessions with Sarah as I trust her expertise to perfect my accent.

I loved every minute of the Scottish Accent Course.

Hi, Sarah! ( Great name by the way:) )

10 day American accent course is a lot of fun

I’ve just completed the 10 day American accent course. It’s been a lot of fun. The techniques were easy to follow and the strategies were amazing. I feel so much more confident to audition with this on my resume. Sarah gives you constructive feedback every step of the way. It would be nice to do another accent soon.

Sarah is an EXCELLENT accent coach.

Sarah is an EXCELLENT accent coach. I had to work on a French accent in a very short time frame for an audition and Sarah very quickly responded to my urgent email asking for help. She made the accent very easy to understand and with her guidance, I felt very confident and was able to tackle the accent in no time at all. I highly recommend Sarah. She is fast, reliable and extremely talented at helping with accents.

Sarah combines professionalism, a passion for teaching and years of experience to the virtual classroom.

I have already recommended this course to fellow friends!

10 Day American Accent Challenge – Sarah Valentine is very friendly, approachable and professional. She delivered helpful individual feedback throughout the course, and encouraged everyone equally along the way. I enjoyed this course and have learnt some great tips to develop this accent as a skill. I have already recommended this course to fellow friends!

Manpreet Singh Saini

I have never taken accent coaching before and it was my first time. It was so easy to understand what Sarah taught me as she was helping me not only just learn but live the accent too. I was late to the class so she spent extra time with me without charging me extra. It was a great experience sitting and learning from her.

A great experience

It was a great experience working with Sarah learning a southern American accent. She is very engaged, super professional and fun to work with. I highly recommend her!

American and Jersey Accents

Sarah was immediately helpful in my approach to numerous accents associated with my role. She is a credible source of knowledge who understands the importance of discussing an accents authenticity, foundation and delivery.

American Accent Training – with Dialect Coach Sarah Valentine

I’m very happy I did this course. Because of repeating a few sentences time after time you become well aware of your working points, by really zooming in and mend them, instead of just going on thinking “I don’t sound great but I don’t know why.” It’s simple yet effective!

Thank you Sarah, you’re Valentine method is brilliant!!

I am so grateful I did this 5 day US accent challenge. I decided to do it to improve my confidence. I used to be really good at the US accent but somewhere along the line, I lost my confidence, and I really resented doing the accent. It was a chore! Sarah’s technique has completely changed the way I view the accent – I have a new found love for it! She has helped me find a way to access the accent which is my own. I see the accent in a whole new light!! Thank you Sarah, you’re method is brilliant!!

Rob Harding Voice Actor

Sarah is friendly, fun, down-to-earth, professional, and an accent guru. Not only did Sarah help me nail the accent, she also put me at ease and gave me confidence that I needed to relax during the performance.

I absolutely loved working with Sarah

I absolutely loved working with Sarah Valentine on perfecting my British RP. She has a wonderful ear and could identify my weak spots, to help me correctly pronounce specific words and phrases. I will 100% coach with Sarah again.

Excellent resource and experience – 10 Day American Accent Challenge

10 day American Accent Challenge

This really was an excellent resource and experience. The convenience of online learning at a time that fits in with ones own busy life is ideal. The fact that Sarah actually videos herself saying the the things that we need to then rehearse is such a big help. We can study mouth shapes, hear the sounds and go back over as many times as we need to try and perfect our own accents. I had no idea that writing the words phonetically would be soooo useful. It really helped to tune my ear. This is a course I will be able to revisit again and again to refresh and keep my US accent in tip top shape!

A course everyone should take!

The Self Tape Academy has been a welcoming and warm place to venture into ourselves. Learning daily techniques has helped me to progress towards taking further steps to an acting career. Everyone was so welcoming and nice. Sarah was with us every step of the way with positive feedback, and dropping gems to us about the industry itself. This is a course I believe everyone should take, YOU WONT REGRET IT!

“Highly recommend Sarah she’s an awesome teacher!

Sandra Lucas

I was so pleased to find Sarah and even though I am in New York and she is in New Zealand, coaching via Skype was a perfect solution for me. She is patient, methodical and within an hour we got a lot done on a script I am working on. I have a bit of a hybrid accent, as I like to call it, and she was able to pinpoint my trouble spots and help to make my American accent flawless. She is an incredibly talented lady being able to pull out so many accents and do them perfectly. I will most definitely work with her again.

Luckily I found Sarah on IG, drawn in by her enthusiasm and rapid fire accents.

There’s nothing like a last minute job offer that includes an accent…when you’re not prolific with accents.  Luckily I found Sarah on IG, drawn in by her enthusiasm and rapid fire accents.  She did not disappoint.  Not only does she have a great technique for getting you into an accent quickly, you can tell she is invested in you doing a good job.  Looking forward to working with Sarah again on the next accent.

‘Whoever said ‘progress is a slow process wasn’t talking about Sarah’

I’ve always felt like having my American accent 70% right, after one lesson with Sarah it feels like 80%. Whoever said ‘progress is a slow process wasn’t talking about Sarah’

Sarah’s unique method works!

I have just completed the 10 Day Standard American Accent Course with Sarah and would like to say a huge ‘Thank You Sarah’ for being an amazing tutor.

I never felt I had the ability to sound authentic enough to pursue roles that required an American accent until I studied with Sarah. With each day under Sarah’s guidance my confidence has grown and I certainly won’t be afraid to put myself forward for those roles anymore.

Sarah is friendly, approachable and very honest when giving feedback.

Sarah’s unique method works!  Each lesson is designed to build upon the previous and exercises are spread out and manageable. Interaction with your fellow students is both helpful and fun during the learning process.

I thoroughly recommend Sarah as an Accent Tutor and I will definitely be signing up to another course with her in the near future.

Jude Madison

I had never had any accent experience or training before working with Sarah, although I wanted to learn and expand my skills. Within the few hours spent with her, I feel so much more confident with an American accent. It is impossible not to feel comfortable and inspired around her. Instantly you know she is very knowledgeable, with her wide range of accents and her approach to teaching is down to earth, warm and constructive. Not only did she help with my accent but also took the time to give helpful advice for my venture into the acting industry. Couldn’t recommend her any more highly if you’re wanting to learn an accent. Can’t wait to work with her again.

Sarah is an amazing coach.

Sarah is an amazing coach. I learned a lot about the nuanced muscle movements and tiny details about the French accent during her 10 day course. I can’t wait to take another one.

Anna Julienne, Actress

I was very daunted when I was told two weeks before shooting that my character on Underbelly was no longer a Kiwi and now had a strong Lancashire accent.
In fact daunted would probably be the understatement of the century!

However, Sarah soon came to the rescue and with her help the whole process was far easier than I had anticipated. She broke down every line with me and her support filled me with the confidence I needed.

I would definitely call on her again should the situation arise.

British RP – Sarah does amazing videos and is an expert in her field

For a long time I wanted to work on my British RP accent. As a French speaking actress in London, RP is essential and I have struggled for many years with it as it is a totally different way of moving your mouth and tongue. I received this course as a present from my boyfriend. I truly enjoyed it. Sarah does amazing videos and is an expert in her field. She is warm, welcoming and very encouraging, she spots the things you need to work on. I will definitely keep practising at least 5 times a week to keep going. As obviously once the class is finished, you need to keep practising to improve. I am super fan of Sarah Valentine now and I will soon try to Scottish accent course. The only thing I regret is that Sarah is not London based. Would love to meet her in person and have some class with her. Honestly, it is good value for money and you will definitely improve! I am very happy with the result. Thank you Sarah!

Sarah’s feedback was so helpful while also being fun

Working with Sarah Valentine was everything I could of asked for and more in an accent class. The class breakdown and the Valentine method made it so easy to learn and master my British accent. Sarah’s feedback was so helpful while also being fun. I would definitely recommend Sarah for anyone wanting to learn an accent. I can’t wait to sign up for another course!

I loved that the US accent suddenly became “learnable”

I did the 10 day Standard US accent and I loved how specific and tangible the information, instruction and practice was.  Sarah isolates and clarifies particular sounds and explains how to make them.  The work is incremental; starting with single sounds, then words, then sentences and then a whole text.  The feedback is clear and redirects the student to particular sounds and intonation that need work.  I loved that the US accent suddenly became “learnable” .  I am definitely going to do more courses with Sarah.