Becoming convincing in a dialect and being able to maintain that convincing nature while acting in a film or play doesn’t happen overnight. Even when you are familiar with the most effective dialect acquisition techniques available on this pretty blue planet, learning a dialect is still going to take a bite out of your schedule.
How much of a bite? It’s impossible to pinpoint exactly, but it’s a smart move to budget a few hours per day for anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks. For now let’s assume two hours per day for six weeks…that comes to 84 hours.
So, it’s going to take around 84 hours to master an unfamiliar dialect…
Wowza.
It’s in realizing this that most actors decide to put off their dialect aspirations.
After all, who’s got 84 extra hours?
Believe it or not, you do.
Really, you do.
You just need to be clever about it.
Here are five clever ways to sneak a little dialect work into your skill set without wreaking havoc on your life:
1) Listen while you commute. Many actors report that driving while listening to dialect source materials on the stereo not only allows them to squeeze in an hour or more of practice per day, but also has a calming effect during traffic jams. If cars aren’t your thing, try wearing headphones on the train or subway. You may not feel as comfortable responding aloud to your recordings, but you can at least listen for details. If you are fortunate enough to have created recordings for yourself that have long interview sessions with a dialect donor, public transportation commutes can be a convenient time to listen to those.
2) Listen while you work out. If your daily workout includes walking, swap out your Lady Gaga recordings for your dialect materials. (Do be careful walking around wearing headphones. Remain aware of your surroundings!) With the advent of cell-phones with ear pods, even if you happen to be responding aloud to your dialect recordings, most people who pass by you will assume you are on the phone.
3) Listen on your way to lullaby land. Head to sleep 15 minutes early and squeeze a little practice in then. There have been no formal studies done as of yet to directly verify this, but since dreams appear to be our way of processing the events and information of our lives, it seems to follow that practicing a dialect as you drift off could have its benefits.
4) Listen while you do housework. Simple tasks such as folding laundry, sweeping the floor or deadheading roses provide great opportunities to practice your dialect. (And it won’t add a single minute to your busy schedule!)
5) Listen in lines and lobbies. When you have a wait ahead of you, even if it’s only going to be five minutes, try listening to your dialect materials. Learning a dialect requires consistent exposure over time, so every little bit counts.
Annnnnd a bonus idea…
6) Listen while you relax. This one’s not necessarily a time saver, but I mention it because some actors report that they learn more quickly when they work on their dialect in a relaxing environment. Consider donning your ear buds and heading out to swing in a hammock or lie on the beach, or try working on your dialect while you enjoy a hot bath. (Safely please.)
Pamela Vanderway's Dialect 411 
Liked your comments and suggestions about learning dialects. I’ve used all your techniques at one time or another. I’ve pretty much made my acting career in film and television on my ability to do accents. Of course, I’ve had ‘straight’ American roles but I feel almost every role has some touch of a dialect anyway and have always found that an interesting way into the psyche of the character. How did/do they speak and WHY, of course. Film and television companies often need the assistance you can give, as you know.
Patrick Gorman
Referred by Dan Rosenburg on Facebook