From Opera To English Coach – How Sean Helps Pros Speak Confidently | The Fluent Edge Ep. 2 The Fluent Edge podcast

From Opera to English Coach – How Sean Helps Pros Speak Confidently | The Fluent Edge Ep. 2

15d ago 12:53

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What do opera, AI, and awkward meetings have in common?

They all shaped how Sean Watson became one of today’s go-to coaches for professional English fluency and workplace communication.

In this first-ever interview-style episode, Dr. Howie Jacobson flips the script and interviews co-host Sean Watson about his journey from stage to screen — and how he helps professionals not just learn English, but speak it powerfully in high-stakes settings.

🔹 Whether you're advanced but still second-guessing your English, or you're struggling with pronunciation in meetings… this episode is your backstage pass to Sean’s methods.

🎙️ What You’ll Learn:

How Sean pivoted from opera singing to Business English coaching
Why many advanced learners still feel anxious when speaking up
How to simulate real workplace scenarios to build fluency
The truth about “rural” and “world” (and why they’re so hard to say!)
What accent clarity means—and why we’ve moved past “accent reduction”
The role of AI in creating personalized English coaching sessions
What makes a great pronunciation coach vs. a grammar instructor

🛠️ Methods + Tools Mentioned:

Roleplay and real-life scenario simulation
Using ChatGPT to build custom language roadmaps
Building cultural intelligence, not just language knowledge
Deconstructing difficult words using known pronunciation anchors
Switching from “teacher” to “curator” in the age of AI learning

📌 Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & Interview Format Explained

01:00 – From Opera to English Coaching – Sean's Backstory

02:00 – First Teaching Job in Post-Communist Europe

03:00 – Building an Online Coaching Business

04:00 – Teaching Philosophy & Holistic Learning

05:00 – From Gatekeeper to Guide: The New Role of Teachers

06:00 – Helping Advanced Speakers Build Confidence

07:00 – AI Simulations, Pronunciation, and Roleplays

08:00 – Accent Clarity vs Accent Reduction

09:00 – Hard Words to Say: 'Rural' and 'World'

10:00 – Finding Your Authentic Voice in a Second Language

11:00 – Outro & What to Expect Next Episode

🔗 Let’s Stay Connected:

Coaching with Sean: https://tinyurl.com/5669kjnm

Coaching with Howie: https://tinyurl.com/yty9n5np

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4 episodes