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From Opera to English Coach – How Sean Helps Pros Speak Confidently | The Fluent Edge Ep. 2
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
Contact us: [email protected]
👍 If you liked this episode:
✔️ Subscribe for weekly insights
💬 Leave a comment or question
🔗 Share this with a globally minded professional in your network
View all episodes
By Sean Watson and Dr Howie JacobsonWhat 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
Contact us: [email protected]
👍 If you liked this episode:
✔️ Subscribe for weekly insights
💬 Leave a comment or question
🔗 Share this with a globally minded professional in your network