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: thefluentedgepodcast@gmail.com

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