『The Fluent Edge Podcast』のカバーアート

The Fluent Edge Podcast

The Fluent Edge Podcast

著者： Sean Watson and Dr Howie Jacobson
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🎙️ THE FLUENT EDGE Level up your English. Amplify your impact. The Fluent Edge is your weekly power-up for professional English, clear communication, and executive presence. Hosted by Sean Watson and Dr. Howie Jacobson, we help globally-minded professionals master the language and mindset to lead with confidence. Real business English, leadership tools, and personal growth—all in short episodes.Copyright 2026 Sean Watson and Dr Howie Jacobson 出世 就職活動 経済学 語学学習
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  • It's Not Your Accent. | The Fluent Edge Podcast Ep 17

    It's Not Your Accent. | The Fluent Edge Podcast Ep 17
    2026/06/23
    It's Not Your Accent. | The Fluent Edge Podcast Ep 17You prepared. You knew the material. The meeting started — and the moment you opened your mouth, something changed. Not in the room. In you.You rushed. You over-qualified. You dropped the ends of your sentences. And by the time you finished, you weren't sure if they got it — or if they even tried.Most professionals blame the accent. In Episode 17, Sean and Dr. Howie Jacobson explain why that diagnosis is almost always wrong — and what's actually holding you back. This episode is about the real drivers of executive presence: pace, structure, and the ability to own silence.==========================================🧠 What You'll Learn in This Episode• Why accent anxiety is a delivery problem in disguise• The difference between intelligibility and accent — and why it matters• How pace signals confidence (or exposes anxiety)• What gravitas actually means — and how to build it• Why the saber-toothed tiger in your brain is wrecking your presentations• How silence becomes a power tool when it's intentional• The difference between awkward silence and deliberate silence• Bridge phrases for non-native speakers who need to buy thinking time• Why burying the lead undermines you before you've made your case• BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front — and how to use it without sounding blunt• Key vocabulary: accent anxiety, gravitas, intelligibility, BLUF, hold the floor==========================================🛠️ Key Techniques & Professional Vocabulary• Accent anxiety vs. delivery problems — knowing the real issue• Intelligibility: the only standard that matters• Gravitas: weight without stiffness• Pace: slow down 20%, not 50%• Deliberate silence vs. awkward silence — the intention behind the pause• Bridge phrases: "That's interesting. Let me think about that for a moment."• BLUF — Bottom Line Up Front: lead with the verdict, follow with the reasoning• Narrating your inner dialogue to build trust and transparency• Phrasal verbs: speak up, back down, back someone up, hold the floor, hold your ground• Upspeak and rising intonation — when it helps, when it hurts==========================================⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Introduction — the moment accent anxiety hits[00:20] Sean introduces the episode[01:00] Peter's story: "I know what I want to say, but..."[02:00] It's a delivery problem, not an accent problem[02:45] How accent anxiety creates the very problem it fears[03:30] Accent bias is real — and how leaders build resilience anyway[04:00] Howie on getting honest feedback and orienting to reality[05:00] Intelligibility vs. accent — the distinction that changes everything[05:45] Do North American audiences like accents?[06:30] Toronto, Ghana, India — the wide spectrum of English[07:00] Three things that create executive presence (none of them accent)[07:30] Pace: why slowing down reads as gravitas[08:00] Signal: lead with your point, not your reasoning[08:45] Silence: owning the pause[09:30] Howie on breathing, the nervous system, and speaking under threat[10:00] Deliberate silence vs. awkward silence[10:45] Sean's diplomat client: two seconds that changed everything[11:00] Howie on the Buddhist teacher who paused for 30 seconds[12:00] Narrating your inner dialogue — a tool for transparency[12:45] Bridge phrases for non-native speakers[13:30] Howie: everyone is a non-native speaker of something[14:00] Accents, class, and the army-and-navy theory of language[14:45] Why slowing down feels threatening (saber-toothed tiger edition)[15:30] Do the reps before you need them[16:00] Why even experienced leaders bury the lead[16:30] BLUF in practice: flip the order, make the point first[17:00] Howie on anticipating objections without softening your stance[18:00] Vocabulary section: accent anxiety, gravitas, intelligibility, BLUF[19:00] Sean demonstrates gravitas with Hamlet[20:00] Upspeak, rising intonation, and the list exception[21:00] Syllable stress and the "small hill" technique[22:00] Hold the floor — executive presence in a phrase[23:00] Phrasal verbs: speak up, back down, back someone up[23:45] Hold your ground — military roots, boardroom application[24:00] Closing: what the room is actually judging[24:30] Coaching invitations and closing message==========================================🎙️ Want to Speak English with Clarity and Confidence?Book coaching with Sean (Pronunciation, Fluency, Business English):http://tiny.cc/no70101Work with Howie (Leadership, Mindset):tinyurl.com/yty9n5npSubscribe to Howie's Substack:tinyurl.com/askhowieSubscribe to Sean's Substack:tinyurl.com/rdxyesesVisit us: thefluentedge.comContact: info@thefluentedge.com==========================================🔎 Related Phrases:How To Speak English Confidently With An Accent, How To Improve Executive Presence In English, How To Sound More Confident In Business Meetings, How To Speak English Clearly As A Non-Native ...
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    23 分
  • Stop Sounding Smart. Start Being Clear. | The Fluent Edge Podcast Ep 16

    Stop Sounding Smart. Start Being Clear. | The Fluent Edge Podcast Ep 16
    2026/05/23

    You know the meeting. Someone says, "We need to strategically leverage our cross-functional synergies to optimize stakeholder alignment and drive KPI-centric outcomes." Everyone nods. Nobody knows what just happened.

    In Episode 16, Sean and Dr. Howie Jacobson break down why smart professionals hide behind complex language — and how to stop doing it. This episode is about one of the most underrated skills in business English: clarity.

    You'll learn why the Curse of Knowledge makes experts harder to understand, why simpler words carry more authority, and how the mindset shift from "impress" to "serve" changes everything about how you communicate.

    ==========================================

    🧠 What You'll Learn in This Episode

    • The Curse of Knowledge: why expertise can make you harder to understand

    • Why using every "spice" in the vocabulary cabinet kills clarity

    • How to say complex things in plain terms without losing credibility

    • The difference between hedging that helps and hedging that hides

    • Why leading with the punchline is the most powerful communication habit you can build

    • The 15-Second Message: What would you say if the whole world listened for 15 seconds?

    • How trust changes communication — and why knowing your audience matters more than knowing your words

    • The mindset shift: speak to serve, not to impress ==========================================

    🛠️ Key Techniques & Professional Vocabulary

    • The Curse of Knowledge (and how to escape it)

    • Phrases for clear, direct English: "To put it simply..." / "In plain terms..." / "The bottom line is..."

    • Hedging: when to soften, when to commit

    • Lead with the punchline — the BLUF principle

    • The 15-Second Message exercise

    • Speak to Serve framework: focus on what they need, help, don't impress, lead with one clear sentence

    • Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. on the two kinds of simplicity

    • Vocabulary building without vocabulary showing off

    🎙️ Want to Speak English with Clarity and Confidence?

    Book coaching with Sean (Pronunciation, Fluency, Business English): http://tiny.cc/no70101

    Work with Howie (Leadership, Mindset): tinyurl.com/yty9n5np

    Subscribe to Howie's Substack: tinyurl.com/askhowie

    Subscribe to Sean's Substack: tinyurl.com/rdxyeses

    Visit us: thefluentedge.com

    Contact: info@thefluentedge.com
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    26 分
  • How to Lead Meetings in English with Confidence | Fluent Edge Podcast Ep 15

    How to Lead Meetings in English with Confidence | Fluent Edge Podcast Ep 15
    2026/03/16
    How to Lead Meetings in English with Confidence | Fluent Edge Podcast Ep 15 🚀 Sean Watson and Dr. Howie Jacobson break down a 5-step framework for non-native English speakers to run meetings with clarity, authority, and executive presence. Practical phrases, mindset shifts, and techniques you can use immediately. ==================================================== 🧠 What You'll Learn • Why most meetings fail before they even start • The 5-step leadership framework for non-native English speakers • How to open a meeting with strategic clarity (not a vague meander) • Why structure makes your authority more visible • How to set expectations without sounding bossy • How to guide dialogue and include quieter team members • How to redirect off-topic conversations diplomatically • Strategic softeners and polished interruption phrases • How to close decisively with a summary, decisions, and next steps • Why clarity beats perfection every time ==================================================== 🛠️ Techniques & Tools Mentioned • 5-Step Leadership Framework: Open, Set Expectations, Guide, Redirect, Close • Future Perfect tense for meeting outcomes ("We will have aligned…") • Strategic softeners: "May I jump in?", "Let me pause you there", "If I may…" • The Parking Lot / Put a Pin in It technique• Upspeak and its effect on perceived authority • Pacing and word stress for executive presence • Soft power and speaking last as a leadership move • Vince Guaraldi (Charlie Brown) as a lesson in working with constraints • Vocabulary: chair (verb), table, scope creep, circle back, action items ==================================================== ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction — translating in your head while leading 01:00 Should this meeting exist at all? 02:00 Meeting purpose, outcomes, and who should attend 03:00 CYA culture and wasted meetings 03:30 Introducing the 5-step leadership framework 04:00 Step 1 — Open with strategic clarity 05:30 The vague meander and the late start apologist 07:00 Starting on time and setting expectations 08:00 Future Perfect tense for meeting framing 09:00 Executive presence beyond vocabulary 10:00 Soft power — speak last, step back 11:00 Upspeak and how it undermines authority 11:30 Pacing and intentional word stress 12:00 Step 2 — Set expectations and ground rules 13:00 The parking lot and putting a pin in it 13:30 Biggest mistake non-native speakers make in meetings 14:30 Cultural differences in meeting behaviour 15:00 Step 3 — Guide the dialogue 16:00 How to include quieter team members 17:00 Vince Guaraldi — leading with constraints 18:30 Back on track — when meetings go off course 19:00 Reactive vs. composed leaders 20:00 Step 4 — Redirect with diplomacy 21:00 Acknowledging without derailing 22:00 Interruption phrases and strategic softeners 23:30 Word stress and inflection in polite interruptions 25:00 Mindset shift — from performer to room leader 25:30 Step 5 — Close with authority 26:00 Why the ending is the most important part 27:00 Summary, decisions, actions, and next steps 27:30 Vocabulary spotlight: chair, table, scope, action items 28:30 Your challenge for the next meeting 29:00 Coaching invitations and closing message ==================================================== 🎙️ Want to Speak English with Clarity and Confidence? Book coaching with Sean (Pronunciation, Fluency, Business English): http://tiny.cc/no70101 Work with Howie (Leadership, Mindset): tinyurl.com/yty9n5np Subscribe to Howie's Substack: tinyurl.com/askhowie Subscribe to Sean's Substack: tinyurl.com/rdxyeses Visit us: thefluentedge.com Contact: info@thefluentedge.com ==================================================== 🔎 Related Phrases How to lead meetings in English, meeting phrases for non-native speakers, executive presence in English, business meeting vocabulary, how to open a meeting confidently, polite interruption phrases in English, how to chair a meeting, business English expressions, speaking confidently at work ==================================================== ❓ Related FAQs: ✔️ How do I open a meeting confidently in English? ✔️ What phrases can I use to redirect an off-topic conversation? ✔️ How do I close a meeting with authority in English? ✔️ What is the Future Perfect tense and when do I use it? ✔️ How can non-native English speakers develop executive presence? ✔️ What are polite ways to interrupt in a professional meeting? ✔️ Why does upspeak make me sound less confident? ✔️ How do I lead a meeting without sounding bossy? ✔️ What is the parking lot technique in meetings? ✔️ How do I build authority when English is my second language?
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    30 分
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