Giving Your Voice Power: What My Other Job Teaches Me About Tutoring

Hello everyone! Thanks for taking a moment to watch that glimpse into my other career—I'm a professional Voice Over Artist (VOA), and I have been for over a decade!

For those unfamiliar with the term, a Voice Over Artist is someone who uses their voice to narrate or perform material that is unseen. This includes things like the helpful voice in e-learning courses, the narrator in documentaries, or the voice behind commercials and audiobooks.

While I spend my time with you focusing on pronunciation, comprehension, and vocabulary growth, I spend my other time in a sound booth, recording everything from commercials and e-learning courses to full audiobooks.

This may seem like a completely different world, but my work as a VOA actually informs and elevates every tutoring session we have, especially for adult ESL students focused on clarity and confidence.

The Power of Interpretation and Clarity

In voice acting, my primary job is not just to read words, but to interpret the material and give it a clear, compelling voice. I have to read a script and understand: What is the core message? What emotion should the listener feel?

This skill transfers beautifully into our ESL lessons, particularly when we focus on comprehension and vocabulary.

• As a VOA, I must deeply understand the script's meaning so my voice can convey the material accurately to the listener.
• As your tutor, this focused attention helps me break down complex texts, define difficult words, and find ways to make new material easier for you to understand. Whether we are practicing picture description or working through a new article, my goal is always to help you grasp the full intent. Recording commercials, e-learning, and audiobooks has taught me this essential skill: how to interpret material and give it a voice.

Warm-Ups for the Mind and Mouth

One of the non-negotiable parts of my daily routine as a voice artist is my vocal warm-up. I use a variety of techniques, especially tongue twisters, to exercise the muscles in my mouth and face. This ensures my articulation is crisp and every sound is precise.

When I suggest practicing tongue twisters in our sessions—like "The sixth sick sheik's sheep is sick"—it’s because I know firsthand how essential this practice is for pronunciation. These exercises:

1. Strengthen Mouth Muscles: Improving the dexterity needed to produce challenging English sounds.
2. Enhance Articulation: Helping you isolate and practice difficult phonetic combinations for crystal-clear speaking.

Think of it as physical therapy for your English speaking voice—and it is one of the most effective techniques I use myself to prepare for a big recording!

Final Thought

My career as a Voice Over Artist is a constant lesson in effective communication, precise pronunciation, and expanding my ability to interpret and deliver language—all skills that are critical to your success as an English speaker. I hope this look behind the scenes inspires you to embrace the challenge of mastering English and to find the powerful, confident voice that is already within you!

If you're curious to hear more of my professional work, I invite you to visit my website and listen to other projects! 

https://lisadaley.com

I look forward to putting these skills to work with you in a lesson soon!