About Me

Hi, I'm Jesse — a linguist, teacher, and musician from Fargo, North Dakota. My passion for languages and communication has taken me from the classrooms of Moscow to the vibrant streets of Tbilisi, helping students sound natural and confident in English.

I'm a native American English speaker with a Master's degree in English and over 10 years of teaching experience, and I specialize in American accent training tailored to each student's needs. My background is in the mechanics of pronunciation — the specific tongue positions, mouth shapes, stress patterns, and rhythms that make up an American accent — so I can pinpoint exactly what's affecting your speech and give you the tools to change it, rather than just telling you to "listen and repeat."

I'm also fluent in Russian and spent six years living and teaching in Moscow and learning about Russian language and culture, so I understand from the inside the specific challenges Russian and other Slavic-language speakers face in English. I studied French for two years at university as well, so I'm familiar with the sound system French speakers are coming from and where their English tends to slip. Over the years I've worked with speakers of many first languages — Russian, Ukrainian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Hindi, Mandarin and more — along with business professionals, actors, and singers, and I tailor every lesson to the habits your own language creates.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe in a practical, student-centered approach to accent training, focusing on real-world communication and personalized feedback to help you sound more natural and confident.

Education

• Master's degree - English, North Dakota State University - Fargo, North Dakota, USA: 2014 - 2017.

• Bachelor’s degree - English, North Dakota State University - Fargo, North Dakota, USA: 2009 - 2014.

Certificates

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate from Bridge TEFL: 2015. 

Experience

• American Accent Coach and ESL Teacher, Online: 2022 - Present. In addition to private lessons, I have taught over 2000 lessons on Preply, and you can see my teaching profile here.

• English Teacher, Moscow, Russia: 2016 - 2022.

• Composition Instructor and Writing Tutor at North Dakota State University - Fargo, North Dakota, USA: 2014 - 2017.

Ready to Sound More Natural in English?

Contact me with lesson inquiries at JWagnerEnglish@gmail.com or connect with me on Instagram @USAccentwithJesse.