Our Team

Jane Rupp, Owner & Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Hello, I’m Jane Rupp, founder of Voices of the World. Thanks for visiting and learning more about what we do.

 

I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in French and Linguistics and a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology. Though I’m certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and licensed by the State of Texas as a speech-language pathologist, we do not provide speech therapy services at Voices of the World. My training as a speech therapist was extremely valuable in developing feedback and cueing strategies that get results as well as training plans with solid forward momentum.

 

A French phonetics course I took in college, which was essentially accent reduction for non-native speakers of French, made me fall in love with pronunciation teaching. It was a difficult course, but so rewarding. Studying French and Spanish has helped me understand the challenges my students experience in speaking a foreign language. I’m passionate about empowering my students with knowledge and skills that allow them to communicate easily and effectively in English.

 

When I started teaching many moons ago, I searched for a detailed, thorough training program to use with my students; I found out that such a thing did not exist, so I set out to create it myself. My work evolved into a proprietary training approach, a robust e-learning site that helps speakers improve various communication and an intensive training program for other communication coaches.

 

At Voices of the World, we have now had the joy and privilege of teaching language learners from 49 different countries (and counting!). Beyond pronunciation, we target language skills, cross-cultural understanding, clear and natural speaking patterns (for native speakers), advanced business communication strategy and public speaking skills.

 

My business mission has always been to provide training of the highest quality with a results-oriented mindset. We strive for our students to become as independent as possible with their new skills in the shortest amount of time possible.

 

“Communication- the human connection- is the key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer

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Certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and licensed by the State of Texas as a speech-language pathologist.

JANE RUPP, M.A., CCC-SLP

Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Dominique Vasquez, Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Dominique Vasquez attended Arizona State University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science with a minor in Spanish. She also has a master of science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

 

Being bilingual in Spanish and English has helped Dominique establish an appreciation for other languages and cultures as well as incredible instincts about how to teach in a way that resonates with her students. She is passionate about helping others successfully reach their goals and communicate in a way that makes them feel comfortable and confident.

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Dominique Vasquez

Accent/Language Trainer

Esther Ho, Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Esther obtained a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan and her Master of Arts in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Western Michigan University.

 

Esther is bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese. She is also working on learning Japanese. In her spare time, Esther enjoys acroyoga, reading graphic novels, listening to podcasts, trying new recipes, and continuously learning.

 

Through her study of other languages and pronunciation systems, Esther has developed a keen ear that she uses to give her clients specific, accurate feedback that helps them grow their skills. Her greatest dream helping clients become strong, authentic, confident, effective communicators.

Ho, Esther

Esther Ho

Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Seanne Herbick, Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Seanne received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Loyola University of Maryland and her Master of Education in Speech Pathology at the University of Virginia.

 

Seanne has over 25 years of experience in a wide variety of settings, populations and age groups. Her work in healthcare environments provided her with insight into interpersonal communication skills that she now employs in her training with clients at VOTW. Seanne fosters trust, kindness and relationship building in order to ensure positive outcomes in her training programs. Seanne works with her clients in a partnership to develop personsalized programs that will directly meet their unique communication needs.

Herbick, Seanne – profile pic

Seanne Herbick

Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Susan Scheevel, Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Susan received a Bachelor of Science Degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and a Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

 

Susan has 22 years of experience developing individualized plans to help those she works with reach their communication goals. She has a passion for helping people and has strengths in developing positive, collaborative relationships with others. She loves to travel and has lived in the southern, western, and midwestern United States, as well as London, England. Susan has studied French and Spanish and is currently learning Portuguese.

Scheevel, Susan

Susan Scheevel

Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Sanaz Amini, Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Sanaz Amini received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences from San Jose State University in 2009 and went on to receive her master’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Washington State University in 2012. In addition to her research work with neuroscientists at Stanford University on language and social skills, Sanaz has worked with people of all ages on improving their communication skills. She has experience teaching speech sounds, American English pronunciation, language, social-pragmatic language, fluency, and much more. 

 

One of the things Sanaz enjoys most about her work is meeting people from around the world. Her passion for languages and linguistics started at a young age; as a child, she loved memorizing words in different languages and learning about different sound systems. Growing up bilingual instilled in her a great appreciation for the effort people put into learning new languages. 

 

When Sanaz is not working, you can find her spending time with her family. Her three boys keep her on her toes! She loves running, hiking, traveling, and cheering on her boys at their sports events on the weekends.

Sanaz profile pic

Sanaz Amini

Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Micaela Koch, Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

Micaela earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Texas at Austin after studying in Toulouse, France. She has also studied languages and cultures in Italy, Austria, and Greece and enjoys trying recipes inspired by her travels.

 

Micaela has cultivated a passion for tailoring sessions to students’ needs and interests while boosting their confidence in using new skills. She is eager to help increase students’ connectedness within the community, both professionally and socially.

Micaela Koch, Speech Coach

Micaela Baker

Speech/Accent/Language Trainer

What Clients Say About Us

  • "Jane was great to work with. She was incredibly helpful and tailors each appointment to your specific needs. I highly encourage seeing her and working on your presentation skills with her guidance & expertise."

    Caroline, Sales Professional

  • "I’m so happy that I reached out to Jane to help guide me in becoming my best self as a speaker, while maintaining the speech patterns that make me sound like - me!"

    Camille, Lifestyle Blogger

  • Learning natural wording and how to express my thoughts clearly and efficiently has significantly helped me improve my communication at work as well as in my personal life. I really enjoy learning and working with Jane! She always listens to my learning goals and then provides advice that is tailored to my specific needs.

    Alice H., Product Designer

  • I needed some help with my website's text and Jane provided excellent feedback on not only the grammar, but changing the content to be more inviting. She was extremely helpful and thorough in this process. I would highly recommend Jane if you need help with editing your writing. She will give you constructive opinions on ways to improve your content and material.

    Mariella C., Therapist

  • “After the first month people started noticing the improvements in my accent and pronunciation. For me this is the best English class I have ever had and will recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their accent or pronunciation without hesitation.”

    A.S., Network Engineer

  • “I can tell that my accent has improved because I don’t get asked to repeat what I say, especially on the phone. This experience gave me more confidence at work and socially.”

    Irina K., CPA

  • “She is beyond knowledgeable of her craft and was dedicated to finding and resolving my issues… Thank you so much for everything you have done for me Jane, you changed my life.”

    Ian J., Athlete

  • “I have taken ESL classes several times in the past and none of them come close to what this training has done for me on a professional level, but most importantly, on a personal level.”

    A.S., Network Engineer

  • “The training has not only improved my pronunciation but also allowed me to understand new patterns of American accent. I can surely recommend Jane to anybody.”

    Deyanira

  • “I had searched for all kinds of classes and materials from everywhere possible but nothing satisfied me until I found Jane last year. Thank you so much, Jane. You made my journey to my profession shorter and easier!! You gave me a strong foundation of English not just in pronunciation, but also in general conversation.”

    Tuk

  • “Several people have noticed a difference in my speech and mentioned it to me, that’s a pretty neat feeling! I would say that my two main observations are that people can finally understand my first name when I introduce myself (which was pretty annoying before taking the class) and that I catch myself mispronouncing words and can correct myself right away.”

    P.D., Sales Manager

  • “As a result of the accent training classes, I became so much more confident when pronouncing words and sentences. My accent has become more natural in such a short amount of time thanks to Jane.”

    Tien

  • “Working with Jane not only helped me improve my English pronunciation, but also my confidence to talk and put myself out there… I am very happy when I think about the journey and the work I put in to get to this moment, and I’m thankful for Jane’s help.”

    A.L., Speech-Language Pathologist

  • “My goal was to be understood better overall and in situations like being on the phone when the lines of communications are not always clear. I signed up for Jane’s program and was blown away by her effective teaching method.”

    Michael F., Business Consultant

  • “I’ve improved a lot my American English pronunciation and recommend anyone to take pronunciation classes with Jane. She’s passionate about her work and she conveys such a positive atmosphere to her students that you get quite comfortable in the process of learning.”

    Carmen, PhD Candidate

  • “After about 20 sessions I’m now at a point not only to pronounce almost all vowels and consonants correctly, but to be much more of aware of common pitfalls in my speech. Friends and business associates have confirmed the progress.”

    Michael F., Business Consultant

  • “I took 25 hours of training and started noticing the changes immediately. I speak clearly now after completion of my classes…I now communicate better when I speak on the phone and in person.”

    Teslim S., Student

  • “Her program and methodology are very intuitive and her practice materials are extremely helpful.”

    Lawrence

  • “I really liked her book that she wrote and gives to her students free of charge. It is a very-well written book and comes with audio files. Thank you Jane so much for everything!”

    Rita

See Us in the News

We are honored to have been featured in the Austin-American Statesman and Community Impact Newspaper.

Training That Works

Learn more about the training method that will help you achieve your personal and professional communication goals. The Rupp Method is thorough, efficient, and completely customized to address your specific needs.