World Language Instructors

We are not currently accepting bookings for NEW custom class clients.

We apologize for the inconvenience. If you would like to be notified once we are accepting NEW custom class students, please email worldlanguages@tennessee.edu.

Many of TLC’s World Language instructors are available for custom language instruction. To book custom (one-on-one) world language instruction, click on the link below the instructor’s name and you’ll be taken to our 24/7 online booking system where you can set up an account, pay class fees and manage your custom class bookings.

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While we do offer individual bookings by the hour, there are also package options available.

Click here to see our package offerings

Arabic ASL Chinese French German Italian Japanese Korean Portuguese Russian Spanish

Arabic

I am from Yemen and grew up in Toronto, Canada. I hold a B.A. in History with a minor in Arabic. I attended the Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies and completed the Tennessee Language Center’s Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certification program in 2011. While working with various nonprofits serving the immigrant and refugee community in Nashville, I realized the need for people who speak Arabic and started to teach my colleagues the Arabic language. I later had the opportunity to spend a year and a half teaching in Saudi Arabia, and I have continued to tutor Arabic upon my return to Tennessee. I also love teaching yoga and enjoy studying holistic health.

Thana NumanArabic Instructor

Born in Jerusalem, I am a Palestinian Arab American with over 23 years of experience in the intercultural interpreting profession; legal, medical, community, and immigration. I obtained a Clinical Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, and a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies (MAIS) with an emphasis in education from Union University where I also taught as an adjunct professor of Arabic Language & Culture.

I finished my second master’s in Arabic Studies – Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL) at Middlebury College in Vermont. I am currently working as an ESL teacher at Germantown High School with Memphis Shelby County School district in addition to freelance professional interpreting.

With a deep passion for the Arabic language and culture, I believe that teaching a second language is embedded in the cultural arts as a vital skill for building communicative meaningful intercultural connections and global engagement. I can utilize my intercultural knowledge, skills, and experience to negotiate meaning for diverse learners across cultures. I am a key advocate for equity and inclusion in education and health care, presenting at many institutions’ departmental PD. I enjoy learning, dancing, and teaching the different rhythms of arts and cultures.

Samira JubranArabic Instructor

I have experience teaching several languages at different levels, both here and abroad. Earlier in my career, I taught English in my home country of Morocco, and in Spain. Later I taught Arabic, French, and Spanish for several years at the middle and high school levels in Kentucky. Currently, I teach Arabic at the university level in Kentucky. I enjoy traveling abroad with my students to learn about the Arab world and participate in debate tournaments in Arabic! I am very passionate about helping students learn about the Arabic language and cultures, and I aspire to help as many public schools as possible in the state of Kentucky and Tennessee to start Arabic programs. I am honored and humbled to receive the 2021 Kentucky Arabic Teacher of the year.

Lhousseine "Louie" GuerwaneArabic Instructor

ASL

My background is not limited to just teaching American Sign Language and being involved with the Deaf community through both my work and my personal life. I am Deaf myself and grew up in a hearing family. My parents found out that I had a hearing loss while I was an infant. After receiving my hearing aids when I was 2 years old, I had access to both spoken English and sign language from the start. Having grown up in a hearing family, I am able to speak, read lips, and use sign language when needed. In fact, my own family forget that I am Deaf because of my ability to speak. Ha ha! 😉

I graduated from Freed Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee, with my degree in Psychology, and then received my Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from Georgia State University. I started teaching American Sign Language in the community in 2017, which led me to providing classes and private lessons online and face-to-face when possible. I work from home, have two young children (ages 5 and 7), a Shih Tzu, and have been married for 10 years. Both of my children and my husband are hearing.

When teaching American Sign Language, I enjoy working with adults and adolescents. I teach conversation classes, work with homeschool groups, and offer private lessons. I share my personal and professional experiences in conjunction with my students’ personal and professional reasons for learning American Sign Language. I strive to provide my students with realistic and useful scenarios to not only make learning more engaging, but to prepare them for utilizing the language outside of the classroom. In addition to teaching American Sign Language, I also provide insight to the culture.

I welcome all kinds of questions, provide “what to do vs. what not to do” scenarios, and am very open about my Deafness.

Kaitlin WellsASL Instructor – Click here to schedule a lesson with me! (online only) →

As a native Philadelphian, I have lived down South in Tennessee for a long time! I married a Southerner, and we had two boys. My husband calls Heaven his home now, and I miss him very much. My older son, who works as the director of a local interpreting agency, lives with me. My other son is married, and he and my lovely daughter-in-law live close by. I have two dogs, one of which is a deaf-blind dachshund, whom we communicate with by touch. Both he and my other dog, a papillon mix, keep life fun!

I am a fluent, near-native ASL user due to my many years of involvement in the Deaf community and as an interpreter and teacher of ASL. Although I do not have family members who are Deaf, I have many good friends and am very close to many Deaf people that I have known through our Deaf ministry. Our ministry has been the joy of my life, and a blessing to the community for many years. I am so proud of the willing students I have taught and mentored to go on and become interpreters for our hearing church services, and to be active also in our Deaf church services.

It’s hard for me to believe that 25+ years have just flown by, as I have taught classes for both Deaf and Hearing children of all ages, and adults. I currently enjoy teaching classes as an adjunct professor of ASL at a couple of universities and do private tutoring online, in addition to teaching with TLC. I even founded a Christian school for the Deaf in the 1980’s that ran for several years as a ministry to local families with Deaf children and hearing children of Deaf parents.

I’ve interpreted professionally as a freelance interpreter in the community for over 20 years at religious services, weddings, and funerals, as well as various medical venues, and was a staff interpreter in higher education for 15 years.

I have a strong knowledge of local signs and Deaf language tendencies because of my involvement with the Deaf community, as well as working as a nationwide Video Relay interpreter. I have great respect for the language and culture of the Deaf.

I love making ASL fun to learn, using games and interesting work that keeps them interested and engaged in learning. The key is conversation, both with other students and teachers, and with Deaf people. I like to see my students thrive right away by having basic phrases that will enable them to get involved with the Deaf quickly and learn even more from them!

Cathy Rose Metcalf ASL Instructor

Chinese

I was born and raised in Hong Kong and am fluent in and currently teach both Cantonese and Mandarin. I moved to New York to pursue a master’s degree and graduated with a Master of Science in pharmaceutical sciences from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. I have since developed a passion for teaching and currently instruct Chinese. While living in the U.S., I regularly travel all over Asia, and I love sharing my experiences with Eastern and Western culture. I am also a ballet enthusiast, certified yoga instructor, and a cat lover, who constantly thinks of expanding her cat family!

My sense of fulfillment in teaching is achieved when my students are able to mix their own experiences in culture, diversity, and heritage with a new perspective that comes along with a new language.

I primarily work with adults and college/high school students with diverse language backgrounds. I recognize that students learn differently, and my teaching style is sensitive to individuals’ needs. Therefore, I customize and implement classes based on students’ interest to improve their language skills. This may include daily real-world conversation, or goal-orientated topics like covering their needs for travel, business, or the creation of personal statements for college applications. Adapting to this era of fast-changing technology, I implement real-time instructional technologies and tools to enhance the learning experience via reading, writing, role play, reflection, and more.

Winnie PangChinese Instructor

French

I am a native of the Alsace region of France. I grew up in a bilingual (French and Alsatian) household with my parents, brothers, and maternal grandparents. I studied English and German in school, then attended the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg. It was there that I discovered Irish and bluegrass music and was introduced to the wide range of music from Africa. Through music, I met my American wife and moved to the U.S. in 1985. I have worked as a tutor and substitute teacher in both France and the U.S. I have also produced a world music show for WRFN radio station for the past 15 years. I am passionate about world cultures, languages, music, and food.

I enjoy teaching any age group, from children to adult, speaking French only as much as possible, adapting to the students’ level, abilities, and goals to familiarize them more quickly to the sounds of the language. Using a variety of materials, simple conversations, books, and music, I strive to make learners excited and self-confident communicating in everyday spoken French– languages are to be spoken after all–as well as reading and writing skills, if that is their goal.

Hugues ChevalierFrench Instructor

I grew up with an unpronounceable (to Anglophones) French last name. Unfortunately, my French-Swiss great-grandfather did not deem it necessary for any of his progeny to be bilingual, and he never taught any of his 10 children or 25 grandchildren French. So, I began studying French as a freshman in high school and carried on my studies throughout college. I completed my initial training in English and French Education at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I went on to earn a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University. I completed the Tennessee Language Center’s (TLC) Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certification program in 2016. While I have spent a large part of my career in higher education administration, my first love is language. I like to use a communicative approach in my classes with the goal of getting students to use French in everyday situations, reinforcing our lessons with a variety of games and activities designed to aid retention.

I have had the opportunity to travel several times to France and Switzerland, and I keep up an ongoing electronic correspondence with a Swiss-French friend whom I met nearly 20 years ago via a travel website. We think that we might be distant cousins!

Jenny PittsFrench Instructor

I was born to be an educator. My Tennessee father went to live in Colombia where he met my mother. He was a Spanish professor. My mother is also a Spanish teacher. My rebellion was studying French. So, now I am fully trilingual. I received my Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and have a degree in Medieval Studies from The University of Paris-La Sorbonne. I’ve taught teens in France, college students in the U.S. and the Caribbean, and professionals from Latin America. I love helping people achieve their professional and personal goals related to travel and language study. I teach French, Spanish, and English. We all have different reasons for wanting (or needing) to learn a different language. Knowing the student’s motivation is the key to how I approach our work together. The student’s life goals are always at the root of how I approach the presentation and engagement with material. In essence, I am a mentor or a coach who seeks to push the learner towards their LIFE goals by ensuring they master the educational and/or personal benchmarks that brought them to me.

Valerie WilhiteFrench & Spanish Instructor

I have been teaching French since 2002. I spent 10 years teaching University and upper high school level Literature, Composition, and French Language before moving to dual-language immersion. I have a passion for language and world culture. I am originally from California and grew up in a Spanish-speaking home, but French has been my forte since my first trip to Europe in 1995. I have since studied French and pedagogy twice at the Université de Mons-Hainaut, Belgium, and specialized in teaching with technology at CAVILAM in Vichy, France.

I have been married 21 years and have two bilingual teenage boys. I volunteer with the local community theatres and am a senior guest handler for a 5-state Comic-Con circuit. I also serve on boards for École Saint Landry, the Louisiana Consortium of Immersion schools, and I do contract work for Louisiana Department of Education- World Languages, Télé-Louisiane, and the Council for French in Louisiana.

Joy StalnakerFrench Instructor

German

I grew up in Germany, where I majored in journalism and worked in print, public radio, and public television. In the U.S., I worked as a media consultant for Scientific American and International Media Associates. I currently live on a farm outside Nashville with my wife and too many animals, and in my spare time, I write fiction.

I have over 20 years of language teaching and training experience and believe that, to be an effective teacher, one has to keep learning. As a teacher trainer, I have developed and facilitated various professional development courses for Teachers of Foreign Language, ESL, and special education. A lead trainer for TLC’s TESL Program since its inception in 2001, I am now mostly retired from all things TESL and ESL (and will forever miss the amazing students).

I currently teach German Advanced Conversation and German Film Club classes only. I believe in teaching people what they need and want to learn. There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to teaching and learning. I keep up with language teaching methodology, regularly adding new tools to my toolbox but have learned everything worth teaching on the job from my students.

Helia RethmannGerman Instructor

Italian

Born and raised in Rome, Italy, I was passionate about world languages at an early age. When at the tender age of four, I was asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I simply replied “I want to talk to the whole world.”  I learned Italian and English simultaneously in an American school in Rome, starting in middle school all the way through college. I also added Spanish, French, and some Portuguese to my studies. 

I have lived abroad (UK and France) and moved to the U.S. after getting married. In addition to teaching at the Tennessee Language Center (TLC), I do translation work, as well as teach creative writing for a nonprofit here in Nashville.

I am a poet, a mother to a junior at Middle Tennessee State University, and an animal lover who currently takes care of six rescue dogs and one cat. World languages and the history, arts, and culture of different countries are my passion, and I incorporate these elements in my teachings, so my students can be exposed to the various nuances of a language by also learning the customs and folklore of that country as well.

I am an enthusiastic, passionate language educator who enjoys creating a fun, interactive full immersion experience for my students. I believe we learn best through experiencing a culture, a concept which goes far beyond just learning the grammar of a foreign language. I truly enjoy this technology era we are living in and take full advantage of apps as well as other online tools to make my students’ learning experience a diverse and fun one. I wish to inspire my students just as much as educate them; I believe in the success that is a mutual learning experience!

I have developed a curriculum and implemented lessons that are always based on my students’ interests. These methodologies have positively challenged my students and allowed them to apply some foreign language concepts to real-world contexts. Additionally, with my teaching I have mastered finding a balance between large group instruction, a smaller group collaboration as well as a customized individual lesson plans.

One of my Life’s Mantras is: “You don’t just learn a world language, you live it!” It’s a privilege to be able to teach others what I was taught – world languages are a gift that open people’s minds beyond any geographical distance or border, and I take my gift very seriously and with humility.

Silvia Pagano LewisItalian Instructor

My life has been full of twists and turns which, in turn, have shaped my passions. I was born in Rome, Italy, and graduated with a degree in biology from the University of Rome. I then obtained a scholarship to study/work in the field of virology in Glasgow, Scotland. After four years in Glasgow, I moved to Los Angeles and started working at UCLA as a lab technician.  In the meantime, I developed a passion for art, and started taking art classes in Santa Monica. In 1988, I moved with my husband to Nashville, where I worked at Vanderbilt University for 12 years. I continued taking art classes, and in 2001, obtained an Associate Degree in fine art from the Watkins School of Art and Design. In 2000, I decided to change directions in my life and started working at the Tennessee Language Center (TLC) teaching Italian, where I have been ever since.

I very much enjoy teaching beginning to advanced Italian classes. In my Advanced Italian Conversation classes, I lead the class into discussion about our personal/public life and Italian literature. The class is very lively and has interesting students who contribute in wonderful ways to the excitement of the class. We learn to share our life and communicate with each other in many meaningful ways. We have fun, deepen our understanding and use of the language, and become good friends.

I work with exclusively with adults. In my classes, we do a lot of conversation and literature reading, but we also place emphasis on grammar. I am enthusiastic about teaching language, and I provide goals in critical thinking and collaboration skills, not only expressing my thoughts about the world and language, but also listening and learning from my students.

I design classes in which the teacher and the students learn from each other, and I encourage the students to talk/write about interesting experiences, travels, and thoughts they have had. We then discuss such thoughts in class.

I often organize my classes around my students’ interests and knowledge, encouraging them to write about any subject close to their hearts. My students are amazing and interesting people, and as much as they learn from me, likewise I learn from them. 

Rita KennedyItalian Instructor

Japanese

I was born on Shikoku Island, the famous pilgrimage island of Japan. Slightly smaller than Tennessee and full of rugged mountains, you can still see white-robed pilgrims make the 800-mile journey to 88 temples on the island today. The mantras chanted by the pilgrims piqued my interest as a child. It is the origin of my interest in language and literature.

After studying Japanese thought and culture with a focus on classical literature in college, I worked as a middle and high school teacher in Japan for more than 20 years, teaching Japanese, Japanese and Chinese classics, and calligraphy. I also have a master’s degree in Education from the Graduate School of Education with a focus on school curriculum redevelopment. Since coming to Tennessee, I have continued to teach Japanese to middle and high school students at the Japanese Language Assistance School. I have also taught Japanese to children and adults of all ages.

I enjoy working with learners of various ages, backgrounds, and levels. I prepare appropriate learning styles and materials according to the learners’ goals and interests in daily conversation/communication skills and writing/reading and can accommodate specific skill-focused lessons upon request. I am also passionate about using/developing new materials and teaching methods. Language is deeply connected to the culture and history of a country, region, or people, and learners will rediscover their native language and culture while learning a new language. It is also an opportunity to think deeply about identity and to know oneself. This is something I experience myself all the time.

Kendo, which I have been practicing for over 35 years, is a traditional Japanese martial art that trains the mind and body. I am a 6th dan and a licensed instructor. I have always been very interested in the process of physical, technical, and mental training. I am also an animal lover and the little 17-year-old dog that I brought from Japan is always my buddy.

Tomi KawamuraJapanese Instructor

I am a native of Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, the home of the beautiful mountains and the Enoden trolley along the coastline, and a big Buddha. Mt. Fuji, capped with snow all year long on its peak, was a fixed view from my high school classroom window. I received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Hosei University in Tokyo. In my professional life, I worked at a company in Tokyo as an event coordinator, where I interpreted for and helped English-speaking presenters and guests who were in Japan for international events.

After relocating to Tennessee, I taught Japanese literacy, math, and social studies to middle school students at the Japanese Supplementary School in Middle Tennessee on the weekends. In 2014, I started teaching beginning to intermediate high levels of Japanese at the Tennessee Language Center (TLC). I recently completed the 150-hour Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TESL) certification program at TLC. Through this experience, I feel that I have become a better facilitator and communicator both inside and outside of the classroom.

I find teaching my native tongue both exciting and rewarding, and I especially cherish the chance to meet so many wonderfully fascinating people from different backgrounds. The experience has given me a window to look deeper into American culture and appreciate the community to which I now belong and serve.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two children, who are the source of my inspiration. I also love to read, watch movies, do yoga, and go hiking to spend time in nature.

I enjoy working with adults and adolescents (middle to high school). I have mainly taught adults (and some high school students) at TLC. I do have experience teaching English to high school students in Japan, and middle school students at the Japanese weekend school in Murfreesboro, TN.

I teach the Japanese language with a Communicative Approach – I teach the language in the context of real-life experience with the following guiding question in mind: “What will learners be able to do with this language outside of the classroom?” I use authentic materials such as songs, picture books, videos, and news articles to address students’ interests and motivate them. I immerse my learners in the language and culture, encouraging them to speak in Japanese as much as possible to express their opinions and share their unique experiences freely while they respect others.

Naoko TakedaJapanese Instructor

I was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan, and I have lived in the U.S. since 2008 with my husband and four lovely cats. I studied piano performance and music education at the Chugoku Junior College in Okayama, Japan. After graduation, I worked at a nursing home for severely disabled people.

I started living in Middle Tennessee in 2013, moving from Portland, Oregon. I love playing music, both piano, and organ, and am the church organist. My favorite musician is J.S. Bach.

After coming to the U.S., I began teaching the Japanese language at a Japanese supplementary school and giving private Japanese lessons online since 2013. I enjoy teaching Japanese to various students and seeing their progress. My teaching focus is to optimize each student’s needs and goals.

Minae HayashiJapanese Instructor

I was born and raised in Tokyo, but I have lived in Tennessee and Ohio for a long time. I have been teaching since 1995 and have had great opportunities to get to know many students. I am thankful for all these meetings. My long career has allowed me to teach in any setting, from a large group class to a one-on-one lesson, a beginner to an advanced class, a school-aged student to a corporate executive. I always try to incorporate FUN into my instruction, and students seem to enjoy this time.

My background is Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) , and that helps me to think about education as an instructor, a teacher, and a mother. However, I know that my motivation comes from the love of people. Every time I meet and talk to new people, I feel excited and want to provide something FUN as much as I can. Through Japanese, I have been able to help people: heritage Japanese American kids, expat international business men/women, people who want to visit Japan, and so on. I am very proud of introducing the beautiful, interesting, and unique Japanese culture. I also wish for people all over the world to like Japan and its culture. As a member of TLC, I would like to have FUN and effective lessons with you.

Food is definitely a big part of Japanese culture. I like to share the food information with students, and I personally love cooking such as WASHOKU, TONKATSU, GYOZA etc. To prepare these good meals, I use green onions, shiso (a Japanese herb), Boston cucumbers, basil and mints from my garden.

Looking forward to having a good time with you! YOROSHIKU!

Noriko HarasawaJapanese Instructor

I was born in Hiroshima, Japan, and moved to Oregon to earn a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology with expertise in African American music. I also attended the Language Teaching Specialization program of the University of Oregon with a special focus on teaching Japanese. I moved to Tennessee to be an assistant professor of African American Studies at Austin Peay State University. I have also been teaching Japanese there as well as for the Clarksville Montgomery County School System.

My educational belief is that learning accrues from respecting our differences. I strongly feel that my job is not only to teach the Japanese language but also to share my culture to foster mutual understanding, deepen respect, and share knowledge of others who have different cultural backgrounds. I always remind myself and my students that I am helping them to build an ability to appreciate how people in Japan embody the enrichment of the human mind and spirit through their diverse cultural activities rather than teaching grammatical complexities of the language itself. My classroom epitomizes this ideal and features real-life based activities, fun games, Japanese animation films, and music.

My hobbies include musical performances (currently I am taking bluegrass banjo lessons), going to concerts, aikido (Japanese martial arts) practice, and road biking. I have publications on blues music written in English, including two books – Willie Dixon: Preacher of the Blues (Rowman & Littlefield, 2011) and John Lee Sonny Boy Williamson: the Blues Harmonica of Chicago’s Bronzeville (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014).

Mitsutoshi InabaJapanese Instructor

Korean

Having been born in Germany and spending much of my childhood there, I am fluent in German. I have continuously remained a consumer of German media, literature, and music to sustain my knowledge, especially as I have family members who still currently reside in Germany. My experience growing up bilingual led to my interest in studying Latin and French during my school years.

I began studying Hindi in 2007, both independently and with a private tutor. I have spent approximately 10 months in India at various times, during which I traveled to many places, lived with locals, and honed my language skills. In addition, I am a Kathak dance student and have been learning Kathak at Upasana Performing Arts Center during the past 11 years. Being a part of the dance school’s South Asian community since I started there has allowed me to able to gain additional cultural, linguistic, and historical understanding of both Hindi/Urdu and South Asia.

My passion for languages also led me to my study of Korean; its culture, history, and unique writing system piqued my interest. In 2015, I completed undergraduate degrees in East Asian Languages and Cultures (with a concentration in Korea) and India Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, where I studied both Hindi and Korean. I spent a total of 3 years in immersive Korean language study including a study abroad semester at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. While at Indiana University, I also spent 2.5 years in immersive Hindi study and was a regular participant at the showcases for India Studies program. After graduating, I spent two and a half years living and working in South Korea, where I was able to immerse myself culturally and linguistically.

Since 2019, I have been grateful and happy to enthusiastically share my passion for these languages and cultures with students through the Tennessee Language Center (TLC).

I enjoy working with children as young as five, up to adults. I prefer to assist in building reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills from pre-A1-B2/C1 – that is to say, to bring beginning learners up to everyday conversational/working levels. I strive to teach and interact with students in a manner that not only enhances their language abilities but also instructs and provides a greater appreciation of the culture of the target language. I find different ways to incorporate everyday relatable media into class activities, whether it be recommending a TV program, viewing video clips, or listening to music in the target language. I encourage each student in this way to find some form of media to be able to incorporate their language learning into their daily life. 

Elizabeth McClaryKorean Instructor

I am from Seoul Korea and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Yonsei and came to the U.S. to pursue an MBA. However, I ended up getting married and having children. I was deeply involved with my kids’ schools as a room parent and PTA president in Lexington, Mass. I became a keynote for many conferences to speak about diversity, next generations, and education in the community. I am the founder of my own teaching company in Boston and Los Angeles and am the co-founder of the Lexington Korean-American Organization. Also, I taught Korean to Americans at New England Korean School for many years.

I have a true passion for working with young people! Helping each student progress in all areas of their development—academic, social, language, and motor—is a challenge that I am honored to accept daily. I strive to create a community of learners that nurtures this growth in a positive, fun environment.

I have three fantastic children who all know how to respect elders and others. I love to entertain people with authentic Korean foods. I am an avid golfer, which I enjoy so much that I attend numerous tournaments across the US.

April DaciukKorean Instructor

Portuguese

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Simone studied English and American Literature at Rio de Janeiro State University and completed her graduate studies in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Simone has been teaching Portuguese language and culture since graduate school at UIUC, and later on, at the University of Oregon and the University of Kansas. Currently, she works with the MBA students at the Wharton School/Lauder Institute at UPenn in Philadelphia, PA. Simone has done extensive research on new methodologies in language teaching, as well as Brazilian contemporary cinema. Her academic interests also include questions of gender and sexuality, Latin American and Lusophone cinemas, Human Rights, and Environmental Studies. Furthermore, in the last couple of years Simone has decided on getting a degree in leadership studies with a focus in diversity, inclusion, and belonging. In her free time, she enjoys running, surfing, cooking, playing music, writing poetry, and watching series/movies with her two cats, Kerby and Little (aka Titus).

Simone CavalcantePortuguese Instructor

Russian

I am from Kingsport, Tennessee, and I have always liked languages. In high school, I was the most enthusiastic Latin student (Latin was far more helpful in learning Russian than I had anticipated!). A proud alumna of the University of Notre Dame, I majored in English while studying Russian and Spanish. After graduation, I moved to Russia, where I lived for two years, teaching English and studying Russian. Next, I moved to California, where I completed a master’s degree in Russian translation at the Monterey Institute. I passed the American Translators’ Association exam and became certified as a Russian-to-English translator. Additionally, I have earned teaching certifications in Russian as a Foreign Language, and English as a Second Language, and I have taken Spanish, German, and French classes at the Tennessee Language Center (TLC). Along with languages, my other hobby is ballroom dancing, which, coincidentally, is dominated by Russians.

I have worked with students across an age range spanning from preschoolers to adults. I actively follow the development of new materials for Russian teaching and eagerly try them out in my classes. I like to bring Russian to life for my students using current pop music, memes, and jokes, as well as souvenirs and stories from my time in Russia. Boredom is my enemy.

Lindsay SmithRussian Instructor

I grew up in Perm, a city in Russia’s Ural Mountain region. I graduated from Perm State University with an MA in Russian language and literature, a subject I learned to love early in life. I also love the arts in general, especially ballet, painting, and classical music. Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a teacher. In fact, when I was seven years old, I started “teaching” my dolls to read and solve math problems. In my teens, I decided to become a teacher of Russian.

I taught that subject in Perm schools for several years but did not fully appreciate the beauty of my native language until I came to the U.S. and began teaching Russian as a foreign language 12 years ago. Now, during this difficult and troubling time for Russia, I believe it’s vital to present a fuller, more nuanced picture of my home country to students in the U.S. Because no nation or culture is defined solely by its current government, I believe that studying the language and literature of Russia can help people see past the headlines, and that I can help others learn to appreciate the rich history, culture, folklore, and arts of my native country.

Ekaterina Myakshina Russian Instructor

Spanish

I have loved school since the day I started kindergarten, and I love it still. I am originally from Alabama, daughter of a military father and a German mother. I studied Spanish at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, and at Middlebury College in Vermont. I have also studied at the Universidad de Yucatán in Mexico and at the Centro de Lenguas y Intercambio Cultural in Seville, Spain. I have an Ed.S in curriculum in diverse populations from UMass Lowell.  

I am a 21-year veteran Spanish teacher who has taught all levels of high school as well as beginner level Spanish at the college level, both face–to–face and online. I taught in the City Schools of Decatur in Atlanta for 14 years and have taught in the Metro Nashville Public Schools for 7 years. I also teach face-to-face and online Spanish courses for Georgia Perimeter College and Volunteer State Community College. I teach because it’s who I am, what I do, and most of all, what I love. During my non-teaching hours, I like to bake, travel, read, and watch British television.

I enjoy working with young adult and adult learners from ages 15 and up. I prefer conversation classes and skills-building courses. Whether online or face-to-face, my core belief is that each class I teach is unique and deserving of a curriculum designed for the students’ needs and strengths. I provide this consistently through thoughtful and data–driven usage of web-based activities, differentiation, flexible grouping, reliance on authentic and varied materials, and my variety of successful experience with all types of learners in various settings. As a non-native speaker, I feel that I can identify with and understand the struggles of second language learners and use that knowledge to increase the speed and enjoyment of their learning experience. 

Olivia RollerSpanish Instructor

I grew up in Minnesota and South Carolina here in the United States. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by different languages and aware of the doors that knowing multiple languages can open to new perspectives, friendships, and opportunities. I earned my B.A. in Spanish from Furman University, and had the opportunity to study abroad in Cuernavaca, México, as well as Cuba during my time there. I later earned my M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish-American literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a specialization in Spanish Caribbean literature. I have also enjoyed using Spanish to help others communicate as a legal interpreter and translator for various businesses and scholars.

I have over 12 years of experience as an educator in both higher education as well as K-12, and I am currently teaching 5th through 8th grade Spanish at an independent school. I love working with language learners of all ages. My teaching is driven by my passion for language as a tool of communication that helps build bridges between people. With this in mind, my students co-create much of our course content. Their interests and what they want to communicate drive the class. As we get to know each other, we enjoy ourselves while co-creating and telling stories, listening to music, discussing pictures and short films, and playing games, as well as learning about the Spanish-speaking world. By using TPRS and other methods for delivering comprehensible input in Spanish, I help my students gain the confidence and growth mindset necessary to enjoy the journey of acquiring a second language. Terrible at grammar? Hate memorizing long lists of vocabulary? No worries! If you can speak a first language, and you have the drive, you can speak Spanish! Let’s get started!

Kallie Abreu González Spanish Instructor

Valerie WilhiteFrench & Spanish Instructor

I was born and raised in Bulgaria, a country where knowing languages is a must, especially now that it is a member of the European Union. I hold a bachelor’s degree in pedagogy of the teaching of Bulgarian and English as a foreign language and a master’s degree in educational management from the University of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria. I received an academic scholarship via the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus Programme to study in Spain at the University of Granada, Spain. The years I studied and lived in Spain as a student marked my life in a way that now I love the Spanish peoples, cultures and language as much as I love my own.

In my home country of Bulgaria, I taught Spanish and English to adults and children at a private language institute and performed a great deal of translation and interpretation work, some of which was for the Educational Department of the Spanish Embassy in Sofia.

I have always loved my job as a teacher, and after moving to Nashville in 2007 to get married, my biggest hope was to continue to teach Spanish. I am happy to have been a Spanish instructor with the Tennessee Language Center (TLC) since then and to personally confirm what I had heard about the students and the teachers – they are the best! I look forward to becoming part of your Spanish language learning journey and I am excited about every single step of it!

Maya CampbellSpanish Instructor

Originally from Guatemala, I studied at Universidad Mariano Galvez in Guatemala and Instituto Guatemalteco Americano where I earned my teaching degree. I have been teaching Spanish and English for over 20 years. I worked as a TEFL teacher and teacher trainer in Guatemala for 12 years.  

I have been a Spanish instructor at the Tennessee Language Center (TLC) since 2002, where I teach beginning advanced Spanish and specialized workshops/courses such as the “Beginning Spanish Medical Interpretation Technique” workshop and the workplace “Spanish for Medical Professionals” course at several hospitals in the Nashville area. In addition to teaching for TLC, I do translation work and serve as a Spanish Interpreter for the Metro Nashville Public Health Department. I also put my professional skills in medical Spanish interpretation to use as a volunteer on medical missions to Latin America each year. According to some of my students, I am “the most patient man in the world!”  

I enjoy working with all age groups. Currently, I teach mostly adults and adolescents. I teach conversation classes, tutor high school Spanish at all levels, and offer custom classes. I draw from my personal, volunteer, and professional experiences in conjunction with my students’ personal, volunteer, and professional reasons for learning Spanish in order to provide them with the most realistic and useful scenarios to make learning more engaging and productive. I keep in mind that all my students learn differently, so I provide a variety of activities during my classes to address different learning styles.

Jorge LunaSpanish Instructor

I was born in Cuba and lived there until 2015. I came to the United States at the beginning of 2016. Languages have captivated me since the very first time I encountered English at secondary school. Very early on, I knew I had to choose a path that connected me with a foreign language, therefore I studied to be a teacher of English as a Second Language. I graduated in 1997 and taught English for more than 20 years. I also learned French and taught it for a while in Cuba. I have learned some Portuguese, Italian, and German.

In April of 2019, I got my TESL certification at TLC, and soon after that I discovered the world of teaching Spanish as a second language. No need to say it became an absolute new source of inspiration for me. It has made me reflect on so many aspects of my native language that I had never thought of before. I think it is such a rich and captivating language, and I enjoy every minute of teaching anybody that is motivated to express their ideas in Spanish and learn about the Hispanic culture and way of life.

In my free time I love watching good movies, reading, crocheting, and dancing.

I am totally fascinated by the idea of teaching people that are interested in learning Spanish, whatever their age, level, or interests. It is very important for me to provide a safe and positive environment for students to learn, express themselves and grow in confidence. I find the class to be an incredibly productive space where we all learn from each other.

Julia I. Fernandez Rodriguez Spanish Instructor

I got my start learning languages at an early age. I watched WWII movies with my dad and became intrigued by the German language in them. I have lived in Brazil, France, Germany, and Spain. I am fluent in French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. I love languages and travelling. I hold a BA in French and in German, as well as a Masters in German and Spanish.

Teaching languages is a passion that I have been doing for the past 20+ years. My desire is to show everyone that it is possible to learn and speak another language. I am happily married with 3 children. My family and I just recently relocated to Middle Tennessee from California. We are excited for this new adventure.

Brandon BaileySpanish Instructor

I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in English writing from Belmont University in 2016 and completed my Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certification from the Tennessee Language Center (TLC) in 2018. As a US native from a monolingual background, I, like many students, understand the frustration and difficulty learning a new language can bring. I learned the basics of Spanish in school, but I started diving deeper into the language in March of 2017. By 2020, I was working as a Spanish-English interpreter.

I originally got into teaching as an adult literacy volunteer for the Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC) in 2014 and have continued teaching since then, first for NALC, then independently, and finally in 2018 for TLC. As a teacher, nothing is more satisfying to me than seeing a concept click in the student’s mind and the sense of pride they feel in their accomplishment when they’ve mastered the material. I tailor my lessons according to my students’ needs and they routinely thank me for my patience. In my free time I enjoy reading, learning to play violin, and other nerdy endeavors.

I prefer working with adults and teaching conversation classes. I believe in engaging students with material they want to learn and strive to make learning not only memorable but fun for auditory and tactile learners. Through a student-teacher relationship built on trust, I seek to help students develop their conversational abilities in real-life situations.

Claire AlexanderInstructor