Meet the linguists at our language school in Cornwall.
All of our tutors share a passion for language and are focused, dedicated, professional and ready to help.
Julia Dean – Spanish & English Teacher
I am passionate about Spain and the Spanish language and this comes across in my lessons which are fun and entertaining. I use various different teaching methods to make sure that my students are engaged and enjoying themselves whilst learning is taking place.
I have been teaching Spanish for over 20 years. I have worked for Cornwall Adult Education. I have taught all levels including GCSE and AS and A2 Spanish, and am an examiner for GCSE Spanish. I have worked for Truro College and ran the language centre at Cornwall College. I have the Certificate in Education and The Institute of linguists Diploma (Degree equivalent).
Christiane Cartwright – German Teacher
I am a mother tongue German speaker, and I am passionate about making teaching and learning specific for my learners. The language learning process is supportive and engaging so that each student can achieve their linguistic goals and gain a cultural awareness about Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
For over 20 years I have worked in education with a large variety of learners, backgrounds and levels: from Beginners to University, from a primary school age to retired adults, from UK Business owners to students with an LLDD background. This includes examinations at various levels, preparing learners for their year abroad, practising a business speech or wedding presentation, specialising on work-related vocabulary and company content, catching up with grammar and family language and much more.
Even though teaching and learning is my primary passion, I love Ancient Egyptian history and learning hieroglyphs. I also like to explore the world, travel, go walking, cycling and swimming including wild swimming throughout the year. I also practise yoga daily, love listening to audio books and podcasts.
Alessandra Álvares – Portuguese Teacher
I’m from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. I have a BA in Literature-Editing, a Degree in Languages-Portuguese and a Master in Language Studies.
I have been working as a Portuguese teacher for foreigners since 2014. With vast experience, in Brazil and abroad, I have taught students of more than 20 nationalities. In 2015, I carried out a professional exchange at the Guimarães Rosa Institute in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where I offered classes in Brazilian Portuguese phonetics, textual production and Brazilian culture. Also, I have already prepared several students for the CELPE-BRAS exam (the official Brazilian exam to certify proficiency in Portuguese as a foreign language).
In 2018, I realized a student exchange in Languages, General Studies and Human Sciences at the La Plata University, in Argentina. This experience made it possible for Spanish to become my second language.
I’m passionate about the possibility of meeting new people that education brings and I feel gratified every day in this profession that I chose and that, in turn, chose me.
Janet Brooks – English Teacher
I am passionate about offering bespoke one-to-one teaching from KS2 English up to GCSE level in language and literature.
I also teach English as a foreign language.
One to one teaching facilitates a more productive way for students to progress and fulfil their potential.
I aim to build a strong rapport with my students, which I feel contributes to a more enjoyable and productive learning experience. I have an encouraging approach to teaching and see learning as a cooperative exercise.
I hold a BA (Hons) degree in English from The University of Kent and also gained certification in Teaching English As A Foreign Language (CELTA).
I have taught over 1000 hours of English and work hard to instil confidence in all my students whatever their level.
I have experience of all the examination boards.
Giuliana Hanman – Italian Teacher, Translator & Interpreter
I have qualified at higher degree level in Modern Foreign Languages in Italy. I have professionally trained as a teacher (PGCE and QTLS) and have been working for Penwith and Truro College in Penzance and in Truro, and for Adult Education in Falmouth and Helston.
I have a passion for my mother tongue: I would not teach anything else. This shines through my classes, in which I offer insights of life and culture in Italy, even though focusing on speaking and understanding useful conversational Italian and reading and writing everyday language. With small class numbers and varied activity-based exercises I enable my students to maximize their learning in a fun but professional environment. Apart from teaching courses of various lengths for adult learners, including qualification courses such as ABC Awards Level 1, Entry 3 and Entry2, I am an experienced tutor of one-to-one lessons for 16-18 years old students preparing their GCSE, As,A2 and IB exams, and for adults seeking to improve their language skills for work or leisure.
I have translated product specifications and detailed information for the production of goods (mainly garments) from Italian into English; company documents and projects for the management from Italian into English and vice versa; three books from English into Italian: a novel, a detailed historical travel book, a specialized medical textbook; various correspondence and documents for individual clients.
I have interpreted at business meetings, trade fairs and conferences into Italian, from French and English, and vice versa.
I have travelled extensively in China and India as the account executive of an international buying agency, also translating for our Italian customers and taking part in the negotiations in English on their behalf.
Gabi – Romanian & English Teacher
I was brought up in the mountains of Transylvania and my native language is Romanian. I have been lucky enough to live and travel extensively in Europe and I am fluent in Swedish and English. I’ve been teaching these three languages for the past 20 years in different countries and this is a job I still thoroughly enjoy and have a passion for.
I am currently teaching English professionally in a language academy in Granada, Spain. I am constantly exploring and refining my teaching style, making my lessons fun, entertaining and stimulating experiences.
Angeline Henderson – French & Spanish Translator
I am a freelance translator with 20 years’ experience in translating from Spanish and French to English, proof reading and revising. I originally qualified as a Registered General Nurse and worked in the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. I then moved on to clinical research for Cyanamid, the pharmaceutical company. After that I moved to Madrid, where I lived for fifteen years, working as a translator and a teacher of English.
I gained the Final Diploma of the Institute of Linguists in Spanish and their Diploma in Translation and now use my medical knowledge to translate articles for publication in medical journals in the fields of Oncology, Rheumatology and Ear, Nose and Throat, clinical practice guidelines, summaries of product characteristics, amongst others. I also specialize in technical translations, chiefly the oil and gas industry – I have been translating technical specifications, health and safety documents and general documents for Enagás (the company which manages Spain’s national gas grid) and Alstom (electricity generation and rail transport) for 10 years. I can translate up to 5000 words daily, depending on the difficulty of the text, and can proof read a daily 9000 words. I also translate in the areas of sustainable energy, market research and general translation. I regularly visit Spain to keep my cultural knowledge and language skills up to date. In 2014 I translated around 450,000 words.
Angeline Henderson, RGN, DipTrans, MCIL
Adrian – Romanian Translator
I grew up in beautiful Romania where I came across technical concepts from an early age as both my parents were engineers. I left school with an excellent grade Bacalaureate Diploma (including English) and entered the world of work in the tourist industry, making use on my language skills.
Age 28 I arrived in Britain and gained a Community Interpreting qualification from the Open College London and started freelance translation work. Later I studied engineering and attained a degree from De Monfort University, Leicester. Since 1996, alongside working as an engineer, I have been undertaking technical translations and assignments for various organisations, Government, Patents and the media, as well as providing interpreting for the Police, Law Courts, phone conferences, voice-overs, etc.
I travel to Romania every year to keep in touch with family and friends and of course with the Romanian culture, humour, the arts and cuisine, including plum brandy, Noroc! (Cheers!)
Justyna – Polish Interpreter & Translator
I live in Hayle in Cornwall. Im a fully qualified teacher and certified translator and face to face interpreter ( Polish – English ) .I have been working as a translator since 2010 and I have accomplished many assignments in various areas such as police, courts, hospitals, schools, etc. I can translate all sort of documents quickly and very professionally. I am very flexible I can travel to places and I can work 24h a day.
Mirella – Spanish & Portuguese Teacher
I am a Brazilian teacher of languages, currently living in Porto, Portugal. I have plenty of experience teaching Portuguese to foreigners, both in general courses and customized courses (business, travel, health, Brazilian and Lusophone culture, among others) in groups and individual lessons. Beyond that, I have worked extensively in preparing students for the Brazilian Portuguese Language Certification Exam (Celpe Bras), of which I’m a certified evaluator since 2015. From 2014 onwards, I have been certified as a Second Language Spanish teacher, when I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Hispanic Language and Cultures. Within this degree, I had a one year exchange program in Spain – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, where I studied, besides Spanish, the fundamentals of translation and the Catalan Language. In that field I have worked as well with general and specific courses, for both groups and individual students, and as an University Professor.
I really love teaching, and what fulfills me the most about it is helping people to learn new languages, to know other cultures and lifestyles and to acquire new opportunities through their new knowledge. If you want or need to learn Portuguese or Spanish, I can help you.
Ann – French , Italian & German Teacher
As a secondary school teacher with over 25 years experience I have taught both AQA and EDEXCEL specifications in recent years and OCR in the past in French and Italian. Over the past 25 years I have had experience teaching students from all abilities in both single sex and mixed schools in both the state and the independent sector, in French, Italian (to A level) and German (up to KS3). I am an examiner and team leader for public examinations and in addition I have also taught and am currently teaching adults at evening classes. So I have a huge range of experience and expertise and am familiar with the needs of pupils or adults, whether for examination purposes or learning languages for pleasure.
Rebecca – Spanish & English Teacher & Translator
I am a bilingual teacher of Spanish and TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) who lived and worked in Chile for 20 years. I worked at a University in Chile for 10 years, lecturing in Spanish translation and TESOL and also worked as a freelance translator and interpreter. I hold a BA degree in Spanish and a Masters Level qualification in TESOL (DipTESOL, Trinity College, London). I trained as a teacher upon returning to the UK and hold a PGCHE (Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education) and a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate of Education). I have taught Spanish at GCSE and A Level. I love teaching languages and use a communicative approach to make classes fun and engaging. I also trained at the UN in Santiago, Chile in Simultaneous Interpreting. I have translated for many International Companies, such as Anglo American, BHP Billiton and ABB for over 10 years.
Wasula Howell – German & Greek Teacher
May I introduce myself with a Greek saying:” If you speak a foreign language you see the world with four eyes”. As a language teacher of German and Greek for the last 20 years I have helped many students to achieve this . I am a qualified teacher and enjoy working with young people and adults across all levels.