Our Staff
Our staff here, at Langua World are certified teachers with years of
experience teaching. All of our instructors are native-speakers of the
language they teach. They utilize a variety of methods in the classroom,
while creating lesson plans to fit all of their student's needs. Alt
Langua World, we select a methodology according to your actual knowledge
and objectives. Our method includes: Listening and reading of practical
dialogues reinforced with role-playing along with the use of visual
aids; reading and listening of news, articles; conversations tailored
to student's interested; writing (usually assigned for homework); focusing
on grammar and verb use.
Founder
Sandrine Le Plenier
Mrs. Le Plenier is the Founder and President of Langua World. She was
born and raised in France and migrated to the United States 9 years
ago. Today, she can speak French, English, Spanish and currently learning
Italian. She has taught French for more than 14 years, both here, in
the United States and in France. Mrs. Le Plenier has lived and studied
in France, where she received a Master's Degree in French from UBS France
and a DAEFLE Diploma from CNED France. This degree and international
diploma signify and enables the graduate to teach French as a second
language in any part of the world. Mrs. Le Plenier is the principal
French teacher at Langua World, New York. On her spare time, she puts
together an event toward the end of each month and provides students
with the opportunity to put what they've already learned to the test.
In addition to her extensive background on teaching, Mrs. Le Plenier
loves to travel while learning new languages and the essence of different
cultures.
Our language department assistant
Samantha Cruz
Ms. Cruz is from New York City and is currently
pursuing a Masters Degree in Arts from the City University of New York.
While she continues her studies at the University, she is a full time
employee as the administrative assistant to Sandrine Le Plenier, the
President and French teacher of Langua World. Samantha holds the firm
belief that learning a new language allows opportunities and new and
exciting options to open. She lives by the quote, "The tragedy
of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having
no goals to reach." And with this, she has taken classes for several
languages. Samantha is fluent in English and Spanish, and is now learning
French.
At Langua World, Samantha ensures our instruction consistently meets high quality standards. To that end, she coordinates teacher training and development, guides class curricula and evaluates teachers, and screens new teachers to ensure they have the proper experience, ability and presentational skills. She also develops special educational initiatives with corporate clients and other institutions as needed.
Some of our instructors wanted to share their experience with you!
The teachers
at LANGUA WORLD are professional certified teachers with years
of experience. They are native-speakers of the language they
teach and fully bilingual. They utilize a variety of methods
in the classroom. At LANGUA WORLD, we select a methodology according
to your actual knowledge and objectives. Our methods include:
Listening and reading of practical dialogues reinforced with role-playing
along with the use of visual aids; reading and listening of news, articles;
conversation tailored to your interests; writting (usually as homework);
multimedia such as news, internet, movies, songs; grammar and verbs.
Sandrine Le Plenier (French Instructor):
Mrs.Le Plenier is the Founder and President of Langua World. She was born
and raised in France and migrated to the United States 9 years ago. Today,
she can speak French, English, Spanish and currently learning Italian.
She has taught French for more than 14 years, both here, in the United
States and in France. Mrs. Le Plenier has lived and studied in France,
where she received a Master's Degree in French from UBS France and a DAEFLE
Diploma from CNED France. This degree and international diploma enables
the graduate to teach French as a second language in any part of the world.
Mrs. Le Plenier is the principal French teacher at Langua World, New York.
On her spare time, she puts together an event toward the end of each month
and provides students with the opportunity to put what they've already
learned to the test. In addition to her extensive background on teaching,
Mrs. Le Plenier loves to travel while learning new languages and the essence
of different cultures.
Barbara Serra (Spanish Instructor):
Barbara was born in Barcelona (Spain) and graduated from the University
of Barcelona, with a degree in Catalan Philology. Before her teaching
experience she worked for 6 years as a lexicographer in the Institute
of Catalan Studies (official academic institution responsible for regulating
Catalan language). Barbara has taught adult and young students from different
countries since 2006, when she moved to England and studied a postgraduate
course in teaching languages at the University of Oxford. Now she lives
in New York and teaches Spanish and Catalan using different teaching methods.
She is pursuing a Master's degree in Spanish teaching also.
Saji John (Malayalam Instructor):
Saji John was born in Kerala, India, where he attended school until the
age of 15. Today, he has a Masters Degree in Computer Applications and
is a Software Consultant during the day. Having received a diploma in
Malayalam journalism from DIJAMMO (Deepika Institute of Journalism and
Media Management), he is qualified enough to kelp any student reach their
goals and study this interesting language. He has actively participated
in Malayalam literature activities at the academic level and is familiar
with the contemporary Malayalam literature. He has also taught Malayalam
and Computer related subjects to students for just over a decade.
Sun Jung Kim (Korean Instructor):
A native from Seoul, South Korea, Sun Jung Kim somehow knew she wanted to be a language instructor. She moved to New York City to study Communication and Media Studies at NYU and earned her Master's in 2007. Teaching Korean at Langua World is a good way to both share her culture and experiences with individuals from different places and of different ethnicity. She has found that most of her students enrolled at our institute, have done so because of the passion and intensity to learn a somewhat odd, but amazing language. Rather than using books, she has created her own presentations for students of all levels. The presentations are easy to understand and follow. The materials used cover all aspects of Korean language, ranging from vocabulary to grammar, basic conversations to emphasis on particular subjects, and so on. Once students grasp the foundation of grammar, the lessons take a sharp turn into Korean drama scripts and reading while listening to scenario descriptions.
Francesco Acurero (Spanish Instructor):
Francesco was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela and graduate from the University of Zulia, with a degree in modern languages. Francesco started teaching Spanish in 1995 for oil companies, such as Chevron, Texaco, Shell de Venezuela, and the oil national company Petroleos de Venezuela. In addition to this, he has taught students from all around the work with an outline that emphasizes on grammar, pronunciation, conversation and idiomatic expressions. He moved to the United States in 2002 and has divided his time into two: Teaching Spanish at Langua World and working for the Latino community in New York City. At this present time, he works for Latino Commission on AIDS and with us here at Langua World.
Avishan Bodjnoud (Farsi Instructor):
Avishan Bodjnoud was born and raised in Tehran/Iran , currently she is
working at the United Nations New York .She has a Master's Degree in Information
Technology Management from Tehran Amir Kabir ( Polytechnic ) University,
She also has a degree in Teaching Methodologies from Faculty of Foreign
Languages ,Tehran University .Avishan was teaching at Tehran University
and Tarbiat Modarres University for over five years before she moved to
New York and now she has the pleasure to be part of the Langua World family
.She was also working as a translator for Hamshahri daily newspaper and
different magazines in Iran . Avishan uses computer based materials plus
various books, CDs and movies to teach Farsi. She teaches both the modern
Farsi and the classic form focusing on the major Persian poets of the
medieval period. She loves teaching Farsi Language and promoting Persian
culture. Avishan has flexible teaching methods; based on different students
she uses different type of materials. She believes that learning a new
language is opening a new window to the world, Avishan speaks Farsi, English,
Arabic and she is learning Spanish.
Adriana Onstwedder (Dutch Instructor):
Adriana Onstwedder was born in the Netherlands, lived and worked in Amsterdam until 2007. She started her working career as a teacher in English at a Dutch high-school. After a period of travelling all over the world and studying law enforcement at the same time, she decided to settle down in Amsterdam. Here she became a special agent within the Dutch police force. She eventually ended up being responsible for training and development of new police-officers, as being a captain. Since 2008 she lives in New York City and she picked up teaching again. She mainly teaches Dutch to children of Dutch ex-pats, to Americans who prepare themselves for a stay in the Netherlands and she teaches the English language to immigrants. She really likes teaching because she has a passion for guiding people through a learning process. She encourages learning a language by creating a relaxed atmosphere that makes communication in the foreign language possible quicker than expected. She focuses on individuals to compose the sessions on their needs.
Chareice Archiville (ESL Instructor):
Chareice Archiville was born in Guyana, South America, where she was educated
under the British system until migrating to the United States in 2000.
She had great English teachers and learned to love, and command the English
language, liking most of all its literature. She studied for her BA in
English language and literature at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro
GA and has been teaching English as second language since then.
Linh Lanh (Vietnamese Instructor):
Linh is from Hanoi, Vietnam. She has been in the United States since 2001
and is currently pursuing a degree in Business studies and Marketing Management.
She has an extensive background in teaching English as well as Vietnamese
language. On her spare time, she gives piano lessons to kids between 3
to 12 years of age.
Pattarawun Srisombat (Pepo) (Thai Instructor):
Pepo was born and raised in Bankok, Thailand and Is 30 years old to date.
She graduated from the College of Communication Arts at Assumption University
where she majored in Visual Arts. She was a Producer, DJ and Reporter
for the Virgin Radio Station in Thailand for approximately 5 years prior
to coming to the United States. Studying Thai is required of all students
growing up in Thailand. Because it is a difficult language to learn, Pepo
has created a method that's simple and easy enough for any student to
understand and follow.
Davide Policastro (Italian Instructor):
Davide is a native speaker from Italy and has lived in the United States
since 2007. He is a recent BA graduate from the University of Studies
of Padua - Economics) and has since enrolled as an alumni to assist foreign
individuals in learning this exciting language. He enjoys teaching in
group settings where the students interact and communicate effectively.
Along with his teaching experience, he has worked in the Marketing and
Logistic field for some years, and these days, work as an Italian tour
operator in the heart of New York City.
Baiju (Gujarati Instructor):
He was born and grew up in ahmedabad, gujarat, India where Gujarati is
spoken at its best.
He came to the United States in 2002. Along with teaching, he is a computer
programmer. He studied Gujarati, Hindi and a good amount of sanskrit and
other Devanagari scripts. During his school age years, he taught Gujarati
to French exchange students in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India as part of student
exchange program and internship required at the school.
The program included not just reading and writing, but getting involved
with locals to understand the various dialects of the language. He has
a good command over Gujarati and believes that listening to the local
dialogues is the best way to grasp speaking Gujarati. He covers reading,
writing, speaking, vocabulary and grammar for students of every level
in Gujarati.
Hak Singh (Punjabi Instructor)
Hak was born in India, lived in Kuwait, London and now resides here in the United States. He has proficiency in Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu and knowledge of the various dialects used in different parts of the world. Learning Punjabi is fairly easy, especially for those who can speak or understand it. One can learn the simple basics to reading words, to writing sentences and paragraphs in no time at all. The materials provided are scientifically designed to teach students at all levels. Hak will work at your pace and provide one-to-one consultation to ensure you fully understand what you desire to learn. You are welcomed to come learn and tap into a whole new world of experiences. It is all the best in learning a new language.
Mikiko Uwabo (Japanese teacher)
Mikiko has experience in individual tutoring and classroom management. She has taught Japanese as a native language and as a second language to students from kindergarten to adults. She can teach elementary Japanese and more advanced levels. She is in the process of obtaining New York State Teacher's Certification in teaching Japanese. She has taught at NYS charter school and at a Japanese private school. Mikiko is a Summa Cum Laude graduate and a member of Phi Beta Kappa (academic honor society).
Jin Kobayashi (Japanese teacher)
Jin Kobayashi was born in Tokyo, Japan. He recently
moved to New York and has enjoyed every moment here. Jin states the city
has a lot to offer and each and every day here he discovers a new thing.
Jin grew up in Boston, Massachusetts where he studied sculpture, painting,
drawing and photography. After graduating, Jin decided to move to San
Francisco, California to obtain a college degree in architecture, and
Interior design. Currently, he works at an architecture firm based here
in New York City. While in school, he used to teach Japanese to some of
his friends and other students interested in learning the language. Since
then, he has found that teaching Japanese is a great passion. He feels
that his students deserve the best to reach their goals and he wants them
to learn his native language.
Francesco Aragona (Italian and Sicilian Instructor):
Francesco graduated in Philosophy and can teach both Italian and Sicilia,
which happen to be very similar in pronunciation, yet different in Dialect.
During his professional experience, he had the opportunity to teach several
groups about Equal Opportunities in institutional meetings. In 1999, he
was a tutor to individual and class lessons during a University promotional
campaign. In 1995 he was a private instructor to students attending High
School and he taught Italian Literature, History and Philosophy. In 2000
he worked with several PR agencies and had the chance to develop and manage
several marketing and PR projects to promote products, services and corporate
image of various companies in different markets. Today, he is employed
in an International Shipping Company in New York, and manage clients for
CRM campaigns and back office services. While teaching at our school.
Jacob
M. (Persian/Farsi Instructor):
Jacob is a native Persian/Farsi speaker who has a Master's in Public Administration
with a specialization in Oversight and Investigations. He is currently
pursuing his PhD degree in Criminal Justice. When not teaching Persian
in Langua World he works as a financial consultant in the financial district
of New York City. In addition, he likes to study world history and culture
as well. He enjoys teaching Farsi for several reasons. The most important
reason is because of how rewarding it is to help someone study and learn
a new language because of their desire to do so.
Pawel Suchon (Polish Instructor):
Pawel was born in Poland and moved to the United States in 1998. He
has a BA in Philosophy and an Associate's degree in Pedagogy from Jagiellonian
University - the most prestigious University in Poland. During his studies,
he worked as a Polish-English translator for an international trading
company. During his time there, he practiced his teaching abilities at
local schools and provided private polish lessons to foreigners. Pawel
now teaches polish at Langua World in New York and runs his own publishing
company.
Dorothea Hock (German Instructor):
Dorothea was born and raised in Germany. She obtained her Masters
degree in Management and Marketing from the University of Stuttgart, before
coming to New York City in 2007.
She believes in applying multiple approaches in order to learn the German
language most efficiently: listening, talking, writing, reading. Depending
on the student's level, she creates an outline that emphasizes on basic
conversation, German culture and any additional materials the student
is interested in learning.
Nicole Derda (German instructor):
Nicole Derda is a native German speaker who recently migrated to the United
States. She was born and raised in the Eastern part of Germany and grew
up in a small town in the country side. Nicole graduated from the University
of Hannover during the fall semester of 2007 (September 2007) and obtained
her Master's Degree in Education and Social Psychology soon after. Following
her graduation, she relocated to Paris, France to teach German at a French
high school and lived there for 7 months. She is currently working as
a counselor in a "therapeutic after school program for autistic children"
in Brooklyn, NY. "My diversity is one of my main qualities. I have
experience in many different fields of work and am fluent in German, English
and French, as well as being able to communicate in Spanish. My favorite
activities are reading and travelling as well as going to the movies and
other cultural events."
Mark Wixom (German Instructor):
Mark Wixom has been living in New York City since
September of 2008. A lifelong and native German speaker, he approaches
language education with a focus on the student's development. By instilling
a working knowledge of German grammar, a foundation is established upon
which new vocabulary may be assimilated until structure takes form. Complete
conversations and a fluid writing style are all within the student's reach
once this process is initiated. Mark holds a bachelor's degree in Music
Performance from the Conservatory at Purchase College.
Martina Karels (German):
Martina is a native speaker of Germany who has been living in the US since
2000. She holds a B.A. in Communication Arts from St. Francis College
and a M.A in Theater from Brooklyn College. She is a theater artist and
currently works as an Adjunct Professor at St. Francis College, teaching
Speech/ Public Speaking. She also does translation work. Martina is passionate
about teaching and its rewards. She believes strongly in the power of
communication, and is interested in creating a save learning environment.
Customized Listening-Comprehension, Conversational Skills and Fearless
Speaking are amongst the tools she likes to bring into the classroom.
Stuti was born and raised in India, Hindi has been
part of her life since childhood, she experienced it at home, at school
and getting her way around life. She experienced Hindi as an actor and
as a voice over artist but now she has this great opportunity to teach
Hindi at Langua World which enables her to help her students maximize
their potential and experience in the Indian culture. Stuti believes learning
a new language is almost mandatory for one's overall development and with
all eyes on India's growth learning Hindi is a great cause towards the
future.
Language classes and translation/interpretation services
Call us now! 212 643 2907