The Board

Meet the Executive Committee and Other Volunteers

 

The Bureau        
Debbie West President & Île de France Workshop Coordinator
Ngan Phan Vice President
Meriem Gueche Secretary 
Clare Vitoroff Treasurer 


The Executive Committee
Soad Louissi  
Jen Cowell  
Tim Lorkin  
Natalie Hideg  
 


The TESOL France Bureau

 

Debbie West

President & Workshop Coordinator: Ile de France

Debbie West, UC Berkeley grad, brought up in a military family, has done almost everything from teaching French to being International Student Advisor in the United States to now teaching English to all levels and ages here in France. An educator at heart, she sees education as broader than in a classroom and is definitely not very traditional in her methods. With a love for developing programs and an ever-present bank of ideas, there never seems to be enough time, energy and money to do everything. Being single helps and sometimes doesn't. Here in France she is an independent (after all the accountants were just "trying to help") and teach English and do a bit of translation. Debbie is a Representative for the International Business Program at UC Berkeley Extension, and is trying to develop a Total Summer Immersion English Program (in August). She tries to do her part in developing people's English skills. 

 

Ngan Phan

Vice President 

With 28 years of experience teaching English across Vietnam, Australia, and France, I am dedicated to advancing English Language Teaching (ELT) globally. My academic journey, which includes a Ph.D. in English as an International Language (EIL) from Australia and a Master's in ESL and Curriculum Development from the United States, has equipped me with a deep understanding of diverse teaching methodologies and research skills.
As a former Dean of the Foreign Languages Department and an accomplished author of two books and multiple articles on teaching EIL, I bring a research-informed approach to both classroom practices and teacher training. My passion lies in mentoring educators and empowering them to create dynamic, globally minded classrooms that prepare learners for an interconnected world.
 
Volunteering with TESOL France, I am committed to fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence within the ELT community. Let’s unite teachers, educators, and researchers to build a powerful network that will elevate English language education in France and beyond, shaping a brighter future for all!
 
 

Meriem Gueche

General Secretary

 Mereiem Gueche: Passionate and experienced freelance English teacher with nearly 20 years of expertise in teaching adults and young adults. Specializing in Business English, General and Academic English, as well as English for Engineers. Proficient in preparing students for standardized tests such as TOEIC, TOEFL, and Linguaskill. Skilled in both in-person and online teaching,





 
Clare Vitoroff 

Treasurer 

Clare exchanged the calm and tranquilité of the English countryside for classes of curious minds. Trained as an archaeologist, she likes to excavate, discover and invent. She likes nothing better than finding improvised creative solutions. Her method of teaching is born from her experience as an English Teacher, from Maternelle to university. Clare tells stories and has the learners tell stories, plays and has the learners play, and through anything from creating electronic circuits to planting potatoes, they end up speaking English !

 

 


Executive Committee

 top

Events Manager



 

Natalie Hideg

TESOL France Speaker Coordinator, Membership Asst.

    Natalie is an English teacher and teacher trainer based in Paris. She grew up in the United States and previously lived and worked in Istanbul for eight years. She has taught learners of all ages and levels, from primary school and university students to adult professionals. Before focusing on teaching, she also worked as a writer and editor in the media sector and contributed to documentary productions in France. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and travelling, and is passionate about Brazilian music and dance.


 

Tim Lorkin

TESOL France  Outreach Assistant

   A Business aware Engineer, UN expert (IIR-IIF) to industrialise Caloric Refrigeration since 2014, now working as a Calorics consultant & teaching.
   Who has taught, since before COVID at Business, Engineering & Scientific universities. A historic interest in Mechatronics & IIoT with respect to AI, Ethics and now its use in the EdTech field.  

 

Jen Cowell

Teaching Times Editorial Director

Jennifer is experienced in educational leadership and teacher training within TESOL. She has worked internationally across educational settings, served on several executive committees, and contributed to UK national linguistics standards for universities. Her expertise includes inclusive pedagogy, cutting-edge methodologies, and educator development. She is committed to strengthening professional practice and supporting educators across France.
top
 

Other Dedicated Volunteers & Supporters

 


Dianne Chen

TESOL France Bordeaux Coordinator, Past President, Past Treasurer

I left California in 1999, living in a handful of places including Barcelona and London, where I obtained an MA in Library and Information Studies. I eventually found myself living in Taipei, Taiwan, which had been a tiny little dream of mine (fulfilled). It was in Taiwan where I first started teaching English, primarily to children and teen learners. The experience was phenomenal, yet incredibly challenging. Four years later, my life took a somewhat unexpected turn that brought me to Bordeaux, where I continue to teach English at the university and professional/ continuing education levels. Even though I am a teacher, I feel that I am also simultaneously a student as I am constantly learning from my students and discovering things about myself. This is one of the reasons why I have volunteered at TESOL France because I truly believe that, as teachers, we need to continue learning, pushing ourselves and updating our skills. 
________________________________________________________________________________
 

Suzanne Hauwaert

Teaching Times Production Editor

As a trained TEFL teacherand trainer I have taught a wide range of                           nationalities, levels and ages in Asia, Eastern Europe and Europe. In 1999               I completed a Master’s in Education (TEFL) and my dissertation on multilingual     children led to academic writing, journalism and the publication of two     books  about Childhood Bilingualism & Multilingualism.
 
 I have also been involved in several editorial volunteering roles; I was on the   editorial board of the Bilingual Family Newsletter and wrote articles for various   multilingual parenting sites. In 2024 I had the opportunity to do a webinar   for British Council’s Teaching English website and present talks at conferences in Paris.
Most recently I took a three-month online course on Writing English Materials. This gave me an insight into how to do basic layout, how to create a flow, highlight and use images in texts and set a text at a suitable pedagogic level.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

TESOL France Strasbourg Coordinator

 

Yvonne works for several teaching establishments and also
for herself as an auto entrepreneur. She teaches general
English and English for lawyers. She has a CELTA qualification and as part of her MBA looked at employment practises in the UK and France. She believes that bringing teachers together for support and training is crucial for both teachers and learners and leads to a win win situation for everyone

 



 






   

 
 
 
 
 
 

TESOL FRANCE
23 rue Nollet - 75017 PARIS
See map - Email us
© Copyright 2014-2026 TESOL FRANCE, all rights reserved
CMS by BLWorks.net  |  control panel