TESOL France
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Members Access
Why join Tesol France?
Membership (read more):
Join now!
Free Annual Colloquium and free workshops, an annual Spring event, a quarterly newsletter, endless networking opportunities and resources...
Language Schools (read more):
Benefit from plenty of exposure and boost the teaching quality at your school, fee includes 4 teacher membership cards, free entrance to events...
The Board
Meet the Executive Committee and Other Volunteers
The Bureau |
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| Debbie West | President & Île de France Workshop Coordinator | |
| Yvonne Chappell | Vice President, TESOL France Strasbourg Coordinator | |
| Alexandra Donnez | Secretary | |
| Dianne Chen | Treasurer & TESOL France Bordeaux Coordinator | |
The Executive Committee |
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| Vicki Plant | Regions and Events, Outreach, Newsletter, Teaching Times Magazine, | |
| Sonyth Huber | Events, Newsletter | |
Other Dedicated Volunteers & Supporters |
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| Shannon Griffin | Events | |
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. She can be reached using her website: westlanguage.com.Yvonne Chappell
Vice President & TESOL France Strasbourg Coordinator
Yvonne works for several teaching establishments and alsofor 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
Alexandra Donnez
General Secretary
Alexandra Donnez's journey into teaching stemmed from a desire for a more fulfilling career after a decade of commuting to a job that had lost its appeal. Transitioning into teaching presented its own set of challenges as she encountered the rigidity of the "one size fits all" approach prevalent in many schools. Adapting a rigid curriculum to accommodate radically different skill levels was initially daunting until she replaced the top down method requested by a fully learner-focused approach.
As her expertise expanded, Alex ventured into teaching adults, where she could finally offer tailor-made learning experiences that incorporated storytelling and collaborative games—strategies that have since become her hallmark.
A few years ago, she co-founded a training center with two friends. The business offers comprehensive programs in language training, management, IT literacy, and HR/payroll training, among others.
Treasurer & TESOL France Bordeaux Coordinator
Executive Committee
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Regions & Events, Outreach
Vicki Plant moved to France in 2008 with her family and started a new career in the world of ELT. Having worked in the technology industry beforehand as both a technical developer and as a manager she very much wanted to concentrate on the world of professional business English. She is based in the rural south west of France, and started with face to face courses in local companies. Over the years she has moved into the online world and she now delivers lessons to learners in various European countries. Recently she has trained as both a language coach and transformational coach and uses these new skills to help learners not only with their language learning but also to work on their mindset, confidence and motivation when using another language.She is passionate about learning and development and is currently completing a degree in
Language Studies, majoring in English and French. She believes strongly that there should
be opportunities for teachers to develop in their roles and to widen and strengthen their skills
and progress in their chosen career.
Events, Outreach
Sonyth Goodsell Huber graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2000 with a BA in British and American Literature. She moved to France the following year, and she and her husband live with their 3 teenage daughters in the western suburbs of Paris.
Sonyth started teaching English in France just because it was the easiest job to get at the time, and a few years later she realized that it was her life’s calling. Everything she knows about teaching she has learned through trial and error by observing her students, always with the goal of helping them to make tangible progress. Over the 20+ years of her career she has taught students ranging in age from 2 to 82 in schools, homes, and businesses. Her business clients have included Airbus, Hermès, SNCF and many others. She is currently an auto-entrepreneur working with a cooperative of entrepreneurs. .
Other Dedicated Volunteers & Supporters
Annual colloquium
15/11/2024 to 17/11/2024
Online registration now available!
Cité Scolaire Internationale Honoré-de-Balzac