The Board

Meet the Executive Committee and Other Volunteers

 

The Bureau        

Debbie West President & Île de France Workshop Coordinator
Ngan Phan Vice President
Alexandra Donnez Secretary 
  Treasurer 


The Executive Committee

Vicki Plant Regions and Events, Outreach, Newsletter, Teaching Times Magazine, 
Suzanne Huaweart Teaching Times Editor

 

 

Yvonne Chappell Regional Coordinator Strasbourg                                                    




Other Dedicated Volunteers & Supporters

Dianne Chen Regional Coordinator Bordeaux, Events, Teaching Times
 

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 over 25 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!
 

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 

 

 


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.

 


Yvonne Chappell

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

 

 


Suzanne Hauwaert

Teaching Times 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.

 
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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. 

 


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