Born and raised in the Soviet Union and Ukraine, Irina earned a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and master’s degrees in education.

She relishes education, having graduated from university in St. Petersburg, Russia, earned her master’s degree in Brussels, Belgium, and studied languages in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Tasnim has been tutoring Arabic since 2012 that is when she started teaching Arabic as a foreign language at the CET Academic Programs.

Growing up in Morocco gave her exposure to Moroccan Arabic (Darija), Modern Standard Arabic, French, English, and even Spanish, especially through the cultural influences found across different regions of the country.

Noemi was born in Carate Brianza, a quiet and green area north of Milan close to Como and the beautiful famous lake. She took a master in Italian Language and Literature at UVA and she has been teaching Italian since then.

“By understanding a language, students gain a deeper appreciation of the people who speak it.”

In 2006 she moved to Charlottesville to pursue her PhD in Germanic languages and literatures. Having already taught German at several colleges including Sweet Briar College, Hampden Sydney College, VCU, JMU and UVA, she is very excited to teach at SPEAK!

“I believe that creating a fun and engaging experience, lowering the stress of learning a language, is one of the best things I can do to help my students learn.”

Joyce has a certificate in ESL from the New School in New York City and one in paralegal studies from Boston University.

After graduating and getting her international baccalaureate at the Lycée Saint Joseph d’Izmir in French, she earned her BA degree in Turkish Language and Literature from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey.

Meet Elizabeth Launer, Speak!'s Administrative Coordinator and English Program Leader. Since joining the team in 2012, Liz has helped connect thousands of students with the right instructors while supporting Speak!'s international teaching team and English programs.

“Armed with a degree in linguistics, I specialize in teaching Italian to foreigners, sharing my language and culture with eager learners worldwide.”

“I specialize in Cognitive Psychology and Motivation and am proud to be part of the Speak! team as a specialist in motivation and learning processes.”

Anne was born and raised in Paris and decided to become a French teacher 10 years ago when she moved with her family to the USA first to Boston and then Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Helga has studied and taught in multicultural environments throughout her life, including in Great Britain, Italy, and the United States.

Originally from Italy, (from Poggio a Caiano, the sister city of Charlottesville!), Stella brings both academic expertise and firsthand knowledge of Italian language and culture to her teaching.

Meet Christina Ball, founder of Speak! Language Center. A Yale-trained Italianist, Fulbright Scholar, and lifelong language learner, Christina has spent more than 30 years helping people connect through language, culture, and conversation.

AnnaMaria is very knowledgeable about the cultural issues in learning Italian to speak and live as an Italian. Anna Maria worked for 10 years as a corporate travel agent and 5 years in Milano for a Foreign Consulate.

She was inspired to learn other Romance languages early on; Italian, her native language along with English, and soon after, French, and Spanish.

“I enjoy helping people overcome their fears and build confidence to achieve their professional goals.“