The team of the Language Centre

Head of the Language Centre

Office - reception

Office - reception

IT engineer (from a centralised unit)

Born in Germany, Ms. Aminia Brüggemann holds a doctoral degree in German language and literature. She has been teaching communication skills and comparative and intercultural literature courses in American universities since 1993. In class, she strives to help learners achieve a balance between the pleasure of experiencing something new and the acquisition of various new strategies. She also teaches communication skills which will allow learners to act effectively in various academic, professional and interpersonal situations. In class, she fosters a pleasant, stimulating, academic and enriching atmosphere.

Ms. Bente Lowin Kropf holds a doctoral degree in Biology. She discovered her love of language teaching after a stay abroad. She has a teaching qualification from the Goethe Institute and a Master in German as a foreign language and has taught German in universities and private schools in the Middle East, in Asia and most recently in Switzerland. She is interested by all stages of the learning to communicate in German. Learners acquire a living language: they must “live” the language and feel its utility. She helps learners by creating a fun environment which is centered on their language goals, and which implicates them in the learning process and respects their individuality.

Mr. Pascal Schweitzer is bilingual and holds a diploma from the University of Metz. He has a long experience of teaching German in various contexts. As teaching is not a “one-size-fits-all” concept, he bases his pedagogy on the needs, motivations, characteristics and resources of his learners. His main goal is to help you become autonomous, so that you can communicate more effectively while respecting cultural identity and diversity. Using meaningful and varied activities, he will accompany you on your way to becoming plurilingual.

Ms. Sharon Acton was born in California. She holds a BA in Literature, an MA in International Management, and a language and life sciences teaching diploma. She has taught for many years, notably in adult education in Switzerland. She favours a relaxed and motivating atmosphere in class, and focuses on the individual needs and objectives of her learners.

Ms. Barbara Althaus is of British origin and holds a Master's degree in Education from the University of Manchester. She has many years’ experience in the teaching of English to adults and in preparing candidates for Cambridge exams. She is involved in research in English for specific purposes in academic and professional fields and is particularly interested in helping students acquire independent learning strategies and in making classes interactive.

Born in Canada, Ms. Kristin Andrikopoulos studied history and political science at the University of Toronto before training to be an English language teacher - a career path that has allowed her to express her passion for language, society and intercultural exchange. She has taught in Canada, Thailand and Switzerland, which she now calls home. Her goal is to create a dynamic and challenging learning environment where students are encouraged to achieve excellence in a warm and cooperative atmosphere

Ms. Atkinson Del Grazia is British and holds a humanities degree from Cambridge University. She has taught English in Italy and Switzerland, where she has lived for several years. She focuses on offering learners a high quality of teaching which will allow learners to acquire the skills they need to reach their objectives. She is looking forward to discussing all aspects of her mother tongue with you in a warm and communicative atmosphere.

Ms. Sylvia Goetze Wake is Canadian. She majored in sociology and then specialised in adult training methods. She has many years of experience in language and communication training for learners of various ages and with a wide range of needs. She is eager to help you become more comfortable and fluent in English in order to achieve meaningful and effective communication. She looks forward to working together - with you as an active participant!

Mr. Shane Gough is Irish and holds a Masters in Social Sciences and a diploma of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. He has taught a variety of learners from different backgrounds in various countries. In his classes, he encourages interaction and communication, and favours learner participation and autonomy. He likes creating a relaxed atmosphere in which exchange takes place, and looks forward to sharing with you his love for his mother tongue.

Ms. Samantha Gouyette is British but lived for many years in France before settling in Switzerland. She holds a degree in English Language, Literature and Civilisation as well as a Master in teaching French as a Foreign Language. She loves sharing her love for her mother tongue. She bases her teaching on the idea of exchange between the participants of a class – notably the sharing of knowledge, skills, cultural experiences and a desire to learn. She encourages communication and interaction, and hopes you will enjoy communicating and progressing in English in a dynamic and welcoming atmosphere.

Originally from Texas, Ms. Kollöffel studied linguistics and has a Bachelor of Arts as well as an American teacher certification. She's taught English for many years both in company and for Swiss higher education schools. She considers putting students' individual needs first a priority, allowing everyone to progress in their language acquisition. Her class atmosphere is relaxed and interactive but also academically challenging.

Ms. Jayshri Mizeret-Lad is British of Indian origin. She has a university background as well as a diploma in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language. Creating an interactive teaching framework is important for her as this allows her to take individual needs into account and, at the same time, enables each student to progress in a way best suited to his/her needs. She looks forward to welcoming you into her group.

Ms. Rétfalvi-Schär is Canadian.  She has an MSc in English Language Teaching from Aston University, England and has taught English in many countries.  Since 2000, she's been teaching in Switzerland, mostly at a university level.  As a participant, you will have plentiful opportunities to practise English so that you can express yourself with greater confidence, clarity, and impact.  Be prepared for lively, interactive, and challenging activities.  And don't forget to factor in enjoyment in your quest to become a better user of English!

Mr. Guy Walker is British. He holds a degree in French language and literature from the University of Stirling, Scotland, as well as a teaching certificate for English as a Foreign Language. He began his career in Japan and has a long experience of teaching English as a foreign language, particularly in the field of business. He is interested in all aspects of teaching but focuses especially on learning strategies and writing skills. Convinced that learning is more effective when undertaken with a smile, he aims to create a constructive and positive atmosphere in class. He is therefore looking forward to working with you – with a smile!

Ms Wang Mouneyrou comes from China. In addition to her MA in French Language and Literature from Guangdon University, she holds an International Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (CTCSOL). She has taught Mandarin as well as Chinese literature in France and Switzerland. She is a passionate innovator, and her courses centre on blended learning and developing learner autonomy. She favours interactive, learner-centred methods, based on the participants’ motivation and involving a broad variety of activities. She aims to make learners fall in love with Chinese language and culture.

Ms. Cristina Bravo Acedos was born in Madrid and holds a Master in Journalism as well as a diploma for teaching Spanish as a foreign language. She has taught Spanish for many years to learners from a great variety of backgrounds and of various ages. This professional experience allows her to adapt to the different languages and cultures of her learners. She invites you on a fascinating learning journey through the Spanish language and its inseparable culture in a dynamic, in a dynamic, creative and relaxed atmosphere. She looks forward to guiding you through this experience full of nice discoveries.

Mrs Deocares Sánchez has a Master’s degree in Spanish and Latin-American Language, Literature and Civilisation as well as a Master’s degree in Teaching French as a Foreign Language. She has a long experience of teaching Spanish in South America, Spain, France and lately Switzerland. She fosters an encouraging, good-humoured atmosphere in class, and uses a variety of interesting activities to allow learners to achieve their objectives. Because she is convinced that « when we are alone we can go faster, but together we can go much further », Mrs Deocares Sánchez bases her teaching on interaction and exchange between the learners. She aims to help them use Spanish in a context of intercultural communication, which includes the discovery of the various rich Hispanic cultures.

Mrs Arianna Mamoli is of Italian origin and completed her studies at the Catholic University of Milan. She also holds a Master in Communication from the USA. Before arriving in Switzerland in 2010, she taught Italian in various American universities including Harvard and MIT. She conveys her enthusiasm for Italian via a dynamic and interactive teaching style, providing students with the means to develop their communicative and intercultural skills while at the same time promoting autonomy

Ms. Anna Katon comes from Russia and is highly qualified in the academic and pedagogical fields. She wants to transmit her enthusiasm for her mother tongue and favours communicative teaching methods and the discovery of Russian culture in a motivating environment. She looks forward to making learners progress towards their objective with the pleasure that comes from learning.