LEVELS

Hello! My name is Ms. Erika Alcantar Anguiano, and I am one of the English instructors at the Latin American Association. I was born in Uriangato, Guanajuato, Mexico, but I have been living in Georgia since 2002. I graduated from Georgia State University (GSU) in spring 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Linguistics and a minor in French and again in summer 2020 with a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics. I have had the opportunity to teach English to a variety of students in different places such as adults in Gainesville, children in Mexico, international students at GSU, and adults online. In my free time, I like to learn and practice other languages.

Hello! My students call me “Super Teacher Shidaun”. I’m a Certified TEFL teacher with 9+ years of teaching experience and am currently pursuing a Master’s in Education with a specialization in ESL. For over 6 years, I’ve been teaching children and adults online. I speak multiple languages including basic Portuguese and Spanish. I am also a published author and I enjoy dancing, singing and writing. I believe that education should be fun and informative and I enjoy making my students smile. I look forward to seeing you in my class!

Rachel Conrad is an English-language coach for immigrant and international students and has experience teaching English in the United States and abroad. Since earning a certificate in English language teaching from the New School in 2016, she has taught at the University of Lower Silesia in Wroclaw, Poland; at The International Center and the New York English Academy in New York City; and with the College of Staten Island's English Language Institute (ELI) "Cultural Bridge" program, based in Peru. She will complete her MA TESOL degree at Hunter College, NYC, in December 2021.

I have been a teacher for 22 years. I started teaching in 2000 in Orlando, Florida where I taught 5th grade for 7 years. We made the move to Georgia in 2007 where I taught 5th grade and 3rd grade before moving to my current assignment as an ESOL middle school teacher in 2016. I graduated from the University of Central Florida with my BS in Elementary Education and from Walden University with a Masters in Math and Reading Education. I've been married since 1994, I have 3 daughters; one of whom is starting her first year as a Kindergarten teacher this year (2021). I love building model airplanes, playing guitar, reading, and biking and hiking.

"I began a second career in ESL about eight years ago. First, I completed my CELTA certification in Mexico City in 2012, then I completed my Master’s in Applied Linguistics at GSU in Atlanta in 2018.
I have a minor in Spanish from the University of Texas and have studied Spanish at the Latin American Association here in Atlanta for several years. I’m currently studying Spanish (via Skype) with a private tutor who lives in Argentina to try to improve my fluency!
In my first career, I worked in a biomedical research environment with people from all over the world. It was interesting to interact with non-native English speakers on a daily basis and it was educational to see how their lives here in the U.S. were affected by their English language proficiency.
In the last eight years, I taught ESL for Literacy Action of Atlanta, for Speak, Inc., in Norcross, and for Conexion Training, in Duluth. I also interned at the International Refugee Committee, where I did my research study for my Master’s degree. I’ve taught Korean, Cambodian, Mexican, Guatemalan, Nicaraguan, Honduran, Venezuelan, Colombian, Uruguayan, Brazilian, Chinese, Afghan, Belarusian, and Syrian students.
When I finished my Master’s degree in 2018, I began teaching ESL at the Latin American Association. I’ve taught Intro, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. I’m currently teaching a Level 2 class on Saturday via Zoom. The students are all from Central or South America and most are from Mexico, Venezuela, or Colombia.

Hi! I am an ESL teacher, personal trainer, event planner, and stand-up comedian in New York City. I started teaching ESL as a volunteer and loved it so much that I went back to school and made it my full-time job. I specialize in community-based programs and low-literacy learners. I am currently learning Spanish and preparing to go back to school (again!) to study linguistics.

I am a global educator who has worked in academia on the secondary and collegiate level. My educational training includes earning a doctorate in Humanities from Clark Atlanta University, a master’s in Business at Troy State University, and a bachelors in Communications from The University of Akron. I have been in the field of education for 9 years and working with ESOL students for 3 years. I am also a former United States Army Reserves Officer.

Lisa Porter is a resident of the state of Georgia, USA. Lisa received her Associates Degree in Management Studies from the University of Maryland Asia, her Bachelor’s Degree in Management Studies and History from the University of Maryland Europe, a Certificate in Accounting from Gwinnett Technical College and her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Ashworth College.
Before beginning her work in Education and corporate America, Lisa’s family traveled with the military to Jacksonville, FL, Charleston, SC, Misawa, Japan and Spangdahlem, Germany where she served 3 years as PTA President and worked for Family Advocacy as a Program Coordinator. As a program Coordinator, she provided services and resources for military families with domestic challenges. Since relocating to the metro Atlanta area, in 2002, Lisa has worked for Gwinnett County Government, Publix, Bank of America and VWR International in various roles obtaining many skills, which she utilizes in her career today.
In 2016, Lisa obtained her Global TESOL Certification from the University of Georgia. In 2020, she obtained her TEFL Certification. As evident in the commitment to her local community and yearly mission trips to Honduras, Lisa enjoys helping others. In 2017, Lisa traveled to Capitol Hill as an English Language Learner Advocate to talk with her state representatives about support and recognition of English Language Learners in the State of Georgia.

"I am originally from Michigan and had the opportunity to learn my second language (French when my family moved to Montreal. Since that time, I have also worked on my Spanish skills, through classes in Atlanta and Costa Rica. I earned my BA in English from Emory University and received my TESOL certification from Seattle University Graduate School Of Education. I have instructed and managed language classes and programs since 2001, (for The Latin American Association and Catholic Charities Atlanta) and have worked with students from over 70 countries. I have also undergone numerous trainings provided by the USCIS for assisting instructors who are preparing students for citizenship (both in Atlanta and Washington, DC). I successfully completed the Basic Immigration Law Course (40 hours plus exam) offered by the Immigrant Pathway Institute and have assisted naturalization applicants at numerous activities and citizenship events for the New Americans Campaign in Atlanta and Miami .

After making a conscious decision in late 2018 to refocus my career and life goals, I obtained my Master's degree in English Language Instruction from my alma mater, Arizona State University, where I also received my Bachelor's degree in English Literature. I have volunteered with New American Pathways, teaching basic English to newcomers and have also spent the last year and a half interning with the International Rescue Committee as a lead ESL Instructor. In addition to my role at LAA, I work with Catholic Charities Atlanta providing morning ESL instruction to enrolled Adult Learners. I love incorporating "outside -of-the-box" instructional tasking including teaching with music and video, instilling pronunciation practice and drills, and introducing American classic literature to new learners. Outside of teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband, 12 year old daughter, 5 year old step daughter, and of course our 2 dogs and 5 cats. I am an avid gardener and also try to make time to see friends at the occasional happy hour or live music event.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Georgia with Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Spanish, I traveled to Costa Rica to get a certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). When I moved to New York City a couple of years later, it was this certificate that landed me my first job at Kaplan International on the 63rd floor of the Empire State Building. I continued to teach there as I obtained my Master's in Public Health from Columbia University. After taking a few years hiatus, I made my way back into the classroom through a part-time position with the New York Public Library. In 2017, I moved to Atlanta and discovered the Latin American Association. I knew it was a place I wanted to work. I have been teaching at LAA since January 2018 and have thoroughly enjoyed the many students I’ve had in my class over the years. In teaching, my hope has always been that students learn as much from my classes as I learn from them.