Our Speakers

Will Mathews

Will is a well-travelled educator, with over 15 years of experience teaching languages in the UK, Vietnam, Latvia and Czechia. He currently works as a Teacher of German at The International School of Prague, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in French and German from the University of Nottingham. Having spent the early part of his career in customer-facing roles in the financial technology sector, Will's expertise lies in helping students to make tangible connections between the languages they are learning and the world beyond educational establishments. With 5 years of experience in Head of Languages roles in both the UK and International Schools, Will is well placed to advise on schools’ language-learning provision and strategy. A keen traveller and passionate sportsman, Will has a wealth of experience leading school trips abroad and seeking opportunities to bring language learning to life, beyond the confines of the classroom. For more information, you can contact him via email at wmathews@isp.cz, or connect through LinkedIn.

Francois Stalder

François teaches world languages (French, German and Spanish) at the American International School of Budapest. Before joining AISB, François was Head of Languages at Stonehill International School, Bangalore, India (2015-18), and Harrow International School (1999-2015), Bangkok, Thailand. He also taught in France, the UK and Oman. François initiated the world language job alike group when the Covid pandemic started. The group went from strength to strength and language teachers from ECIS, CEESA and ELMLE now regularly meet to discuss language teaching matters once a month on a Monday evening. 

Ilda Ramusovic 

Ilda is a dedicated German Language Teacher and World Language Subject Lead, with over 8 years of teaching experience. Currently, she works as an IB German B Teacher at the International School of Latvia, having previously held the same position at Knightsbridge School Montenegro. With a Master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Montenegro and a Bachelor's in German language and literature, Ilda's expertise spans German language acquisition, the communicative approach in teaching, and digital tools for education. She holds the "Grünes Diplom" teaching certificate from the Goethe Institute. Outside of teaching, Ilda enjoys traveling, dancing, and learning languages. For professional inquiries, contact her at iramusovic@isl.edu.lv or connect on LinkedIn.

Jennifer Squier

Jen Squier is an EAL specialist and former French teacher at International School Basel, with over 25 years of experience teaching primarily in IB Diploma and Middle Years Programmes in schools in Switzerland. As a multilingual and multicultural person herself, she has great admiration of and empathy toward students who are learning English and learning through English. She has presented at the IB Global Conference in Dublin and the ELMLE Conference in Porto, in addition to workshops about academic language learning at ISB.

Andreea Constandache 

I like to describe myself as a creative and enthusiastic language acquisition facilitator with a passion for education and young people. With more than 10 years of experience teaching French and currently working at an international IB school in Malta, my teaching approach focuses on comprehensible input, making learning engaging, accessible and hopefully, fun. Beyond the classroom, I’m passionate about swing jazz, dancing, improv theater and outdoor activities.

Laura Ree

Laura Ree, an educator with over 24 years of experience, currently serves as the MYP and DP German Teacher at the International School of Latvia. Holding a Master's in Secondary Pedagogy from The University of Texas at Arlington (2001), Laura is dedicated to language acquisition and technology integration in education. She has held diverse roles including German Language Teacher, Department Head, Grade Level Liaison, and Instructional Coach. Recognized for her excellence, Laura has been honored with the Quicksilver Resources Teaching Chair for Acquisition of Language (2010) and named Indiana Secondary German Teacher of the Year (2016). She has shared her expertise at esteemed conferences including CEESA, ACTFL, IFLTA, and TFLA. Outside of academia, Laura indulges in traveling, reading, and cooking. Connect with her via email at laura.ree@isl.edu.lv or on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/lauraree.

Scott Hall

Scott Hall has over 20 years of teaching experience at all levels of education. He currently works in Basel, Switzerland as Head of Digital Learning. Scott has long been an early adopter of technology in the classroom. As a teacher, he developed a view of inquiry and technology integration that continues to drive his work today. In his work, Scott has aimed to work with teachers in such a way where learning with technology is seen as simply learning. Scott has spoken at conferences around the world on various aspects of technology integration and innovative teaching practices. 

JEN CARSON

A former teacher of Spanish and IB French, Jen Carson is a past President of the National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Languages (NADSFL) and a Chevalier in the French Order of the Academic Palms. Currently, she serves as the Teacher Education Leader and Parliamentarian of the Foreign Language Association of Virginia (FLAVA) and member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Conference of Language Teaching (SCOLT), while working as a Proficiency & Learning Specialist for Language Testing International.

You can follow Jen on X @jncar4 and Instagram @jencarsonesq

Susan Oguro

Susan Oguro (PhD) is a researcher and author but she’s happiest when in the classroom teaching!  Her career as a language teacher includes teaching English (in Australia, Germany, England and Thailand) and teaching German in Australia. In her current position, she teaches curriculum and pedagogy for university students studying to become high-school languages teachers in Australia.  She is particularly interested in methods for teaching beginners-level learners, classroom interaction and intercultural communication. 

Nikolas Djakovic 

My name is Nikolas Djakovic, and I am the Modern Languages Coordinator at Santa Sophia Catholic College in Sydney, Australia. I have a background in educational travel, particularly in supporting sister school arrangements between Australia and Japan. I am passionate about second language acquisition and intercultural education, and I strive to create authentic, experiential learning opportunities that extend beyond the traditional classroom setting.

Mari McCarville

I am currently working as an English and German teacher at Leysin American School in Switzerland. I aim to build meaningful, long-lasting connections with students through my communicative language teaching approach. Over the past six years, I have developed curriculum for social-emotional learning programs, elementary school classes, English Language Development programs, and university-level German classes. My current areas of interest include: strategies for supporting neurodiverse multilingual learners with academic writing, content and language integrated learning, and teaching proficiency through reading and storytelling. 

Natalie Cantini

I am an international educator who has specialised in dyslexia support. I speak five languages, and have worked around the world. I opened a private business for dyslexia and dyscalculia in 2020 because I realised I suffer from hearing loss. Since then I have started working with parents and schools on how to support children with ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and auditory processing issues, across ages and subjects.

Maria Fons

I am Maria Fons, and I will be taking on the role of Head of World Languages Department at Ecolint LGB from Aug 2025. Passionate about fostering creativity through literature and cultural awareness, I am a dynamic and experienced linguist specialising in World Languages, including Spanish, Italian, and French.

Throughout my career, I have led webinars for Spanish teachers in collaboration with the Valencia government, focusing on innovative strategies like Translanguaging and enhancing speaking skills in the language classroom. At Aiglon College, my former school, I was an active member of the Oracy leading group, constantly exploring new ways to empower students to express themselves effectively. My expertise spans various educational frameworks, including the IB (DP and MYP), IGCSE, A-levels, and KS3 and I have worked in international schools in the USA, UK, Italy and Switzerland. As a proud Spaniard, I bring a rich cultural perspective to my teaching celebrating the Spanish speaking world and its diversity.

Ourania Papadimitriou

Originally from the North-West of Germany, Ourania has been living and teaching in Norway since 2012. Since 2019, she has been teaching German as a foreign language as part of the IB MYP program at the British International School of Stavanger. In 2022, she began incorporating comprehensible input methods to make language learning more engaging and enjoyable. She has presented on pre-reading, reading, and post-reading activities at the Agen Workshop in France, and in 2024, she began exploring Universal Design for Learning to make language acquisition even more accessible for all students. Outside the classroom, she also works as a local guide for cruise ship guests visiting Stavanger.

Kalley Hoke

Julie Sutcliffe

With over 30 years’ experience in the classroom, Julie has dedicated her career to inspiring both students and educators through a lifelong passion for languages. She has held various middle and senior leadership roles and understands the unique challenges of teaching and leading Modern Foreign Languages (MFL).

As a former National Lead Practitioner for MFL in a large multi-academy trust, she supported over 40 schools with tailored training, CPD, and leadership development, including delivering the NPQ for Leading Teacher Development. She is also an experienced MFL GCSE examiner.

Now working as Education Development Lead for MFL at the Global School Alliance, she continues to champion languages, support teachers, and promote global partnerships that broaden young people’s horizons and build cultural awareness for a more connected world.

Cathy Beyers

Cathy Beyers has an MA In Modern Languages and is certified in teaching with technology (SUNY Buffalo). She has taught  MYP and DP French and EAL for over twenty years in international schools in Eastern Europe and is currently Curriculum leader for Language Acquisition at the American school of Warsaw.  She has presented at CEESA and ECIS on visible thinking and teaching with technology. In recent years she has specialized in concept and project based language teaching and learning. She believes language learning empowers students and she loves to use different strategies to make students see the world from different perspectives. In class she often uses concept and project based learning to motivate students to take charge of their own learning. Students get a chance to choose some of their own content and projects which enables them to formulate their thoughts in more than one language and encourages them to use technology and AI to become better communicators and creators. Outside of teaching Cathy enjoys swimming, yoga, learning languages and literature. You can follow Cathy on LinkedIn

Jill Wiley

Jill Wiley has over 25 years' experience teaching English and French in the U.S. and Norway. Since the early 2000s, she has been using comprehensible input methods to increase engagement and achievement for all students. She has presented at the Agen Workshop in France, the Dynamic Language Learning Conference in the Netherlands, and Comprehensible Midwest in the U.S. She currently teaches at the British International School and in her free time, enjoys writing, public speaking, and entrepreneurship.

Sohelie Zafar 

Sohelie is an experienced MFL teacher of French and Italian, with a decade of teaching experience in some of London’s most diverse and dynamic secondary schools. Formerly Head of MFL for five years after completing her PGCE at the prestigious Institute of Education, she now works as an MFL Consultant at Discover the World Education - a school trips company, where she develops free teaching resources and delivers CPD for language teachers globally as well as being involved in the creation and selling of school trips.

A passionate linguist at heart, having read European Languages at University College London, Sohelie speaks multiple languages including Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu, alongside French, Italian, and English. A regular speaker at national and international conferences, she has presented for the Association for Language Learning, Practical Pedagogies in Cologne, online webinars for Linguascope, MLTAT (Modern Languages Teachers Association of Tasmania), the World Language Teacher Summit, and will present at the International School of Monaco Teacher Conference in January 2026 as well as this World Language Conference in Basel, Switzerland.

Monique Francis

Founder & Author of JapanEasyReads | Japanese Language Educator | Advocate for Language Acquisition, Comprehensible Input & Literacy

Monique is a dedicated Japanese language educator and passionate advocate for acquisition-based, inclusive language learning. As the founder and author of JapanEasyReads, she creates easy-to-read graded readers and resources designed to support learners at all proficiency levels. She uses Comprehensible Input (CI) strategies to create language experiences that are meaningful, inclusive, and confidence-building—helping learners feel capable and connected from the start. She supports fellow teachers in moving toward acquisition-driven, student-centered teaching by sharing practical tools and encouragement for the journey beyond textbooks—emphasizing the power of extensive reading as a key part of language acquisition.

At the World Languages Conference Basel, Monique will present ‘Walking in Their Shoes: Language Acquisition from Day One’, an interactive session exploring inclusive, student-centered strategies to support confident language acquisition from the very first lesson.

Olive Halsall

Olive Halsall is the Founder of Private Joke ®, the card game fusing humour with language learning. She holds a Master’s degree Education from the University of Cambridge and has spent the past decade working across the UK, China, France, and the UAE. Her career spans private tutoring, scaling EdTech startups, and founding the education consultancy Olea Education. Through Private Joke ®, Olive has delivered high-impact workshops to over 5,000 students combining play, pedagogy, and purpose to make language learning joyful, creative, and deeply human.

Rocco Acocella

Rocco Acocella is an enthusiastic and lifelong learner who loves exploring new ideas, concepts, and topics. Currently, he holds the position of Italian Teacher at the Primary level of the Canadian School of Milan, having previously taught MYP and DP for the past two years. With a Master in Creativity and Innovation at the Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation of University of Malta, he's deeply passionate about designing and shaping novel concepts. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Rocco has designed and delivered  presentations and workshops in various contexts, including international conferences such as the Possibility Studies series held in Dublin, Cambridge, and Maynooth. He has also facilitated workshops on AI and Creative Mindset & Process at international schools in Milan and Rome, as well as at the Háskóli Islands in Reykjavik at the Faculty of Education. Rocco's passion for languages has been driving force throughout his career, leading him to explore and apply creative thinking strategies, developmental and cognitive psychology, neuroscientific and quantum physics principles, and playfulness in his teaching and professional development workshops. Outside of his professional journey, Rocco enjoys the color yellow, cooking, and traveling! For professional inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact him at rocco.acocella@canadianschool.it or connect on https://www.linkedin.com/in/rocco-acocella-3b4897203/