Caroline has been at the International Language Institute of Massachusetts since 1986 as teacher, administrator and teacher trainer.  She is also a Trainer of Trainers for the School for International Training’s TESOL Certificate Course.  Caroline has written articles on assessment and evaluation and presented in the area of teacher training and the administration of programs both regionally and nationally.

She continues to teach ESOL and Spanish to various adult populations.  Caroline has lived and worked in Peru, Mexico and Spain and has a Masters in Spanish Literature from Michigan State University.  She is currently serving as President (2020-2021) for EnglishUSA (American Association of Intensive English Programs), Youth Exchange Officer for the Northampton International Rotary Club and is the Intensive English Programs MIG Network Leader for NAFSA.

Published Articles by Caroline Gear

• Are We Practicing What We Preach

• Adventures in Mentoring

• Evolution of an Assessment Tool

• Implementing Authentic Assessment

• Successful Supervision

• Tips for Language Learning Outside the Classroom

• Using Phenomenal Changes

Contact: caroline@ili.edu 

Macey began teaching in the Free English Evening Program at ILI in 2003. Over the years she has worn many hats at ILI, including FEEP Program Coordinator and IEP Admissions & Homestay Coordinator. She became the Director of English Programs in 2015. She holds a BA in Art History from Santa Clara University, and an MA in teaching ESOL from San Francisco State University. She has over 25 years of teaching and program administration experience. In her free time she loves thrift shopping, reading cookbooks and memoirs, exploring new places and spending time with her husband, two sons and sweet dog.

Contact: macey@ili.edu 

Laura is the Free English Program's Assistant Director.  Laura has a B.S. in Sociology and Elementary Education from The College of New Jersey, an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction with a literacy specialization from Lesley University, and a TESOL certificate from ILI.  She has worked in the field of education since 2002 and joined the ILI team in January 2018.  When she’s not working, Laura enjoys spending time outdoors and exploring new places.

Contact: laura@ili.edu 

Greg started teaching elementary school in 2001, after more than a decade of writing for local newspapers. Then after nearly two decades of teaching fourth and fifth grade, he left elementary school teaching to write full-time. He writes poems and essays, plus has been working to finish a middle-grade novel. You can find some of his essays and poems at https://mrksdotblog.wordpress.com and you can read his novels … some day. When he’s not writing or teaching, Greg is reading as much as he can (still trying to decide whether Moby Dick is worth his time), growing too many tomatoes in the summer, playing tennis as a late bloomer, and playing cards in the evening. Greg sometimes takes out his Smith-Corona typewriter and writes poems on-demand for people (15 minute wait), an act he reckons is part journalism, part mind reading, part finger-tapping fun. 

Contact: greg@ili.edu 

Brian Long has been an educator for the past thirty years, working as a teacher, teacher-trainer and trainer-of-trainers. Living overseas for seventeen years, his career has taken him to 46 countries on five continents, first teaching ESOL in Thailand, and training on his first SIT TESOL Certificate Course in Kyoto, Japan. He continues teaching, training and training trainers as he works with individuals and organizations to help them transform their programs and practice into participant-centered, interactive teaching, training and development models. Some specific projects he has helped to increase local capacity and sustainability are; conflict resolution and civil society with Armenian, Georgian, and Abkhazian teachers, mentoring and working with visually impaired students in Ecuador, and labor union training instructors in the USA.

Contact: brian@ili.edu 

Laura has been teaching since 1984 when she graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst MA with a B.A. in Spanish-English Bilingual Education.  During the past 30+ years, she has alternated between teaching Spanish and ESOL and has worked with young children, teens, and adults, in a variety of different school settings both in Spain and in the United States.  Laura is an enthusiastic, lifelong learner and has earned three Master of Arts in Teaching degrees along the way.  Although she lived in Granada, Spain for 15 years and has traveled extensively, her wanderlust is far from quenched.  Her daughter, an art teacher who lives nearby, is her pride and joy.  Laura enjoys running, hiking, cooking, gardening, reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.  Laura worked at ILI from 2001-2005 so she is very excited to return after a 17-year hiatus. 

Contact: laurabattles@ili.edu 

Luis started his career as an English teacher back in 2004 in Guatemala. Shortly after, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English Education and became a licensed TESOL trainer. Over the years, Luis has had the opportunity to teach and train in different school settings around Latin America, the USA, and East Asia. Luis currently provides support – in the form of training and technical assistance – to ESOL programs that serve adult immigrant communities in the Greater Boston area.  Luis lives in Beverly, MA with his family.  When he is not teaching or training, he likes to find the time to enjoy a good book, meet with friends, share a delicious homemade meal, and discover new places.

Contact: luis@ili.edu

 Saralé has been in the education field over 20 years, teaching Spanish, English, and as a Dual Immersion Teacher. In between teaching, she loves to travel! She backpacked around South America for a year before settling into the mountains of Córdoba, Argentina where she managed a mediation retreat center. Saralé also lived in Madrid, Spain for several years teaching English to adults. She studied abroad in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Madrid, Spain. Saralé has a BA in Spanish from UW La-Crosse as well as a WI Bilingual Teacher License. She teaches English in the Free English program and Spanish in the World Language Program.

Contact: sarale@ili.edu 

A transplant from eastern Massachusetts, Andrea moved west to the Connecticut River Valley to pursue farming. After a decade of vegetable growing, she shifted into the ESOL realm, joining the team at Center for New Americans (CNA) in Northampton as an Education and Career Advisor. She has also done paralegal work at CNA, preparing asylum applications for Afghan evacuees. In summer 2023, she completed ILI's TESOL (Teaching ESOL) certificate course. Andrea is humbled by how many languages some of the ESOL learners she's met speak. Though German, Yiddish, Czech, and Italian were in her family just a couple generations back, she speaks only English and intermediate Spanish. A few other pieces of her puzzle: peering into vernal pools, dancing, reading, and catching as many sunbeams as her newly indoor worklife will allow.

Contact: andy@ili.edu 

Selma Asotić - Born and raised in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She earned bachelor degrees in English Language and Literature and Comparative Literature from the University of Sarajevo, as well as an MFA degree in Creative Writing from Boston University. She obtained her CELTA certificate in 2020 and spent the subsequent three years teaching English to Arab-speaking immigrants in Brooklyn, New York. She's also taught undergraduate writing courses at Boston University, New York University, and New York University Florence. She lives in Amherst, MA where she's pursuing a PhD in Comparative Literature at UMass Amherst. She enjoys food, sports, books, and music. 

Contact: selma@ili.edu 

Beth received her BA in Spanish from UMass, Amherst, where she also studied Portuguese and Latin American Studies.  She taught English at public high schools in Spain for several years after graduating, which allowed her to travel around Europe.

She has been working at ILI since 2016, teaching ESOL in the Intensive English Program and Spanish in the World Language program, as well as at Hampshire College. Currently, she is the Career and Education Advisor in the Free English Program.  Beth completed ILI’s TESOL course in 2017.  In her free time, you can find her fermenting food in her kitchen, gardening or running around outdoors.

Contact: beth@ili.edu 

Joshua has a BA in English and French from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA and a MA in Comparative Literature from UMass Amherst. He has taught ESOL at ILI since December 2013. He studied French as a college student in Paris and worked on organic farms throughout France during school breaks. Joshua is also a musician and has toured both Europe and the U.S. extensively as a member of various rock bands.

Contact: josh@ili.edu 

Jeanne joined ILI in January 2024 as Volunteer Coordinator. Jeanne received her TESOL certificate in February 2023 from ILI and has been a volunteer tutor since that time. Before pursuing the TESOL, her career was focused on marketing and communications for a number of companies and non-profits, and on development communications for UMass Amherst’s capital campaign. Jeanne received a B.A. in Communications from American University in Washington, DC and has earned a certificate in digital marketing and analytics.

Jeanne is an avid cyclist and is passionate about her family, building community, and getting to know other cultures – both through travel and by working with those new to the US.

Contact: jeanne@ili.edu