Meet the Teachers
Jill Antal
I have been an ESL classroom teacher and staff development trainer in urban public schools for the past five years—four years in Washington, DC, and currently at the Lowell Community Charter School in Massachusetts. As a content-based ESL science teacher I use Sheltered English Immersion strategies to teach content simultaneously with language. As ESL program specialist in my school, I developed and piloted a three-year standards-based curriculum for middle school science which integrates language and content and uses a hands-on approach. As a teacher trainer I have designed and lead school and district workshops on cooperative learning, social emotional learning, and best practices for the teaching of ELLs.
At the School for International Training, my master’s work focused on strategies for building community with adolescent English Language Learners. Through this work I developed the Passport Partners program, which linked ELLs with mainstream students in a shared journal-writing project.
In addition to public school teaching, I have spent several years living, teaching, and traveling in Asia, Europe, and Central America. My own learning has shown me the value of experiential education—learning by doing. I am thrilled to be a part of the Ecuador Teacher Certification Program and look forward to building a powerful learning community with Pennsylvania teachers in this unique, experiential setting!
Katarina Brito
The two things that I love most are traveling and teaching. They both involve that sense of exploration, of seeing common things in new ways, and of learning to appreciate experiences outside of our own that is so exciting. I’m excited to be working with the teachers and students at Juniata as I know they’re explorers as well!
I’ve worked for many years with language learning students. As an elementary ed teacher in California and New Mexico I taught bilingual and sheltered English classes with students from all over the world. During that time I also traveled extensively in Latin America which gave me a real understanding for the diverse cultures on this continent and empathy for the challenges faced by immigrants who come to this country. After getting my M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction for Language Learning Students I began working with bilingual and ESL teachers in DC Public Schools as an instructional coach and a program developer.
Learning at any age needs to be engaging and meaningful. I strive to make my classes relevant and challenging and to recognize the strengths and experiences that we all bring to share in the classroom. I usually learn as much from my students as they learn from me. I hope to see you in class soon.
Nieves de Bueker
Nieves de Beuker is a resident of Quito, Ecuador, where she has been involved with teaching Spanish as a Second Language for over 30 years. She attended the Catholic University of Ecuador, where she completed a Degree in Education.
Currently, she is the Assistant Director and Professor of Spanish as a Second Language for Brethren Colleges Abroad program in Quito, Ecuador. Nieves has had many years of experience teaching and counseling students from the United Stateson study abroad in Ecuador. Nieves' experience includes cross-cultural training for the Peace Corps, professor of Spanish and Sociology at the Catholic University of Quito,as well asadvisor tostudents and faculty participating in international education programs from Georgetown University and the U. of Florida. She has alsobeen involved in community service projects for Ecuadorian family and child help organizations.
Les Embleton
Les has 30 years of experience in the area of EFL teaching. He has an MA in Insructional Leadership from the University of Alabama, a Royal Society of Arts Diploma in TEFL (RSA Dip TEFLA), and an MA in TEFL from the University of Reading, England. He worked for 13 years at the British Council, Quito (which left Ecuador in 2002) as a teacher, teacher trainer and program coordinator. He has given TEFL training courses, seminars and workshops throughout Ecuador with the British Council.
Les planned, designed and taught courses at the British Council, Quito, for Ecuadorian state school secondary teachers, and for provincial multipliers to run local in-service courses for secondary teachers in their provinces. He was also involved in the formation of a team of national coordinators for English teaching at the National Teacher Training Institute, Ecuadorian Ministry of Education.
As a teacher, he has taught at all levels, to all age groups. He has considerable experience in English for Specific Purposes, especially in business.
Tammy Hertel
I am in my 5th year working as an Assistant Professor of Spanish at Juniata College. I completed my Ph.D. from Penn State in Spanish applied linguistics, including both second language acquisition and language teaching methodology. In addition to teaching Spanish language and linguistics courses at Juniata, I teach the language teaching methodology course and supervise foreign language student teachers. My research on second language acquisition has examined the acquisition of Spanish word order by native English speakers, as well as the acquisition of word order and null subjects during the study abroad experience. My research on language pedagogy has focused on pre-service teacher education, intercultural e-mail exchanges, and the use of video in the classroom. This will be my first experience in Ecuador, but I have spent a significant amount of time in Mexico, studying, teaching, accompanying student groups, and traveling.
Prudence Ingerman
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia and in Ecuador and became the Technical Trainer for two more groups of Peace Corps volunteers in Ecuador. I taught English at the English Center of the Experiment in International Living in Quito, Ecuador and coordinated the Youth Program. I have also taught ESL and literacy in Canada. Currently I am the Senior Instructor in the Intensive English Program at Juniata College where I plan, implement and coordinate curriculum and mentor the part-time instructors.
I received my Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language from the School for International Training in Vermont. My thesis was on "Creating the Fluent, Confident Writer in ESL Writing Courses." I attended a two-week workshop on Teacher Training led by Tessa Woodward in the summer of 2003.
My particular areas of interest are in content-based courses, writing and alternatives to traditional assessment. Aside from teaching, I play several instruments and sing and write songs and knit.
Elizabeth Smolcic
I am particularly excited to have the opportunity to work on Juniata's new teacher education program for ESL instruction as it brings together my professional and personal interests-language teaching, learning and teaching culture and the fascinating place and people of Ecuador. I am also pleased to work with an experienced group of faculty, all of whom have devoted so much energy to making this opportunity for cultural experience and practice teaching a reality.
I lived in Ecuador from 1989-1995 where I worked in Quito with the Experiment in International Living/Ecuador. I had the wonderful opportunity to design and develop a new English language program for the Experiment which grew into the Quito Language and Culture Center offering academic language training for participants of US AID training programs, communication classes to adults and children, and business English to corporate clients. My professional experiences broadened quickly to include teacher education, curriculum and program design, promotion, budgeting and strategic planning. I began working as director of Juniata's Intensive English Program in 1997 and have been involved in the development and implementation of several international education program including a program for EFL teachers from around the world on Juniata's campus.
I have taught ESL and EFL in Spain, Mexico, Ecuador and the U.S. I completed a Master's in Linguistics and Bilingual Education at Georgetown University and I am a part-time student at Penn State University working toward the PhD in Applied Linguistics.
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