Barry Nonweiler - Senior Trainer

After completing university in Glasgow, I started my teaching career as a university lecturer in English literature, first in New Zealand and then in Australia. After a few years, I returned to London to write a novel. With the novel published (a little to my surprise), I followed up an old interest in acting by working as a drama teacher with various community groups, such as the elderly and people with learning disabilities, before deciding to train as an English teacher in 1987. I taught first in Spain and then for several years at the Central School of English on the corner of Tottenham Court Rd and Oxford St, where I completed the Cambridge diploma in ELT. In 1995, I returned to New Zealand for a year where I first worked as a teacher trainer. In 1997, I came to Thailand, where after working for eighteen months as a teacher again, I began working in 1999 on the only CELTA course available at that time in South-East Asia. I have a passionate interest in reading, I love the cinema and the theatre, I like to play the piano (in private), I enjoy mountains and hot weather and exploring new cuisines.

Katharine Hurlstone – Trainer

My teaching career started after I graduated from Southampton University in 1986. I completed a Postgraduate Certificate of Education at Loughborough University of Technology, and then taught for 2 years in England. In 1989, I set off to travel round the world, and when I reached Australia, I started teaching there. I returned to England to take the Cambridge RSA Certificate in TEFL, and in 1991, I left again for Asia. My first position was at a language school near Tokyo, which, over the years, expanded into South Korea. I was involved in setting up 2 franchise schools in Seoul, and responsible for training teachers who would take over the courses. After only 6 months in Japan, I started working part time at Chiba Institute of Technology. This led to positions at Chiba University, Nihon University, NHK Broadcasting Centre and finally, a full time position at Meikai University. I try to keep fit by jogging. I still enjoy travelling. And I love being near the sea. I returned to the UK earlier this year after 14 years in Japan, and I look forward to all that Europe brings.

Dionysia Yannopoulou - Assistant Trainer

Foreign language learning and traveling have always been my greatest passions. This motivated me to study languages and participate in several European Exchange Programmes. In 2001 I graduated from the English Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and started a postgraduate translation course at the Ionian University. During my studies I also tutored and worked as a tourist guide, using English, French and German. In 2003 I did my traineeship as a teacher of English in a private school in Orleans in France. Since then I have worked as a teacher in a private language school in Athens.
Furthermore I am keen on archery, swimming and piano-playing.

Vana Varela – Assistant Trainer

My career as an EFL teacher started while studying at the University of Athens, and I had been teaching English in private schools in Athens for six years before moving to Corinth. Although my first degree was in Greek Literature, after two years’ experience of teaching English I decided to continue my studies in this field. In 2003, I passed the exams in English Literature at the University of Athens and I am now completing my studies. In 2005, I attended a summer course in TEFL at the University of Lancaster and I have also taken part in numerous TEFL seminars and conferences both in Greece and in England. I am a member of TESOL Greece and IATEFL. I love dancing and my expertise is in traditional Greek dances as well as Latin and Ballroom.  

Maria Rontou - Assistant Trainer

I’ve been always interested in learning languages as well as linguistics and literature which led me to study for a degree in Greek and English language and philology at the University of Athens. I also have studied Italian, computer operation and drawing/painting. As soon as I finished my degree I went to the UK to study for an MA in English Language Studies and Methods at the University of Warwick where I also studied Spanish, Communication skills and drawing/painting. After my MA I returned to Greece and I taught EFL at two state primary schools and two language schools in Athens for a year. Since July 2004 I’ve been living in the UK in Coventry where I’ve been tutoring children and adolescents with dyslexic type difficulties in English/ESL and basic skills and I’ve been teaching Greek at Greek Community schools to children and adults. I have also worked as a learning support assistant in an ESOL class in Coventry Adult Education Service for six months. I’ve also been studying for an Ed.D (Doctorate in Education) in Language Studies in the University of Birmingham doing research in the area of dyslexia in EFL. I am also interested in grammar teaching in EFL and Computer Assisted Language Learning as well as swimming, painting, cinema and theatre.

FatmaSu Karaaslan - Assistant Trainer

I have a teaching diploma from Buca Education Faculty, B.A. in EFL teaching at Anatolian University and a Dip. RSA from the University of Cambridge. Having been a teacher at various public and private language schools for twenty years, I have extensive EFL teaching experience, specializing primarly in the field of young learners and teenagers. I hold certificates in “ Drama in ELT” and “English Through Literature” from British Council, Istanbul. I had a lifetime experience as a Fulbright exchange teacher and taught Language Art in Napervile Hill Middle School, Chicago, USA. I also worked in summers as a tour guide and an educational consultant at the summer schools in the USA and England for six years. I have presented papers and given workshops at various national and international ELT Conventions. I ran seminars for teachers on “ The Ways I Choose to use Voices, Tapestry and Grammar Dimensions and reviewed the Up Close-English for Global Communication series for Heinle&Heinle. My areas of interest include creative drama techniques, bright ideas and practical hints for language teaching. For the last five years I have been implementing the pre & in-service teacher education programs at different private institutions in Turkey. I am currently working as a free lance teacher trainer.