Kinga Macalla, MD & Founder
Kinga is the Director and Founder of Bristol Language School. She is a native Polish speaker and has an advanced proficiency in Czech and English. She has experience in teaching Polish at the University of Bristol and lecturing Polish and European Studies at the University of the West of England, where she was also a Polish Language Tutor Leader.
Kinga has studied in three different countries. She successfully completed the postgraduate course for the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (English law option) at Cardiff University. She graduated in European Studies from the University of Bristol (MPhil). She completed the undergraduate course in Poland, studying Slavonic Philology with Czech as a main language. Following this, she spent last year on a Socrates-Erasmus programme at Palacky University in Olomouc in the Czech Republic.
Enas Almansory, Arabic Tutor
Enas is a native speaker of Arabic and Amazigh (the barber language spoken by the native tribes in North Africa) and a fluent speaker of English. She speaks a Libyan dialect of Arabic as well as standard Arabic for academic use.
She is a PhD candidate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Language Assessment at Bristol University. She also holds two Masters degrees: one in English Language Teaching from Tripoli University and another in linguistics from Essex University.
She also has experience of teaching TESOL and Arabic for non- native speakers. She works with standard Arabic as well as regional dialects.
She is interested in research related to the assessment of language, testing, TESOL and methods of teaching. She enjoys engaging with students and understands their needs to boost motivation and create fun inside the classroom.
Maria Amesbury, Italian Tutor
Maria is Italian and was born in Ruvo di Puglia, a town in the beautiful Puglia region – the “heel” of Italy. She studied English Language and Literature at the University of Bari and on graduation, successfully completed a PGCE specialising in teaching adults. Her first position in the UK was as a language assistant in a Bristol secondary school and since then she has taught Italian in a wide variety of contexts, including many years at the University of Bristol and Bath University.
Alongside academic teaching, Maria runs complete immersion intensive language courses both in the UK and in Ruvo, her home town. Her passion for teaching is well known by the variety of students who have met her.
Maria has an infectious enthusiasm and an unfailing belief in students’ ability to learn, whatever their background, their circumstances or their past experiences. Her approach is student-centred and designed to give learners self-belief and self confidence through a variety of teaching methods.
As well as her passion for the Italian language, Maria loves the culture of ‘Il Bel Paese’ (especially opera), the traditional food of Southern Italy and, of course, football (her favourite team is Inter!).
Ewa Corser, Polish Tutor
Ewa is a native Polish speaker and a language enthusiast. She was born and raised in Poland where she used to live until she discovered her interest for different cultures and languages. She has studied in France, travelled through Europe and gained an awareness and appreciation for many cultures. Beside Polish and English she also speaks French, Spanish and Italian.
She holds several qualifications including a BA in French Philology from University of Silesia, MA in Modern Languages from Université d’Artois in France and PGCE in teaching Polish as a foreign language from Polish University Abroad in London. On arrival in England, she achieved Qualified Teacher Status in recognition of her overseas qualifications.
Having experience from the practical usage of languages in the general commerce, now Ewa runs her tutoring business teaching languages in various educational and corporate environments. She is especially passionate about teaching her native Polish. Her personal mission as a tutor is to empower people with languages and lead them down the right road to enjoy the process, be successful and achieve learning independence.
In her free time, apart from learning languages she enjoys cooking, keeping fit, listening to Chopin and hiking in North Wales.
Guillemette Delfino, French Tutor
Guillemette is French, born in Paris. Her husband is Italian, and their two children are trilingual. No need to say that she lives in an open, multicultural atmosphere. Alongside classical studies, she attended a European course before settling in Bristol in 2007.
After having worked in editing and fashion in France, she moved to England and has quickly been given the opportunity to teach French. She then realised that she was taking a real pleasure to share her love for languages and French in particular. Her students attest her deep passion for teaching, as well as her dynamic, inventive, infectious, and irresistible way of passing on her knowledge.
Apart from teaching, Guillemette loves music, especially opera, plays the violin and in summer, she is part of the team organising an international classical music festival in Normandy, France (since 2008).
Victoria Holderied-Milis, PhD, German Tutor
Victoria is a GTC certified qualified secondary teacher with eight years of teaching experience in Germany. In her previous position she taught students aged 15-18 as well as mature students from various levels and backgrounds, offering an introductory level French course designed to prepare German students for their annual extracurricular work placements in France. So, whilst being of Belgian nationality, Victoria acquired advanced proficiency in German and even wrote her PhD thesis in German. Prior to her PhD Victoria successfully acquired an M.A. in Religious Studies and an M.A. in Theology at the University of Leuven (Belgium) as well as an MSc. in Sociology at the University of Bristol. She is currently a part time Teaching Support Assistant for the latter.
Victoria always aims to start the day reading “Der Spiegel” online and listening to Bayern 5 news on the radio. With a family spread over 4 countries, being able to switch fluently between languages is essential. Visiting the family always offers fantastic opportunities like enjoying a proper Beer Garden, a genuine Christmas Market or a concert in a baroque church. There surely are enough reasons to learn German!
Zhao Hsu, Mandarin Chinese Tutor
Zhao graduated from National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences as her first degree, and then she graduated from National Kaohsiung Normal University with a degree in counselling. She also took a course in Teaching Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language and qualified as a Mandarin teacher in Taiwan.
She is a qualified Mandarin teacher and has over 7 years’ experience teaching at a university in Taiwan, and 3 years tutoring adults and young children at all levels. She also worked as part of a team developing and editing books for Mandarin learners.
She comes from Taiwan; Mandarin is her mother tongue, and she also speaks Taiwanese and Hakka. Because of her background she can teach traditional and simplified characters.
She currently works as a Teacher of Mandarin at the Overseas Chinese Association’s Sunday Chinese-Language School, where she has been teaching for two years.
She loves reading, especially about Chinese and Taiwanese history, she enjoys travelling, sports and cooking Chinese food.
Alberto Outeda Martínez, Spanish Tutor & Graphic Designer
Alberto was born in Huelva, Spain. He acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and a Masters Degree in Secondary Teaching from the University of Seville. As part of an Erasmus programme Alberto completed the final year of his studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Athens, so in addition to speaking Spanish and English, he is also fluent in Modern Greek.
Alberto completed the first year of his PhD with a minor thesis on Art and Education. As he loves languages, he decided to become a language teacher as a good way of connecting both subjects and he hasn’t stopped teaching since.
To learn a language is also to learn about a new culture and a different way of thinking. With this in mind, Alberto encourages his students to construct their understanding of the Spanish language through music, literature and arts.
In his free time he paints and works as a graphic designer.
Łucja Miniewska, Polish & English Tutor
Łucja graduated from Media and Social Communication in Poland in 2009. She completed one year of Theatre Studies at the University of Bristol and then decided to do her Masters degree at UWE in 2012. She explored bilingualism in a deeper context and conducted a research with families in Bristol. She taught her children Polish and encouraged them through setting up theatre workshops, where they were engaged in learning the Polish language while putting on fun performances.
She is a Polish teacher and freelance translator. She also graduated from The Contemporary College of Homeopathy in Bristol. She plays gongs, is a qualified practitioner of reiki, and an essential oils adviser.
Her passions are travelling, music and photography. She loves skiing, and Slovenia is her favourite holiday destination. She is a mum of two children and has lived in Bristol for 19 years now.
Patrícia Pereira, Portuguese Tutor
Patrícia is a native Brazilian Portuguese speaker. She was born in the biggest city of Brazil, São Paulo. There, she acquired a Law Degree (after finishing her degree, she passed the Brazilian Bar Exam-OAB) and she also has a degree in Environmental Management. Her passion for languages, culture and food led her to backpack around Europe, working on several animal conservation projects. At that point, she started giving private Portuguese tuition and realized that teaching was her dream job and hasn´t stopped since.
She has been teaching (Portuguese and English), translating (she has a few translation certificates plus IOL in General and Science papers) and interpreting for over 6 years now. She also provides interpreting services for the NHS and marks GCSES for OCR (Oxford and Cambridge). She absolutely adores working with languages!
Her other interests are animals, travelling, photography, sports, films, music and cooking!
She believes that to be able to teach others you have to be passionate and motivated yourself. If you have that, the students will have a great time learning a new language and discovering a different culture!
Zhenya Anna Ludmila Shkil (Ukrainian & Russian Tutor)
Zhenya Shkil was born and bred in Kyiv, Ukraine but moved to the UK almost 19 years ago. Having Russian as her mother tongue, she absorbed Ukrainian at school and became fluent in English and German during her studies at Taras Shevchenko State University, Kyiv. She has been teaching Russian, Ukrainian and English for the last 15 years working in the Red Maids School, Clifton College and many other private and state schools.
10 years ago, she was awarded an MA degree in Translation and Interpreting with Russian and English from the University of Bath. Since then, she has been working as a translator and interpreter parallel to being a teacher.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, she dedicated a huge part of her life to helping Ukraine and Ukrainians. She founded a charitable association Friends Of Oleksandriya and was instrumental in signing a friendship agreement between Bath and North East Somerset (where I live now) and a Ukrainian city of Oleksandriya last summer. She is working closely with Bath and North East Somerset Council and H4U office as a consultant and interpreter supporting Ukrainian refugees who moved into this area since the war broke up.
Whenever Zhenya has free time, she devotes herself to her family and friends as well as her hobbies. She loves playing badminton and pickleball, swimming, canoeing and training her cats.
Shiho Suzuki, Japanese Tutor
Shiho is a native speaker of Japanese who is also fluent in English. She studied English Literature at Nagoya University. She grew up in Shizuoka prefecture, also home of Mount Fuji. She worked in advertising sales after her degree, but her passion for English language led her to want to learn how to communicate better with people in English.Since then, she has been living in the UK and Japan. She was an assistant teacher teaching English in Japan for a year, and also learned how to teach Japanese to foreigners in Japan at that time.
She has been living in the UK for most of the time since she first came to study English in Devon in 2001 though, and in Bristol for about the last four years. She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and interest in the Japanese language. Shiho has been practicing Japanese calligraphy for more than 15 years, and loves travelling and meeting people!
Debbie Warren, Russian Tutor
Debbie studied Russian and German at Durham University before gaining an MA in translating and interpreting from the University of Bradford. After eight years in the Netherlands, working as a translator and subtitler, she trained as a teacher in Further and Adult Education, also obtaining her RSA Cambridge CELTA and DELTA qualifications in English language teaching. She has taught Russian in both adult and secondary education, alongside gaining extensive experience as an English teacher and offering private tuition in languages and piano from her home in Wiltshire.
Passionate about all things Slavonic, Debbie took an option in Croatian at university and has recently discovered the joys of Polish (through BLS!). Russian, though, was the language which captivated her from the outset: from the delights of deciphering Cyrillic script, and that first romantic rendezvous with a Russian dictionary, to the awe of reading page one of Anna Karenina. Still incorrigibly enamoured of the Russian language, she loves journeying with students to unravel its complexities and unlock its hidden powers.
Debbie is a keen musician and spends much of her free time writing poems and prose.