Paul has studied languages for over forty years and has taught for over thirty. A graduate of Middlebury College, Vermont (USA) in Russian and classical languages in 1982, Paul worked accompanying American tour groups to the then Soviet Union and China from 1983-1988. In 1988 Paul received a master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language from Hunter College, City University of New York. Since then, Paul has continued to study and teach languages in various types of classrooms and to various segments of the public. In 1993 Paul received a Fulbright award to teach English at the Linguistic University in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Since 2004, Paul has taught languages at Bard High School Early College in New York City. Paul earned a master’s in Spanish language and culture from the University of Salamanca, Spain, in 2008. Paul presented at LangFest in 2017.

Frank Bonkowski, PhD, has been teaching and creating ESL materials for over 30 years. Reach him at frank@frankbonkowski.com.

Born and raised in Germany, “Anja from Alemania” left her home country 10 years ago to work, live and study in various countries. She is the founder and CEO of ZALOA Languages, a language institute that works with native speakers from all over the world. The headquarters are based in Mexico where Anja lives since 2014. After having tested the efficiency of language learning combined with fitness workouts, in 2018 Anja launched together with her team the YouTube channel “Burn&Learn Languages” that shows how to practice German vocabulary whilst doing physical exercises.

Nella Buffmire has taught Spanish and English as a second language for 13 years. She completed her Master’s Degree in Southern Spain. After moving to Austin, Texas she started an academic and language coaching business. She has been able to provide language coaching and instruction in a variety of educational formats. Nella has worked as a social worker and crisis counselor with multiple non-profits throughout Texas, New York and Spain. The skills required in these positions have allowed her to develop and teach self-care techniques. Her focus is to instruct her students in an environment that encourages and fosters positive feelings about learning a language.

Born in France to a German mother and a Japanese father, Anna grew up speaking French, German and Japanese. She has been exploring body language and the fascination relationship between your movements, your sound, your breath, your brain, your learning, your creativity and your stress management skills for more than 25 years. In 2012, she created Kinéson, a “yoga of the mind and voice,” which offers a complete experience of what nourishes her practice (Gaiayoga, vowel chanting, Brain Gym®, integrated and archetypal movements, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, Hatha Yoga, Pneumacorps® relaxation and breath reeducation and Body Mind Centering). She teaches in France, Germany, Japan and in Montreal in four languages–French, German, Italian and Japanese. The simple yet effective exercises she practices all day long also help her in her day job as a specialized translator of personal development and wellness books (more than 50 books).

Ninaatig Staats Pangowish teaches Anishinaabemowin at Wandering Spirit School in the TDSB. He also teaches community members at The Native Canadian Center of Toronto. He has formerly taught classes at York University. He has recently started Ninaatigoons Learning to do translations, provide consultancy on learning Anishinaabemowin and start more community based programming. Ninaatig is devoted to the revitalization fo Anishinaabemowin. He studied linguistics at McMaster, before pursuing an immersion program in Anishinaabemowin at Kenjigewin-Teg. He went on to obtain his B.Ed from Nipissing in order to teach language. In September, in will pursue his M.Ed focusing on incorporting cultural practices to deliever better outcomes for students. Ninaatig is thankful for this opportunity to share his love for Anishinaabemowin at LangFest.

Léo Bourdon is a dynamic person known for his community engagement for several years. He was born in Cornwall, Ontario from a Franco-Ontarian family. On his mother’s side, Léo is a direct descendant from the first colonists of Windsor-Detroit when they settled the region in 1701. After a hiatus in Quebec, Léo’s family moved back to Ontario where he got reacquainted with the francophone community. By working to preserve the French language, Léo got interested in learning other languages and although he doesn’t consider himself a ‘polyglot’ yet, he made the link between culture and languages throughout his experiences. After working for several francophone non-profit organisations, Léo now calls Ottawa his home and has lived there for the past 20 years.

Elisa is a professional multilingual teacher and language enthusiast. She teaches Italian, German, English, Spanish, Russian, French, Dutch, Catalan, Portuguese, Greek, Hindi, Arabic and Esperanto. She is specialised in multilingual teaching and helps students learn several languages at the same time and speak them from day one without mixing them up. She is the author of book ‘Multilingual learning: how to become fluent in multiple languages’. She is a certified language examiner and holds two BAs in Translation and Interpreting, an MA in International Communication and an MA in Didactics. Elisa organises workshops and webinars where you can start speaking one or more languages from the very first moment and have your first conversation after just a few minutes. She also teaches online and is a multilingual mentor and coach and can help you improve your language skills quickly. In addition, Elisa is one of the organisers of the Polyglot Gathering. Check out her books and videos on her website http://www.speakfromdayonewithelisa.com or her Facebook page @Speakfromdayonewithelisa and subscribe to her YouTube channel PassionForLanguages.

Alexandra is a trained speech-language pathologist who taught Deaf high school students during the school year. She is passionate about learning languages and has a special interest in sign languages. Curious about everything, Alexandra is constantly striving to learn about different topics.