Louise is from Newcastle, England. She has a BA in French and German; an MA in European Languages and Intercultural Studies and a CELTA and also an i-i online TEFL qualification.

She has been working at the British Council in Kyiv since January 2009 and her teaching interest at the moment is working on her own teacher development including Interactive Whiteboard Technology. Louise has a black belt in karate and had ballet lessons for 7 years. She enjoys travelling, meeting new people, reading travel literature and watching films.

Dan is from Southampton, England. He has a BA in Journalism and completed his CELTA in 2005. Dan also has an i-to-i online TEFL qualification and is qualified to teach Maths.

Dan has been teaching for four years and started working for the British Council in Bratislava and then joined the British Council in Kyiv in January 2009 and is currently doing his DELTA. Dan enjoys using Dogme methodology in his classes and also likes using media for authentic teaching resources. His other interests include sport, music and travelling.

Martin is from Scotland. He has a BSc in Cell Biology, a Postgraduate certificate in Russian Language, the Trinity Certificate and Diploma in teaching English.

Martin started teaching in 1993 and has taught in Moldova, Russia and joined the British Council in Kyiv in 2004. Martin is interested in using drama in his lessons, particularly role-play. His other interests include cycling and travelling and he is also a big Glasgow Celtic fan.

Gerry is from Glasgow and has a degree in Polish and a postgraduate degree in Russian. Gerry is a Diploma qualified teacher and joined the British Council in Madrid and later worked for the British Council in Barcelona as a teacher and project coordinator.

He has extensive experience in teacher training and publishing and editing. Gerry came to the British Council in Kyiv in 2007 and is the Senior Teacher of Adult Courses and Exams. His professional interests include teacher development and learner autonomy. His specialist field is Scottish Literature and he is trying to finish an M Phil in this area. His hobbies include watching Rangers FC and Dynamo Kyiv, as well as listening to rock music and trying to learn Ukrainian.

Lyuda is from Uman and has a degree from the Kyiv Linguistic University as a Teacher of English Language and Literature. She also has a CELTA and will be doing the CELTYL in Summer.

She has been working as a teacher for over ten years and joined the British Council Kyiv in April 2008. She enjoys teaching Young Learners and General and Business English to adults. Her hobbies are ballroom dancing, tennis and travelling.

David is from Scotland and has a Bachelor of Science in History and Geography. He also has a PGCE in Geography, a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Education for returning teachers from the University of Kent and a Cert TESOL qualification.

David has been teaching for over five years and joined the British Council Kyiv in January 2006 and has also taught in Spain and Indonesia. He enjoys teaching Business and Financial English and his hobbies are travelling and reading.

Katya is from Russia and has an MA Honours in Linguistics from the Department of English and German Languages of the Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University. She also has a CELTA and prior to becoming a teacher worked as a translator and interpreter for the Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Katya’s teaching interests are teaching adults and General English. As a former linguistics major she believes that the key to success is through communication and self-motivation. Her hobby is jogging.

Gill comes from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and has a BA in Psychology and Sociology and a BA (Hons) in Industrial Sociology. She also has a PGCE specialising in the Foundation Phase. Gill completed her CELTA in 2005 and since then has taught in France, Russia and Mexico.

She started working for the British Council in February 2008. Her teaching interests include materials-free and student-centred teaching. She enjoys playing the guitar, reading, painting and music.

Julyan is from Croydon and has a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural and Historical studies. He has a CELTA and is a Cambridge FCE/CAE examiner. He taught in Odessa for nine years before coming to the British Council in 2009, and is most happy in a class of enthusiastic learners.

He enjoys speaking Russian in his free time, and would like to visit Krizhopal one day. His passion is mixing music; focussing mainly on a mash up of genres, overlaid with break beats and dirty bass lines with a bit of oomph.

Gary was born in Northampton, England in 1967, and moved to London in 1988 to study painting at the Byam Shaw School of Art. After graduating in 1991 he practised as a professional artist in London and East Berlin whilst taking his Masters degree in the History & Theory of Modern Art at Chelsea School of Art.

After completing his Masters with a Distinction he became involved in a variety of professional roles connected with marketing, market-research and property before deciding to teach English. He completed the CELTA in 2002 and worked for a couple of private language schools before becoming an ESOL lecturer in adult Further Education in 2003.

The following year he moved to Lodz, Poland before settling in Krakow where he first joined the British Council. He took the CELTYL young learner certificate in 2005 in Warsaw and started the higher-level DELTA course in 2007. In September 2008 he moved to the British Council in Mauritius and then in September 2009 he moved to Kyiv where he now lives with his wife Agnieszka.

Drew is from the Isle of Man and has a BA in Philosophy, a CELTA and also a CELTYL.

He has been teaching for eight years and first worked for the British council in St. Petersburg and has been working at the British Council in Kyiv since 2005. His areas of teaching interests are Business English and IT. Drew is a Cambridge examiner for FCE, CAE, CPE, BEC, ICFE, ILEC and IELTS. In his free time he enjoys playing squash, cycling and diving.

Brendan is from Canada. He has a Bachelor of Social Science in Political Science and also a CELTA.

He has been teaching for 5 years and has worked in Vietnam, Syria, Colombia, Korea and started working for the British Council in Kyiv in January 2009. He is a Cambridge trained examiner for IELTS, KET, PET, FCE CAE and ICFE and enjoys teaching Business English. His hobbies are playing football and beach-volleyball.

Lena comes from Donetsk and graduated with honours from The Gorlovka National Linguistic University as a Teacher of English, Russian and German Language and Literature. Lena has both a CELTA and a DELTA and has now been teaching for over 12 years.

She first started working for the British Council in Kyiv in 2008 and before this she worked for International House as a Senior Teacher and teacher trainer. Lena is a Cambridge examiner for all Young Learner exams, KET, PET, FCE, CAE, BEC (all levels), ICFE and ILEC. Her teaching interests are Business English and teacher training. She is an IH certified Business English teaching trainer.

She also enjoys using media as a teaching resource in class. Her other interests are travelling, yoga and Asian culture.

Gary is from Norwich and has a BSc Honours in Environmental Biology and a diploma in Philosophy. He has a CELTA and at the moment he is completing his Trinity Diploma.

He’s been teaching for eight years and has worked in Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Italy, Russia, Spain, Syria and joined the British Council in Kyiv in January 2009. His teaching interests include using IT in the classroom, learner autonomy and student centred lessons.

Aidan has a BA in English Literature and a MA in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. He also has a Masters in Education as well as a PGCE in TEFL and Secondary Education. Aidan’s first overseas teaching post was in Zambia, from 1965–1968, where he was the Head of English; he held the same position in Ethiopia from 1968–1970.

Aidan’s first post with the British Council was in 1971 in Athens where he was the Assistant English Language Officer; at that time he also lectured at the University of Athens. He has been working for the British Council ever since: in India; London in the staff training department; in Kenya as Deputy Director; and in Kuwait as Country Director. Aidan joined the British Council Kyiv in 2000 as a teacher. His teaching interests lie in Business English and IELTS. He is also a Cambridge examiner for PET, FCE, CAE, CPE, BEC and IELTS. In his free time he enjoys reading and he’s interested in current affairs and politics.

Audrey grew up in Hong Kong and later lived in London and Glasgow. Prior to becoming a teacher Audrey worked in Glasgow as a marketing executive for Scottish enterprise promoting Scottish Exports. She also spent some time working as a Trade Consultant for the NY state department of Economic Development in London.

This work experience led her to do a Post Graduate in Tourism for Economic development. She started her teaching career in Madrid and since then has worked in Lisbon, Budapest, Riga, Jordan and the UK. Audrey is DELTA qualified, is an IELTS Cambridge Examiner and has over nine years teaching experience.

She has worked as Senior Teacher of corporate services in the British Council Jordan and also worked some time there as Young Learner Coordinator. She was Assistant Director of Studies for International House in Riga and at the moment is the Assistant Teaching Centre Manager at the British Council in Kyiv.

Natalia is from Luhansk and has a BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language as well as an MA in Public Administration with a specialisation in Project Management. During her studies Natalia got a scholarship from the US Department of State to participate in Freedom Support Act Undergraduate Program at Clemson University in South Carolina, USA. She also has a CELTA and will be doing the CELTYL this summer.

Natalia has been teaching since 1999 and started working at the British Council in October 2008. She likes teaching adults and Business English and at the moment she is exploring task-based learning. Her hobbies are yoga, juggling, travelling, contemporary art and meeting new people.

James was born and raised in Streatham, south west London and then went on to study Philosophy and Politics at the University of Liverpool. After university he trained as a journalist, obtaining a distinction from the National Council for the training of Journalists in 2003.

He has written for the Liverpool News and Echo, and the Wimbledon News and Guardian where he covered matches of his beloved AFC Wimbledon. James passed the CELTA certificate in 2004 and is now an examiner for CAE, FCE, PET and KET exams. He has taught in Odessa and Mykolayiv, in Ukraine, Messina, in Italy, and most recently at summer schools in Rochester, Canterbury and Bath in England.

He started working for the British Council in September 2009. James loves sports, art and design, reading, travelling, learning new languages and playing the guitar.

Stephen is from Romsey in Southern England. After completing a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and travelling around the world from Europe to Australia and back, he finally started his career in TEFL in 1999. Since then he has worked in schools in England, Poland and Ukraine and is especially interested in teaching teenagers and the application of technology in the learning process.

Steve is the Senior Teacher Young learners at the British Council in Kyiv and his job involves managing and developing the courses for 5–16 year olds, and providing teacher training for them. Steve has the Cambridge CELTA, CELTYL and DELTA teaching qualifications and is an examiner for the YLE ‘Starters’, ‘Movers’ and ‘Flyers’ exams. He likes nightclubs, dance music (electro, house, techno) and metal music, as well as daily swimming and fitness training.

Fabio was born in Otley, West Yorkshire. Fabio has an MA in Contemporary History and he completed his CELTA in September, 2000.

He is interested in teaching exam preparation courses as well as high-level classes and is a trained Cambridge examiner for KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE, BEC, ICFE, ILEC and IELTS. Fabio has been teaching for nine years and has worked in Italy, Scotland, Russia, England and Romania. His first British Council job was in Bucharest in 2008 and he started working at the British Council in Kyiv in January 2009. His interests include music, historical books, arty films, photography and cooking.

Elizabeth is from England. She has a BA honours in Russian and Soviet Studies and has a TESOL, a CELTYL and also a Trinity Diploma in English Language Teaching.

Liz started teaching at the British council in Kyiv when it first opened in 1992 when she first conducted teacher training and then trainer training. Currently, she is teaching pre-school children. She is also the Exams Team Leader for the British Council Kyiv centre and is an exams trainer for the other British Council centres.

Liz has also worked in China and the UK and is interested in teaching very young children as well as Business English and Exams. Her personal interests include music, theatre reading and translation. She also has a Grade 7 in singing from the Royal School of Music.

Ian is from Rochdale in Northern England. He has a BSc in History and Politics and an MA in the History of Ideas. He also has a PGCE in further education as well as a Trinity Certificate in teaching English.

Ian has been teaching for nearly ten years and has taught in Greece, Denmark and Poland and first started working for the British Council in Kyiv. Ian’s teaching interests are teaching adults General English. In his free time he enjoys cycling and watching football.

Olga is from Kyiv and graduated from Kyiv State Linguistic University as a teacher of English and French language and literature. Olga has 13 years of teaching experience and has a CELTA, a Teaching Business English Certificate, as well as a CELTYL. Olga has studied in Vermont, USA and received an MA in Teaching Foreign Languages.

Olga is a Cambridge examiner for all Young Learner exams, KET, PET, FCE, CAE, BEC, ICFE and Law exams. In addition to this, she has passed the CPE exam herself. Olga’s teaching interests are teaching adults and General English and she also enjoys teaching very young learners. Her hobbies include backpacking, rafting, embroidery, quilting, socialising, theatre, swimming and going to the gym.

Rhonda is from Wales and has a degree in Modern Languages (Russian, French and Spanish). Her teaching qualifications include a Trinity TESOL certificate, the DELTA and the CELTYL.

She has been teaching for 12 years and has worked in Russia, Portugal, Lithuania and started working for the British Council in Kyiv. Rhonda’s interests include horticulture, theatre, painting and cycling.

Raluca is from Transylvania, Romania and has a BA in European Studies and an MA in Russian and Eastern European Studies, specialising in Communism. She has the CELTA and CPE and joined the BC in January 2009.

Raluca’s teaching interests are first language interference and applying her own English learning experience to her teaching. She had a wonderful educational experience learning English as a child in Romania and would like her students to have the same positive experience in her classroom. Her personal interests at the moment are reading and getting to grips with her own personal identity as an immigrant in Ukraine.

Euan is from Livingston, Scotland. Euan started his teaching career in New Zealand where he taught fabrication and welding technology and has two further Diplomas in Beginning Teaching and Facilitating Learners. Later Euan did his CELTA and has now been teaching for eight years.

He taught English in Georgia for BP and also worked for International House in Kyiv before joining the British Council in 2004. Euan’s teaching specialities are Business and Legal English. His personal interests include boat building, learning Russian and gardening.

Lyuda is from Kyiv and has a degree from the Kyiv Linguistic University as a Teacher of English and German. Lyuda also has a Diploma in Nursing, specialising in Surgery. She has a CELTA and has been teaching in total for 28 years, 11 of these post-CELTA.

Lyuda has extensive teaching experience in all areas, including teaching Medical, Business, Biological, Technical and Military English. She also has experience in editing and translating, business correspondence and test creation. She is a Cambridge examiner for all YL exams, IELTS, BEC, ACCA and Law exams and came to work for the British Council in Kyiv in 2000 and has been involved in British Council peacekeeping projects.

Lyuda enjoys teaching adults Business English but her special interest is Medical English. Her other interest is reading simply for her own pleasure.

Anthea is from Johannesburg, South Africa. Anthea spent about 20 years working as a financial journalist in South Africa, before becoming a language teacher. She has an MSc in palaeontology, a CELTA and is currently working towards a Masters in sociolinguistics.

She has been teaching for six years and has worked in South Africa, China, Estonia and Syria. She is interested in history, movies (provided they are dark and bleak and have miserable endings) and opera.

Bill has a Bachelors degree in Literature and Cultural Studies and a Post-Graduate Diploma of Education in teaching English and Media Studies to Secondary students.

He completed a CELTA in 2004 and has been teaching in Ukraine since then. He enjoys films, travel, reading and music.