
Our Language Teachers
Elif Bicer
German & Turkish
Elif has been teaching German at the K-12 and adult levels in the United States and Europe for over 20 years. She received her Diploma at the Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes in Munich, Bavaria. She is also a certified ESL teacher, and she received English Proficiency from Oxford University in the UK. Elif's passion for teaching is rooted deeply in her upbringing in a family of educators who continually underlined the importance of lifetime learning.
Elif concentrates her German lessons on building and reviewing vocabulary to ensure retention. She uses interactive worksheets to teach grammar and sentence structure, as well as listening comprehension exercises to allow students to become comfortable conversing in German on a variety of topics. Elif loves to take students on virtual field trips to Germany and show them the beautiful cities, festivals, traditions, and culture that make Germany unique! She also loves sharing German folk songs and poems.
Apart from teaching, Elif is a registered nurse and State Examiner. She is currently working toward her Master's in nursing science to become a family nurse practitioner. She enjoys reading, music, trajeling, movies, theater, gardening, and painting.
Elif believes that continuous success in education is founded on practice, perseverance, and patience. "The greatest gift one can give is knowledge," she says. "My passion is empowering our youth to become great leaders of the future!"
Elise Prebin
French & Korean
Elise Prebin was born in South Korea and raised in France. Now a United States resident, she has a doctorate in Social Anthropology and has taught in universities in all three countries. She has also taught French at all levels in private and small class settings since she was in high school.
Elise is committed to promoting the beauty of French culture wherever she goes. When she is not teaching professionally, she is teaching her three daughters, aged 11, 9 and 5, how to speak, read (and joke!) in French.
Elise is very excited to meet new students of all ages and to share her passion for French language, authors, artists, history, and culture. Her teaching style utilizes a combination of French books and magazines, French songs, library books, and audio/visual material to make learning and memorizing French fun!
Maura Lefèvre
French
Maura is certified at the advanced (C1) level in French language under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Maura has worked as a French tutor at the European School of Music and worked in French-speaking homes as an au pair in Paris. Having studied and lived in France, she intimately understands French culture and colloquialisms. Maura believes anyone is capable of learning a new language, and she prides herself on being a warm, patient, and enthusiastic teacher. Learning another language is fun; it helps keep the brain strong and healthy!