Professor Bios

Courses focus on communication and are taught by experienced, professional French instructors using European-designed teaching materials. Most Alliance teachers have masters’ degrees, are native-fluent and specialize in FLE – teaching French as a foreign language.

Lucie Bonvalet

Lucie has two Master's degrees (English and FLE - teaching French as a Second Language) as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Originally from Dordogne, Lucie has taught French to adults and teenagers in high schools, conversation centers and cultural centers in Japan (both Kyoto and Tokyo) and in England. She has also taught French at Portland Community College.

Cathy Coltrin

Cathy studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and earned her BA in French from the University of California at Berkeley. She taught French for many years at Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego and now specializes in teaching in-depth Beginning French to daytime classes. Cathy likes to include lots of activities and music in her classes.

Jane Fabulet-Roberts

Jane is originally from Rouen and attended l'École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. She melds a passion for theater with her love of teaching, and has been working with children of all ages for more than a decade. She taught for three years at the Portland French School and coordinated that school's after-school program. She taught at the Skinner Montessori School and has taught both adults and children at the Alliance, for several years. Jane also manages the Alliance's children's program, Smart Steps to French.

Linda Fuchs

Linda grew up in Switzerland and is a native speaker of both French and German. Her broad experience includes six years teaching French in universities and over ten years of experience teaching French to children of all ages.

Nathalie Gerts

Nathalie has a BA in Philosophy and completed studies of French Literature at the Sorbonne (University of Paris). She earned an FLE (Français Langue Etrangère) Teaching Degree from the worldwide headquarters of the Alliance Française in Paris and is also certified by the French National Ministry of Education. Initially a teacher in French elementary schools, she has also enjoyed a career in the tourism industry in Paris and the U.S., and has taught French in the public school system in Oregon as well as Linn-Benton Community College. In the spring of 2006 Nathalie completed training by the French Centre International d'Etudes Pédagogiques as a certified examiner for DELF/DALF. Nathalie is also a teacher at FAIS/Gilkey International Middle School.

Francine Martinie Chough

Francine is a native of Autun, near the Burgundy region. After a career in teaching in Autun at the Lycée Bonaparte, and in the hotel business in Paris at the Paris Sheraton Hotel, she received a Bachelor degree in English and French from Lewis and Clark College. She taught French in a Montessori school in Vancouver, WA then got a Master's degree in Education from Loyola College of Maryland with an emphasis on Montessori Education. She has taught 3 years as a Montessori Elementary teacher, and has taught 1st through 5th grade at the Catlin Gabel School in the Lower School where she developed the French curriculum. She has taught all levels of students from preschool to adults.

Kathryn Mascorella

Kathryn has a Masters in French from Middlebury College in Paris/La Sorbonne and a BA in Pedagogy from Colorado State University. In addition to French, she enjoys Italian, German and Spanish. Kathryn tutors and manages the make-up class program in addition to her work as Programs Administrator and Development Officer.

Pierre Metens

Pierre is originally from Belgium where he studied pedagogy and sociology at the Université de Liège. In addition to teaching at the Alliance, Pierre is also a voice talent for recordings of commercials and guided tours in French for Bruce International.

Ida Nyberg

Ida originated from North of the Arctic Circle in Sweden and moved to Portland in 2010. Fluent in her native tongue Swedish as well as English and French, she also speaks some Japanese. She has her undergraduate degree in English and Japanese from Dalarna University in Sweden. Having studied French since age 11, Ida went to Montluçon, France to immerse herself in her favorite language at age 16. Upon her return to Sweden she studied German, Italian, Spanish, Latin, French and English at her new high school located on Gotland, an island in the Baltic. She worked there as a multilingual tour guide in the medieval city of Visby. She recently worked in Pre-K at Portland French School and has tutored many children age 3-6 in French.

Aaron Sewall

Aaron lived in France for several years and earned his Master's degree (Master 2) à l'Université du Maine, Le Mans, in the area of Didactique des Langues Étrangères. His thesis was on « les représentations des apprenants en Centre de Ressources en Langues.» In Portland since the fall of 2011, Aaron teaches French at Lewis & Clark University in addition to his teaching and tutoring at the Alliance.

Oana Talpalaru

Oana studied at the University in Montpellier, France, for several years and has a diploma in Modern Languages (English and French). She recently completed her Masters at Portland State and in the spring of 2006 completed training by the French Centre International d'Etudes Pédagogiques as a certified examiner for DELF/DALF.

Marie-Pierre Wolfe

Marie-Pierre is originally from Lyon and has also lived in Japan, Paris and New York. Marie-Pierre was one of the founders of the French Elementary School program of the Eugene 4-J public school district and more recently served as a school principal in France before returning to the US where she enjoys teaching at the Alliance as well as serving on its board.

Lauren Yamasaki

Lauren studied at the Université de Paris IV (La Sorbonne) after getting her Bachelor's degree and worked at two high schools in Paris for a year before moving to Portland to work at the French American International School. Lauren started teaching in the Fall 2010 term at the Alliance.

Elisa Yearout

Elisa a recent MA graduate from PSU, has been teaching French at PSU for two years. She lived in France for 8 years, taught at the University of Lyon II, the L'Université Solidaire, Citoyenne et Multiculturelle and E-Corporate English in Lyon, and at the Lycée Boisjoly Potier on Reunion Island. Completely bilingual in French and English, Elisa also edited the pages of 24H News, a journal destined for the business travel community in Western Europe.