Meet The Team
Flying Our Flags! ACLA Team Totals!
Countries Visited
17
Countries Lived In
Languages Spoken
Michelle Alcorn 🇨🇦
President & CEO
With a passion for connecting people to opportunities and helping them achieve personal goals, Michelle Alcorn brings a dynamic entrepreneurial spirit to her work in business development, operations, recruitment, coaching, leadership, and service excellence.
Over her 25-year career, Michelle has successfully led various businesses across Canada and frequently speaks on these topics. Having lived in both Toronto and the East Coast, she understands the nuances of both large and small communities. She strongly believes that education and development help us all grow together.
Rosalind Miller 🇨🇦
Vice president of Operations & COO
Rosalind Miller is passionate about connecting with people from all over the world, and she loves assisting them on their new journeys in Atlantic Canada. Rosalind is involved in many community activities in Lunenburg and loves helping students find happiness in their new home. She enjoys family, traveling, walking on the beach, and meditation.
Having traveled to over 30 countries, Rosalind has fantastic problem-solving and people skills, and she firmly believes that you can overcome anything with a positive perspective.
If you study in Lunenburg, you will get to know Rosalind well, as she loves to join students in experiencing Canadian activities such as kayaking, hiking, and sailing.
German Acosta 🇨🇴
Director of Recruitment & Marketing
German learned English while studying in Australia in 2007. This study-abroad experience sparked his desire to help others have similar opportunities. He believes that by guiding students to explore new cultures and learn English, they will experience positive life changes, making the world a better place.
German works hard to support students in learning English and living in Nova Scotia. If you study in Lunenburg, you’ll likely bond with German through shared outdoor excursions, volunteering, and sports activities. He loves connecting with students from all over the world and helping them adapt to their new lives in Canada.
Jacqueline Huynh 🇻🇳
Admissions & Regional Recruitment Advisor (Asia)
M.A. in TESOL
Jacqueline brings a wealth of experience to the ACLA team, having served as a lecturer and Deputy Dean of English at a university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for over 23 years. Having a lot of experience teaching English as a Second Language, she is passionate about supporting students to reach their life goals through education and learning English.
She works closely with our students in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and is always there to support newcomers. Jacqueline also collaborates with international agents to recruit students to come to Nova Scotia.
Elena Andrianova 🇷🇺
HR Coordinator
Elena has a strong background in education, curriculum development, and research. She lives in Moncton, New Brunswick and loves living in Atlantic Canada! She speaks English, French, and Russian, which allows her to positively contribute to Atlantic Canada’s workforce.
Apart from HR, Elena has written over 20 articles on various topics. Her good communication and problem-solving skills help her manage talent well and create effective strategies for business development. Elena plays a key role in helping ACLA succeed.
Paula Cheal 🇨🇦
Academic Director on Campus
ESL/EAL Teacher
BA (Hons), PGCE, Cert. TESOL, MA in TEFLII
Paula started her career as an elementary school teacher in England and when in search of adventure, retrained to teach EFL to adults. She taught in the Czech Republic and Estonia and eventually continued her EFL career in the UK while gaining her Masters in TEFL. In 2011, she moved to Nova Scotia with her family and loves living on the South Shore! Paula has experience teaching academic, general, and professional English and is a core teacher in all ACLA English programs in Lunenburg!
Melanie Goode 🇬🇧 🇨🇦
Academic Director Online
ESL/EAL Teacher
BA Applied Linguistics: TESOL, BA Humanities, TESL Canada Standard II
Melanie has always been a teacher, even from a young age, but she discovered her love of teaching ESL on a summer internship in Hong Kong while in college. She decided that this was going to be her life’s work, so she studied Applied Linguistics and took her skills to people and places all over the world. Teaching is the passion of Melanie’s heart, and she has had the great pleasure of teaching students of all ages (3-75 years) in multiple countries. Her philosophy is to help every student achieve their goals in language learning, no matter what they might be. She is looking forward to seeing you in the classroom!
Kelsey Hertel 🇺🇸
Student Services Coordinator
ESL/EAL Teacher on Campus
BA / Cert. TESOL / M.A. in Linguistics & Language Teaching
Kelsey teaches English on campus in Lunenburg and brings a wealth of experience from teaching in Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, and at Oregon State University. She relocated to Lunenburg in March 2023 and has embraced Nova Scotia wholeheartedly. Her passions include biking, gardening, cooking, yoga, and exploring Nova Scotia with students.
As the Student Services Coordinator at ACLA, Kelsey ensures students have an enriching experience, connecting them with local culture and facilitating authentic English learning. She loves discovering beaches, kayaking, hiking, playing sports, and supporting students to thrive in Canada.
Marcela Suazo Pérez 🇨🇱
ESL/EAL Teacher
Homestay Coordinator
Regional Recruitment Advisor (Chile)
Marcela, from Puerto Natales, Chile, learned English during her senior year in Ohio, USA, which sparked her passion for teaching. Marcela has over 20 years of teaching experience in Chilean high schools, and she has spent more than a decade assisting students in studying abroad.
In 2022, Marcela relocated with her family to Nova Scotia, Canada, joining Atlantic Canada Language Academy for a new teaching adventure. Known for her energetic teaching style and ability to simplify complex subjects, Marcela’s students admire her. In her leisure time, she enjoys knitting and cooking, and she has shared these skills with students in Lunenburg to enrich their cultural experience.
Marianne Stante 🇨🇦
ESL/EAL Teacher
BA, TESL
Marianne is an experienced ESL teacher with a background in Academic ESL. She has been teaching for more than 20 years and has travelled to more than 30 countries. She taught in Korea for five years at various levels and ages, from kindergarten to seniors!
Not only does she teach ESL for Atlantic Canada Language Academy, but she also carries out language assessments for Citizenship and Immigration, helping newcomers study English by placing them in the appropriate classes. She now lives in Nova Scotia with her husband and two beautiful dogs.
Charlene Marshall 🇨🇦
ESL/EAL Teacher Online
BA, MEd, TESOL, CELTA
Charlene Marshall started teaching English when she came to Nova Scotia in 2001. She loves helping students learn English and reach their goals for the future. Charlene feels inspired by her students’ strength and is dedicated to making classrooms where everyone can do well and feel supported.
Students adore Charlene’s classes, describing her as sweet and caring; they often express a desire to hug her through the computer screen. Charlene excels at creating a comfortable online learning environment for her students to practice speaking a new language that can feel scary and uncomfortable.
Barbara A.C. Thompson 🇨🇦
ESL/EAL Teacher
BA, CELTA, PENS certified
Barbara Thompson grew up in Cape Breton, and his spent time living in Halifax, Ottawa, and Lunenburg. She is a mother of two and has two grandsons. Barbara has a passion for teaching English and cherishes the opportunity to get to know her students, who enrich her life in countless ways.
Her favorite advice for her students is: “When you’re learning English, you’ll hit hard spots at times, and that is when you’ll discover your greatest improvement. Never give up!”
Christopher Dwyer 🇨🇦
In person EAL/ESL Teacher
BA English, CELTA, Teacher Certification
Chris is a multidisciplinary writer and artist from Fogo, Newfoundland. He has been teaching for fourteen years and lives in a house down by the river with his wife and son.
Chris teaches on campus in Lunenburg and enjoys helping students adapt to Canada joining them in local cultural activities, taking them to concerts in Halifax, and assisting them in preparing for driving tests.
Countries lived in: Canada, England, South Korea, Mongolia, Tanzania, Poland
Countries Visited: USA, Cuba, Costa Rica, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, England, Scotland, South Korea, India, Mongolia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Japan, Hong Kong, Tanzania, South Africa, UAE, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg
Sarah Miesner 🇩🇪
Online ESL/EAL Teacher
Trinity Cert. TESOL
Sarah, originally from Germany, recently moved to Nova Scotia with her family for a new adventure in an English-speaking country. She loves teaching English, especially for IELTS, and has a passion for early childhood education and learning through play.
Sarah’s advice for her students is “Never give up, you’ll get there eventually. In the meantime, enjoy the ride.”
Kim Campbell 🌎
Online ESL/EAL Teacher
BFA, TESOL, PGCE
Kim’s experience growing up as a third-culture kid in countries all around the world is what led her down the path of ESL and Visual Arts teaching. Her love for travel and understanding new languages and cultures hugely influences her real-world focus in the classroom. She received a BFA from the University of Victoria in British Columbia before going on to her first teaching experience in Japan as a JET teacher. She then went on to complete both an ESL ONTESOL certificate and obtain a PGCE from the University of Sunderland in the UK, living and working for many years in Hong Kong. Kim is a photographer and artist and loves to spend long summer days at the beach with her two kids.
Jenny Berkel 🇨🇦
ESL/EAL Teacher
B.A., M.A. of English Literature
CELTA
Jenny grew up in the countryside of Ontario, Canada. She did her CELTA qualification in Montreal, which is also where she first started teaching. Since then, she has taught many wonderful students of all ages and abilities, gained an MA in English Literature, and moved to Nova Scotia. When she isn’t teaching, she is busy writing and exploring the South Shore.
Brenda Noftell 🇨🇦
ESL/EAL Teacher – outreach
N.B.T.L. , B.A., ICELT, (Cambridge University)
Brenda has a unique perspective on the challenges faced by those living and working in a foreign country thanks to her wide experience. Her career began in New Brunswick teaching High School English. She later took an opportunity to live and work in Asia.
Brenda is an in-person teacher in Lunenburg and brings lots of laughter to the students’ lives. Brenda is known for allowing students to practice their speaking skills and have great and interesting class discussions.
Taylor Bate 🇨🇦
Online ESL/EAL Teacher
BA in Legal Studies; BA in Sociology, Human Rights & Indigenous Studies (minor in Psychology), M.Ed in Global Education, TESOL/IELTS certified
Originally from Mississauga, Ontario, she now resides in Calgary, Alberta. With eight years of teaching experience, she is deeply appreciative of the knowledge and growth she has gained throughout her career. Her advice to her students is to have as much fun as possible while learning new things and to consistently practice what they learn to keep their new skills strong.
Rikki Hawreschuk 🇨🇦
Online ESL/EAL Teacher
BA in Applied Linguistics: TESOL. Early Childhood Education Level One, Minor in Kinesiology.
Rikki is a passionate teacher with experience teaching in Mexico, Cambodia, and Iraq, as well as lots of online teaching. She loves seeing her students reach their language goals. Her diverse background helps her connect with students from different cultures. Whether in a classroom or online, she is committed to creating a fun and supportive learning environment.
Her advice to students is “Keep working towards your language goals, even when it’s tough. Every time you review a concept or learn something new, you are getting closer to your goals.”