Rachael Feinman – Directrice de Parlez Vous…(Director/Owner)
rachael@parlezvous.org 

Originally from Media, PA, I moved to Washington DC to attend George Washington University. Inspired by the multicultural aspects of the city, I worked hard and received a degree in Psychology and French. A deep passion for languages and cultures led to the opening of Parlez Vous… as a way of sharing these passions with others.
 

Shelli LaPlante – Assistant Director (Thank you to Shelli for her time here at Parlez Vous. As of August 2005, Shelli has returned home to North Dakota. On behalf of the entire Parlez Vous staff and students, we will miss you!)
shelli@parlezvous.org  

Raised in small town North Dakota, Shelli’s love of languages introduced her to new worlds and led her to study Global Studies at the University of Minnesota.  She has studied Danish, Italian and Spanish, and has lived in Italy and Denmark.  Her interests include traveling, exploring outdoor markets, reading, watching films and learning new languages—which means working at Parlez Vous is a perfect fit!
 

Christine Varoutsos - Office Manager/Director's Assistant
christine@parlezvous.org

Aaron Hawkins – Instructor/Tutor (German, French, Italian, Spanish)
info@parlezvous.org

Aaron grew up in the Pacific Northwest and started learning foreign languages at a young age. He began with Italian and has pursued intensive study of over a dozen other languages since then. Aaron has an M.A. in International Affairs and Modern Languages, and has lived, studied and worked in Europe for several years (attending universities in France, Italy and Germany).  He has been teaching foreign languages for several years and loves aiding in the foreign language learning process. He is also an experienced translator and interpreter.  Aaron speaks German, French, Spanish and Italian fluently and has advanced skills in Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Modern Greek. He also has a good working knowledge of Arabic, Irish Gaelic, Danish and Portuguese.
 

Marisa Sutherland  – Instructor/Tutor (Spanish)
info@parlezvous.org

Marisa Sutherland grew up speaking Spanish.  Her mother is from Madrid, Spain and she spoke to her in Spanish her whole life.  Marisa furthered her Spanish knowledge by obtaining a BA double major in Spanish Language and Literature and Business Management at North Carolina State University.

Marisa also studied Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico in 1994 and has visited Spain more times than she can count.  On one of her visits, she acquired a Certificate from the Madrid Chamber of Commerce for Proficiency in Business Spanish. 

Prior to opening her own marketing agency, NineLives Marketing, Marisa worked as a Regional Marketing and Sales Director for Feld Entertainment and was responsible for implementing Hispanic Marketing campaigns within the US as well as marketing campaigns in Mexico City. 

Marisa is thrilled to be using her Spanish language skills to help other learn and improve their Spanish. 
 

Rafayel Seyranyan – Instructor/Tutor (Russian)
info@parlezvous.org

A native Russian speaker, Rafayel also speaks English, Armenian and a little Turkish, and currently teaches at Northern Virginia Community College.  He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy in Moscow, and taught at several Russian universities and worked at the Academy of Sciences.  Rafayel also carried out conflict resolution workshops under the auspices of the United Nations for the international students in South Caucasus (three former Soviet Union countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia).  Rafayel has extensive experience teaching and tutoring Russian and English for students of all ages, and he spends his free time playing the piano.

Savana Santos - Instructor/Tutor (Portuguese)
info@parlezvous.org

Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Savana moved to Washington, DC in 2005 to continue her Ph.D. program in Genetics at Georgetown University.   In Brazil, she taught Biology and Genetics, and discovered that one of her passions is to teach. Since arriving in Washington, Savana has been teaching Portuguese to a variety of students. Her other passions include traveling, studying and meeting people from different countries. Savana has experience tutoring students of all ages and  all levels and hopes to make learning Portuguese creative and interesting for her students.

Fatiha Poivey – Instructor/Tutor (French)
info@parlezvous.org

Originally from Morocco, Fatiha moved to France after high school. In France, she received a degree in sociology and communication. After graduation, she worked for 10 years in the communication department of a large chain of grocery stores. She then moved to the United States with her husband; even here in the U.S., French is the language that she speaks at home.  Fatiha is now studying to receive her French teaching certificate. She loves spending time with children, and makes it her goal to incorporate activities into her teaching that bring smiles to children’s faces.  At Parlez Vous, Fatiha is the instructor of Maman et Moi and a French tutor.
 

Christy Reese – Instructor/Tutor (French)
info@parlezvous.org

Christy Reese’s love for learning languages stems from her early childhood.  She grew up just outside Chicago, and her parents often welcomed international students into their home.  From an early age, Christy got to know these students from other countries (Philippines, Germany, Sweden, France, Belgium, etc), and it was at this point that the first seeds of language curiosity were planted.  Christy began studying French in first grade, and she learned the language initially through songs, games and small projects and crafts.  She spent a month living with a French-speaking family in Belgium before starting high school.  Eventually, Christy’s love for the French language led her to major in French Studies at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She also spent two summers in Hyères, France studying at a French language school.  During her senior year at Sewanee, she collected research on second language acquisition by elementary and middle school children, and presented her findings at the American Association of Teachers of French in Paris.  Christy also holds a M.A. in French Linguistics from Tulane University, where she taught undergraduate classes to beginning students of French.  She enjoyed teaching so much that she decided to make that her career.  Christy is presently the lower school French teacher at the Langley School in McLean, where she teaches her students the language in much the same way that she learned herself.  At Parlez Vous, Christy enjoys tutoring children and adults alike; she makes every effort to tailor to each of her students’ needs.  It is also her goal that students feel as if they have spent an hour in a francophone country after each tutoring session.  Christy also occasionally reads for the French storytime at Parlez Vous Café on the first Sunday of the month
 

Ting Wang - Instructor/Tutor (Chinese)
info@parlezvous.org

Ting was born in Taipei, Taiwan and lived there until the age of 20.  She has a traditional Mandarin family, with parents that are both from mainland China.  When Ting was young, the official language in Taiwan was Mandarin; therefore she was raised and educated under the influence of Chinese culture and the Mandarin language.  She came to America in 1996 to explore new life and new possibilities.  During her schooling years in Boston, MA, Ting was a tutor for undergraduates and a teaching assistant in graduate school for the IT department.  During her time in the United States, she has found that there are many cultures that have influenced her, and have always made her want to share her Chinese language and background with others. Since moving to Virginia this year, Ting has found many new friends and a whole new area of life and culture to explore.  Now at Parlez Vous, she has found much joy and happiness sharing her native culture and language with people from all over the world!
 

Esther Wilkes - Instructor/Tutor (Spanish and Italian)
info@parlezvous.org

Originally from Spain, Esther Wilkes speaks fluent Spanish, Italian, German and English.  She has extensive teaching experience, including teaching Spanish to all ages while living in both Germany and Italy.  Upon returning to Spain, Esther studied hospitality and tourism in order to become a guide in sunny Sevilla, where she specialized in providing tours in German, Italian and English.  Esther then moved to California, where she taught Spanish and Italian to adults and children.  Since relocating to Virginia, Esther has enjoyed sharing her love of languages with her students at Parlez Vous, where she teaches Back to Basics Spanish and Italian, Mi Madre Y Yo and tutors individuals.  
 

Magdalena Jaskot - Instructor/Tutor (German and Polish)
info@parlezvous.org

Magda grew up in Poland and started learning foreign languages at a young age—first Russian, and then German. German was (and is!) her passion.  Magda is a certified German and Polish language teacher, and she obtained a Masters degree in German Language and German translation at the University of Warsaw in Poland.  Magda moved to Washington, DC in 2001, and now shares her love of German and Polish with students of all ages at Parlez Vous. 
 

“Ciao! Come state?” exclaims Christiana each time you see her at Parlez Vous. Whether you are enrolled in her “My First Words: Italian” program for school-age children, her “Back to Basics: Italian” for adults, or one-on-one tutoring in Italian, you are sure to leave with a smile on your face and excited to know so much more Italian than when you began.

Christiana got her Bachelors at George Mason in Art History, and uses that knowledge to add culture and insight into her lessons. She is currently finishing her Masters degree at George Mason in Education.  Her extensive teaching experiences include Fairfax County Adult Community Education and Fairfax School District FLEX Program.

Growing up in an Italian family, Christiana spoke Italian from a very young age. In school, she continued with formal Italian instruction. Attending middle school in Belgium, high school in Austria, and spending time in Morocco have made Christiana an interesting person as well as insightful teacher.
 

A native Japanese speaker, Maki came to the U.S. from Kyoto, Japan in June 2003.  She is currently studying art at the Corcoran College of Art and Design as a step toward becoming a professional artist. She also works for the Smithsonian Museums.  Before coming to the U.S., Maki worked as a package and textile designer in Osaka. She earned her B.A. in Linguistics and International Communication. She loves sharing her knowledge of Japanese culture and language with her students.  “You will learn how America is different from Japan if you work with me,” says Maki.
 

Cameron Wyche - Instructor/ Tutor (Spanish)
info@parlezvous.org

Cameron is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina and began studying Spanish at age 12.  With a Masters degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Cameron enjoys the cultural aspects of language learning.  She has traveled extensively in Mexico and Spain, and has spent time living in several European countries.  Cameron is confident that her knowledge of Spanish has helped her both personally and professionally, and she is eager to provide similar opportunities to her students at Parlez Vous.

Nancy Campbell - Instructor/Tutor (French)
info@parlezvous.org

Nancy graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in French and a French Business Certificate.  During her time at Wake Forest, she studied abroad for a semester in Paris in a combined study and internship program.  After college, Nancy decided to go back to France where she lived in Creil and taught English to elementary school students.  Nancy is a French tutor at Parlez Vous and is currently teaching the classes Maman et Moi class, La Première Étape, and My First Words-French.

Megan McSeveney - Instructor/Tutor (French)
info@parlezvous.org

After growing up in Northern Virginia, Megan McSeveney decided it was time to expand her love of foreign languages to Europe, literally.  First, she studied abroad in Paris.  Then, she moved to a small town in Hungary, where she taught English and learned spoken Hungarian.  Upon returning to Virginia to say “Bonjour” and attend graduate school before she moves back to France, Megan has enjoyed sharing her love of languages with her students at Parlez Vous, where she tutors children and adults in French.  When she’s not tutoring, you can find Megan studying her next foreign language pursuit, Spanish, which she hopes to add to her list of mastered foreign tongues.

Elise Hofer - Instructor/Tutor (German)
info@parlezvous.org

Elise began learning German at the age of five from a family friend. She continued to study the language in school, and eventually earned her Bachelor’s degree in German from Goshen College. To earn this degree, Elise lived in Germany for one year while studying at the Phillips University of Marburg.  Since she began learning German as a child, Elise loves tutoring young students at ParlezVous.  She also works for the Truman Scholarship Foundation as a financial officer, and in her free time enjoys cooking, photography, biking, and reading. A lover of writing and literature in both English and German, Elise hopes to continue her education in non-profit literary arts.