LASIG Volunteers

Giovanna Tassinari is Director of the Centre for Independent Language Learning at the Language Centre of the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. She works as a language advisor and teacher trainer. Her research interests are learner autonomy, language advising, and emotion and feelings in language learning. She is co-editor of several books and author of articles and book chapters in German, English and French.

Lawrie Moore is a US American lecturer and teacher trainer who has been living in Austria since 1997. She teaches ESP and EAP at the University of Applied Sciences in Vienna. Lawrie’s passion is teacher training and she is the Main Course Tutor for CELTA courses in Austria. She especially enjoys supporting new EFL teachers in creating learner-centered classes and empowering their learners.

Annika is the principal of the secondary school at the Montessori Campus Berlin-Köpenick/Germany, holds a MSc in behavioral and organizational psychology and is an AMI trained Montessori teacher. She has nearly 20 years of autonomous foreign language learning experience in different Montessori schools in grades 1-10. She develops foreign language materials for autonomy in prepared learning environments and has implemented an ELT Makerspace at her school.

Carmen is a Professor of English Language Education at TU Braunschweig in Germany. In her research she focuses on task development for multilingual foreign language teaching as well as learning for autonomy in prepared learning environments. She coordinates the first ELT Makerspace at her university.

Metin Esen is an Academic Skills Tutor at Arden University Berlin Campus. He holds an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction at Bilkent University, Ankara, and DELTA Level 7 Diploma by Cambridge University Assessment. He is also doing a PhD in English Language Teaching at Middle East Technical University. His interests are teaching English as a foreign language, English for academic purposes, professional development, teacher training, advising in language learning, and technology in language education.

Jon Thomas is a university lecturer in the field of EFL, as well as content creator and lecturer in ESP for the hospitality industry in Japan. He holds an MBA, an MEd in post-secondary studies, and is preparing for a doctorate’s degree in global studies in education. His research interests include constructivism, technology in the classroom, and CLIL. He has experience as an event planner for a regional chapter of JALT and is a proofreader/editor of research papers, as well as an educational consultant.

Tracie MacKenzie is Co-Director of the Academic Literacies Program at Franklin University Switzerland, where her interests are focused on the teaching of writing, learner training and development, and sociolinguistics. She has also worked extensively as an editor for publications from the Catholic University of Milan. Originally from the US,  she has lived in Italy since 1993. 

Dr Lesley June Fearn is an affiliate researcher with the Open University’s (UK) Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS). She has also worked as an English teacher in a secondary school in southern Italy for over thirty years. As well as learner autonomy, Lesley’s research interests lie in education technology and online community projects.

Gamze A. Sayram has a background in Applied Linguistics and TESOL. She teaches at the Macquarie University ELC. Currently, she is working towards a PhD degree in Education and her focus area is Learner Autonomy in Higher Education. Her research interests include socio-cognitive linguistics, digital pedagogies, designing learning, creative thinking and transformational learning. 

Sandro John Amendolara teaches Autonomous Language Learning Modules (ALMS), Intercultural-Communication and Academic Writing to Masters and Doctoral students at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has been deeply absorbed by Leaner Autonomy for well over a decade, and has been a member of the LASIG committee since Spring 2016.