I began learning languages through friendships with people from Colombia. Those experiences showed me that language learning is, at its core, a social pursuit. The connections I built with kind, open-minded people inspired me to create TLT and share that experience with others.

From middle school French to an Arabic school in Jordan, language learning has helped me build community, connect and across cultures,. Through TLT, I'm excited to foster that community in an increasingly multilingual city. I speak French and Spanish; I'm learning Portuguese and Arabic.

I am a language learner, who has been an ESOL teacher for many years. I speak French and Mandarin, and I am learning Spanish for my in-laws. I love learning languages as it allows me to connect with new people and new ways of understanding our world. I joined TLT to facilitate the English Table.

I speak Portuguese and some Spanish and Dutch. I’ve studied Portuguese for seven years and enjoyed Spanish immersion in Madrid in my first year of college. I’ve been involved with TLT to support the Portuguese Table.

I joined The Language Table in 2025 as the Italian Table organizer and launched the Japanese Table in 2026. Based in Portland, I am also a writer of novels and short stories.

I serve on the Outreach and Finance committees. I am driven by a passion for languages and am dedicated to breaking down barriers and ensuring that quality language-learning resources are accessible to everyone, everywhere.

I am a native German speaker and moved to Maine almost 3 years ago. I am also fluent in English, French, and Portuguese, and passionate about languages and language learning. TLT is a great opportunity to connect with people and practice together in a casual setting.

I am passionate about learning languages and continuing to practice them. I teach Spanish and French at Portland High School, and work as an interpreter. I am trying to learn Portuguese right now. You can find me dancing salsa, walking my dogs, and volunteering as a language table leader.