Resume

After working on corporate identity and design in Paris, Blandine moved to Sydney where she began teaching French in the corporate environment, as well as translating for large companies. Blandine has studied at ISIT (Management & Intercultural Communication School) in Paris and holds a National Accreditation for Translators (NAATI) from Sydney. She has been teaching French as a second language at all levels at the Alliance Française and at the University of Sydney and enjoys sharing her love for French culture and current affairs. Blandine has a passion for the arts and is also working at the Sydney Opera House.

Resume

Liliane Cunliffe has an impressive academic background including a BA in Modern Literature and Languages from Paris XIII University, and a MA in Teaching French as a Foreign Language from the Jussien Sorbonne University in Paris. Her teaching career includes secondary school teaching in Paris, followed by steady employment by the Alliance Francaise in Sydney, after her migration to Australia in 1999.

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Jacqueline has been working as a designer in the textile industry for over 25 years in both Australia and the UK.  She has a love of texture fabric construction, colour and pattern. She uses a number of digital programmes in her workflow including Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop in addition to Procreate. She is also a keen hands-on designer, finding inspiration from a number of creative outlets such as drawing, painting, rug making, embroidering and has a background in dance.  Pattern has been the driving force behind Jacqueline's work throughout her career and she is heavily influenced by movement, colour, and proportion. She loves to share this passion with her students so they can discover their own personal style.

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CWA - Sydney City. Tutor of WEA Sydney

Resume

Olivia de Bergerac was born on the French Riviera, lived in Paris and stated teaching French to business people while completing a PhD in French Literature and Psychology. In Australia Olivia was teaching at the University of Sydney and then completed an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and became a management consultant specialised in stress management. Today, Olivia teaches French, does research on neuroscience, longevity and life and death and writes books (in French and English). For Olivia the key is to transform all fears, fear of learning French, fear of getting old and fear of death into love.

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Natasha de Silva is a leading human rights and gender equality expert with over 20 years’ experience working with governments and organisations in Australia and internationally. She is the Principal of Intersection, a consultancy specialising in human rights-based approaches to creating safe, inclusive workplaces. Natasha has led major national reforms on sexual harassment, including Respect@Work and Set the Standard, during her time at the Australian Human Rights Commission. Her expertise spans gender equality, disability, racial equality and LGBTI inclusion, with a strong focus on evidence-based, practical solutions that drive meaningful and lasting change.

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Graciela de Souza Oliver. Tutor of WEA Sydney

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Alison Dean is a languages consultant with over 20 years' experience in teaching, curriculum design, and educational leadership. She has taught and consulted in leading independent schools both here and abroad and was the languages consultant for the Association of Independent Schools of NSW. She contributed to the development of the 2024 NSW Languages syllabus and regularly presents on language pedagogy, Generative AI and curriculum design at conferences and institutions both here and abroad. She has presented courses on ICT integration and language methodology for the Sydney Institute of Community Languages Education at the University of Sydney and is the NSW representative on the National Association of Teachers of German.

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Susan Deas is a professional musician, lecturer and teacher. She has been teaching music appreciation courses for more than twenty years, and is a regular lecturer at WEA Sydney. Her training includes a Bachelor of Music with a major in Performance (Piano) and Musicology, a Master of Music Studies (Studio Pedagogy), a Bachelor of Arts (Communications), and an A.Mus.A in Musicianship. Susan teaches piano and music theory to adults and children, and plays piano and organ at various venues around Sydney. Susan is an Accredited Member of the Music Teachers’ Association of NSW.

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Dr Yvette Debergue has a passionate interest in all things medieval, especially Gothic architecture, medieval saints and heretics and historical fiction. She has taught medieval history and church history at several universities in Sydney since 2006 and specialises in teaching adult education, making history fun and relevant. She is widely published and presents regularly at conferences in Australia and overseas.