I’ve been teaching ESL and EFL for a very long time (I don’t even want to tell you how long)! I’ve been here at Laney for about 15 years. Long ago, I lived and taught in Morocco and later in Japan. I worked for many years in adult school ESL and family literacy programs.I love helping college-bound students develop the skills they will need to succeed. In my free time, I love going to the theater and the opera, reading and visiting with friends.
I’ve been teaching ESL at Laney College since 2002. Grammar is my favorite subject, and I also help people with technology (computer) skills. I’ve lived in Costa Rica and worked with refugee services there and in California before becoming a teacher. I’ve taught basic literacy at adult schools and university composition. We all have something to learn! I’m always taking classes in something including many languages. I love hearing my students’ stories and perspectives. I learn so much from my students! When I’m not at school, I work in my garden and host parties/groups for my friends.
Hello! My name is Chelsea Cohen. My preferred pronouns are she and her. I am a tenured instructor of English for Speakers of Other Languages at Laney College and also have served as the Distance Education Coordinator since 2017. Prior, I really didn’t know what online education was all about. Since then, I have become passionate about figuring out creative ways to adapt our face-to-face practices to the online environment. It’s been a joy working with my Laney colleagues and watching as their online courses come to life.Recently, I completed my second certificate in online teaching through @ONE, and now I’m a facilitator for them! I also serve as a Lead Course Reviewer for the Online Education Initiative. One of the most meaningful projects I have been a part of is the Peralta Equity Rubric training which focuses on infusing equity-minded practices in our online courses. Now that all our classes are online, this work feel especially crucial. I hope we will be able to offer this training on an ongoing basis here at Peralta.When I’m not teaching or DE coordinating, I enjoy hiking with my Golden Doodle, Eddy, cooking and practicing yoga :).
A native San Franciscan, my love with languages began with Italian in high school and living at La Casa Italiana while a student at Cal. After I lived in Europe for a year, my mom introduced me to the TEFL/TESL program at SFSU where I learned to teach. I lived and taught at different universities in China for three years, so I can relate to “living in a new language.” I worked at “intensive” English programs in SF and Hayward for a decade, and now I have taught at both Laney and Chabot Colleges for 15 years. I have three children, still in school, who are bilingual in Mandarin and English. My hobbies include playing the snare drum with two Bay Area bagpipe bands, as well as baking and cooking. I look forward to getting to know more about my wonderful students each semester.
Christina has been teaching ESL since 2010. She was born in Seattle, WA, but she moved to CA in 2009 to attend graduate school. In her free time, she enjoys cats, hiking, biking and reading. She has previously taught at Solano College, UC Davis, and College of Alameda.
Lisa Ikeda has been a preschool teacher, a waitress, a cashier, a jewelry engraver, a tour guide, a journalist, and then for many years, an ESOL teacher. She’s a proud graduate of the University of Texas located in the beautiful city of Austin and since then she has thoroughly enjoyed her experiences teaching English in Barcelona, New York, and the Bay Area. When she’s not traveling, or dreaming about traveling, she likes to read, watch PBS, and play her ukulele.
I’ve been a teacher at Laney since 1999. I love helping students learn English, and every semester, I learn new things about my own language and my students’ cultures. I’m a native Californian who married someone from India, so my family is diverse and now lives in three countries. I have grandkids, a cat, and many interests and hobbies including cooking, gardening, needlework, and reading. And I’m a big believer in lifelong learning!
Annlee McGurk has been teaching ESOL since 1994 and she has been a part-time instructor at Laney College since 2008. She enjoys getting to know her students through their writing and conversations during and after class. Annlee is a California native who enjoys all outdoor activities including hiking, biking and pickleball. Something she does every day is read, and she encourages her students to do the same.
Rick Robinson has worked for the Peralta Community College District since 1979. In addition to more than 30 years as a full-time ESL instructor at Laney College, his other service included directing the Peralta Colleges Refugee and Immigrant Program from 1982 to 1989, teaching at Merritt College 1990-1991, and directing the Office of Grants Development and Management at the Peralta District Office from 1989 to 1990.Beatrice “Tris” Roost
broost@peralta.edu
I have been teaching ESOL at Laney for about 15 years. Before that I was teaching French and anthropology at Berkeley High School. I have a BA in French from UCB, an MA in anthropology from Cal State East Bay, and a PhD in education from UCSB. I grew up in a family that spoke both English and French because I was born in Canada and my father’s native language was French. I love to travel and have lived in Switzerland and India. I am single with an adopted daughter from China and an eight-year-old grandson. I can be reached through the inbox in canvas as well as through broost@peralta.edu
I have been teaching in the ESOL Department at Laney since 2005. About 4 years ago, we began offering hybrid courses to our students as an option for students who might not be able to attend class on campus regularly due to heavy work schedules or emergency visits to their native countries. I had been taking courses in teaching online at @ONE for a while, mostly because I wanted to learn about it and I wanted to see if ESOL students could thrive in a hybrid environment. I found that I really enjoyed teaching online and the creativity of developing interesting and useful assignments. I also really wanted to be an advocate for students as they learned about technology and online course work. Our students needed to be technologically literate for future employment opportunities. It has been a great journey watching students grow and feel proud of all they were learning. Although our current circumstances are very different and online teaching is now the only way to reach our students, it can still be a great learning experience for ourselves and our students.
I have taught English to Speakers of Other Languages in Mexico and around the Bay Area. I have been at Laney since 2018 and love working with Laney students.
I have been teaching English to speakers of other languages since 1971 and I love it. Before teaching here at Laney, where I began in 2004, I taught at Berkeley Adult School, UC Berkeley’s English Language Program, UC Berkeley summer programs, and Berkeley City College. In addition, I worked for the state of California teaching ESL teachers to teach English as well for UC Berkeley Extension, where I taught grammar to teachers for 28 years. I have a passion for teaching and a great respect and admiration for my students from all of the world.
I have been teaching at Laney College in the English Speakers of Other Languages Department since 2001. Before that, I taught family literacy and civics to parents of bilingual children at Richmond Adult School. I originally came to the Bay Area from Indiana because I wanted to live in a place with cultural and ethnic diversity. I love getting to know my students and helping them reach their goals. Swimming is my favorite exercise. I also enjoy going to museums, painting, doodling, and reading.
Hello Everyone! My name is Judy Wong. I’ve been teaching ESL at Laney College since 2004. I’ve also taught at many community colleges, UC Davis, and tech firms throughout the Bay Area and Sacramento. My first teaching job was in Japan. I was born and raised in San Jose, CA to a Chinese father and a Japanese-American mother. Now I live in Walnut Creek with my family. We enjoy discovering delicious food and exploring new places through travel. I like to keep very active through exercise, yoga, dance, and attending theater and live performances of my favorite musical acts.
Barbara H. Yasue has been a full-time tenured instructor at Laney College since 2003. In addition to teaching immigrant students, she has taught in teacher training programs in Portugal under a Fulbright grant and for the UC Berkeley TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate program. Ms. Yasue has also taught in Korea and Japan and in Gabon for the Peace Corps. She received her MA in Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language from San Francisco State University. She is also the author of Transitions: Stories of Immigrant Students. Barbara Yasue’s passion to work with immigrants and bring to light their concerns and gifts comes from her own experience growing up in an immigrant family.
Steven Zetlan has been teaching at Laney College since 2006. In 2012 he became a tenured professor in the ESL department. He has previously taught at City College of San Francisco, the University of San Francisco, Canada College, and Contra Costa College.
