Gail Ann Barta
came to West Valley in 1991 and has been teaching ESL since 1974. Her interest
in teaching and working with people from other cultures has given her the
opportunity to travel to various parts of the world, including Europe, Africa,
and Asia. She was a foreign student in France, a Peace Corps volunteer in
Tunisia, and an ESL instructor in Japan. Originally from the Chicago area,
Gail's interests include traveling, cooking, movies, and baseball. It is
her fervent desire that the Cubs win the World Series in her lifetime. (408)741-2482;
Office LA 3e.
Mary Ellen Farwell (408) 741-2045, x2053. ESL Skills Lab Coordinator
Ty Khuu (408) 741-2045, x3440
Margarita Mitevska started teaching EFL in 1994 at a private school
for foreign languages in her native country, Bulgaria. She received her
MA in English Philology from Plovdiv University (Bulgaria) and her MA in
TESOL from San Jose State University. She is currently teaching at West
Valley College and San Jose City College. Margarita enjoys reading and
learning about different cultures, walking, and spending time with her
family and friends. She speaks Bulgarian, Russian, and Italian. She has
traveled in Russia, Austria, and Switzerland and hopes to travel more.
(408) 741-2045, x3644
Katy Ordon (408) 741-2045, x3113
Sylvia Ortega
has been teaching at West Valley since 1997 and was recently hired as a new
full-time instructor. She was born and raised in
California by immigrant parents from Michoacan, Mexico, where she lived and
studied for over 2 years. She enjoys visiting family and friends there
as often as possible. Sylvia received a Bachelor's degree in Spanish
with a Special Emphasis (minor) in Ethnic Studies from Santa Clara
University and a Masters degree in TESOL from San Jose State University.
She enjoys it when her students share their culture, customs and food.
Sylvia currently lives in San Jose with her husband and two young daughters.
Her spare time is spent at local parks with the girls. (408) 741-2465.
Suzanne
Overstreet has been teaching ESL
at West Valley since 1995. She also teaches in the English for Foreign Students
program at Stanford every summer. A native of Houston, Texas, she has over
20 years
of experience in teaching ESL in Texas, Massachusetts, California, and Mexico.
She received her BA from Texas A&M (Gig 'em Aggies!) and MA in TESL
from UCLA. She was a foreign student in Spain and has traveled in Europe
and Mexico. Suzanne's daughter is a constant source of joy in her
life. (408) 741-2638; Office LA4h.
David Ryan was recently hired as a full-time instructor. He has received a B.A. in Comparative Literature from UCI (Irvine,California); several certificates from Paris, France; an M.A. in English and TESL Certificate from Holy Names College in Oakland, CA. (408) 741-2488.
Tonia Trombetta began her ESL teaching career in 1978 in Mallorca,
Spain, where she developed a curriculum for Spanish-speaking bank employees.
Her work in Vocational ESL blossomed into academic ESL when she co-taught
with her father in an adult education program in Santa Clara. Later she
taught at San Jose City College, Mission College, and now West Valley; she
has also taught in Japan. In addition, she has a private Accent Reduction
business and currently has clients including IBM, Synopsis, and Martech.
Tonia is a native Californian, despite growing up mainly in Monrovia, Liberia
(West Africa), Okayama, Japan, Guadalajara, Mexico and Rome, Italy. She
speaks Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. She's married and has a wonderful
son. (408) 741-2045, x3694
Ann Marie Wasserbauer
is the Department Chair for the ESL Department. She has been teaching at West Valley College since 1994. She received her training
in teaching ESL at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She
is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Her hobbies are dancing, doing handwork
such as knitting and sewing, traveling, and learning languages. (She already
knows German, some French and Polish, and a few phrases in Czech, Thai,
Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Arabic.) (408) 741-2486; Office LA3e.
Sue Wilson has been
working with ESL students since 1995. She has taught at Studies in American
Language at San Jose State University and at Mountain View Adult
Education. She currently teaches at both West
Valley College and San Jose City College. Sue enjoys reading, walking,
bicycling, and
spending time with her family (and her 2 cats). She has studied Spanish
and French and has traveled in Spain, England, and Jamaica. Sue loves
teaching ESL because she gets to meet students from so many different
countries and cultures. (408) 741-2045, x3709.