Meet the committee

Aysen Cem-Deger
Joint Co-ordinator

Aysen has worked as a Linguistics and SLA academic for nearly 20 years, publishing research articles and supervising undergraduate and MA dissertations. She has delivered Academic Writing courses at universities and through one-to-one tutoring, supporting young adults preparing for IELTS or GRE and academics aiming to publish in English. For the past decade, Aysen has taught learners with sensory impairments and learning differences. Recently, she began teaching English to the Third Age, exploring new paths in inclusive practices.

Giovanni Licata
Joint Co-ordinator

Giovanni Licata is a teacher and teacher trainer at IH-Accademia Britannica in Rome. Having worked in schools across Europe, Asia, and the US, he has developed an interest in sociolinguistics as well as teacher and learner identities in the ELT classroom. His dream is to open a wine bar in L.A. and serve Italian wines and freshly-made bruschettas.

Jennifer Preschern
Events Coordinator

Dr Jennifer Preschern, CCC-SLP is an English lecturer at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria. Originally from Chicago, Illinois most of her professional life has been spent working with children and young adults with a variety of speech, language, and academic needs. She has published several teacher resource books in the area of language, grammar, fluency, and articulation. When she is not teaching, Jennifer can often be found hanging upside down, as she is an avid aerial arts fan.

Jana Jilkova
Joint Treasurer

Dr Jana Jilkova is a lecturer, trainer, and coach. She is Czech Teachers’ Association ATECR regional coordinator and eTwinning-Scientix ambassador. She is also involved in projects with the British Council, Ministry of Education and Charles University. She is a keen advocate of creativity in ELT for personal and professional development including CLIL, STEM, SEN, student’s life and career skills.

Wiktoria Allan
Joint Treasurer

Vicky Allan teaches Business English at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht (HWR) Berlin). She is pursuing a Linguistics PhD at Lancaster University, researching testing accommodations' impact on university students with ADHD. Vicky serves on the Women’s and Equal Opportunities Council at HWR and IATEFL’s Scholarship Committee. She also coordinates the International Language Testing Association’s (ILTA) new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group.

Sinem Darıdere
Secretary

Sinem is an educational consultant, teacher, and CELTA tutor based in Izmir, Turkey. She has taught a wide range of teaching contexts; nowadays, she is training on CELTA courses and running her teaching and training projects. Her main area of interest is ‘using art and music in ELT’, ‘learner-and-teacher wellbeing’, and ‘learn green, teach green’.

Diana Margaritescu
Social Media Coordinator

Diana, a CELTA-qualified ESL teacher and 2023 IATEFL Bill Lee scholarship winner, is currently teaching English at Transylvania College International Cambridge School in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She primarily works with YLE and teenagers. Passionate about neurodiversity, Diana fosters emotional awareness and friendly learning environments. A self-described "mind traveler," she explores different times and places through reading.

Boelo van der Pool Newsletter Editor

Boelo (pronounced /Bulo/) has over 30 years of experience in the international language teaching industry. Originally from the Netherlands, he has worked in the UK, Germany, and Spain since 1994. He has held roles from marketing manager to school owner, course developer, and, for the past 8 years, language coach, dyslexia expert, and teacher trainer. A dyslexic fluent in three languages, he created a dyslexia-friendly teaching strategy that has helped over 150 learners. Boelo serves on the European Dyslexia Group and ILCA’s board.

Agnieszka Dzięcioł-Pędich
Website Manager

Dr Agnieszka Dzięcioł-Pędich works at the University of Białystok (Poland), where she teaches English for Specific Purposes and trains pre-service English teachers. She also works at the SWPS University in Warsaw where she conducts courses on teaching English to special educational needs students. Her research interests include SEN, English for specific purposes, intercultural communication, and teacher development. In her free time, she travels, takes photos, knits and turns into a bookworm.