Director
Erin McDonald has owned and operated Learn English NS (also known as LASNS) since 2011 and is thrilled to meet so many new people everyday.

Her background is in adult education and EAL instruction. She has been assessing using the Canadian Language Benchmarks since 2004.
 
Erin is also a board member of the Prismatic Arts Festival, Canada's only multi-art festival featuring culturally diverse and Aborigional artists.

Coordinator
Olga Sarycheva, the Language Assessment and Counselling Coordinator, has 22 years of experience working in the English as a Second Language field as a teacher and an administrator.

Olga has taught many professional and academic English courses in private and publicly funded institutions in Russia and Canada, including Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) and Dalhouise University in Halifax.

As the LENS Coordinator, Olga manages provincial and online assessments of eligible immigrants in Nova Scotia.

She is also a certified CLBPT and CELBAN Speaking assessor with LENS.

Assessor
Nicola is the Academic Director and English Language Instructor at Eurocentres Atlantic Canada.

Her career as a second language teacher began over 20 years ago in Spain. Since then, she has taught groups and individual learners of all ages and levels of proficiency.

Her own experiences as a language learner, combined with her familiarity of living and traveling abroad, complement her formal pedagogical training and strong intuitions in the teaching profession.

She has been a Canadian Language Benchmark Assessor since 2014 and enjoys playing a small role in helping newcomers to Nova Scotia get settled here.

Assessor
I started my ESL career in Fiji as a volunteer grade 5 teacher. Since then, I have worked with immigrants and international students in Halifax.

In addition to assessing at LENS, I teach ESL at Dalhousie University. More often, though, you can find me with my energetic family in picturesque Ketch Harbour.

Assessor
Anne is passionate about working with newcomers to Canada. She has been involved with newcomer programs since 1994. She has worked as an EAL instructor, a LINC program manager and a CLB language assessor.

She currently completes literacy and CELBAN assessments with LENS. She is also the coordinator for the English Language Learning for Adults Program at the Bedford Public Library, and writes test items for the CELPIP
assessment through Paragon Testing.

In her free time, she loves to read, write, play piano, and travel.

Assessor
Darlene MacInnis is a certified CLBA, CLBPT, ELTPA and  CELBAN assessor. She has 8 years of experience working with LENS in this capacity.

She has also worked at  Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) in Employment and Bridging Unit for 20 years.

Her past  roles include LINC teacher, Volunteer Co-ordinator,  and Employment Counselor. These roles have provided her with extensive experience working with immigrant clientele. 

In her spare time she volunteers with The Atlantic  Film Festival and is the current  TESL NS representative for TESL Canada.

Assessor
I am traveller at heart which led me to become an English language assessor and, in doing so, I continue to travel the world through our clients.

I taught English in Japan for many years but returned to my Canadian roots to pursue a pottery career that began abroad.

A little bit of that and a little bit of this led me back to working with language and, after being trained as an assessor in 2004, I've been doing more and more of this with a bit of pottery on the side.

Assessor
I have worked with adults as an English as an Additional Language teacher for more than 25 years and have really loved this career. I began as a substitute summer school teacher, moved to evening classes and then worked in a wonderful full-time program in Dartmouth.

In 2005, I was trained as a CLBPT assessor and began doing assessments out of the classroom on weekends and evenings.

Nowadays, I am working at a variety of jobs. I do Outreach work in the community, visiting new moms who want to learn English; I teach a level 6 evening class; I do work online, rating writing assignments and, as well, have the pleasure of working as an assessor with LENS.

I hope our paths cross!

Assessor
Jayne Geldart has worked in the English as an Additional Language (EAL) field in varying capacities for over 25 years. Currently she is a CLBPT and CELBAN assessor, a part-time EAL consultant as well as an owner/operator of an ornamental iron works company with her partner.