World Languages Faculty

Hideki Aikoh has extensive experience as an instructor. He graduated from the University of Tokyo with a B.A. in American literature, as well as a Certificate in Teaching English. He then went on to teach English in Japan for many years. He moved to the U.S. to complete his coursework in the MATESOL program at the School for International Training, in Vermont, where he also taught Japanese. Hideki has taught Japanese language classes to both children and adults for many years. He also works as a translator, interpreter and voiceover narrator. He has taught at WAL since 1991.

Machiko Akasaka has been an instructor of Japanese for many years at educational institutions and universities in Washington State. She comes from Sapporo, Japan where she graduated from Hokusei College with a B.A. in English Literature and Education. She then completed the Teacher Training program at the Tokyo School of the Japanese Language. Machiko moved to the U.S. and earned an M.A. in English and a M.Ed. in Education from Eastern Washington University, as well as completed all coursework for a graduate degree in Linguistics, at the University of Washington. She has also studied at Cornell University in their program for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language. She has been an instructor at WAL since 1991.

Andrea Brugman was born and raised in Regensburg, Germany. She graduated from the University of Regensburg with a B.A. in Education, as well as a dual M.A. degree in German & English linguistics and literature. In addition to teaching German to adults and children, she works as a translator and interpreter. She has taught at WAL since 2001.

Alegdy Carillo-Martin was born in Venezuela, where she graduated from the Catholic University in Caracas, with a degree in Education. She then earned a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Tachira in San Cristobal. Alegdy taught both graduate and undergraduate courses while in Venezuela. She also served as Director for the Catholic University of Tachira's School of Education. She currently works as an interpreter and translator, as well as an instructor at WAL.

Lydia Condrea was born in Moldova. She earned an M.A. in French Philology from the University of Chisnau, Moldova and was awarded her Ph.D. in Romance Linguistics from the University of Washington. She is an accomplished educator, linguist and author. She has taught all levels of French and Italian classes in many different institutions. Her collaboration with WAL began in 1994.

Diane Dearmont has been a French instructor for many years at various colleges across the Puget Sound area. She received her Bachelor's Degree in French Literature and Psychology from the University of Nebraska . She has a Master's and PhD in Romance Languages and Literature from the University of Washington . She lived and taught in Nantes , France , and has traveled extensively throughout Western Europe.

Lisa Ann Luengo received her Bachelor's degree in International Studies from Northwestern University . She went on to complete two Master's degrees; an M.A. in International Politics from Denver University and an M.A. in French Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder . Most recently, she finished her PhD in French Literature from UC Boulder. Lisa is a writer and is currently working on 2 books; one fiction and one non-fiction. She has also worked as a French translator and interpreter.

Tricia Millhouse Walter is fluent in Spanish and Romanian. She received her M.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from Miami University and also studied at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and Universidad Catolica de Chile. She has extensive experience teaching languages in the U.S. and overseas. She was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania, where she was a teacher and an interpreter for the U.S. Ambassador.

Ngoc Tram Pham grew up in Dalat, Vietnam where she earned her dual B.A. in Education and French literature at Dalat University. She studied for the graduate Certificate in Teaching French to Non-Native Speakers at the Centre d'Etudes Pedagogiques de Sevres in Paris, France. She taught French for many years and served as professor of French at Dalat City University. After she moved to the US, she continued to teach French, as well as Vietnamese. She has taught French and Vietnamese at WAL since 1997.

Irina Uzhanskaya grew up in Moscow and attended the Moscow State Teacher's Training Institute where she earned her B.A. in Foreign language followed by an M.A. in Foreign Language from the Moscow Institute of Teacher Improvement. She taught German, Russian and Russian Literature for eleven years before coming to the US. She has taught Russian at a variety of educational institutions in the US as well. She also does translation and interpretation. She has taught at WAL since 1993.

Mary Wieskirchen received her B.A. in German Studies from the University of Wisconsin, and her M.A. in German Studies from the University of Oregon . She is a Fulbright scholar and has taught German and English at multiple language schools and universities, including the University of Graz in Austria . Currently, she is completing her PhD coursework in German Studies from the University of Washington .

Ying Zhou has worked as both a teacher and a translator. She has an M.A. from Miami University. She has taught Chinese in the United States and China. She also has considerable experience as a dancer.