Meet Team English for Canada

We want you to see results!

Count on our team of carefully selected Canadian teachers to support you.

Finally, feel confident speaking in English!

Each of your lessons will be personalized, fun, and one-on-one.
You can trust that we’re all highly qualified, but most importantly, we all love to teach.

Because at the end of the day, your success is our success too!

Maria Alfaro

A UBC graduate and certified by Cambridge, with years of experience teaching in Canada and Brazil

Maria Alfaro

Maria Alfaro, founder, CEO and head teacher of English for Canada, started her career in the field of ELT in 2008 at the University of British Columbia's English Language Institute, in Canada - where she met students from all over the world including Brazilians, Koreans, Japanese, etc.

Due to Maria's experience working at the ELI, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and a postgraduate certification in Project Management, both from the University of British Columbia, Maria decided to acquire her CELTA certification (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the renowned Cambridge University.

Maria was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, and since she is also fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, she understands the difficulties that students face when it comes to learning English. She can quickly identify common mistakes that Portuguese and Spanish speaking students make, and can, therefore, help her students overcome challenges.

Finally, she also takes the emotional side of learning seriously and always makes the extra effort to ensure her students feel nurtured and supported throughout their time studying with her school.

Interesting tidbits about Maria: Maria loves to travel around the world and has also been a musician since she was a young child. In fact, she has played the trumpet professionally in several orchestras and ensembles in Canada and Brazil!

“After helping numerous students get the score they need, I am confident I can help you too! My goal is to support you in your journey until you achieve your goals”

Orisha Burns

TEFL certified (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) from the University of Toronto

Orisha Burns

Ontario native Orisha began her career as an English teacher in 2013 when she completed the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) from the University of Toronto. She also holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in New Media from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.

Interesting tidbits about Orisha: She has taught visual arts and film for children ages 6-12 and also studied woodwork in Canada, as well as organic farming and beekeeping in Jamaica. She is a visual artist, writer, and produces her own organic foods. Orisha currently takes Portuguese classes to improve her communication with her students.

“I am pleased and grateful to see that through my support my students reach their goals”

Samita Sarkar

A graduate in Professional Writing from York University, Ontario - Canada

Samita Sarkar

Passionate about English, Canadian raised Samita chose a degree in Professional Writing from York University, one of Canada's most highly-respected universities.

Samita started her career as an English teacher more than 7 years ago teaching online.

Through her experience teaching students of diverse nationalities and ages, and her professional writing background, Samita's expertise allows her to quickly identify and correct her students' weaknesses. Samita is passionate about teaching and is dedicated to her students' success.

Interesting tidbits about Samita: Besides teaching English, she also works as an author, writer and publisher.

“It is a great pleasure to be able to help those who wish to learn or improve their English”

Matthew Lyon

TESL Certified and a Bachelor's graduate in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Toronto - Canada

Matthew Lyon

Born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area, Matthew is a Cerified Canadian English teacher. He obtained his TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) from the Canadian College of Educators. He has also acquired a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Toronto. Throughout his teaching career, Matthew has helped hundreds of students prepare for proficiency exams such as the IELTS, CELPIP and TOEFL. He truly cares about his students and encourages them to achieve their learning goals.

Interesting tidbits about Matthew: In his spare time, Matthew plays a variety of instruments, writes, and produces music. He also likes cooking Japanese cuisine and trying new dishes.

“I’m ready to help you achieve your goals!”

Natalie Garrison

Certified both from TESL Canada and Ontario and a graduate from the University of Western Ontario - Canada

Natalie Garrison

Born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area, Natalie Garrison earned two diplomas to teach English as a Second Language both anywhere in Canada (TESL Canada) and in her province, Ontario (TESL Ontario). Natalie is a certified Canadian teacher, adding to her three years as a university writing tutor and an ESL conversation class facilitator. Natalie graduated at the top of her class at the prestigious University of Western Ontario in Social Justice and Peace Studies and Political Science.

As a teacher, she has had daily full-time experience teaching TOEIC, IELTS, CELPIP, and TOEFL preparation, pronunciation, and general English grammar classes. Her favourite part of teaching is personalizing the curriculum and seeing her students improve!

Interesting tidbit about Natalie: She loves spending time in nature and supporting her friends.

“My favourite part of teaching is personalizing lessons and seeing my students improve!”

Ami Xherro

A graduate with both a Bachelor and a Master of Arts from the University of Toronto

Ami Xherro

Ami has been teaching English since 2012. She aims to create learning spaces where creativity is fostered, and all questions are welcomed. She understands the journey to learning a new language, as she has done it herself multiple times. Ami is passionate about the English language and this will probably come out during classes together, through tidbits such as... Did you know that "drawers" can be storage compartments, but also underpants?

Ami holds a Bachelor's degree as well as a Master of Arts from the University of Toronto. Ami has also studied Comparative Literature at the Sorbonne-Nouvelle in Paris, France.

Interesting tidbits about Ami: Ami is a published poet and multimedia artist interested in hypnosis and translation theory. Currently, she is working on a video project where she induces her subjects into hypnosis through fragmented, and often borrowed, speech.

“I look forward to providing you with a safe and creative learning environment.”

Audra Cowe

CELTA Certified from the University of Cambridge and an honours graduate from the University of Toronto

Audra Cowe

Audra has always been interested in language and culture which is why, in 2014, she earned the CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the University of Cambridge and moved to Nepal where she taught in a British English school.

Inspired by this experience, Audra then attended the University of Toronto where she obtained an Honours Degree in International Relations, Political Science and Geography and became actively involved in both campus and community initiatives to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue.

Through facilitating such dialogues and spending countless hours in classrooms as both a student and a teacher, Audra understands that effective progress requires tailoring to the needs and learning styles of the student while also fostering a rapport that makes students feel valued and respected.

Interesting tidbits about Audra: Audra is a fitness enthusiast and works part-time teaching gymnastics to children of all ages.

“I value the importance of adapting my lesson plans to each student’s learning style.”

Jazmin Laos

TESOL and IELTS training Certified from the Canadian College of Educators

Jazmin Laos

After graduating with a BA(Hons) degree, from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK, Jazmin taught English at High Schools and local businesses in Spain, returning to the UK to complete further studies in Adult Education and Training a few years later. After that, she lived and worked for three years in Australia. These days, Jazmin lives in Toronto, Canada.

Jazmin is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Catalan, and Persian. Teaching languages is her primary passion and interest, combined with the utmost dedication and focus on her student's progress.

Interesting tidbits about Jazmin: She is a certified Yoga instructor, and enjoys practicing outdoors with friends and family. She also writes a blog about her travels online.

“Teaching languages is my passion and I will be dedicated to your progress!”

Anna-Kay Dunkley

TESL Certified teacher who has earned a double major BA in French and Language Communication

Anna-Kay Dunkley

Anna-Kay is a TESOL certified teacher who earned a double major BA in French and Language, Communication and Society from the University of the West Indies, a MA in International Education from University of Leicester, and a Post-grad Diploma in Education and Training.

Anna-Kay's teaching journey started in 2006. Since then, she has taught English in classrooms across Jamaica, France, and Japan. In 2012, her teaching scope was extended when she became an online instructor and started helping students with very diverse profiles. Having a dedicated teacher to motivate, guide and give you necessary feedback makes learning a language more manageable, and that's who she aims to be for her students.

Interesting Tidbits about Anna-Kay: She loves learning new things so she continually challenges herself with workshops and short courses. In her spare time, she enjoys driving, event planning, project management and meticulously organizing trips to places that have tasty foods and new sites to discover in Japan where she currently lives.

“I look forward to helping you on your journey to IELTS success”

Megan Kia

A PhD graduate in TESL with over 10 years of teaching experience

Megan Kia

Megan hold's a PhD in TESL and she has more than 10 years of experience teaching English to students from all around the world. More than anything in the world, she loves spending time talking with and helping students, getting to know them, and understanding their joys and delights. Megan lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Interesting Tidbits about Megan: Megan is passionate about reading blogs and she is also a great baker!

“My favourite part of my job is learning more about what brings my students joy!”

Pershang Salehi

TESOL Certified with a Master of Arts

Pershang Salehi

Always enchanted by words and languages, Pershang started her own journey of language learning from a very young age. Her love of words led her to study English literature. After completing her Master of Arts, her insatiable longing for languages guided her toward teaching English. Being a French and Kurdish learner herself, she is always curious about how learning happens and it has made her a passionate and energetic teacher. Pershang has been teaching since 2011 to students of diverse proficiency levels. She completed her TESOL certificate in 2018 and her ultimate joy is when her students enjoy the process of learning and develop their skills enthusiastically.

Interesting Tidbits about Pershang: Pershang has lots of hobbies including crochet, baking, reading, and she is also a huge football fan!

“My joy comes from watching my students learn and develop”

Josh Pirie

A graduate of the University of Toronto with over 20 years of teaching experience

Josh Pirie

Josh is a native of Toronto and a graduate of the University of Toronto, where he studied modern languages and linguistics, specializing in Russian and Italian, and a minor in Finnish! Since then, Josh has been focused on helping international students with their English. He has been a teacher since 1999 in both Toronto and Vancouver, and a TESL Canada certified language instructor since 2006, focusing on helping students pass the TOEFL and IELTS exams. Josh is also a teacher/trainer; in the last several years, he has led numerous teacher training sessions in helping instructors with pragmatics in English lessons, task-based learning, speaking and writing assessment, phonology/pronunciation and skills-building in test prep classes.

Interesting tidbits about Josh: Josh now lives in beautiful Vancouver, BC, where he coaches rep fastpitch softball in his spare time. When he's not on the sports field, you'll find him at home reading about semiotics, linguistics and philosophy.

“I’m ready to help you finally achieve your goals!”

Get to know our team on our YouTube channel

Go to YouTube

Get to know our team on our YouTube channel

Go to YouTube

Meet Team English for Canada

We want you to see results!

Get to know our team on our YouTube channel

Get to know our team on our YouTube channel

Keep in Touch