A message from our Director(s)
Sean Azim
Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.
As LLI’s President, I am very proud of our school’s approach to helping students study in the best way possible, whether in-person or online. Our approach is unique and dedicated to helping every student achieve their best, every day.
Our top-quality facilities and resources create an engaging and supportive environment where students from around the world can reach high levels of English language proficiency.
Individual attention from teachers and our small class sizes ensure that every LLI student receives the support and encouragement they need to achieve their academic goals.
Our ESL instructors use a variety of second language teaching methods in order to help students develop core communicative competencies. These competencies enable our students and graduates to achieve and succeed in their chosen academic, business and professional setting.
Our dynamic and committed English teachers deliver all our programs at the highest levels. Many go “above and beyond” to share their expertise across other programs, to provide a rich and in-depth curriculum that helps students grow their personal skills too.
I believe it is the breadth of education and focus on high standards that sets LLI apart from other Canadian language schools. Like Shabnam, I look forward to welcoming you to the LLI student family and see you achieving (and maybe exceeding!) your goals.

Shabnam Akrami PA, B.A. (HONS.), M.A., LL.B. (UK)
Director
Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.
As the new Director of the Learning Languages Institute, I am honored to continue the key founding principle of our language school, excellence in education.
Excellence is central to everything we do at LLI, so we can ensure that as a student here, you can live up to your greatest potential every day.
Our students come from diverse cultures from all over the world, and we take great pride in bridging cultures to bring high quality education for all.
As Director, I am particularly proud of how LLI enables students to grow and develop their own core qualities such as self-confidence, leadership and independence. Our curriculum also allows every student to express their creativity within their studies, and to develop skills required for the workplace and for life such as teamwork, innovation and an appreciation of diversity.
Most of all, LLI provides provide a warm and caring atmosphere where students are fully engaged, appreciated and encouraged to reach their goals and live their dreams. This also extends to our online/virtual programs, allowing students to study at the highest levels in their own homes whatever their circumstances or social background.
LLI graduates have gone on to achieve so much more than even they dreamed, whether studying at a top University in Canada, finding their dream job, starting a new business, or bringing their family for a better life here in Canada.
I hope you can join the LLI student family, to reach your goals and be the person you always wanted to be. We are here to help that happen!

DEBORAH GOEDHART
School Director
Dear Students,
Let me welcome you to LLI. It is my intent that you have a rewarding experience while you are a student here. In order for a school to be a place for students to grow and learn, a place to respect and be respected, a place to experience the excitement of learning, it is important that the students, parents and school staff form a tri-partnership. Working together, there is no limit to what we can actualize.
I am dedicated to preparing my students to meet with success in their future life experiences by providing a spectrum of exceptional and educational opportunities. High academic expectations, shared decision making and responsibility, and a nurturing atmosphere are vital components in achieving our mission.
The school staff at LLI care about all students attending this school. We are committed to providing a safe, caring environment conducive to learning for all our students. Student learning is monitored by staff and through LLI approved testing. We strive to promote a positive self-image in all our students and to develop a respect and appreciation for the many cultures that comprise LLI.
We will graduate young adults who are self-directed, intellectually engaged, and possess a commitment to personal and civic responsibility.
In my opinion, being part of an amazing team is one of the most important pillars in life to feel accomplished and fulfilled. Afterall, we spend more time at work than we do at our own homes. It is an honor for me to be the school Director working along such an amazing staff. The teachers and everyone involved are truly dedicated into making every student leave the Institute with their ultimate goal in hand: speaking the language they dedicated so hard to! We are all together with a common purpose and it is an immense pleasure for me to be here to help our students have their dreams come true and our teachers and staff to feel supported.

Meet the LLI team
At LLI, we believe that great learning starts with great teachers.
When you join a class at LLI, your teacher will welcome you as a new member of the LLI family. Our teaching staff are friendly and open, creating a wonderful classroom environment for our students. Our classrooms are light, airy and provide an excellent environment for study whatever level you are joining.
Our teacher will help and support you in your learning and encourage you to join in with class exercises, whether you are in class online or in person. All our teachers follow our LLI curriculum and teach using the Mastery Learning method. This mean that you learn by speaking and using the English language from your first lesson.
All our teaching staff at LLI have a great deal of ESL teaching experience in addition to their formal academic training. All of our LLI staff are TESL certified and have University/Teacher College training. Many of our teachers speak two or more different languages and represent a diverse range of languages and cultural backgrounds.
Sean Azim
Sean Azim is our President here at LLI. As the head of school, he embodies the mission of the school and works tirelessly to maintain and develop the traditions, relationships, and practices that determine LLI’s unique learning environment and culture.
Sean is responsible for the overall management of the school in accordance with the board’s policies. He is also the spokesperson for the school with its internal and external constituencies including students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and neighbors, His is also the point of contact for the local business community, governmental agencies, and local, state, regional and national educational organizations and accrediting agencies. Sean has overall responsibility for curriculum and instruction, student life, business affairs, admission and advancement.
Sean says his main skillset is leadership. He believes that being able to negotiate solutions when perspectives are far apart is critical. Through leadership and an holistic overview, Sean’s goal is to grow LLI to its full potential, and in turn to ensure as many students as possible around the world get the skills they need to reach their goals.
Outside of work, Sean loves spending time with his boys and teaching them things!
Sean Azim
President
Sean Azim is our President here at LLI. As the...
Shab Akrami
Shabnam is the Director of Learning Languages Institute, and Managing Partner and Founder of Akrami & Associates.
Shabnam completed her Law Degree and a further Post Graduate Diploma at the University of London UK. She also graduated from York University where she received both her Bachelor in Criminology and Masters in Socio-Legal Studies.
Shabnam is passionate about helping young people succeed and exceed their potential through education. As Director of LLI, she aims to help students from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures to learn English to the highest levels, whether online or in person. She is determined to increase the accessibility of LLI courses so more international student can go on to study at major English-speaking universities in Canada, the US and worldwide.
She is also passionate about helping young people develop their own personal skills, such as leadership, teamwork and innovation, whilst studying at LLI.
Prior to opening her own firm, Shabnam gained extensive experience in corporate immigration law; specializing in work permits, temporary resident permits and rehabilitation cases. She has in-depth and hands-on experience in all Canadian Immigration and Citizenship matters, including: preparation and submission of applications for permanent residence, work permits, NAFTA applications, labour market opinions, temporary resident permits, sponsorships, and business investors.
In her spare time, Shabnam likes to spend time with family and friends. She very much enjoys travelling to experience new cultures and lifestyle, and hopefully meet fellow educators looking to improve the opportunities for their own students. Shabnam’s hobbies are swimming and watching superhero movies – when she gets time.
Shab Akrami
Director
Shabnam is the Director of Learning Languages Institute, and Managing...
Deborah Goedhart
Deborah Goedhart is the director of East Village, an English school located in the heart of Sousas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Since 2018, Deborah has been an agent for LLI in Brazil. She describes her partnership with LLI as “a great experience and an amazing exchange between our cultures”. Deborah is keen to have the best team to support students, help them achieve their goals and make their dreams come true. Deborah prides herself on “being there” for all students who come to LLI in Canada from Brazil, and also to those who study online.
Deborah Goedhart
School Director
Deborah Goedhart is the director of East Village, an English...
Juan Pablo Ramirez
J.P. was born in Colombia, and he has been in Canada since 2000. J.P. is an ESL Instructor, our Coordinator for the Summer Program, and direct supervisor for all instructors teaching Beginner level to level 3 curriculum. J.P. is the point of contact for international students that only speak Spanish or French and are looking to study English at Learning Languages Institute.
J.P. graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts, specializing in French Studies and Business French, and completing his third year of studies in Nice, France. J.P. worked in the banking industry for 7 years before realizing his passion lies in learning and teaching languages.
J.P. completed his TESOL Certificate, TESOL Diploma, Advanced Grammar for English Teachers as well as Teaching Culture and English for Specific Purposes.
As a former ESL student and a current ESL instructor, J.P. understands the difficulties and challenges students and newcomers face. He also recognizes the power that is in our hands to make these obstacles as seamless as possible.
J.P. always puts the needs of the students first, and successfully communicate with students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Juan Pablo Ramirez
ESL Instructor & Coordinator
J.P. was born in Colombia, and he has been in...
Wanda McKay
Wanda has been an ESL instructor at LLI since 2013, and an ACE TESOL instructor and practicum supervisor since 2018. Wanda successfully completed the ACE Diploma course in 2015. She is member of TESL Ontario, and a current member of the Ontario College of Teachers.
Wanda has over 5 years of teaching experience in South Korea and New Zealand. Wanda loves to say that she is fluent in two languages, English and sarcasm! She will often incorporate humor into her lessons to help students feel relaxed and less stressed about the learning process.
Through her experience of living in other countries, Wanda knows what it is like for the students in her class who are experiencing culture shock. She does her best to explain English grammar, but also tries to help her students navigate any of the challenges they may experience while living in Canada.
Wanda always has a shopping or restaurant recommendation for the students and loves hearing about what they think of the places she has recommended in London
Wanda McKay
Instructor & Practicum Supervisor
Wanda has been an ESL instructor at LLI since 2013,...
Rosemary Hummel
Rosemary is passionate about language and has been tutoring and teaching English in the classroom and online since she was a student herself. She has studied English at university level and graduated with honors.
Additionally, she has read hundreds of books in several different languages and has even had a little of her own writing published. She holds four TESOL certificates, including the ACE TESOL certificate, attained at LLI in 2017.
Rosemary values conversation and communication in the classroom. She is open to each student’s individual perspective and experience, and encourages students to express themselves authentically. She makes an effort to learn about each student’s personal motivations in order to meet individual needs and help achieve individual goals.
In addition to teaching, Rosemary loves travelling and meeting new people. Her favourite cities are Victoria, B.C. and Edinburgh, Scotland. When she is not travelling the world, Rosemary spends her time hiking, running, practising yoga, reading, and caring for houseplants.
Rosemary Hummel
ESL Instructor
Rosemary is passionate about language and has been tutoring and...
Matt Foster
Matt has been a member of the LLI team since 2000.
After his post-secondary education and working at a variety of jobs, Matt decided to take several TESOL courses including the ACE program. He discovered the satisfaction that comes from teaching foreign students and helping them to achieve their goals.
Matt also finds it rewarding to learn about the many cultures of the students who pass through the doors at LLI, as well as sharing his own Canadian culture.
Matt’s philosophy is to provide students with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of English. He promotes a strong work ethic that will serve LLI students well in all future endeavours in Canada. As Matt says, it is their effort that ultimately will help them succeed within the confines of a pleasant, welcoming environment at LLI.
Matt looks forward to many years of sharing and helping make the experiences of LLI students memorable and unique.
Matt Foster
Academic Preparation Instructor
Matt has been a member of the LLI team since...
Loredana (Lori) Serratore
Lori is an Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT) with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Western University and an Adult Learning Certificate from St. Francis Xavier University. In addition, Lori holds the ACE TESOL Certification and the ACE TESOL Diploma.
Before teaching English as a second language, Lori worked in the financial industry for more than 20 years in training, learning and development and communication. This gave her the opportunity to work with many different people with a variety of diverse backgrounds.
Lori was born and raised in Canada, with my parents immigrating to Canada from Italy before she was born. One of the reasons Lori decided to teach ESL was seeing the challenges her parents faced coming to a country where they didn’t know the language and/or the culture.
When Lori is not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She loves to travel and is working on getting dual citizenship, in the hope of teaching abroad in the future. Lori loves to be active so you can usually find her walking my dog, playing soccer or some sort of physical activity.
Loredana (Lori) Serratore
Part Time ESL Instructor
Lori is an Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT) with...
Jessica Ali
Jessica Ali is an Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT). She holds a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree with a Specialization in Psychology from the Western University. In addition, Jessica holds the ACE TESOL Certification, the ACE TESOL Diploma, and is the Membership Chair for TESOL LONDON.
Jessica have been teaching English as a second language since 2016. She has taught students in the classroom, one on one tutoring, and online to newcomers to Canada and International students.
Jessica says: ”I love teaching ESL because I value education. Teaching at LLI allows me to help others to improve themselves both personally and professionally. Whether a students’ goal is for academic purposes, obtaining or maintaining a job or for general interest, I feel like I am doing some good in the world by being an educator.”
Jessica was born and raised in Canada, and comes from a background of mixed cultures – her father is Iraqi, her mother is Romanian, her stepfather is Portuguese, and her husband is Peruvian. This diversity helps me Jessica connect with all her students and to build rapport. Jessica also speak Romanian and Spanish fluently.
Jessica’s teaching philosophy is simple: practice makes perfect!
Jessica Ali
Part time ESL instructor
Jessica Ali is an Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT)....
Renata Cristina Ramos
Renata’s passion for education can be traced back to her pre-professional days as a religious education teacher for children in her teens. Renata followed her passion to become an undergraduate educator and a scholarship holder in “Escola da Família”, an Estadual Program in Brazil. Renata has been working in Educational Institutions for more than a decade. She finds the knowledge that her work helps people develop themselves and achieve their goals in life very fulfilling, and says that she cannot live without it.
Renata has a Master’s degree in Business and Digital Marketing, and a B.Sc. in Business and Human Resources. She also has over 12 years of experience in Education Management, Finance, Human Resources, School Operations, Academic Operations, and Sales
Outside of the office, Renata is committed to education on social media, whether showing how she achieves her goals investing in education, or showing the possibilities so people can do the same. Her professional communication skills include a native level of Portuguese, a fluent level of English, an advanced level of Spanish, and she has a goal of learning French soon.
Renata Cristina Ramos
Office Manager
Renata’s passion for education can be traced back to her...
Kyle Wing
Hi there, my name is Kyle and I have been an ESL teacher since 2014. After graduating from McMaster University with a degree in English & Cultural Studies, I started my career In Xi’an, China. I lived in Xi’an from 2015 – 2020 and taught everything from conversational English, IELTS, to business English for software companies. I have a worldly view and enjoy learning about different cultures and languages. I believe that language is the key to understanding and being able to enjoy what the world has to offer. This stems from my drive to learn as much as possible when I travel in order to avoid the discomfort and confusion of not knowing what is happening or being said around you! During my free time I really enjoy taking photos using old 35mm cameras as well as watching films from around the world. At LLI, I am always willing to help our students and create a fun learning environment where students don’t feel shy to express themselves and share their feelings. My job is to help you succeed in your English education journey!
Kyle Wing
ESL Instructor
Hi there, my name is Kyle and I have been...
Bart Mika
Bart is a senior back-end developer who specializes in mentoring junior developers. As the lead instructor on the LLI Software Development and Entrepreneurship progrm, Bart primarily teaches full stack development.
Bart attended Fanshawe College and graduated from the University of Western Ontario (Western) with a degree in Software Engineering in 2011. He has over a decade of experience in web development which includes being an entrepreneur, a freelancer and former employee of multinational companies.
In the software development and entrepreneurship program, Bart prepares students for success in the tech industry by working on the code and concepts first as an instructor, then in groups before students work as individuals under his guidance. As Bart says, in his class there are no dumb questions and he will make every effort to help students understand!
Bart Mika
Software Development Instructor
Bart is a senior back-end developer who specializes in mentoring...
More about our teachers
At LLI, we believe that great learning starts with great teachers.
When you join a class at LLI, your teacher will welcome you as a new member of the LLI family. Our teaching staff are friendly and open, creating a wonderful classroom environment for our students. Our classrooms are light, airy and provide an excellent environment for study whatever level you are joining.
Our teacher will help and support you in your learning and encourage you to join in with class exercises, whether you are in class online or in person. All our teachers follow our LLI curriculum and teach using the Mastery Learning method. This mean that you learn by speaking and using the English language from your first lesson.
All our teaching staff at LLI have a great deal of ESL teaching experience in addition to their formal academic training. All of our LLI staff are TESL certified and have University/Teacher College training. Many of our teachers speak two or more different languages and represent a diverse range of languages and cultural backgrounds.
Classrooms for optimal learning potential
Our classrooms are equipped with the latest technology to help our teachers teach you in the best ways possible, for you to achieve your learning goals. LLI is very proud to have been recognized as one of the best learning environments in Canada.
Want to see inside our classrooms? View our virtual tour here.
Live classes with your teachers
Many schools use recorded video for their online courses but we do not. Our full-time and part-time ESL classes are all live classes.
Teaching a class with students sitting in front of them and online students too is a speciality of our staff here at LLI. Our teachers are highly skilled in creating a positive, interactive live classroom experience for all students, and our classroom technology ensure you can join in wherever you are in the world.
Throughout the week, you will have access to at least four different teachers in your particular learning level for your ESL program. This gives you the opportunity to learn from teachers with a wide range of experience and skills.
The LLI Virtual Learning Platform
You also have access to all teaching materials, books, exercises and more via the LLI Virtual Learning Platform. You can sign in anytime and see your latest assignments to complete online. You can also view messages from your teachers via Teams.
Want to learn English in Canada or online?