Just a bit about me...
My name is Latifa Hajib-Niles. I was born and raised in France. I received a Master Degree in Foreign Languages (English and Spanish) with a speciality in International Trade from La Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris.
After completing my education, I worked for ten years as a mid-level executive for Prosernat, a Paris-based oil and gas engineering company.
However, after marrying my husband and relocating to the US, I had to rethink my professional life, resulting in me taking my first teaching job at North Country School in Upstate New York where I worked with junior-high school students. I loved the work and the following year, got my first opportunity to teach French to adults at Saranac Community College. In 2003, we moved to Southern California where I taught French at Idyllwild Arts Academy for Performing Arts for two years.
In 2005, we decided to move our family to the French Basque Country where, since arriving, I have been teaching French to mostly English-speaking professionals or expats who have decided to settle in the region.
My American husband and I have now been married for 16 years and have two children. At home, we speak French and English. My husband, who teaches English, received his first degree from the University of California at Berkeley where he studied linguistics and cognitive metaphor. As you might imagine, a lot of our conversations revolve around fascinating developments in the world of teaching, pedagogy, linguistics and cognitive science (and much more)...all to the good since these type of discussions help me to grow as a teacher and, therefore, serve you better!