Swahili Level 1
Twalha Abbass is a Folklore PhD student at Indiana University and experienced Swahili instructor. A former Fulbright FLTA, he brings his study of Tanzanian folkways into the classroom, creating engaging, culturally grounded learning experiences for his students.
Arabic Level 1
Muhammad Abdo is an Egyptian linguist and dual PhD student in Arabic Linguistics and Computational Linguistics. He is an Associate Instructor of Arabic at Indiana University and has also taught in the Middlebury College Summer Program. With a decade of experience, he designs practical, student-centered materials—especially for beginners.
Arabic Level 3
With over ten years of experience teaching Arabic as a second language and a research focus on writing assessment and corrective feedback, my goal in the Summer Language Workshop is to deliver an engaging, effective learning experience aligned with program objectives and responsive to learners’.
Lithuanian Level 1
Jura Avizienis grew up speaking both Lithuanian and English. She received her M.A. in Lithuanian Literature and has taught Lithuanian for several years. Since 2020, she has been teaching Lithuanian in the Indiana University Summer Language Workshop and she is looking forward to welcoming new students of Lithuanian in 2025.
Romanian Level 1
Iosefina Blazsani-Batto has expertise in Romanian language and culture, adult education, and cultural diplomacy. She has developed and coordinated academic programs across the world and is passionate about curriculum development and cultural heritage.
Latvian Level 1
Solvita has been with the Summer Language Workshop since 2019. Her teaching philosophy draws on her research. She focuses on language policies and practices in the Baltic States as well as the question of how to integrate interactive tasks and authentic materials into the Latvian language and culture classroom. Those insights are reflected in her teaching.
Chinese Level 1
Returning for her fifth year, Sydni (江红) is excited to meet the 2026 Level 1 Chinese students! Her teaching philosophy is grounded pedagogical theory, years of teaching language and performing arts, and her own experiences as a language learner. She looks forward to welcoming the 2026 cohort of language learners and culture enthusiasts to the Workshop!
Turkish Level 1
Dr. Sibel Crum specializes in designing and delivering both residential and online courses on Turkish language and culture at IU with an interdisciplinary focus on technology-enhanced learning. Her teaching reflects insights from her own research. She incorporates inclusive instructional design and creates immersive and adaptive learning environments.
Arabic Level 4
With 12+ years teaching Arabic, I support students in balancing fluency and accuracy. I bring expertise in Islamic Studies (major), Gender Studies and Linguistics (minors), and a teaching philosophy grounded in structure, engagement, and encouraging feedback. Excited to teach Level 4 and lead the Arabic program as Section Head in Summer 2026!
Arabic Level 2
Lamia Djeldjel is an associate instructor of Arabic at IU and has taught the beginning and intermediate levels of Arabic in the Summer Language Workshop and the Middlebury Arabic Language School. Her range of experiences combined with her compassionate and enthusiastic side make her an inspiring teacher in the Arabic teaching community.
Russian Level 5
Elena is a dedicated language educator with a rich academic background. She is looking forward to returning to the Summer Language Workshop. Her teaching is informed by her research. For Elena, seeing her students' hone their critical thinking and problem-solving skills and gathering profound insights into the foreign as well as their native language is the most fulfilling aspect of teaching.
Dutch Level 1
I am excited to be returning to teach for the Summer Language Workshop for my 2nd year. I grew up in a Dutch-American community in the US and am an alumnus of the Summer Language Workshop myself. As a teacher, I emphasize engaging with real-world examples and creating a classroom environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking and sharing.
Russian Level 6
Sabina is a PhD student in Slavic linguistics and an Associate Instructor of Russian. Prior to joining IU, she taught Russian language and culture courses at the University of Notre Dame as a Fulbright Foreign Language Assistant. Her current research interests include phonology, dialects and accents, and sociolinguistics.
Arabic Level 5
I absolutely love teaching, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching students grow in confidence and skill. To me, a language isn’t just a tool you use; it’s a whole new life, a fresh way to see, think, and connect with the world.
Persian Level 1
Mohammad Khaksar is a PhD student in Second Language Studies at IU. He holds an MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and has several years of teaching experience. After teaching Persian at the Summer Language Workshop last year, he is excited to help students explore Persian language and culture again this year.
Kurdish Level 1
Dr. Hewa S. Khalid is a visiting lecturer at Indiana University and currently developing the Level 2 Kurdish textbook for language teaching. His teaching is informed by his research focusing on the Kurdish language, Kurdish dialects and language policies of the Middle East. He has taught in the UK and the US as well as in multiple Kurdistan regions in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Estonian Level 1
Piibi-Kai Kivik has been teaching Estonian in IU's Central Eurasian Studies and the Summer Language Workshop for several years. Her studies on how adult second language learners make meaning in spontaneous conversation practice activities inform her teaching. She is excited to be returning to the Summer Language Workshop in 2025.
Mongolian Level 1
Tserenchunt teaches Mongolian in IU's Department of Central Eurasian Studies and the Summer Language Workshop since 2007. Her experience developing proficiency-oriented programs for foreign language learners of Mongolian and developing new textbooks and online course materials inform her teaching.
Chinese Level 3
Before joining Indiana University, Mengjie taught Chinese at Macalester College, Peking University, and the Princeton in Beijing summer workshop. She is excited to return to the IU Summer Language Workshop in 2025. Her teaching philosophy is guided by her research on language ideology and language identity, especially regarding Chinese heritage speakers' language identity in relation to their language classroom experiences.
Chinese Section Head
Xiang Lyu is a senior lecturer at Indiana University and a language consultant at IU Chinese Flagship Program. He has taught all levels of Chinese language classes, both heritage and non-heritage tracks in the US. Previously, he has worked as a lecturer at UW-Madison, Princeton University and as leading instructor and admissions committee member at the Princeton-in-Beijing Intensive Summer Program.
Polish Level 1
Agnieszka Makles teaches Polish in the Department of German and REELL (Russian and East European Languages and Literatures) at Rutgers University, NJ and she directs the Kościuszko Squadron, a Polish culture club for students at the United States Military Academy West Point and her research interests into authentic texts and corpus linguistics in language teaching inform her teaching. She is looking forward to teaching in the Summer Language Workshop in 2025.
Ukrainian Level 1
Svitlana Melnyk is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures at Indiana University. She teaches Ukrainian, Introduction to Ukrainian Culture and Russian courses. Her international teaching experience includes teaching the Ukrainian language in Ukraine, Hungary, Canada, and US.
Russian Level 3
Iuliia has taught Russian at Lawrence University in Appleton, where she also furthered her own studies. Apart from teaching in the IU Summer Language Workshop, Iuliia is also a Russian Language Tutor for the Russian Flagship Program at UW-Madison, where she teaches and support Flagship students during the Academic Year.
Russian Level 2
Natasha Rubanova is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature at Indiana University. At IU, she has taught courses on 20th-century Russian literature, popular culture, and the Russian language.
Russian Section Head
Maria has taught all levels of Russian, as well as courses on Russian culture and teaching methods. She led the Russian Language Program at the University of Pennsylvania (2003-2010) and has been with Indiana University since 2010, where she is Director of the IU Russian Flagship Program. She is committed to creating a welcoming program with inclusive learning environments that empowers students and motivates faculty.
Chinese Level 2
Yawen Tsai is a Visiting Lecturer in the Chinese Program of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Indiana University Bloomington. Before joining IU, she taught general Chinese classes at all levels for international exchange students at National Taiwan University and as a visiting Lecturer at Takushoku University in Tokyo. She has also taught and held administrative roles in intensive programs such as Project GO.
Russian Level 4
Olga Volkova graduated from Indiana University with a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature in 2014. She has taught literature, culture, film, and language courses in North America, Russia, and China. Olga has taught in the intensive language programs at IU and Middlebury College. She lives in Greenville, SC, with two teenage sons. She is an avid long-distance runner.
HAMILTON LUGAR SCHOOLBLOOMINGTON
355 North Eagleson Avenue