Born and raised in Taranaki, Tineka is the proud owner of Lingua. She has a wealth of experience in language teaching and is extremely passionate about the value of learning another language.

Tineka lived abroad for many years and her love for different languages and cultures developed over time through lots of travel. It brings her great joy to see those in our local community embarking on their language learning journeys.

She also feels strongly about the importance of doing all we can to ensure the beautiful migrants that have chosen to make Taranaki their home, are well supported in every way possible, most importantly with the challenges of a different language and culture.

Jeanne was born in Madagascar. She arrived in France when she was 4, grew up in the South, then lived in Grenoble and Lyon on her own before travelling for a planned 12 month holiday to New Zealand in 2018. Life decided otherwise though, as 6 months after arriving, Jeanne met a special someone in New Plymouth who is now her husband. Almost 7 years later, Jeanne is now a permanent resident and loves living in Taranaki.

Being part of Lingua is a real joy for Jeanne as she loves sharing her strong passion for France, its culture and its diversity. She never tires of teaching French and talking about France because it simply fills her cup. Learning with Jeanne is fun, interactive and lessons are mostly based on everyday situations.

Aside from teaching, Jeanne loves the fashion industry, the arts, cooking (of course!), gardening (a lot!) and travelling with her husband across the globe.

Originally from a small town near Lago Maggiore, Valentina has brought her Italian passion and expertise to Aotearoa New Zealand, where she now lives with her Kiwi partner, and their two daughters.

Valentina is dedicated to making her classes fun, creative, and inspiring, sharing not only the essentials of grammar and vocabulary but also her love for Italian culture, traditions, and, of course, the joys of Italian cuisine!

Valentina is passionate about travel, meeting people from all over the world, and raising her daughters as little citizens of the world. Her goal is to bring this global perspective into her teaching, making every lesson a journey into the heart of Italy’s rich heritage!

Originally from central Hong Kong, Lina landed in Aotearoa New Zealand back in 2008 where she completed a Business Management degree in Auckland. After many years working in the Commerce industry, and after starting a family, Lina relocated to New Plymouth in 2016.

Lina developed a passion for the education sector after graduating from Waikato University with a Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching. She teaches at a local high school and also teaches Mandarin at Lingua whenever there is interest.

Lina is extremely passionate about sharing her mother tongue language and culture with others. In her free time, she has grown a love for golf, and enjoys being a member of Kaitake Golf Club.

María Elena is a proud Venezuelan who now calls beautiful Aotearoa New Zealand her home. With over 30 years of experience teaching at university level, particularly at her alma mater, Universidad Central de Venezuela, she has had the privilege of guiding and learning from countless students along the way.

Recently, María Elena joined Lingua and she is thrilled to be part of a team of inspiring tutors, where she loves teaching her native language, Spanish, and sharing pieces of her vibrant culture with students.

Outside of academia, María is passionate about fitness, particularly Zumba, which allows her to blend a love for Caribbean dance with staying active and healthy.

From an early age, Deborah knew that she had a love of languages. She studied French throughout secondary school, then discovered a passion for Spanish while at university. After finishing a BA and a Diploma of Teaching, she went on to complete a Diploma of Spanish from Massey University.

Deborah currently teaches Spanish at a local secondary school. Since joining the Lingua team, she has taught adult classes in Spanish for beginners, as well as tutoring students in NCEA Spanish.

Learning a language can be extremely satisfying, as well as lots of fun, and Deborah enjoys the social side of classes at Lingua, where the supportive environment helps foster a lifelong love of languages in the students.