Tonya Stalnaker-Tiggett
Owner and President, Programs and Curriculum Director

Tonya, as some people say, is a Latina “wannabe!” She has been teaching Spanish in Ohio for 17 years, and brings tremendous enthusiasm, creativity and energy to her programs and classroom instruction. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Language Education, and her Master’s degree in Spanish Peninsular Literature. Tonya has studied in Toledo and Valencia, Spain and Cuernavaca, Mexico. When Tonya served as Resident Director for OSU’s study abroad program in Cuernavaca she fell in love with the Cemanahuac School and its staff. The dynamic programs and effectiveness of that immersion setting left a deep impression on Tonya and started her on the path to creating a unique school in Central Ohio to meet the ever-growing need for a multi-lingual community. Years later, growing tired and frustrated of teaching for other organizations that did not emit the same ENERGY, PASSION and understanding of what GREAT classroom teaching was about, Tonya founded Speak Our Language, LLC (SOL)- with the main goal of showcasing EXPERT classroom instruction, FUN in every lesson, and AUTHENTIC and MEANINGFUL activities! Tonya’s main philosophy is that “language learning can be FUN and EFFECTIVE as long as you put the right person in front of your "audience." Contact Tonya for any further information.

Ana C.
Profesora Extraordinaria de los 10-12 year olds

Ana holds a Master’s degree in Foreign Language Education from The Ohio State University and is in the process of completing her coursework for her English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement at Otterbein College. She has been in the United States for 40 years, hailing Chile as her home country. Prior to living in Ohio, Ana lived in Michigan – or as OSU fans say “that state up north!” The thing Ana most loves about teaching is that the “kids are energizing and you can shape their personalities to become socially useful and morally responsible.” Ana reads, dances, gardens and cooks when not in the classroom and says “ I am excited after listening and participating in your oral session today,” to be a part of Speak Our Language.

Cori P.
Passionate Profesora and Resident Tutor

Cori loves to travel to Spanish speaking places to immerse herself in the culture and meet people from all over the world. Traveling is the best way to understand a culture, she doesn’t not like being a “tourist” and prefers to stay off the beaten path. ”I try to travel anytime I can, there are always new places to see and more Spanish to learn! My futuristic dream job would be to work for Lonely Planet or Fodor’s and writing travel books, by finding new restaurants and hotels to help other travelers.” She received her M.S. from Ohio University and has been teaching Spanish ever since. She currently teaches high school Spanish in Dublin. She is also a Track coach and will also coach Cross Country in the fall. When she is not teaching Cori loves to run outside, there are so many nice running paths in Dublin and around the Columbus area, the Metro Parks are great. Other than running, she loves any outdoor activity/sport and hanging out with friends and family. “I’m adventurous, I’m always up for trying something new or finding a new hobby or pastime. “Speak our Language is a perfect fit for me. Seeing students of all ages be successful in learning another language while having fun is what it’s all about. I love the energy and excitement that Speak Our Language offers, both teachers and students have fun teaching and learning.”

Tracy W.
Newest Sensational Teacher

Tracy has been teaching for 15 years and learned her Spanish hands-on as a Peace Corp volunteer in Honduras. “I always wanted to be bilingual.” Like other non-Latina instructors at SOL, Tracy likes teaching Spanish because the loves the culture and feels that she is a “Latina at heart!” “I like teaching for SOL because the students are there because they want to be – which helps maintain a positive, upbeat environment.” When not teaching for a suburban school district during the day, and SOL in the evening, Tracy does cross-stitching to relax and enjoys cooking, walking, biking, reading and working in the yard with her husband Will, who she wed in July 2007. Congratulations Tracy on your nuptials and welcome to SOL!

Brenda L.
Pinch-Hit Conversation Teacher and Substitute

Bio Info Coming Soon!

Monika M.
Bilingual Aid

Monika most loves “watching [children] learn and teaching them about my culture and language.” Monika has years of experience in the classroom, having worked with Franklin County MRDD, working as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in Costa Rica and working toward a degree from Otterbein in Special Education / Early Childhood Education. Apart from representing Arbonne as a bilingual sales representative, Monika spends time horseback riding, playing tennis and reading.