FACULTY & STAFF
Gulf Language School faculty, staff, and administrators are highly trained professionals who understand the needs of international students. Most of them have lived overseas and have traveled extensively. The faculty at the GLS have native English speaking proficiency and degrees in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) or closely related fields. They are members of TESOL International Association and are involved in professional development activities to ensure that they have current knowledge and skills to teach English very effectively.
Our faculty and administrators are supported by an experienced staff who assist students with admission procedures, immigration regulations, pre-arrival arrangements, housing, health issues, health insurance, and other student matters. Their membership in NAFSA: Association of International Educators enables them to access current, expert information on U.S. government regulations and best practices in the field of international education. They understand the issues that students can encounter living in another country and are available to help.
We would be delighted to welcome you to Gulf Language School and to help you.
Administration
Marc-Xavier Chibou Passeneau
[email protected]
Director, Gulf Language School
7th Floor, Room 706
Marc-Xavier Chibou Passeneau graduated from The University of Sunderland-United Kingdom with a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management.
Having grown up in a multilingual family that valued language acquisition and multiculturalism, he is fluent in English, French, and Arabic and possesses intermediate ability in Spanish and Italian. Mr. Passeneau has developed a curriculum and taught ESL, Arabic, and French courses in the United States. He is a past Arabic and French interpreter for the United States Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Mr. Passeneau joined North American University’s Gulf Language School in January, 2015 and has taught all language levels. His teaching philosophy is that all students have the ability to learn and succeed and believes that his role is to facilitate each student’s bilingual acquisition.
In his free time, Mr. Passeneau enjoys exploring the culinary and cultural activities of Houston and enjoys world travel.
Lorena Caesar
[email protected]
Lead Faculty & Academic Coordinator
7th Floor, Room 714
Lorena Caesar was born in Texas but lived most of her childhood in El Salvador. She completed her university studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio. For her Bachelor of Arts degree, she majored in French and Classical Studies, with a minor in Latin American Studies. She then received her Master’s Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Ms. Caesar joined the Gulf Language School in 2013 and has since taught all levels. She also has experience teaching young children online and adults in other colleges in Houston. In 2016 Ms. Caesar won the Gulf Language School’s Teacher of the Year Award. In 2023 she was promoted to Lead Faculty, which has allowed her to guide and support new instructors as well as to work on the continuous improvement of our curriculum.
Ms. Caesar believes in the importance of learning and understanding culture and language. She hopes to not only improve her students’ English proficiency but also to ignite a passion for learning. Outside of work, she enjoys quality time and fun activities around town with her three young sons and her husband.
Jason Villanueva
[email protected]
Main Building, 7th Floor
English as a Second Language Instructor
Jason Villanueva, J.D., is from Chicago, Illinois but has lived all around the world. He has resided in Washington, Maryland, Germany, South Korea, and now Texas. Mr. Villanueva received his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in English and minoring in Asian-American Studies. Additionally, he earned a Juris Doctor degree at Texas Southern University. Mr. Villanueva has had previous experience teaching English as a Second Language nearby Seoul, South Korea. On November 10, 2013, he was awarded a 150-Hour TESOL Teaching Certificate provided by LinguaEdge and accredited by ACTDEC.
Jason has been with the Gulf Language School at North American University since October 2012. He believes that helping students learn a new language and shaping them to become positive role models is such a rewarding experience. Mr. Villanueva enjoys traveling around the world, learning about different cultures, and eating food from different countries