AF Instructors - Alliance Francaise de Tallahassee

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Lila Rush As a Literature major at Florida State University, Lila has studied French writers from Michel Foucault to Monique Wittig. Lila studied French in high school and then in college; her love for the language eventually led her to the Alliance Française de Tallahassee. In French for True Beginners, she blends the basics of phonics, vocab, and grammar with art, music, and international affairs from the Francophone world.

Anna Burnley a linguist and lover of words (especially if they're in French!), joined AFTally and serves as an instructor whenever needed. Also a member of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), the Florida AATF, TESOL International, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Mensa, among many other organizations, Dr. Burnley is an active Scholar-Practitioner. Since 2011, she has taught additional language acquisition at a private, liberal arts college in Florida, presented and published internationally in peer-reviewed journals, and conducted research in globally-shared stories. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia, Carson-Newman University, and Murray State University. Dr. Burnley makes her home in Tallahassee with her husband, and in her spare time, enjoys travel, reading, and entering her French roses in competitions. See you in class at the AFTally!

Dr. Anne Bewley I'm a retired professor of psychology and mental health counselor. My study of French began in middle school, but after high school I forgot as much as I had learned. When we moved from New Hampshire to Tallahassee ten years ago, I picked it up again at the Alliance, the Senior Center, and FSU. For several years, I attended language schools in France, and I now return annually to live the language, enjoy the culture and make new friends. Language learning is difficult, so I believe it should be engaging, useful, and most of all, fun.

Charlotte Stuart-Tilly (Teaching Fellow) is a student of International Affairs at the Florida State U who we identified early on as a precocious learner of French and now teacher. She has traveled to and lived in France and has a vast appreciation for the francophone world. We are thrilled to have her on board as a teacher of French 1 and French 1 continuation courses.

Lance Gambis As a child, Lance attended ecole primaire in Paris. He continued his studies within the French school system after moving to Caracas at age 7, and then in New York City at age 12. In 2019, he swapped the NYC hustle and bustle for the tranquility of Tallahassee, seeking a change of pace and new experiences.

Dr. Maggie McColley holds a doctorate from UVa in French Studies. Through Rutgers University she studied at the Universite de Paris-Sorbonne III and the Universite de Francois Rabelais, located on the banks of the Loire River. She returned to France as an Assistante d'Anglais and taught at the Lycee Kleber in Strasbourg. While researching her dissertation on francophone women travelers to North Africa, Asia, and India, she lived in Aix-en-Provence and taught at the Universite de Provence as a lecturer in American Studies. After several years of teaching at the College of William and Mary and Rhodes College for two visiting professorships, she longed for the water and moved to Tallahassee to teach French at all levels. She is the Director of Academics of AFTally and teaches at the FSU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She has written on francophone women's travel letters.

Jared Miller is an Academic Program Specialist for the School of Nursing at Florida State University. He holds a PhD in French Medieval Studies from UPenn after earning full scholarships throughout his degree programs. We are fortunate to have him teaching intermediate French courses for us here at AFTally.