sustainED

Andrea Záhumenská is currently the Director of Studies at the Bridge English Language Centre in Bratislava, Slovakia. She has presented at a number of ELT conferences and delivered a range of external training sessions to English teachers. Andrea holds a Trinity TESOL Diploma and has recently gained EMCC coaching accreditation. She believes that teachers can and do make a real difference to students‘ lives and that they can have a positive influence on students that resonates beyond the classroom. She also believes that teaching is a dynamic and evolving profession and that the best teachers believe in lifelong learning and continually strive for personal development.

Kamila Jančíková studied both English and German and was a language teacher for twenty years. Now, she is in charge of the marketing agenda of the Bridge and Kogneo, and last year she published her first book of poetry. She is also a certified yoga instructor, as well as a certified ayurveda lifestyle coach, and her biggest interest is what she calls the poetry of life. She loves to write, take pictures, travel and read.

Emma has a master’s degree in literature from Queen Mary’s College, University of London, a CELTA diploma from the International House London, and has recently completed the Coaching Practitioner course with the Bridge, gaining her accreditation with the EMCC shortly after. She has been teaching for nearly 10 years and was integrating coaching methods into her lessons before participating in the coaching course. She sees coaching as a great way to get to the heart of what our students are looking for from their language learning and a useful resource for teacher’s to help themselves as well and make sure they’re getting what they want from their career.

Sandra is from Germany, from a small town near Munich. She is a methodical, thoughtful, and calm yoga enthusiast with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. What she values most about teaching is “the love and joy of the teaching profession.” Teaching is a hobby for her; it gives her the opportunity to help students grow. After completing her studies, she worked in the tourism industry but then decided to change careers. After successfully completing the CELTA course in Edinburgh, she began teaching English. For a good 8 years, Sandra lived in Spain, England, Scotland, and China. She loves learning languages and discovering new cultures. Sandra enjoys traveling, practicing yoga, dancing, spending time in nature, listening to music, and watching movies. She has been a teacher at The Bridge since 2019.

Kev Byrne has worked as a CELTA-trained TEFL teacher in Italy for 30 years working with all ages and levels. He has been a senior teacher and head of CPD for a number of private language schools and state schools. He has been a speaking examiner (SE) for Cambridge Assessment (Starters to Flyers; A1 to C2 levels) since 1999 and retired as an interlocutor in 2019. He has worked with Pilgrims Young Learners since 2000 as a teacher, AD TEFL, and as an assistant academic manager. He has also worked as activities manager guest trainer for Pilgrims Teacher Training at the University of Kent, in the UK.  He has recently obtained TESOL certificates in Teaching English Online (Cambridge Assessment), Challenges of 21^st Century Education (University of Exeter), and Teaching Young Learners Online (British Council). He has contributed to English Teaching Professional, and has been working with HLT for the last couple of years on various articles (primarily about: storytelling, and mental health in today’s classrooms). He has been involved with local Italian colleges and occasionally pretends to teach biochemistry as an assistant tutor. He is currently working for private schools in Italy, and has worked (via remote learning) with The Bridge based in Slovakia for the last 6 years. He has recently (from June 2026) taken on a part-time role as an interpreter for the judicial system in Italy.

Roman Krebes is an experienced English educator working across state and private sectors, specializing in curriculum design and tailored language strategies. With a strong interest in the long-term sustainability of the teaching profession, he actively advocates for the holistic well-being of instructors. He focuses on implementing strategies that improve workplace ergonomics and mitigate the physical and mental strains inherent to teaching. By addressing these factors, he seeks to help career educators and tutors prevent burnout, protect their physical health, and maintain high performance throughout their professional lives.

Klaudia Bednárová graduated from the Faculty of Arts in Nitra, majoring in English Language and Literature – Pedagogy. In 2009 she founded The Bridge English Language Centre, which became one of the founding members of the Association of Language Schools of the Slovak Republic in 2010 and an internationally accredited language school in 2020. Klaudia is actively involved in adult and teacher education. She is a member of the presidium of the AIVD and the Slovak Association of Age Management. She was at the birth of the Slovak Chamber of English teachers and lead the projects ELTforum.sk and The Bridge re-boot camp for teachers. Klaudia’s research focuses on the integration of education into the ecosystems of companies and organisations, ROI issues and the impact of education on the growth and development of companies. Her non-professional interest is finding strategies to effective learning.

Silvia Seigne is an educator and school founder based in Nitra, Slovakia. She studied English Language and European Studies at the University of Nitra before moving to France, where she lived for ten years. During her time in Paris, she taught Business English in the corporate sector and later founded an English language school in Versailles, working with children aged 3 to 12.
After returning to Slovakia in 2017, Silvia founded a primary school called Makovičky. Today, the school is based in Nitra and has grown into a community of around 100 students. Silvia is a mother of three and is married to a Frenchman. Outside of education, she enjoys reading and spending time in nature.

Marco is not only a certified English teacher but also brings in 27 years of experience as an international business executive in the B2B sector. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a diploma in HR Management, and a Master’s degree in Marketing & Sales, he is a certified Mental Coach as well. Beyond the corporate world, Marco is an avid hiker and climber who had the chance to travel far and wide. His passion for reading spans Italian, English, and French literature. Marco’s exceptional organizational skills and down-to- earth nature make him a valuable asset to any team. In his role as a Business English instructor, his extensive industry experience and knowledge are greatly appreciated by his students. Moreover, his effective communication style and leadership skills contribute to his well-rounded professionalism.