ESL Faculty and Staff

BA--University of California, Berkeley MA--California State University, East Bay Instructor at City College, San Francisco since 2017 Instructor at Chabot College since 2018

Erika Lachenmeier joined Chabot College as a full-time faculty member in 2020 after thirteen years of teaching ESL in higher education at Laney College, Portland Community College, and Portland State University. She is originally from Portland, Oregon and earned her M.A. in TESOL from Portland State University in 2006. She loves working with adult language learners and is constantly inspired by their courage and perseverance. When Erika is not teaching English, she is probably dancing. She dances Salsa with Bay Area dance company Salsamania.

Talley Caruso is an ESL instructor at Chabot College with a rich background in teaching and a passion for language exchange. Talley’s love for teaching began in 2019 when she created Os Dedicados, a virtual language exchange community that continues to thrive. She earned her M.A. in TESOL from the University of San Francisco in 2023. In 2024, her open-access publication, Digital ESL, was recognized by the British Council for its innovative approach to teaching digital literacy to beginner learners. Before entering education, Talley led global projects at companies like The North Face and Neutrogena. In her spare time, she enjoys road trips with her husband Andy and their dog, Pippin.