Immersion English – English for Life
Immersion English – English for Life
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Welcome to Immersion English, where we believe true language mastery happens when learning connects with your life. Based in the heart of Sofia, we move beyond traditional textbook methods to offer a dynamic and personalised approach to English language education, designed for ambitious learners who want to communicate with confidence and clarity within different contexts and environments.
Our expertise is focused on helping you achieve your specific goals. Whether you are preparing for crucial exams like IELTS or CAE, refining your professional communication and interview skills, or mastering the art of effective writing, our targeted programmes are designed to deliver tangible results.
For our General English learners, we go beyond the tranditional teaching approach while making learning both effective and engaging. We believe the most sustainable progress comes from connecting English to your world. That’s why we incorporate your personal interests and needs with rich, varied and current sources of authentic English available today. Together, we will explore compelling books, analyse gripping drama series, and discuss insightful podcasts. This method transforms language learning from a task into a passion.
At the heart of our school are our expert teachers. They are not just instructors; they are mentors who guide you, challenge you, and curate a learning journey that is uniquely yours. At Immersion English, our goal is to empower you to use English fluently and confidently to achieve your academic and professional ambitions.
Meet the team
Meet the team
Cathal (Lenny) Leonard
Cathal (Lenny) Leonard
Founder and Senior English Teacher
Founder and Senior English Teacher
Cathal (or "Lenny" as his friends and students call him) is a CELTA-qualified English teacher with over ten years of experience helping teenage and adult learners achieve their language goals. He has taught at prestigious institutions including the British Council in Sofia and international summer programmes in Oxford and Brighton.
A specialist in exam preparation, Lenny has an extensive track record of guiding students to success in Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) and IELTS. Lenny is also a certified British Council ESAT-J examiner, bringing valuable expertise in English assessment and communicative teaching.
He holds a BA from NUI Galway and an MA in Political Science from Queen’s University Belfast, an academic background he uses to foster challenging and insightful discussions. Lenny is known for creating a supportive environment where students build the skills and confidence needed for their future academic success.
Lenny’s classes are lively, engaging, and full of humour – helping students build confidence and find their voice in English. When he’s not teaching, he’s usually playing (or trying to play!) his guitar.
Lina Georgieva
Lina Georgieva
Marketing and Business Development Manager
Marketing and Business Development Manager
Lina is the co-founder and business development lead behind the Immersion English summer programme. With over a decade of international experience in education, communications, and marketing, she brings both strategic insight and creative energy.
A graduate of Hunter College, City University of New York, with a BA in Film and Media Studies, Lina currently works as Global Capability Development Manager at the British Council, leading initiatives that connect learners, teachers, and partners across the world.
Bilingual in English and Bulgarian and fluent in several other languages, she believes in the power of cultural immersion and meaningful human connection.
As a certified yoga teacher and mother of a teenage daughter, she’s passionate about creating learning environments that foster confidence, curiosity, and wellbeing. Through the Immersion English Summer Camp, Lina brings together her love for language, culture, and mindfulness – offering young people a chance to learn, grow, and discover Dublin in a meaningful way.
Liana Zheleva
Teaching Assistant
Liana Zheleva
Teaching Assistant
Lia is an 18-year-old student at the National Fine Arts High School in Sofia, where she combines her love for creativity, expression, and connection. Bilingual in English and Bulgarian, she brings a warm, approachable energy to the Immersion English team and enjoys helping students feel at home in a new environment.
Her experience at The Lir Academy’s Young Actors Summer Programme in Dublin supported her pursuit of a career in acting and the performing arts and gave her a genuine familiarity with the city and its culture. Passionate about music, theatre, the performing arts and working with people, Lia brings enthusiasm and empathy to everything she does.
At Immersion English, Lia supports teachers and students alike – creating a positive, engaging space for learning, laughter, and cultural discovery.
What our students say
What our students say
"Lenny is the most motivational english teacher I've ever met! His way of teaching is involving so many kind of innovative methods that you'll be studying in an atmosphere of fun, professionalism and individual attention on your own needs. I strongly recommend!"
– Natalya Baleva
"Lenny is a great teacher and he helped me to learn and start using the English as I wanted (he asked me on our first meeting - why I want to study English) . I like his style of teaching - he involves grammar, vocabulary and exercises while we are chatting /reading and discussing daily topics (from the news, about our interests, etc)
Highly recommend Lenny as a teacher!"
– Dobromira Kozhuharova
"If you can read this - perhaps you know some English. But if you want to experience the real beauty and pleasure of being fluent- you need Lenny! With his professionalism and charm he can easily turn this educational journey into a pure joy! And sooner than you think, you will be able to understand all of the songs lyrics, to watch movies without subtitles, to read English books, and even to get the jokes that he makes. I highly recommend this teacher if you need change in your life, improvement, inspiration or if you just dream about being a grammar genius - just call Lenny!"
– Petia Aranudova
"I always knew that my puzzle of English language knowledge has a lot of missing pieces, but was quite sure that I’m too old to add them. I have joined the British Council courses mostly to challenge myself but also to try to fill my missing pieces. There I have a chance to meet Lenny as my teacher. The way he lead the course not only helped me to learn and remember without knowing how, but also to become more confident in using English language in conversations. Very fast, attending the course became a breath of fresh air after a long working day. I highly recommend Lenny as your choice of English teacher, because he is not only a great teacher, but also an intelligent and interesting interlocutor."
– Zornitsa Dermendzhieva-Stoynova
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