French Language Services Online began in 2012 as a professional project for Omaha based French instructor Madame Kristen Abdouch Stiles. Initially designed as a way to promote business, the site evolved into a "home base" for students to find resources for their language learning experiences.With professional language experience that includes academic research, translation, and customer service, Kristen has always been most enthusiastic about teaching. Serving as the Senior Teacher for the Alliance Française d'Omaha since 2012, she has written and developed a number of courses and curricula for the organization’s education program. She has been teaching in various capacities since 2000, has been featured on French-Canadian public radio, and her classes have been observed by writers with the international publication France-Amérique. She has studied several other languages in addition to French, and fully believes that learning a new language is key to expanding one’s understanding of the world.
Kristen earned her B.A. in French from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), graduating with Distinction, with minors in English and Art History. During her undergraduate studies, she spent time living in Besançon, France where she studied at the Center of Applied Linguistics (CLA). At the CLA, she specialized in teaching French as a foreign language, completing the Formation de Professeurs de Français Langue Étrangère (F.L.E.) program with supplemental Stage F.L.E. Throughout her education, Kristen won a number of awards and recognition including the Outstanding Performance in the Study of French Award (UNL Department of Modern Languages and Literatures), the Jane Dien Scholarship (UNL French Department), the Academic Excellence in French Award, and placed as a state winner of the National French Exam three years in a row. After graduating, Kristen completed the Joslyn Art Museum Docent Training Program, presenting special research The Virgin and Child in European (French) Gothic Sculpture in addition to authoring a number of tourist guides and presentations for museums both here and abroad. Over the course of her career, Kristen has also served in a variety of leadership and supportive roles for organizations that promote the French language and culture.
