En nog een WordPress site
Our team
Art is Amerikaan en woont sinds 1997 in Nederland. In 2001 verhuisde hij met zijn Nederlandse vrouw naar Abcoude. Zij hebben nu drie tweetalige jongens. Art is afgestudeerd in wiskunde en computerwetenschappen. Hij verhuisde naar Nederland om een Europese vestiging van een Amerikaanse call center software bedrijf op te zetten en leiding aan te geven. Na 22 jaar vond hij het tijd worden om iets totaal anders te gaan doen.
In mei 2008 besloot hij vrijwilligerswerk te doen op een basisschool in Abcoude, waar zijn kinderen naar school gaan. Daar geeft hij elke week Engelse les in kleine groepen door middel van spel, liedjes, voorlezen etc. om de kinderen gemotiveerd te houden. De enthousiaste reacties van de kinderen overtuigde Art om deze “Fun Learning English” cursus op te zetten.
Sarah is Engelse en woont sinds 1999 in Nederland. Zij heeft een Nederlandse echtgenoot en twee kinderen die, uiteraard, tweetalig worden opgevoed. In Engeland heeft zij de Universiteit van Hull doorlopen en is afgestudeerd in sociologie en antropologie. Sarah heeft ervaring opgedaan in het geven van Engelse les op een lagere school in Zanzibar en een internationale school in India.
Fun Learning English vindt zij een geweldige mogelijkheid om kinderen een vreemde taal te leren, ook omdat dit de ontwikkeling en zelfvertrouwen stimuleert. Dit is de reden voor haar om samen met Art “Fun Learning English Abcoude” op te zetten.
Gehena Chauhan- Acting Operations Manager, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel and Instructor
Gehena is a native English speaker from New Delhi, India. A self professed book worm during her convent schooling she went on to pursue her masters in English Literature from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University. After receiving her CELTA from the British Council, she married her long time boyfriend and moved to the Netherlands to join him. She enjoys cycling in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel where she lives with her husband and playing badminton at the local club. She loves interacting with all her students.
Katherine Heath
Katty grew up in Cambridge, England. She studied Contemporary Arts (music, art and drama) in Nottingham where she continued to live for many years after graduating from University. During this time she developed a career as a professional singer and was involved in numerous bands. She is still very busy with music today and regularly performs live. In 2007 a burning desire to learn snowboarding compelled her to move to Chatel, a beautiful ski resort in the French Alps - where she met her Dutch boyfriend Cas! After 8 months in France they relocated to London, staying there for almost 3 years before moving to Amsterdam where they now enjoy life on a houseboat! Whilst in London Katty worked with children from deprived areas to help them improve their literacy through song-writing and story telling workshops. She found this very rewarding and after travelling around Thailand at the beginning of 2011 she was inspired to enrol in a TEFL course, hoping that some day she could combine teaching with her love of travelling. Katty plays piano, guitar and enjoys rollerblading around Vondelpark! She is a recent addition to Fun Learning English and hopes to bring her musical skills to the classroom as much as possible!
Gail was born in 1969 on a small farm in Norfolk, England. After studying at art school, she moved to Bonn, Germany where she worked as a stage painter for a few years and gave birth to her son Tim, now 19. From 2003 she worked full time at an international child day care centre in Bonn and in her free time studied ‘Art pedagogy’ at the Kölner Institut für Kulturarbeit und Weiterbildung.
She was also involved in a mobile art initiative, bringing fun and exciting art projects to children at festivals, museums and birthday celebrations.
In the last 4 years before moving to Amsterdam in 2010, she taught English for kids in many different kindergartens and schools in and around the Bonn area.
She also recently gained the CELTA qualification for English teaching as a foreign language.
Making kids laugh is one of the most enjoyable things in the world for her and when they also learn something new and gain self confidence through her enthusiasm and friendliness, she goes home in the evening very happy indeed.
Nancy is American, originally from Los Angeles, California. She is bi-lingual, speaking both English and Spanish, both of which are her native tongue. She graduated with a degree in Art History from the University of California State Long Beach and is genuinely passionate about language and working with children. Nancy moved to the Netherlands in 2009 and as of this August made Abcoude her new permanent home with her Dutch partner. She is currently taking a Dutch language course in Amsterdam and is enthusiastic about learning ‘Nederlands’. Nancy can truly empathize with her young students when it comes to learning a new language. She hopes that through repetition, play, participation, careful listening and visual stimulation the children acquire the basic foundation for the wonderful English language! She’s currently teaching Fun Learning English classes at the Pius, Piet Mondriaan and CNS schools in Abcoude.
Anni is married and has two young children. The family moved to the Netherlands in 2008 – originally for a year but they all enjoyed it so much that they decided to stay on! Anni has a BA Hons in Drama from Manchester University, England. She has been involved in various local drama events and projects including workshops with disabled children and drama in education. After graduating from university, she worked in marketing with various companies specialising in shows and events. Since becoming a mother she has been increasingly involved with child based groups and activities including Beaver Scouts, Creches and Playgroups and has plenty of experience of keeping children happy and entertained. Anni joined Fun Learning English in January 2011 and enjoys teaching at the Pius School in Abcoude. Anni is trying to learn Dutch and understands completely the challenges of learning a new language!
Rose is a native English speaker from Darwin Australia now living in Amstelveen with her Dutch partner. She has a TESOL Certificate in International English Teaching and a Certificate II in Community Health. She has participated in several children’s volunteer programs throughout the years and has previously worked with Fun Learning English in Abcoude. Rose is an enthusiastic teacher and looks forward to meeting students and their parents in one of the Fun Learning English
Jenny grew up in Rugby, Warwickshire (Shakespeare’s county). She has always been interested in the arts, culture and language; after gaining qualifications in animation, film and photography, she went on to study for a degree in photography at Kingston University in Surrey. She has a keen interest in the French culture and language and is taking French lessons here in the Netherlands. France was where she gained experience in teaching English, as she lived and worked as an Au pair in Paris; it was here that she developed a love for teaching. She is also a TEFL certified grammar teacher with certificates in teaching young learners, business English and one-to-one. She moved over to Amsterdam with her partner who is studying for his Masters in political science at UvA. She plays guitar, is learning piano and hopes that her knowledge, expertise and her passion for imaginative teaching will encourage her students and will develop their understanding of a new exciting language.
Nancy is originally from Canada. She moved to the Netherlands in 2010 with her husband. They had been living in Switzerland for work before moving to Amsterdam. Nancy has a BA in Social Work from the University of Windsor in Canada and also has a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Diploma certificate from George Brown College in Canada. Since graduating from the TESL program she has been working in education as either a teacher or in the curriculum field. Nancy joined Fun Learning English in February 2011. She enjoys teaching at the CNS school in Abcoude, the Scholengemeenschap Reigersbos in Amsterdam and De School in Zandvoort. Nancy is keen to learn more about the Dutch culture and explore the sights within the Netherlands.
Rachel Stoodley- Instructor Amsterdam
Rachel is originally from the UK and has recently moved to Amsterdam. After gaining her BA in Fine Art and her teaching qualification Rachel has travelled widely and has taught in Hong Kong for 7 years. She has worked as the Head of Department in a large extra curricular school where English is taught through art, drama and play. Rachel has enjoyed working as a Class Teacher to Grade 1 and Grade 3 at a bilingual International school for 3 years. Rachel works hard to build her students’ confidence in their ability to achieve. She strives to make her lessons fun, unexpected and engaging. She is learning Dutch and is looking forward to develop a love of English in her students.