Heather McGadie, Mgr.
"Your Chosen Themes and Projects / My Offered Projects: Theatre, Film, Podcasts, Interviews, Blogs and Your Own Suggestions - Almost Anything Goes."
English is an international means of communication invaluable in all fields of interest and professions in today’s world. I respect the colourful spectrum of languages in the world and know that communicating with people from different cultures in their native language is key to gaining an insight into and a feel for those cultures, quite apart from simply showing respect and empathy for our hosts or guests. A language is so much more than just a collection of words and phrases - for me, it's the rich expression of heritage, culture, colourful, patterned landscapes of emotion, knowledge, creativity, psychology, philosophy…So I would never say that learning English is all you need. That’s why I have made a point of studying other languages of places I have lived or visited down the years. Yet today English is key, and since so many students already have a good hold on this language, there is a lot of scope to explore a wide range of thematic areas of your choice, through different media, all in English, or through translating from other languages if you so choose, and if you lack confidence in English, here is your chance to work at your own pace and level, and focus on what’s important to you. I’ve been teaching English (and in the past French too) and with a passion, also movement theatre and dance for over twenty years in the UK, France, Canada and Czechia, and at Artion have finally found the place where I feel I can really share and develop my skills and motivate you to share and develop yours. I look forward to another creative and enlightening year at Artion, having been here since its creation in 2022, and have felt it grow stronger and stronger…
Heather McGadie was born and raised in Scotland, studied French language, literature and culture at The University of Aberdeen, including one year teaching in a Breton secondary school and culminating in a Masters degree. She then taught English for two years at the Savoy University in the French Alps, where she gained extensive and valuable experience of teaching English as a foreign language. Subsequently, she realised a dream and spent two years studying contemporary dance pedagogy and dance in the community, a part-time course at London's Laban Centre for Movement and Dance, and gained a Professional Diploma in Community Dance Studies. Concurrently, she taught French and English part-time to young people. Contacts made at dance school led her to move to the Czech Republic, where she participated in several dance theatre projects, teaching, performing and writing in both Prague and Scotland for 12 years, but always teaching English in parallel. As well as translating a wide variety of texts, many for theatre, academic and arts contexts for 18 years to date, she has now been teaching English in universities, state and private primary schools and to adults in their workplaces, for over 25 years.
Important Milestones
in Heather's Career:
in 1994 she gains a Master of Arts degree from the University of Aberdeen
in 1994 she gains her first full -time employment position, on a two-year exchange programme, as a lectrice at Université de Savoie
in 1996 she embarks on the Community Dance Studies diploma course at Laban Centre for Movement and Dance in London
in 2003 and 2004 she is awarded Ministry of Culture and City of Prague grants to create two performances with Czech-based dancers and artists
in 2014 she collaborates on the Albi interactive children's book "Hravá angličtina"
in 2016 she begins cooperation with Jeden strom community school, Černošice
in 2019 she begins cooperation with AMU, Prague
A nyní je v Artionu...