Why can’t I speak English?
Blog eng, Erasmus blogs

Why can’t I speak English?

Taking an English training course can help teachers develop their own English language skills, which can be beneficial for their personal and professional development.

There are people who seem like they don’t have any problems when it comes to speaking English. When they speak, it seems they are fluent and not struggling with anything.

On the other hand, when we find ourselves in a situation where we have to speak English, it seems very scary. We understand others when they speak, we can understand everything we have read, but when it comes to speaking, we just can’t - the words just won’t come out! This is one very common, frustrating situation that anyone who has ever tried to learn English has found themselves in.

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Come to Zagreb to Erasmus+ Courses 

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Join Our Zagreb Erasmus+ English Courses for Teachers

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Why does this happen? If you think that the right approach to learning a language is the classic, academic way, then the chances of you succeeding are going to be very small. Why? You know everything in theory, but in practice, when you need to express your thoughts in certain situations, you just can’t. You translate from Croatian, Spanish, etc. into English, you can’t apply the rules of grammar in practice, and let's not even talk about speed and how unnatural it all sounds. How to put an end to this?

At our school, we emphasise the fact that learning a language is going to be much more productive if you look at it as acquiring a new skill. However, in order to acquire this skill you have to practise a lot, study regularly and be patient. In the beginning, you will make a lot of mistakes, but don’t be embarrassed or get discouraged. Allow yourself to make mistakes and let other correct you - that is the best and quickest way to learn. A language needs practice - the more you speak, the better and easier it will be. Through guided conversation and learning with native speakers we encourage you to think in English and speak spontaneously, without translating. You are going to learn English 4 times faster through this repetition, having your mistakes corrected and real-life examples. Also, you are going to start speaking with confidence! Inicijativa also makes sure to make it possible for its students to access extra programs and activities alongside their regular classes, in order to have them constantly surrounded by English. Everything we do works towards one goal - that is for you to learn English and be able to use it as soon as you walk out of the school.

THE MAIN GOAL AT INICIJATIVA IS FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY START SPEAKING ENGLISH

We teach you how to speak English using the Callan method - a fast method for learning English. The method itself is based on certain questions that the teacher asks and the students answer. Learning grammar and new vocabulary is a bit different. The teacher first explains the new words or grammar, gives you examples, and then asks you questions so you immediately start using what you have just learned. The teacher answers alongside the students to make sure they are using the correct grammar and order of words in a sentence. This means you are practising English using real life examples you will be able to use outside the school. 

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   FAQ  

1. SPEAKING WITHOUT TRANSLATING

During the lessons we speak very fast so you get used to the way native speakers speak, and  become familiar with the language. It is natural to speak fast - you need to be prepared for real-life situations where you won’t have time to think in your own language. There is no time to stop and think about grammar, we teach you to speak spontaneously. In this way, you will be able to understand TV speech, radio shows, job interviews, etc. You will be able to communicate fluently and confidently. We don’t have any boring exercises. Only talking, talking and more talking.

2. REPETITION

We are going to repeat everything many times to make sure you remember it. If you repeat a lot you will learn how to speak without translating. You will speak automatically, without translating. 

3. CORRECTION

We are going to correct you every time you make a mistake. This will help you improve your English. You will feel more confident, improve your pronunciation and learn how to speak properly. 

If you are done with paying for regular classes after which you are still terrified of speaking, and are looking for new English courses, we have a suggestion for you!

You don’t have to believe us, come see for yourselves how fast you can start speaking English. 

Read more about our courses:

Speak English Confidently with the Callan Method

Speak English Confidently with the Callan Method

Advanced English for Leadership in Education 

English Course for Absolute Beginners 

intensive English

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Come to Split to Erasmus+ Courses 

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Join Our Split Erasmus+ English Courses for Teachers

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Intergenerational learning and study trip to Kranj

In partnership with the European Senior Exchange project, we took part in a study visit to Kranj with our students from the 24th to the 28th of October.

The meeting was planned for socializing and learning, as well as the exchange of experiences of senior citizens who had the opportunity to participate in several activities.

The meeting was attended by over 30 elderly people from partner organizations of the Initiative, AGORA' - Laboratorio Terza EtàProtagonistaonlus, CDU Ljubljana and Human University Kranj, as well as the managers of the HIHTAST project.

When we arrived on Monday, we presented our organization and programs to our partners, and after the lunch break, socializing continued outdoors through a guided tour given by one of the participants of the People's University of Kranj. As a small town, Kranj offers a lot to its residents, and it is known as the most respected high school in all of Slovenia. Furthermore, there are gourmet delicacies, especially for meat lovers – most notably Carniola sausage and beer. One of Slovenia's most famous poets comes from Kranj, after whom the main square in Ljubljana is named; France Prešeren. The cultural and economic wealth of Kranj comes from the past when Kranj was one of the main industrial cities in Yugoslavia. The city centre is located in the old part, which still has ramparts and underground tunnels.

After a good hike and a very interesting review of history, we sat down to hot tea and rested before going to bed.

Human University of Kranj under the slogan "Learning for a better life" emphasizes intergenerational learning, encouraging cooperation and transferring knowledge and experience from older generations to younger ones, and vice versa. For the purpose of these activities, they also opened LUK - an intergenerational centre where all generations are welcome. The purpose of LUK is to bridge the lack of time and space for intergenerational learning, which used to happen spontaneously, but is today hindered by the modern way of life. On Thursday, we had the opportunity to see what LUK looks like and what activities can take place there. Among other things, there is a large kitchen intended for the transfer of culinary skills from generation to generation.


In order to enjoy a real Slovenian dinner, we all first put on our aprons and got our assignments. The preparation of food started with the collective cleaning of mud, while others started kneading the bread cake. The final result was a traditional soup with pumpkin and Carnivoran bread.

Throughout the dinner, socializing and singing, we were presented with traditional customs, costumes and songs from Kranj, and a special part of the evening was marked by an emotional speech by a participant from Belgium who emphasized the importance of European values, peace, and cooperation, especially in these areas.

On the last day, we finished with the evaluation and the final joint discussion of all participants.

A special thank you to Sjajna and Vesna, who were with us as the representatives of our students on this wonderful trip, and to teacher Domagoj, who always brightens up every gathering and trip with his energy!

See you again soon!

Jelena Posavec Smilović

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5 giorni a Firenze – Erasmus plus project

Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, the centre of Tuscany, a sea of pasta and tomato sauce, tripe and divine wine... All of this now reminds us of our training in Florence.

As part of the Creativity for Innovation project, our party of 5 set off from Zagreb in a mini-van.

The carpooling option is supported by the Erasmus+ projects as a more ecologically-friendly way of travel, so we started on our journey, happy and 'green', early in the morning.

Five employees from Initiative attended the course in Florence, and we were met by two more participants from the Storytelling Centre in Amsterdam, as well as our colleagues from Florence who prepared the course for us.

We arrived in Florence late Sunday night, so after dinner we practically collapsed in bed. In the morning, we headed off for the Europass Teacher Academy training centre, which is located in a historical building in the centre of Florence. We were placed in a classroom with a fresco ceiling, but we soon realised that all buildings in the centre of the city had fresco ceilings, and history was living alongside us in this city.

The program started with an introductory topic for all of our English teachers. Called CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), it is used for all types of lessons in which something is taught in a foreign language. CLIL is an approach in which a foreign language is used as a tool in learning a non-lingual subject in which both the language and subject have a common role. This way, by learning about history, art, culture and food, you can simultaneously learn the language as well.

A successful CLIL lesson should include 4 elements:

CONTENT – advancement in knowledge, skills and comprehension about certain elements of the curriculum

COMMUNICATION – using the language while learning about using the language

COGNITION – developing thinking skills which combine forming ideas (abstract and concrete), comprehension and language

CULTURE – exposure to alternative perspectives and common understandings which deepen our awareness of others and ourselves.

For the lesson to be successful, every teacher must carefully explore the subject they wish to prepare for a CLIL lesson, and expect to have to learn more about the new topics themselves.

They also have to structure the lesson carefully, and know the knowledge level of each participant well so the content can be adapted accordingly. At the end, it is necessary to determine a good way of evaluating the learnt knowledge.

The second topic of our meeting, and also the main one, was creative writing. Creative writing can have pretentious connotations, but with us it luckily awoke our emotions and creativity, which was the reason we came to Florence in the first place. The first day of creative writing was about language, while later we explored writing about the city and art.

Exploring language as a topic for writing, we researched various texts which were inspired by language. Some of them played around with language as a form, some used dialects, others slang. In all these stories, the language influenced someone's character, childhood, or had a significant influence on their life. As an exercise, we dove into some creative writing and memories which tie us to language learning, and the results were that everyone's pieces of writing connected us and made us come together more after sharing personal stories.

This type of exercise can be easily used in activities in which a teacher wants to encourage students to write creatively and freely, while memories emphasise how language has an effect on our emotions.

These exercises are a useful example of how to intertwine writing exercises with the Callan Method, and to stimulate students to think about ideas, their surroundings, and how to encourage them to use place descriptions, experiences, feelings and their senses in writing.

Through cultural activities, we had the opportunity to enjoy fabulous food, strolls through the centre of Florence, botanical garden, museums and sculptures.

Thank you to all our partners for this wonderful experience.

✔This program is co-financed by the Erasmus + program.

Erasmus + enriches lives, broadens horizons 🇪🇺

@Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes





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Alternative Ways of Teaching and Storytelling in Education

Storytelling in Education

As part of the “Creativity for Innovation“ project, we visited the Storytelling Centre in Amsterdam together with our colleagues from the Europass Teacher Academy, who were also also partners in the project.

The aim of the project was to strengthen the organisations involved in adult education and alternative methods of teaching, storytelling and creative writing. The workshops were held by trainers from the Storytelling Centre in the Netherlands.

What is storytelling and how can this skill help us in teaching?

How to apply the ancient skill of storytelling as a means of teaching and progress was one of the questions our educators were posed during this workshop.

Telling stories is one of the oldest human characteristics. The Storytelling Centre says that applying this skill in education is the foundation of quality education. Sharing stories and creating stories together leads to stronger human connections, personal and professional growth, as well as successful learning and integration. We ourselves, as a team, witnessed growth and learning through applying storytelling techniques.

Our educator, Maria Grgić Skendrović, says:

“Thanks to the training I am able to delve deeper into our core materials and encourage our learners to give more complex ideas. One tool that I am going to incorporate is ‘the hero’s journey.’ With this tool, all educators can ask appropriate questions to encourage longer, more complex ideas in English.“

By applying various techniques, including the “Tree of Life“, we learnt how to do exercises in 5 phases, prompting storytelling on many levels:

1.Teambuilding

2. Creativity

3. Awareness

4. Telling stories

5. Evaluation

Our educator, Domagoj Biondić, says:

„The one thing I consider to be of most value to me is a simple fact that everything that was taught and given to us throughout the workshop was put into action and experienced immediately which added extra value to it and became a part of us. My personal favourite being, and mentioned earlier, Tree of Life"

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Alternative Ways of Teaching

New teaching trends are interesting to experience. The educators at the Storytelling Centre focus on just that – experience which then leads to connections, openness, creativity, and most importantly, learning and growth. Lifelong education is definitely trending, but the main question is – how can we encourage adults to learn again? Can we learn in a fun and relaxed way, or is learning essentially a strict form of transferring and absorbing knowledge. We all know that it isn't so, because the process of learning itself is stressful, especially for e.g. marginalised groups, refugees, asylum seekers. People who are exposed to existential crises have it harder when it comes to concentrating and learning. That is exactly why the Alternative Ways site was developed, as it helps educators find a “different“ way. Alternative methods of teaching aren't complicated. They actually seem quite simple, and we essentially just have to remind ourselves of them. It brings back learning in a fun, relaxed and creative way. It provides us with experiential learning and relaxes us by teaching us through games. And when something is as easy as a game, then it really isn't that hard. This situational learning offers great opportunities for connecting and broadening minds, and most importantly, integration into society.

Our educator, Ivana Pezo, says:

„l have definitely learned how to be a better teamplayer, as a lot of playful games were introduced to us at the very beginning to make us feel comfortable with one another and not afraid of making mistakes, which I consider to be integral for every learning proccess. I instantly saw that as something I can apply in my teaching, relaxing students by connecting them. „

The whole process of learning through storytelling and using alternative methods of teaching is something that looks so simple, natural and easily applicable. The most interesting challenge was definitely the “Lego Game“, where you can actually see how challenging communication is. The whole process of sending and receiving a message is ambiguous. This is why these kinds of courses are perfect for developing awareness and the skill of telling stories, i.e.: communication and sending messages, which in our case is knowledge. All these newly-learnt skills definitely help with connecting and integrating students through language, and we have more success with the learning process, a.k.a. learning with pleasure!

Željka Novaković

✔ This project was co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

Erasmus+ enriching lives, broadening minds.

🇪🇺@Agencija za mobilnost


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The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Come to Zagreb to Improve Your English

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Join Our Zagreb Erasmus+ Courses

CITY OF BEAUTY

Zagreb is a city that surprises every first-time visitor with its charm and beauty. It may not have the popular sights that Paris, Prague or Madrid are famous for, but don’t be put off - this is also what makes it so attractive. It’s a beautiful European capital that is perfect for relaxation. There are no big tourist crowds, so there are no long lines to queue in, no overpriced cafés and restaurants, and it’s one of the safest cities in Europe. A perfect destination for participating in Erasmus+ Courses in Croatia.

AWARDS

The 2020 Travel Awards voted Croatia the 3rd best country in the world. Zagreb has also won the Top Christmas Markets 3 years in a row, and it’s regularly voted European Top City Break Destination.

We, at Initiative Centre for Education, have 2 locations in Zagreb and Split. We are very proud of our tradition of training adults to improve their English. With over 17 years of experience and thousands of successful students, we are excited to invite you to come for Zagreb Erasmus+ Courses and immerse yourself in English while staying in our beautiful city for six days.

If you want to improve your English, Zagreb is a great city to do it in. Why, I hear you ask?

Here are ten reasons:

1. Croatians speak English very well! According to a recent study, Croatia is among the world’s best for English language proficiency.

2. Zagreb is a city full of cafes where locals love to sit around and talk, perfect for engaging conversations with your course mates and locals.

3. Croatians are still very curious about foreigners and will happily start up conversations.

4. With over 17 years of English teaching experience, you can be confident we know how to get the best results.

5. Native-speaking teachers - our teachers are from Ireland, the US, Australia and Canada.

6. Great outdoor food market – practice your English out and about at Dolac Market with locals.

7. Fantastic restaurants – the restaurant scene has exploded over the last 5-10 years. If you are a foodie, you will not be disappointed.

8. It’s a city full of parks for you to relax in. They are great for hanging out with your Zagreb Erasmus+ Course colleagues and practising your English during sunny mornings or lazy afternoons.

Video credits:Zagreb Tourist Board ZAGREBTOURIST


9. Zagreb is only 90 mins from the world-famous Adriatic coast, which gives you even more of an opportunity to practise your English.

10. And finally, our Zagreb Erasmus+ Courses program is carefully designed to make sure you will get the best opportunity to practise what you have learned during the course.

At Initiative Centre for Education, we offer a unique approach to learning English in a beautiful city to facilitate your studies. After six days of Zagreb Erasmus+ courses, you will be much more confident in speaking English as we will have taught you utilising the direct method approach, completely immersing you into the language with native speakers and the local population. 

🎄 Learn English while visiting Europe's best Christmas market


Teacher's Training available in November & December 2023

Find out more!

Read more about our courses:

Speak English Confidently with the Callan Method

Speak English Confidently with the Callan Method

Advanced English for Leadership in Education 

English Course for Absolute Beginners 

intensive English

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Leadership and Management in Schools – Valencia Experience

The Teacher Academy training course 'Leadership and Management in Schools' held in Valencia in October 2022 was intended for members of educational establishments who wish to further their management skills and serve as leaders to their schools to the best of their ability.

The training participants were school principals and vice-principals, head teachers, and administrative staff from different European countries who have multiple years of experience behind them. Their passion and pride in being part of educational establishments that help elevate personal and social life was prominent in everyone.

There was a sense of togetherness bound by the love of our job, but also a sincere curiosity for others' experiences and feedback, as everyone there had surprisingly different school organisation, approaches, and roles inside the school system.

This diversity made the program more enjoyable, as it proved the point that there is no one (perfect) way of managing a school. Flexibility, adaptability, creativity, and compassion for the needs of others are all crucial skills for a good manager. It isn't always just about logic and chasing goals.

We were also lucky enough to have a representative of the praised Finnish school system among us, whose take on student integration and the challenges coming from the current political events were highly educational and thought-provoking.

Setting goals and overcoming differences 

The program touched upon the methodologies of setting goals and their completion. A well throughout, measurable, and relevant goal is half the success. We were given tools, e.g. Trello, that are a practical representation of the lessons learned.

The majority of the material was focused on working with people, understanding the differences in personality, character, and the general sense of work dynamics and culture. We discussed possible managing styles and their perceived outcomes. Every new topic fell back on introspection and defining our identity as a leader now and the ideal we strive for.

Taking the time to get to know your team properly and being aware of their weaknesses and strengths, establishing quality, open communication lines helps tremendously in proficient work assignment and execution. To achieve that, we discussed possible meeting tactics, negotiation, and conflict resolution principles. One interesting and fun activity was taking the 16 personality test, which led to some surprising results.

The week-long training on leadership and management in schools gave us a lot to think about and further explore in the future. The culturally rich, welcoming, and architecturally breathtaking city of Valencia made the whole experience that more enjoyable.

Mobility of course participant is enabled within the project "Step up", code number: 2021-1-HR01-KA122-ADU-000018329. 

The project is funded by the European Union. 

Erasmus +: Enriching lives, opening minds.

Monija Škriljevečki

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Teacher Training English Course in Zagreb
Blog, Erasmus, Erasmus blogs, Uncategorized

Teacher Training English Course in Zagreb

Erasmus+  experience in Zagreb   (A wonderful Erasmus+ experience in Zagreb)

 

Our Erasmus participants flew from Spain to Zagreb to attend our English Course. Congratulations to Carmen Lagares García, Lucia i Daniel Pérez Mora from CEIP Virgen del Carmen on finishing our General English Course for Teachers with the Callan Method!

 

With the Callan Method for English language learning, our trained teachers make participants speak from the moment they enter the classroom. Our dynamic and fast-paced method is taught by native speakers who ask participants questions designed for their language proficiency. The teachers then assist learners in their answers and correct any inconsistencies in pronunciation, grammar usage and sentence structure. 

https://inicijativa.biz/en/erasmus-plus/general-english/

Educator Adam about his experience with this lovely group:

“I had the privilege of working with Lucia and Daniel.

We concentrated on revision, new work, question construction, and auxiliary verbs (both primary and modals).

Their engagement in the Callan Method's revision and new work was noteworthy. They were eager not just to comprehend, but also to get it right and apply it in their own way.

It was enjoyable to work through the process of forming questions. Their originality shone through. It was a wonderful way for me to see and grasp their thought process, and it allowed us the opportunity to get to know one other better.

They were excellent at auxiliary verbs and understood how they aided the main verb. Tense, mood, voice, and modality were all incorporated. The auxiliary verbs have, has, and had were used in a variety of contexts.

It was a pleasure to meet them, and I wish them the best of luck and hope to work with them again in the near future.”

 

Daniel has also written blog about his Erasmus+ experience, which you can read here:

Día 7: Thank you Croatia (ceipvirgendelcarmenerasmusplus.blogspot.com)

 

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Build A Marketing Plan For Your School – part 1

Let’s talk a little bit about why your school need a marketing plan.

I know most of you are already doing some kind of marketing, but do you have a plan? 

Marketing can be confusing! There are many different aspects to it, Facebook & Google – paid ads and social posting, Email marketing, SEO, Google ads etc. 

Do you know how to put the pieces together in a way that will generate your school more enrollment predictably and consistently?

You need a plan!

Most of you have some kind of social media presence, maybe a bit of email marketing or even some SEO too, but is it working for you? 

Posting for the sake of posting is not enough to get you, students. All it will do is spread some awareness about your school

Likewise, SEO will help your website to be found online, It won't guarantee that these students who come to your website will become your students. 

The Goal Of Your Marketing

The goal of a marketing plan is to help students find your school online; get them to know, like and trust your school as a brand and make it obvious to them that your school is the best option.

Once you have a plan, the different marketing elements have more meaning and different functionality, Social media is for getting your name out there like a personal billboard, Blogs become your newspapers, Youtube becomes your tv channel etc. 

A Marketing Plan That Works

We want to share the same marketing plan that we use. With this plan, you will be able to connect all the pieces in a way that will save you a lot of money. You will also be able to measure exactly, the results that you get. 

So if you spend 15 euros on paid Ads (Facebook or Adwords), you should be getting at least two students enquiries, 

You will get some valuable information going forward to get the most from your marketing. 

  • You will learn how much of a budget you need to have for your marketing plan, 
  • how much do you spend to acquire a student
  • How to recognize when things go wrong and how to fix them
  • What order to put the pieces together

Sequence Matters!

If you don't do things in the right order, then they are not going to work. So that's why you need a marketing plan.

We will show you how all the pieces together in a way that will get you the best results.

Otherwise, it will be like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something will stick.

The problem with this is that it won't really work and even if it does somehow, you won’t be able to recreate it. 

This system is called the customer value journey, and it's going to make marketing for your school so much easier. 

Watch the video below for part one 

A Marketing Plan For Your School (Part one)

Say goodbye to half-empty classes

Download our Essential Digital marketing checklist for schools

  • Improve your Website
  • Ideas for creating interesting content
  • Get more reviews for your school
  • Engage your students more
  •  Get more organic traffic to your website

Today the most strategic, helpful and empathic school wins!

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