Public speaking and communication are increasingly important in education and daily life. Both inside and outside the classroom, abilities such as conflict management, assertive communication, public speaking are crucial. Participants in our course enhanced their skills through a combination of theoretical and practical activities. To boost these approaches and aiming to achieve those goals, the latest course « Effective Communication and Public Speaking for teachers and education staff » took place in Palermo, from 28/07/2024 to 3/08/2024, with participants across Europe, such as Dunja Petrović from GGSD Nuremberg, in Germany; Katrin Burchhart from IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, in Austria; and with Anca Maria Peptan, Ioan Romeo Bibirigea and Elena Laura Ditoiu, from ASOCIATIA SMART EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS, in Romania. At the very beginning of the course, the participants delivered their notions on key competencies and soft skills needed today, either for students or teachers (or education staff) and they also delivered their own fears regarding public speaking. In an introduction exercise, as first speeches can be very challenging and stressful, the trainer guided the participants to recognize the most effective elements of their own speeches. During the course, participants focused on different aspects that can help them improving their speaking and communication skills. First of all, participants could discover how to plan a speech, following three easy steps. They also learned about effective tips for a good speech – knowing your audience, introducing the topic, the key message, using the appropriate tone and timeline. At this step, they also had the chance to foster their creativity and improvisation skills in public speaking. Then, participants were taught about the assertiveness, especially the four types of communication (passive, passive-aggressive, aggressive and assertive) during group role plays. In this case, they could debate on those kinds of behavior, so they could better handle this issue afterwards during real-life situations at schools with their students, for example. Public speaking is not only a “word” exercise, but also about non-verbal communication, notably body language and its significations and symbols. Both are linked to convey a reliable message to any audience we’re facing. The audience point of view is a key element as well in public speaking – accepting remarks or comments are essential to improve our leaning and skill development, either in speaking and in behavioral attitude. For that, participants needed to give feedback to their colleague and tell them directly with caring and empathy. This could end with the adjustments and/or the validation of the participant who received the feedback. Finally, when dealing with the conflict management topic, we understood that working with others can be difficult, and resolving disputes is not always straightforward. However, by discussing their personal experiences, participants recognized how common these situations are and understood that conflict can also present opportunities for growth and development. To conclude, workshops and trainings helped participants to identify their strengths and weaknesses, enhance their skills and broaden their professional networks through intercultural exchanges. Discover more about this course here.
Soft skills are increasingly significant in both professional and everyday life. Abilities like emotional intelligence, empathy, teamwork, and management of conflict and stress are crucial in various settings, including the classroom. Through a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical exercises, our participants improved their communication skills.The new edition of the course “Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence for teachers and education staff” took place in Palermo from 28/07/2024 to 03/07/2024. The participants came from all across Europe, with Laura Peco González, Spain, from EOI Pozuelo de Alarcón; three participants from Poland: Teresa Sołoguba, Beata Jankowska-Kulesza, Monika Panasewicz from X Liceum Ogólnokształcące im.Wisławy Szymborskiej w Białymstoku; Séverine Dupuy and Carole Dannequin, CCIT Charente Maritime ACTORIA, from France; Martina Odstrčilová and Lenka Culková coming from Základní škola Heřmanův Městec, Czech Republic; Lena Elisabet Holmqvist Wall, Sweden, from Österslättsskolan. Then other participants: Krisztina Márta Petriné Sándor, Hungary, from Fóti Garay János Általános Iskola, Eliana Castro Sanguino, IES Puerta de Cuartos, Spain and Sergio García Rodes, IES Felipe de Borbón (Ceutí), from Spain.The course began with a focus on Emotional Intelligence, which refers to the capacity to recognize and understand not only our own emotions but also those of others, fostering self-awareness and environmental awareness. Another important skill covered in this session was empathy. Through various exercises, participants learned how to practice empathy, enhance self-control, boost self-motivation, and establish meaningful connections.Participants were encouraged to consider the key traits of leaders they admire and to reflect on different leadership styles. A good teacher also acts as an effective classroom leader, providing motivation and guidance to help students achieve specific goals. Leadership can manifest in various ways, though not all of the approaches are suitable for every situation. Effective communication is crucial for teamwork. Participants examined various communication styles: aggressive, passive, passive-aggressive, and assertive. They learned that assertiveness, while sometimes challenging to practice, is key to expressing oneself clearly and respectfully. By exploring this topic, they understood that being assertive is about effectively conveying one's needs without being impolite. To enhance their communication abilities, participants engaged in a public speaking exercise. They learned various techniques for self-presentation, body language control, and nonverbal communication. To build confidence, they prepared and delivered a brief one-minute speech to the class, applying the skills they had acquired.The final topic of the course was Conflict and Stress Management. Participants recognized that working with others can be challenging, and handling conflicts isn't always simple. Through sharing their own experiences, they recognized that such situations are common and that conflicts can lead to positive outcomes, fostering growth and development. This course provided participants with the opportunity to engage with one another and learn from their collective experiences. Each participant brought a unique background that contributed to the group's overall development. Additionally, the organized cultural activities facilitated networking, demonstrating that learning extends beyond the classroom. Discover more about this course here.Nowadays, the English language is prominent at the global scale, used to encourage connections between people from various nations in order to facilitate their communication through diverse areas – in which, as examples: business, academic research, fashion, computers, and more. A group of teachers from different countries and schools took part in the "Intensive English Language Course for Education Staff." They approached the study with a positive attitude and put in maximum effort into each activity. The new edition of the course took place in Palermo from 21/07/2024 to 27/07/2024. We had the pleasure to welcome a group composed by Judit Ildikó Daodáné Taska, from Dunakeszi Széchenyi István Általános Iskola, in Hungary; with Romena Talačkienė and Gitana Baranskienė, from Vilnius servise business vocational training centre, in Lithuania; with Béatrice Praud and Maria Rosalba Barrena Segura, from CCIT Charente Maritime Actoria, in France; with Zuzana Andryskova, from Střední průmyslová škola, Obchodní akademie a Jazyková škola s právem státní jazykové zkoušky, Frýdek-Místek, and Daniela Kozáková, from Střední průmyslová škola elektrotechniky a informatiky Ostrava, Czech Republic; with Rita Estévez Estévez, from Ies Rodeira, in Spain; and with Herbert Kasper from Handelsakademie Vöcklabruck, from Austria. Throughout the week, the participants had various challenges to enhance five essential skills: English use, listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The group began their journey by introducing ourselves and describing our jobs, organizing interviews to get to know each other. Learning a language requires effort and practice, so every day the course was filled with numerous exercises and activities. They covered several grammar topics, including a review of tenses, the use of phrasal verbs and adverbs. Each lesson was based on everyday situations, such as organizing daily tasks, discussing routine activities, hours and schedules, and hobbies. They also explored topics like the importance of learning a foreign language, travel, and future planning. To enhance effective learning, we conducted formative assessments and activities using games, quizzes, readings, real-life simulations, and various other methods. Thanks to our team, the participants also had the opportunity to enjoy the city of Palermo with two sightseeing tours of the city center, as well as dinners and lunches in typical Sicilian restaurants. The participants enthusiastically embraced all the speaking challenges with courage. During breaks, they seized every opportunity to converse with fellow participants in English, exchanging best practices and insights about their schools and countries. It was an exceptionally productive week. We hope they maintain this positive attitude in their continued English studies and cherish the multicultural environment they successfully established within just one week. Discover more about this course here.
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Welcome to the ELA Blog. Here you will find articles and photos of our courses and have a look at the topics addressed during the week in Bologna, Palermo and Tenerife. You will also have the chance to take a peek at our projects and check out what we have been up to.
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