English: a bridge between cultures

English is recognized as the "global language", bridging connections between people from different countries and facilitating communication across diverse fields such as business, academic research, fashion, technology, and beyond.
 
A group of teachers from different countries participated in the "Basic English Language Course for Teachers and Education Staff." They approached the study with an optimistic attitude and dedicated their full effort to every activity. The latest edition of the course was held in Tenerife from 07/07/2024 to 13/07/2024. We had the pleasure of welcoming a group consisting of Luděk, Radim and Irena from Gymnázium Uničov in Czech Republic, Magdalena and Jana from ZŠ Hutnícka16 in Slovakia, Hajnal from Balassi Bálint Nyolcévfolyamos Gimnázium in Hungary, Michele and Cristina from Labins S.C. Impresa Sociale in Italy. Over the weeks, participants encountered various challenges designed to develop five crucial skills: English proficiency, listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

We began our journey by introducing ourselves and learning how to describe our jobs, followed by conducting our first job interviews to understand each other's attitudes and strengths as colleagues. Starting from the second day, each morning featured a review of newly acquired knowledge through recap activities. Given that learning a language requires effort and practice, every theoretical session in the course was filled with numerous exercises and activities.

We covered a range of grammar topics, including a review of tenses, the use of phrasal verbs, and adverbs. Each lesson was centered around everyday scenarios, such as organizing daily tasks, discussing routines, hours, and schedules. We also delved into subjects like the importance of learning a foreign language, travel, and future planning.
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One day, we collaborated with another English proficiency group to exchange experiences and learn from each other through games and a treasure hunt activity in the city center of Puerto de la Cruz.

​To promote effective learning, we conducted formative assessments and engaged in activities such as games, quizzes, readings, real-life simulations, and other interactive methods. Participants enthusiastically tackled all the "speaking challenges" with bravery. During breaks, they seized every chance to converse with fellow participants in English, sharing best practices and insights about their schools and countries.
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Overall, the two weeks were exceptionally productive, marked by significant improvements in their English skills. We hope they continue with this positive attitude in their ongoing English studies and cherish the multicultural environment they successfully cultivated within just two weeks.

​Discover more about this course here.