Erasmus+: a course full of inspiration

29. 8. 2025

During the first week of August, I attended a course called 'How to Teach Advanced Students', held in Bratislava as part of the Erasmus+ programme. Focusing on teaching advanced students, such as those at our language high school, the course was led by a lecturer from the United Kingdom. Participants came from the USA, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, enabling a valuable exchange of experiences and teaching approaches.

The programme had a practical focus — we worked with authentic materials from the media and everyday life, focusing on phrases and grammar in context. We also explored methods for developing students' listening skills at the C1–C2 level and experimented with various creative writing activities. Throughout the week, we employed playful learning methods and continuously shared experiences from our own teaching practice, which proved extremely beneficial.

The programme also included cultural and social activities. For example, after class, we took a guided tour of the historic centre of Bratislava in English. Another busy day finished with a great get-together and tasting of local beers, accompanied by expert commentary from our American colleague, who specialises in the history of brewing in the US and Europe.

I am taking away from the course a number of new ideas and suggestions that I will use in my teaching, as well as memories of pleasant encounters.

Karin Broukalová