Greetings from Languages United!

We are thrilled to share the exciting success of our recent venture at the HUPE 2023 Conference in Poreč, Croatia in November 2023. 

As one of the sponsors of the Croatian association of teachers of English, Languages United introduced an engaging and innovative competition that stirred the creative energies of English language teachers and students across 24 participating Croatian schools.

Competition Unveiled: Lights, Camera, Imagination!

Languages United proudly presented the Video-Making Challenge at HUPE 2023, inviting English language educators to embark on a unique journey of creativity and inspiration with their students. The theme, "Lights, Camera, Imagination!" aimed to unlock storytelling prowess and motivate participants to think beyond conventional language learning.

The Script: A Glimpse into the Time-Travel Adventure

Participants received a carefully crafted script that served as a canvas for their creative endeavours. The script set the stage for a captivating dialogue between two characters exploring the possibilities of a time-travel adventure, a theme that allowed for imaginative use of language and spontaneous role-playing.

From Imagination to Action: An Impressive Turnout

Enthusiastic responses came in as teachers and students from 24 Croatian schools embraced the challenge. The competition saw a great display of creativity, resourcefulness, and the imaginative use of props and costumes. The videos produced reflected not just linguistic skills but also the rich cultural understanding of the participants.

Announcing the Winners: "Time Machine - Soldier of Love"

After meticulous consideration, the Languages United panel of judges selected the well-deserving winner– Osnovna škola Dobriša Cesarić in Pozega with the English language teacher, Sandra Halt-Ćuže, managing the project and three students, Juraj Baltić, Eva Krizmanić and Ema Sabljić, as the main actors. Their video, entitled "Time Machine - Soldier of Love," stood out for its great video-telling, brilliant use of English and vivid portrayal of Bath's historical charm.

What Sandra said when she found out that she is the winner!

"I am proud and happy beyond words.

Truthfully, I've been working so hard for the last 20 years in teaching and this is my first International reward!

Firstly, I thank the judge panel of the LU school for choosing us among other competitors."...

The Grand Prize: A Week in Bath, July 2024

In recognition of their exceptional efforts, Sandra Halt-Ćuže, the English language teacher and project manager for the video-making challenge, has secured a week in Bath in July 2024 as the grand prize. This presents a fantastic Professional Development opportunity, allowing Sandra to immerse herself in the charm of Bath while honing her teaching skills. Sandra, along with her school, is actively exploring avenues to raise funds, aiming to make it possible for deserving students to join her in experiencing the wonders of Bath. Though a challenging task, Sandra's determination and resilience are evident as she embraces this additional fundraising challenge.

A Celebration of Creativity and Innovation

The Video-Making Challenge not only celebrated language proficiency but also fostered a community dedicated to nurturing student talent. Beyond the competition, it provided an opportunity for educators to connect, exchange ideas, and inspire each other.

Congratulations to all participants for making this competition truly special! We look forward to more such ventures that spark creativity and innovation in language learning.

The Languages United Team

Dear colleagues, 

The 2nd HUPE Zagreb Branch meeting for school year 2023/2024 is planned to take place on the 27th January 2024 (Saturday) at 10 AM in Aquae Vivae Spa, Krapinske toplice (Ulica Antuna Mihanovića 1a Krapinske toplice). We are trying to offer you something special. 

AGENDA 

1. Workshops and lectures from 10 AM – 1 PM 
2. Brunch 
3. After meeting mingling and spa at the pool area until 4PM 

WORKSHOPS: 

• DANKA SINGER: Bunny or crocodile language? 
  Conflict is a natural element of communication, but also a constraint for effective and proactive interaction: this is why its systematic analysis and management have become an important part in diplomatic training. This workshop will explore the ways in which these skills can be translated to language teaching and applied in language classrooms with students of all ages and proficiency levels, offering some useful language practice and activities along the way! 

• ANA ETEROVIĆ: Let’s write it up! 
  This workshop will bring you some fresh writing task ideas with examples from the practice. 

• HUPE info 

If you'd like to attend the meeting, please confirm on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. your arrival by the 10th January 2024. Upon application I will forward you payment information. 

We would be really happy to see you all and to enjoy this professional education together. 

I’m looking forward to seeing you. 

Best regards, 

Mirjana Zubak Mičetić, prof. 
HUPE ZAGREB BRANCH President 

Project description

As presenting at conferences or professional events is one practice of leadership, and in collaboration with EVE group, HUPE CROATIA will offer a leadership mentoring programme to train 8 selected Croatian female classroom teachers to become professional conference presenters. The selected participants will receive mentoring offered by EVE-ELT mentors for 3 months. The aims of this mentoring are to equip the participants with the necessary skills to present at international conferences, online and local professional development events. Upon their successful completion of the training, the participants will be added to the HUPE CROATIA list of webinar speakers where they share and showcase the knowledge and experience gained from the mentoring programme. After the success of this first pilot mentoring, and to maximize the benefits of their successful participation, HUPE CROATIA and EVE may encourage the successful trainees to apply for the IATEFL conference scholarships and support them through the process to present at IATEFL or HUPE CROATIA International conferences. The successful trainees will also be granted a complimentary one-year-membership of HUPE CROATIA.

HUPE CROATIA aims to empower Croatian teachers to share their knowledge and expertise locally and internationally. However, one challenge remains; that is identifying members who are capable of innovation inside their classrooms but are not visible enough because they are shy or may lack the public speaking skills to share their ideas and expertise through actively participating in professional conferences and organized professional development presentations. By bringing these examples of successful classroom teachers to the forefront and training them on presentation and public speaking skills, HUPE CROATIA aims to highlight the amazing work done by Croatian classroom teachers and inspire others who may be intimidated to become professional conference presenters to share their stories.  

The successful candidates should have the following:

• Experience as classroom teachers, preferably in a rural area (connectivity issue may be a challenge though)
• Evidence of active participation in their local teacher community or teacher association (initiated a project or led a teacher club, etc.)
• Willingness to learn and receive critical feedback to improve performance 
• Commitment to cascade the training they receive with teachers in their school/community
• Internet connectivity that allows them to participate in the online mentoring

Important Dates:

Programme start time: January 2024
Duration:  6-10 hours of mentoring over 3 months 

How can I join the programme?

Complete the application form you can find here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vGrqj4nuf_LMEhHEeIs-vJdTqqmVB3hiAImOHWUO7QM/edit

Here you can find more information about EVE: https://evecalendar.wordpress.com/

Schedule for EVE and HUPE Croatia Mentoring Programme

What	Who	By
Open call	HUPE Croatia	22 December 2023
Selection of mentees	HUPE Croatia	10 January 2024
Matching of mentors and mentees	EVE	14 January 2024
First meeting	HUPE Croatia/EVE	20 January 2024 (Saturday)
First rehearsal	HUPE Croatia/EVE	17 February 2024 (Saturday) (6 weeks after the first meeting)
Final presentations	HUPE Croatia/EVE	16 March 2024 (Saturday)