Today, English holds a prominent place on the global stage, serving as a common language that bridges communication across countries and cultures. It plays a key role in various fields such as business, academic research, technology, and the arts. Recognizing its importance, a group of educators from diverse countries and institutions came together to participate in the “Intensive English Language Course for Education Staff” to strengthen their language skills and gain confidence in using English in professional settings. Throughout the course, they demonstrated a consistently positive attitude and showed strong commitment to every task and activity. Through interactive lessons, group discussions, and real-life simulations, they practiced using English in meaningful and practical contexts relevant to their educational roles.
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A new edition of the course for teachers took place in Bolonha de 01/06/2025 to 07/06/2025. We were together with participants coming from all across Europe, with Milla Lehtinen and Paula Loukkola from Kaakkurin Koulu in Finland, Eva-Maria Fiedler from Campus Berufsbildung e.V. in Germany, Enikő Gyenge from Kodály Zoltán ének-zenei általános iskola gimnázium és zenei alapfokú múvészeti iskola in Hungary, Ana Isabel Loureiro Costa Fachadas and Maria do Carmo Brites Cavaco from Agrupamento de Escolas de Moura, and participants coming from three different French schools: Kévin Barabas from Maison de l’Europe, Bléry Jessee from Collége Jean Mermoz, Gracia Lydia from Lycée Professionnel Borde Basse.
The first day of the course was dedicated to introductions and creating a friendly, collaborative atmosphere. Participants took part in ice-breaking activities to get to know each other and began practicing key vocabulary e listening skills related to the “work environment.” These foundational exercises allowed them to share insights about their professional lives while building comfort and fluency in speaking English in a structured yet supportive setting. In addition, they had the chance to revise their knowledge on present simple and present continuous tenses, focusing on their usage, structure, and differences. Through targeted examples and guided practice, they developed a clearer understanding of how to describe daily routines versus actions happening at the moment accurately.
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On Tuesday, the focus shifted to challenges commonly encountered in the workplace. Through discussions, vocabulary-building tasks, and role-playing scenarios, participants explored a range of work-related situations such as communication barriers, stress management, and time constraints. The activities encouraged reflection on their own professional contexts while allowing them to practice expressing problems and solutions effectively in English. They also freshened up their knowledge of past tenses by using past simple, past continuous, and present perfect tenses. 
Wednesday brought a lighter, more playful tone to the classroom with the theme of “Free Time and Hobbies.” Participants engaged in vocabulary games, interactive dialogues, and collaborative activities that encouraged them to talk about their interests and leisure activities. They enriched their grammatical knowledge by improving adverbs of frequency and their usage. This session not only expanded their range of everyday expressions but also helped to strengthen connections among the group through shared personal stories.

On Thursday, participants explored the topic of “Dreams and Future.” The day included listening exercises that introduced relevant vocabulary and phrases to articulate future plans and aspirations. Through guided discussions and peer interactions, teachers practiced using conditional forms and future tenses, while reflecting on their personal goals and professional ambitions, all within a relaxed and encouraging environment.
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The course concluded on Friday with the theme of “Culture and Travel.” Participants engaged in a variety of practical tasks and games designed to build vocabulary and fluency related to global cultures, traditions, and travel experiences. These final activities brought the group full circle—combining personal storytelling, intercultural awareness, and language practice—while celebrating the progress each participant had made throughout the week. Additionally, the session covered the use of past tenses, with a particular focus on the past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses. Participants refreshed their knowledge on the differences between each past tense through contextualized activities and guided exercises, further strengthening their command of English grammar.
By the end of the course, participants had developed their communication skills and expanded their vocabulary across a range of useful topics thanks to various activities that appeal to four basic language skills, which are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. More importantly, they left with increased confidence, new connections, and practical tools to continue improving their English, both in and beyond the classroom.
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Saiba mais sobre este curso aqui.