I have been to the Conference

Hradec Kralove is a big city in east of the Czech Republic. This famous city was the place where the 5th International and 9th National conference of English teachers took place during the first weekend in September.
It is my favourite event and I am a regular participant.

Usually more than three hundred teachers who love English get together to study new methods, to meet new friends and to listen to seminars and workshops of experienced authors of various English course books.
And what more, The Headway programme celebrated 20th birthday with the cake and a glass of champagne.
I was very glad that I could have a chance to meet some of the teachers in my seminar about the eTwinning webpage and the International school projects . Some of them had never heard about the eTwinning before, some of them promised to register their school and to take a part at the nearest seminar which would be organized in the place where they live.
During evenings we could watch The Bear Theatre in English. They are really great and they perform all the plays in English for schools. You can choose different levels. Unfortunately, this school year we will not invite them.
We also got some new course books, a lot of posters and new ideas how to teach some topics in more interesting ways.
I hope I will be able to come next year, too.

SUMMER THOUGHTS by an etwinning student

Here is what Anastasia, a 14 year old student of Kavassila high school ,Imathia, Greece wrote about last summer:
Yesterday it was the first day at school. My feelings are a bit confused. Sadness and happiness. Sadness because summer holidays are over, already past.It was really great for me.!In July, after school had finished, my family and I went to the seaside, in Katerini, for two weeks.There I stayed in a nice small hotel. I swam and sunbathed all day, so I got a super tan.! But, please, don't think that I was just a lazy, lively girl strolling around. I read two literature books. The one that charmed me more was "ta mistika tou valtou" written by Penelope Delta. The story takes place in the region of central Macedonia ( here is the school ) in 1912, during the macedonian struggle for freedom against Turkish and Bulgarians .In August, as I am a member of the local dancing club, I visited many towns where we danced, dressed in traditional costumes. Also, my cousins from Canada came and stayed at my place. I practiced my English a lot!However, all good things have an end quickly. September came and Happiness ,too.I am back at school ,ready to make new etwinning friends and anxious to know more about the culture of other European countries.The picture shows the traditional costume I wear quite often.

Greeting from Ceska Lipa

AFTER SUMMER HOLIDAYS

Dear etwinning friends,

Summer is over, a new school year is starting and I would like to express my hopes that this academic year will be full of creativity and progress for you and your students.
Also, I would like to share with you a teaching tip that I have been using so far .It is for the first time you meet new students.

In order to have a clear idea of the level of their english knowledge,I give them each, a personal letter where I write some personal things about myself. Then I ask them to answer the letter at home or in class. When I get it, I know how well they can write, their grammar level, their vocabulary and, the most important, things about themselves so I can handle them as personalities better.

I hope this teaching tip will work as well with your new classes as with my ones.