The Language Centre of the Lodz University of Technology is a place where we do not only teach students, but we also learn from one another. We place great emphasis on the need for continuous professional development. Our staff consists of qualified examiners, methodology experts and language enthusiasts. We also invite external guests who help us gain valuable experience and allow us to look at our teaching process from a new perspective. Below you will find the most interesting of our in-house training courses.
Selected techniques for teaching vocabulary - 19 November 2021
Trainer - Ewa Muszczynko (CJPŁ)
In the first part of the training, Ewa Muszczynko answered the previously asked question: What does it actually mean to know a word? She pointed out the importance of dictionaries, including online ones, and stressed the importance of the number of contacts with a word in order for it to become a permanent part of our mental vocabulary. In the second part of the training, she shared with us ways to introduce new vocabulary and emphasised the importance of frequent repetitions and the use of exercises that both engage students in action and stimulate deep processing and support the memorisation process. Ewa concluded by presenting 20 different types of exercises that work well with any group, regardless of the student's language level.
Selected aspects of creating language materials - 19 November 2021
Trainer - Agnieszka Świderek (CJPŁ)
Agnieszka Świderek shared with us her thoughts based on the Materials Development course organised by Nile. Apart from the classic information related to the creation of materials, we also learned about the importance of the choice of fonts in terms of text readability and how to adjust fonts to the needs of dyslexic people. It was also interesting to learn how to choose visual material so that its interpretation is not controversial and respects copyright and political correctness.
The use of Padlet and Cornell notes in foreign language classes - 19 November 2021
Trainer - Mariola Hejduk (CJPŁ)
Mariola Hejduk presented a practical example of using both tools in her classes this semester. Padlet was presented as an attractive form of maintaining regularity in doing homework, which is supposed to keep the student in contact with the language even outside the classroom. Mariola stressed its importance as an effective way of learning efficiently. Note-taking with Cornell's method, on the other hand, is designed to develop the student's ability to learn and organise material, and to develop the habit of regularity. Those who have experienced the method will know that Filter, Summarise and Recap are the main pillars of the method.
“How to CrossRoads in a Science LAb" - 9 November 2021
Trainer - Izabella Łacińska-Wójcik (CJPŁ)
On 9 November 2021 Izabella Łacińska-Wójcik organised a short meeting "over coffee and cake" for the LC team, during which she shared her ideas and developed materials for working with students on technical language. Among the exercises prepared by Iza there were games and tasks developing not only technical vocabulary, but engaging all the senses of the student in teamwork. The materials provided by our colleague included crosswords, dominoes, fillers, as well as activity ideas containing gamification elements, e.g. an auction, an activity developed for second-cycle students as part of a new course Foreign Language - Scientific skills (JODN).
Team building in the work of a teacher. Motivating effective communication and cooperation with colleagues and students". - 22 October 2021
Trainer - Joanna Telus (INFOR PL)
On Friday 22 October 2021 we participated in an away training "Team building in the work of a teacher. Motivating effective communication and cooperation with colleagues and students". In the training programme we worked on the challenges of working in three dimensions of team success: Results, Processes and Relationships. We focused on the issue of building a team at different stages of its development and we became familiar with the standards of cooperation within a team and between teams. We also learned how the task delegation process works and explored the process of transforming conflict into cooperation. For many of us, the part of the training devoted to exploring our personal preferences in building relationships and trying to understand the reasons for non-cooperation was also interesting. We were presented with examples of difficult situations in team management along with a detailed analysis of the causes and methods of dealing with conflicts. The trainer, Joanna Telus (INFOR PL), helped us to prepare effectively for evaluation, motivation and difficult conversations both in professional and private life. The training took place in a picturesque location near Radomsko Malutkie Resort and was funded by Lodz University of Technology ZPU project 2nd edition.
Active lesson - July-September 2021
Trainer - Marta Rosińska (DOS-ELTea)
In July and September 2021 we had the pleasure of participating in a teaching training session "Active Lessons" led by Marta Rosińska (DOS-ELTea). The two-day training was full of useful exercises and activities aimed at more effective work with students. During the training, we got acquainted among others with Cornell's method of creating notes; and we refreshed our knowledge on the principles of acquiring knowledge and the learning process. In her materials, the trainer devoted time to issues such as attention, concentration, distraction, attentive learning and the theory of desirable difficulty. The workshop consolidated our knowledge of aspects relevant to planning an effective lesson. There were also ready-made, proven solutions; techniques and exercises that are not only attractive to the learner, but help in understanding; applying and remembering the components of the language taught. We were introduced to models of creative thinking, relational lesson planning, aspects of teamwork and types of roles in group work. The training reinforced our knowledge and skills on giving feedback, as well as monitoring knowledge and testing in pairs and groups. The training was financed by Lodz University of Technology ZPU project - 2nd edition.
Team Building - 6 April 2019
A well-managed and supporting team is the foundation of the success of each institution. Good relations and mutual respect are necessary to jointly implement the company's strategy. Each employee has different skills and knowledge, that is why it is so important to fully use the potential of each of them by supporting each other at the same time. Authorities of the Language Center of Lodz University of Technology understand these assumptions perfectly well, thus on April 6, 2019, the employees of the administrative department were trained on the differences in the team and using their potential in communication and building good relationships.
Effective vocabulary teaching - 19 March 2019
Trainer - Marta Rosińska (Macmillan)
Practical training led by Marta Rosinska, entitled: "Effective Vocabulary Teaching".
The session was a mixture of reflecting on and practicing in-depth vocabulary teaching in a foreign language. We looked at what kind of vocabulary is worth teaching and how to teach more effectively in order to increase the retention of learned vocabulary items. The exercises and practical examples proposed by the trainer concerned the deep processing of vocabulary and the use of lexis in different contexts.
Business Partner - 5 March 2019
Trainer - Bartłomiej Janiak (Pearson)
On 5 March 2019 a training for members of the didactic team, led by Bartłomiej Janiak from Pearson company, took place. The aim of the training was to familiarize the team with the latest handbook: Pearson Business Partner. It concerned the content of the above mentioned proposal and additional materials accompanying it. The meeting helped the teaching team to prepare a list of items taken into account in the new curriculum changes.
Taming MS Word (part 2) - 4 December 2018
Trainer - lic. Piotr Masłocha (CJ PŁ)
The second part of the practical training on text formatting - an extremely useful skill when creating tests, exams and working with a text document.
WIKAMP - interactive tests and quizzes - 27 Novemebr 2018
Trainer - mgr Łukasz Wodarczyk (CJ PŁ)
Training organized for the staff by the e-learning team on how to create interactive tests and quizzes with the use of internal tools available on the WIKAMP platform. During the training, the ways of creating tests were discussed: multiple choice, truth/false, matching, etc.
Edpuzzle - 27 November 2018
Trainer - mgr Danuta Król-Stogidis (CJ PŁ)
Edpuzzle is a convenient tool for creating interactive films. Choosing a film - from the database of available films from both lexical and grammatical topics, we can customize it to your needs by selecting the appropriate fragment, adding to it our own soundtrack, notes or questions in the form of a quiz (open-ended and multiple-choice questions). Edpuzzle helps you to listen to the language. Indisposable if you want to conduct classes using the flipped classroom method.
Taming MS Word (part 1) - 20 November 2018
Trainer - lic. Piotr Masłocha (CJ PŁ)
Practical training in text formatting - an extremely useful skill when creating tests, exams and working with text documents.
Films and videos - a support for a teacher - 13 November 2018
Trainer- mgr Wioleta Fabijańska (CJ PŁ)
In today's world, a significant part of communication takes place with the use of technology and with the use of image and sound. Modern teaching of a foreign language cannot, therefore, exclude an audio-visual medium in the form of videos, films or viral videos. During the workshop, practical ideas for their use in foreign language learning were presented, as well as examples of the use of film material at different stages of the lesson to develop a number of skills. An important element was a database of sources of ready-made educational materials, which are worth adding to the teaching process.
Kahoot interactive tool for lexical-grammatical exercises - 13 November 2018
Trainer - mgr Łukasz Wodarczyk (CJ PŁ)
Kahoot is an interactive tool for lexical-grammatical exercises. During the workshop we got acquainted with a friendly internet tool, which increases the competitiveness and motivation of students. Kahoot is a huge database of ready-made quizzes and provides the ability to create new ones for in-house purposes. A smartphone with Internet access is in fact the only hardware requirement to make foreign language classes more attractive.
Creative Lecturer Workshop - 6 November 2018
Trainer - mgr Mariola Hejduk (CJ PŁ)
The aim of the workshop was to present several creative methods of involving students in classes using small props. Each prop was discussed in terms of its advantages and disadvantages, and examples of how to use it were presented. As you can see, the training featured beach football, ice cream sticks, markers and laminated cards, but the greatest interest was aroused by meat pestle and a 'mysterious object' hidden in the room.
