Completion of course participants with Cardiff University teachers

Scientific and pedagogical workers and students had the opportunity not only to improve their knowledge of English, but also to reconsider their own approach to learning, teaching and communication.

Discussion of current topics, interactive discussions, useful resources, exchange of experience and support of colleagues – all this became the basis for professional growth, confidence and motivation.

The participants noted the high quality of the organization of classes, clarity of instructions, comfortable atmosphere, the opportunity to exchange ideas and receive feedback.

These courses create a space for personal development, strengthen the sense of belonging to a community of like-minded people who are working to improve their English proficiency level, and the inspiration to move forward is maintained!

Speaking Club with Richard Benson

Oleksandr Hrusha, student

“Comfortable teacher, interesting topics, a lot of new, useful idioms.”

Elizabeth Mirgorodska, student

“I liked discussing issues in a group and getting their opinions.”

Vitalii Polishchuk, student

“Friendly vibe, interesting topics of discussion, discovering new things about English and Great Britain.”

Hanna Laptieva, Associate Professor, Department of Integrated Welding Technologies and Structural Modeling

“1) Self-confidence appears, because the teacher understands me; 2) Vocabulary expands; 3) There is an opportunity to learn the features of the English language from a native speaker.”

Olena Martynova, Associate Professor, Department of Information Technologies, Odesa State Agrarian University

“I liked the friendly atmosphere of the classes, the attention of our teacher to each student, and the variety of topics for discussion.”

Kateryna Pasholok, student

“I like the opportunity to meet new people.”

Yevhenii Filipovich, student

“New interesting things about UK culture, speaking on special topics and having fun.”

Veronika Karnaukh, student

“Friendliness, diversity, balloon debate.”

Olha Serhiienko, Associate Professor, Departmentof Foundry Equipment and Technology

“Working in small groups, discussing relevant topics, and pronunciation exercises.”

Alina Kazurova, Associate Professor, Electric Drive and Commercial Plant Automation Department; Head, Center for Internationalization and International Cooperation

“Attending the Speaking Club was a great experience for me. First of all, I really liked the friendly and relaxed atmosphere, which made it easy to speak without fear. Secondly, the wide range of interesting topics helped me learn new vocabulary and express my thoughts more freely. And finally, I appreciated the kind guidance from Richard, who always encouraged us to keep talking, even if we made mistakes.”

Pavlo Tryshyn, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology

I took part in the Speaking Club for learning English with Richard Benson, a teacher from Cardiff University, and I’d like to share my impressions. It was truly a valuable and engaging experience that helped me improve my spoken English through live conversations.

I especially enjoyed the following topics:

• Social media ban — interesting discussions about the pros and cons of banning social media. It was helpful to hear different viewpoints and develop my own arguments in English.
• Fame and celebrity — a lively talk about the impact of fame and modern celebrities allowed us to practice vocabulary related to public life.
• Music is everyone’s favorite topic! Talking about different music genres, artists, and cultural differences made the discussion especially exciting.

Richard Benson is a true professional. He creates a friendly atmosphere, encourages everyone to participate, provides helpful corrections, and shares useful expressions.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their spoken English, broaden their horizons, and connect with people from around the world.

English for Academic Purposes course with Kelly Wrigley

Vladyslav Kushch, student

1. The teacher provided interesting and at the same time useful materials.

2. Teacher’s lessons were directed at improving all of the English skills, such as Speaking, Writing, etc.

I am thankful for such an interesting experience. I liked it every time the lesson started. Variable tasks, interesting themes, and lots of positive emotions!

Artem Bilyi

The course was very useful for me, it gave me a lot of useful information I never knew. The course was very interesting, and the vibe was very friendly and cheerful. The teacher explained the information very well and very interesting, I really liked the course.

Thanks to the teacher and the university for this wonderful course and the wonderful moments; everything was great.

Olga Nemykina, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Apparatus

1. The subject of the lessons was interesting and relevant. The presentations on the topics were interesting. 2. The teacher delivered the lessons professionally. 3. The teacher gave clear instructions for each lesson topic.

Kateryna Pylypenko, Associate Professor, Social Sciences Faculty

I really liked the practical focus. The materials were very well-organized and relevant. The teacher created a motivating and supportive learning environment.

Teachers of English Professional Development course with Daniel Cornelius

Svitlana Voitenko, Senior Teacher, Department of Foreign Philology and Translation

“Informative, motivating, thought-provoking.”

Olena Khavkina, Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Philology and Translation

The course was focused on interesting and relevant topics. Clear instructions. The course was well planned.

Yelyzaveta Anpilohova, Teacher of English

Interesting discussions, time management, positive learning environment

Olena Syvachuk, Senior Teacher, Department of Foreign Philology and Translation

“First, I enjoyed having the materials. It’s always important to be able to look back, so to say.

Second, I like the opportunity to reflect, share my point of view, and get feedback.

Third, I really enjoyed discussing things with my colleagues. It’s important to know if what you do in your job is right or not and how to improve your performance.”

Nataliia Zhukova, Acting Head, Department of Foreign Philology and Translation

The course is an efficient platform for us to share our ideas and learn new English Language Teaching approaches. The topics are relevant to our interests. The teaching approach that Daniel uses is a good example to follow with trauma-informed teaching in mind.

Yuliya Bykova, Senior Teacher, Department of Foreign Philology and Translation

Interesting topics, active discussions, and experience

Iryna Kashyrina, Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Philology and Translation

The course appeared to cover up-to-date issues, and the teacher proved to be professional and good with words

Viktoriia Horlachova, Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Philology and Translation

I especially liked the part related to recognizing boundaries and the extent to which artificial intelligence resources are involved in the activities of students and teachers.

1. There were many insights while exploring the attempts of foreign colleagues to establish assessment scales for student work in contexts where AI resources are or are not used.

2. One particularly debatable but thought-provoking point was the involvement of artificial intelligence in the actual process of evaluating student achievements. 3. Daniel’s experience in assessing international students was valuable to me. Before the war, we also had students from various countries studying at our university, so understanding the expectations of international students in the university learning process is extremely important to me.