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Zeljko

Czech Teacher

How long have you been teaching for and how long for Cactus?

I have been teaching part-time since 2015, all that time at the Cactus centre in Holborn.

How long have you been living in the UK?

I have been in the UK from 1990. I moved here immediately after gaining my degree.

Where were you born?

I was born in Belgrade, my parents are from Croatia.

What is your degree and teaching experience?

I have a post-graduate degree in modern languages from Belgrade University.

Have you ever worked in another field?

All my professional life I have been working as an editor at the BBC Monitoring, covering stories from the former Yugoslavia. During a brief two-year career break I worked as a court translator at the UN war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

What was your best teaching experience?

Of all these jobs that I previously mentioned, I have enjoyed teaching at Cactus most. And the most enjoyable teaching experience was a short teaching job – organized by Cactus – when I taught my mother tongue to Emma Thompson and Emilia Clarke for a Christmas movie to be premiered in London in November 2019. This involved making sure that Emma Thompson spoke English with a strong Serbian accent and that Emilia Clarke could deliver her lines in Serbian with no foreign accent!

Do you have any specific language learning tips?

My passion are foreign language studies – I have studied nine languages so far. This is not to say that I speak all of them, but I can comfortably communicate in four languages. The best tip for learning a foreign language is not to be shy, to use it as much as possible while learning it, listen to the music in that language, immerse yourself in the culture and be playful – till all your friends get bored of your repeating what sounds like gibberish to them.

Bilo bi mi drago upoznati vas na mom kursu.

Do vidjenja!

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Frequently asked questions

What will I learn?

Our Course Outlines give an overview of the content and learning framework of Cactus courses. Includes themes, grammar and vocabulary you can typically expect to cover. These are intended as a guide only. Language teachers may at times adapt the course content to suit the specific level, aims and interests of the class.

How do I know what level I am?

Are you unsure where to start or progress to? Then take our level test and read our level descriptions for guidance.

Do I receive a qualification or certificate?

At the end of your course you receive a certificate of participation. You will be able to be download it from your MyCactus account. This confirms the language and level of course you have taken. Our course levels are based on two internationally recognised systems. You will have a universally accepted reference for your studies. (Important: Please note that you must complete the end of course questionnaire sent to you to be able to get your certificate! You will receive the course questionnaire by e-mail at the end of your course.)

Do I need a course book?

You will need a course book to attend your course. Course books are not included in the course fees. We recommend that you buy your own course book separately before your course starts. We will let you know which course book you will require and advise where you can purchase this. Please note that a course book often covers more than one level. So if you progress to the next course, you may not necessarily need to buy a new book. Again, we will advise you of this at the time. The course book is chosen by our teachers and academic team. This is based on which book is most suitable for the level of the class whilst offering the most communicative approach.

Still have questions?