Why am I an ELTA Member?

This is what ELTA members have said:

I am writing in the name of whole Charing Cross school since we are all members of ELTA from the very beginning (first called ELTAB). Thanks to a few people who were inspired enough to start a teachers association and full of enthusiasm to keep it going, we today have a professional association which represents all EL teachers in the country. The information we receive through ELTA is precious because it keeps us informed about new trends in teaching in the region and worldwide, giving us the opportunity to meet colleagues and share experiences within the country and the region. This experience together with ELTA annual conference is something that motivates us and through us, our students.

Vesna Puača, Subotica

Why am I an ELTA member? Simply because this is a safe haven for all progressive ideas related to English language teaching. In 2006, thanks to ELTA, I was sent to The Hornby Summer School, held in Palic, where I met outstanding teachers from different countries like Russia, Romania, Hungary, Estonia etc. All those fantastic ideas we shared, fruitful discussions, good jokes and laughs we had together make this Hornby Summer School really unforgettable for me.

Gordana Klašnja, Novi Sad

ELTA makes me smile…it is because I’ve found new friends there….and because it is great to belong to a group of people, a kind of a group that has only one wish – to make children happier and more educated.

Ivana, Niš

If it wasn’t for ELTA I wouldn’t now be a teacher with around 70 hours of professional development, the 3-week teaching practice in London, loads of new skills gained at the seminars and dozens of new fellow-colleagues from all around Serbia. Mind you, all of that in just 1 year of my membership!

Anica Đokić, Novi Sad

Thanks to ELTA my colleague Ljiljana Tikvicki and I attended the 13th IATEFL Slovenia Annual Conference in Ljubljana in September 2005 and presented a workshop “How Jack D. helps in teaching vocabulary”.It was really a wonderful experience for me and I learnt a lot as there were some great speakers that I also had a chance to meet personally.

Gordana Patačić, Subotica

Professional development, conferences, seminars, new people from different parts of the world are some of advantages that ELTA gave to me personally. Now, we as ELTA, spread the idea of being part of the winning team, team that offers so much with so little effort invested in it.

Željko Andrijanić, Kraljevo

In its July issue, the well-known magazine for teachers of English, the ELT Professional, published “A Minute A Laugh” in its rubric “It Works in Practice”. Nothing strange about it – that is what they do. But this is a contribution by our dear colleague, Maja Hadzic, who works in a primary school in Belgrade (the school is “Vasa Carapic”, to be precise). Maja is also a very active participant in Elta seminars and workshops, in the British Council, conferences, etc. She was awarded a book for her contribution, “An A to Z of ELT” by Scott Thornbury, as well as a copy of the magazine. It must be added, not without pride, that we in ELTA editorial team, have recognized the young colleague’s ideas, and published her contribution in one of our previous newsletter.

Slađana Sretenović-Jovanović, Belgrade

As a teacher I believe in cooperation, team work, lifelong learning, professional development, flexibility, change, reflection, autonomy and action research. I have already lived my beliefs and have valuable experience in each of them. As one of the Pomoravlje District ELTA coordinators I have organised about eight meetings of local EL teachers since December 2005. In December 2005 I applied for the Finnish sponsorship to organise ELT Mentorship Seminar, and after getting full Finnish support, in May 2006 I managed to have two-day seminar for English language teachers of Pomoravlje District at Teacher Education Faculty in Jagodina. This may sound like showing off, but I am not that kind of a person: I am saying this just to show my young colleagues that where there is a will, there is a way – we can really make our dreams come true! ELTA gathers us together and makes us very powerful for the benefit of all our children. That is the best mission any professional organisation can have.

Vera Savić, Jagodina

So, why am I an ELTA member? For all the same reasons as all these people. And I believe that Wise men learn by other men’s mistakes, fools by their own. And I am far too proud to be a fool. Besides, why waste a lifetime trying to become a better teacher on your own if it is quicker (and not to mention, much more fun) in a group of friends?

Marija Kovač, Pančevo