What they say about us
We can say many things about learning
Croatian at the Croatian Language School of London but we think it is
better to let our students say it their way. People from all walks of
life have learned Croatian with us both for business and pleasure.
Here's what they say:
I wanted to start learning Croatian after visiting Dubrovnik and Zagreb
last year and falling in love with the country. I contacted the
Croatian Language School and have now been having lessons for the last
6 months.
The standard of teaching is fantastic and they offer complete
flexibility with regards to learning that can fit around a busy
lifestyle and are always available to help you with any questions you
may have. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Andrew Webster, London
As a Croatian-born American who left Croatia at age 5, I lost much of
the language over the years. Having recently moved to the London area
with greater opportunities to visit Croatia, I am very motivated to
refresh my understanding and reading ability.
Most importantly, I want to be able to have conversations with my
relatives when I visit Zagreb.
Linda is very patient and makes everything interesting, even the
complicated verb conjugations! My lessons are on Skype using a video
cam which is the next best thing to being in the same room. I can see
her speak which is very helpful.
Travel has not impacted the lesson schedule because either of us can be
anywhere. I highly recommend it!
Vlasta Pinkston, London
For someone with a working knowledge of Croatian who wishes to increase
their communication skills in the language and who has an empathy with
the place, but whose spare time is limited, Linda's new project of an
intensive weekend of immersion in Zagreb life, is a brilliant idea.
Last weekend I spent two and half days there and loved every minute. I
cannot believe how much we managed to pack into such a short time -
from everyday things like shopping and trying to join in conversations
to getting a taste of Croatian culture at the theatre with so many
things in between, not to mention some one-to-one language lessons to
reinforce what I had been learning while out and about. I came home
feeling thrilled at what I had achieved and with a renewed
determination to carry on improving my ability to communicate in
Croatian. Just the incentive I need to cope with all the intricacies of
Croatian case endings, perfective and imperfective verbs and all the
other stumbling blocks along the way. Now I am determined that I will
eventually get to grips with them. And, more important than anything, I
really want to!
Thank you, Linda, for a brilliant weekend and all your hard work. I
hope I'll be able to do it again sometime.
Julia Molden, London
It's a fact that Croatian is a really difficult language but the
lessons at the Croatian Language School of London have been excellent.
Linda Rabuzin has endless patience and I have really enjoyed some of
the on-location schools in Croatia - both in Porec and in Losinj.
Julia Berg, London
Skype training is a revolution in language training with Linda. Skype
enables the person to concentrate on the sound and learning like never
before. This has enabled our learners to be at home, work or in any
office and still continue learning. We would recommend this to all as
an effective tool to advance learning. Many thanks, Linda.
Kerry Halliday Poseidon Group HR Manager, London
We really enjoyed the lovely weekend in Zagreb. It was packed full of
information not only on language but also food, culture, history,
places of interest and new experiences. We particularly enjoyed the
tour of the old town and the Croatian Theatre experience. We felt so
welcome and looked after with typical Croatian hospitality. We would
thoroughly recommend the "Zagreb Weekend Experience" to anyone learning
Croatian as a way to immerse yourself in the culture and language but
enjoy yourself at the same time!
Angela & Gary Connor, London
Professional and sympathetic teaching builds a strong foundation for
further learning, enthusiastic and supportive fellow learners, work in
small groups, interactive teaching style that involves all students,
interesting and varied fellow students. Fun - especially fun.
David Baker, London
This summer's Croatian cookery course, held on the island of Losinj,
marked a tasty, new departure for the Croatian Language School and a
highly enjoyable one. As a nervous and unconfident cook, I was
pleasantly surprised to find that cooking could be fun! The course, led
by inspirational chef Mladen Marusic from Zagreb, introduced us to a
wide range of regional dishes, as well as teaching us the language and
cultural aspects of the food we were preparing. It also took some of
the mystery out of the daunting experience of shopping for Croatian
ingredients when you cannot understand the labels. I learnt many basic
cooking techniques, which I had never acquired before, and a few of
chef's tips, all of which boosted my confidence and success in cooking.
The fact that I was learning Croatian cookery, rather than English,
helped to eradicate my previous unsuccessful experiences in cooking.
Mladen always had his finger on the pulse and knew exactly what each
student was doing. He was encouraging and professional, helping each
student at whatever level they were. And he made it fun! It was a joy
to be on this course and, of course, we were able to sit down together
afterwards and enjoy the wonderful banquet we had made, while
continuing to practise our Croatian language skills. Since my return to
the UK I have been inspired to cook for friends and family, which has
deepened their interest in the language and culture of Croatia. I can't
wait for the next course!
Gloria Langridge, Shetland Islands
During the week I spent in Porec this fall my ability to understand and
speak Croatian increased much more than I had anticipated. The course
was intensive; I was working on my Croatian in some way at almost all
hours of the day, which, while exhausting, was the key to my success
and progress.
Porec was lovely and the accommodations were great, but the real
advantage of studying with the Croatian Language School, I have found,
is the excellent quality of teaching. Linda Rabuzin is one of the best
language teachers I have had, especially in that she challenges
students, while also giving each student the time and space to advance
at a pace, which is comfortable for the individual. She is an extremely
patient and supportive teacher.
I have been living and working in Zagreb since the course and I find
that the words and grammar we practiced during the week in Porec are
the most embedded and familiar elements for me of all the material I
had covered in the past year. I am also the most confident in my use of
that vocabulary and grammar. Before I studied in Porec I was hesitant
to try speaking to people in Zagreb, in Croatian, but since I have been
back I am more confident and take pride in my ability to communicate
with locals.
Karen Magnuson, Zagreb
After attending my first class in Porec last year, I had really high
expectations from CLS. When I came to Losinj this year not only were my
expectations met, they were far exceeded; this class was twice as good
as I had hoped it would be! The teaching was excellent - in fact Zoran
would have to be one of the best teachers I've had in any subject - we
covered a lot of material but it was never overwhelming. The lessons
were challenging but still enjoyable, and provided enough opportunity
to practice along the way so new things quickly became more familiar. I
didn't even realize how much I was learning till I found myself using
new words or concepts in conversations later on. And I can't say enough
good things about the cooking class. I think most of us came to the
class not particularly excited about cooking, but it ended up being a
highlight of the whole course! Mladen was a Maestro in the kitchen,
patiently teaching and overseeing every step while maintaining a great
atmosphere. We had a lot of fun in the process of cooking and learning
about regional specialties, and of course the fruit of each session was
a nightly feast! Having a hands-on experience is so great for learning
more vocabulary as well, and of course the kitchen is a part of
Croatian culture that just can't be ignored. It was a great first year
in the new location of Cunski; all the CLS staff worked very hard to
make sure things went well and to provide such a positive environment.
And when class wasn't in session we found ourselves in a beautiful
seaside location just waiting to be enjoyed!
Megan Richardson, Seattle
I had been trying to learn Croatian for nearly 3 years studying a book.
It was difficult to focus on it for any length of time and I would do a
few minutes on the train and usually forget it quite soon. I attended
the course in Porec in May 2007 and it really helped me enormously. The
teacher Davorka was excellent when explaining the structure of the
language, which made learning much easier. It has also help to enthuse
me again and I have been practicing more since I returned. The teachers
and other people on the course were very friendly and there was a good
social element to mixing with the others. I intend to go back to
another course in future to take me to another level again once I have
built up more vocabulary. I would recommend it to anyone who is
interested in learning Croatian. Thanks again Linda.
Jim Brannan, Glasgow
The week I spent in Porec in May 2005 (my second time) proved
invaluable in improving my ability to speak and understand the
language. There was plenty of hard work to be done but coupled with
excellent teaching skills, everyone made good progress. However, that's
only half the story! There was also time for social activities and
ample opportunity to soak up the ambience of a beautiful part of
Croatia. In short, both courses I've attended have been the perfect mix
of study and holiday time. I'll be going again.
Paul Fischer, London
The week in Porec is an incredibly useful week. Following the weekly
lessons in London this is suddenly the chance to try it all out for
real! The combination of 3 hours of intensive coaching in a small
group, study in spare time, and dealing with local restaurants and
going off to explore the local area - islands, beeches and ancient
colliseums - mean that by the end of the week your mind has begun to
take some aspects of Croatian for granted that before seemed incredibly
difficult! The first week I took in Porec was as an absolute beginner -
with no previous experience of Croatian teaching. For me it was a
chance to test whether or not I wanted to commit - a self-contained
week where I could try it out. The experience convinced me that I might
actually be able to learn a language (school had convinced me that I
could not!). Returning just 6 months later and being able to have long
chats with the locals in the market was simply proof that learning
Croatian was a possibility.
Mark Weber, London
I'd been studying the language for about 5 - 6 months, and with life
and work being what it is, I felt I needed more than 90 minutes or so a
week with Linda in Ealing. My partner is from Zagreb, but has lived in
the UK for so long that thinking in Croatian doesn't come naturally to
her any more - which makes it hard for me to practice! Porec works on
two levels, and I approached it in that manner. First of all, I was
determined to have a break and do a bit of tourism. I hired a car for a
few days, and alone and with others visited some beautiful places
through Istria - Motovun, Rijeka, Brijuni. Just as important, I wanted
to make the most of the opportunity to learn the language. The hotel
was first rate, the staff very friendly and happy to engage us as
students. I was assigned to the intermediate class, where I was the
least skilled student, but which I felt really pulled me along. My own
feeling was that I got almost as much out of that single week as I had
in the previous several months; work permitting, I hope to spend a
fortnight travelling through former Yugoslavia in September, and attend
the next course in Porec in October/November. I can unreservedly
recommend the school to anyone trying to learn the language; the
location is beautiful, and the teaching is intense but well-paced. On
returning to London I now attend the conversational class in Ealing;
again, I'm one of the least experienced students, but I definitely find
it stimulates and encourages me. Linda's relaxed, conversational style
suits me well, and the students I've met both in Porec and London are a
wonderfully diverse group of people.
Mark Crawford, London
Better than Watching football!
I have excellent experience with the CLS. Because of the small groups,
you have plenty of opportunity to practice. The summer course in
Croatia is great fun. Combining learning the language and holidays is
the ideal combination. Nice atmosphere during lessons and the social
activities outside lessons are greatly appreciated.
Berend Jonker, Amsterdam
I started learning Croatian just over a year ago, and I attend one
class of one and a half hours each week. When I started I knew only a
few words of Croatian, and can now confidently construct sentences
using the present past and future tenses. We are a small group, so the
teaching is very professional and most enjoyable. Having started with
the basic grammar and vocabulary, we have progressed to so much that we
are now able to discuss many different topics. Each week Linda (our
teacher) presents us with an article from a magazine or newspaper, or
the internet. At first glance I always think I will not be able to
understand it, but by the end of the class we have learnt several new
words and are able to discuss the article. The subject so far discussed
have included films, St Patrick's Day, music, mobile phones, the
European Union and the stress of living in a busy city. It's a very
enjoyable class and I never thought I would achieve so much by
attending only once a week. I have to travel a long way to attend the
class, but it is well worth it, even in the dark winter evenings.
Margaret Mezak, London
Professional teaching in a relaxed environment, which from the first
lesson puts one at ease, has meant that I travel around Croatia with
confidence and, in fact, I am constantly told that I have a really good
teacher in London. Thank you CLS for enabling me to fulfil a dream.
Freda Ratcliffe, London
I had been learning Croatian for several years on my own, with a teach
yourself book and by reading. I was able to converse and get my meaning
over if people were prepared to be patient with me. I was lucky enough
to be able to practise on Croatian friends. If asked, they would
correct me but couldn't explain why what I had said was wrong. I felt I
had reached a plateau and was not making any progress. Since coming to
the Croatian Language School everything has changed. There is a wealth
of teaching material and books and videos are available so that I
really feel that I am making progress. I can understand much better
even when speech is faster and I find it much easier to write. For me
the best thing is that individual lessons are tailored to each person's
needs. I have been encouraged to discuss and write about a large number
of subjects and I come out feeling inspired to go back home and work
hard. This is the best thing a teacher can do for a pupil, give him or
her the confidence and the desire to study further on their own.
Sue Pennington, London
Galeb u ruci vrijedi vise nego dva na moru.....
I'm extremely grateful to Linda for recommending I attend the Porec
course. Altogether I spent sunny 10 days in Istria with my Croatian
partner, Romana. With the constant exposure to the language through
both the 5 day course and our vigorous exploration of Istria, I
actually now feel able to say, "I speak Croatian". Of course there's an
awful lot more to learn, but it was great to watch the surprise and joy
of local people having a foreigner try to speak with them in their
language. Istria is beautiful too; great wine, and unique cuisine. All
in all, one of my best holidays!
David Jepson, London
Croatian Language School Ltd. | 65 St. Mary's Road London W5 5RG | Tel/Fax +44 (0) 20 8354 3162 | M +44 (0) 7870 712