
We hope you are all safe, well and happy during these challenging times. Our Skype lessons are, of course, free of Covid-19 risk, and have helped a number of new students make more of their lockdown time, as well as keeping existing students busy, challenged and having fun with their language learning.
If you’d like to start learning Croatian, now is the time and, if you put a small group of up to four people together, of a similar standard and homework ethic (!), you will probably progress almost as fast as with a one to one course, but at a reduced cost. For small groups, we ask one person to be responsible for the payment and for making sure everyone is ready to go for a prompt link up at the start of the lesson; that way everyone makes the most of their time online for their uniquely tailored tuition.
Our Twitter followers will know that, periodically, we put up some useful phrases for you to practice: below are a few, relevant to the time, that will help you make polite conversation with your Croatian friends or colleagues.
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How are you coping with the lockdown? [new situation – closed travel options, businesses and schools]
Kako se nosite s novonastalom situacijom, zatvaranjem mogućnosti putovanja, biznisa, škola itd?
Not too badly; I count my blessings that I have a small garden.
Nije loše; Veliki mi je blagoslov što imam svoj mali vrt.
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Do you have to self-isolate?
Morate li se samoizolirati?
No, but my mother has an underlying condition and is in isolation for 12 weeks which is hard.
Ne, ali moja majka ima kronično zdravstveno stanje i nalazi se u samoizolaciji već 12 tjedana I teško joj je..
Do you have many cases of the corona virus in your area?
Imate li mnogo slučajeva koronavirusa u svojem području?
Are you allowed to go out for daily exercise and do you have to wear a mask?
Je li Vam dozvoljeno svakodnevno izlaziti van i morate li pri tom nositi masku?
Yes we are allowed, as long as we practice social distancing, and we are not obliged to wear a mask.
Da, dozvoljeno nam je sve dok se držimo socijanog distanciranja i ne, ne trebamo nositi masku.
How long do you think the pandemic will last?
Što mislite koliko dugo će trajati pandemija?
I think things will be difficult until there is a widely available vaccine or testing for immunity is practical and available to everyone.
Mislim da će biti teško sve dok cjepivo ne bude široko dostupno ili testiranje na imunost ne bude praktično i dostupno svima.
Did the earthquakes make things very much more difficult in Zagreb?
Jesu li potresi pogoršali situaciju u Zagrebu?
It was unfortunate timing as many people were made homeless.
Dogodilo se to baš u najnesretinje vrijeme i mnogi ljudi su ostali bez svojih domova..
I wonder how long the economy will take to recover?
Pitam se koliko dugo će trebati gospodarstvu da se oporavi?
It’s difficult to say in these unprecedented times.
Teško je to reći u ovim nepredvidim vremenima.
How are you getting along with home schooling?
Kako se nosite sa školovanjem u kući?