A Week of Creativity, Literature and Discovery for Fourth-Year Students
During the past week, our fourth-year students participated in a series of five thematic workshops designed to develop their language skills, creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork. The programme combined English language learning with art, literature, culture, and experiential learning. Each day introduced a new topic, new challenges, and exciting opportunities to explore English in innovative and engaging ways.
Words That Heal: Reconnecting with Creativity with Roxana Katysheva
The first workshop, Words That Heal, focused on creativity, emotions, and self-expression. In today's fast-paced world, we often forget the importance of creativity and taking time to reflect on our feelings and experiences. Through a variety of artistic and reflective activities, students worked with images, colours, words, and emotions without the pressure of grades or performance.
Students created their own pieces of art that reflected their thoughts, experiences, and perspectives. The workshop demonstrated that creativity is not only about artistic talent but also about expressing oneself and developing a deeper understanding of personal emotions. The result was a collection of unique and meaningful artworks that showcased individuality and imagination.
Literature and Art: Bringing Words to Life with Lucy Clare Dovala
The second day explored the connection between literature and visual art. Students worked with famous quotations from renowned English-speaking authors and reflected on their meanings and messages. They then transformed these ideas into visual representations.
Using a variety of artistic techniques, including painting, oil pastels, charcoal, and collage, students created portraits of authors or visual interpretations of literary themes. The workshop encouraged not only artistic expression but also the ability to analyse texts, interpret deeper meanings, and connect literature with personal experiences.
Escape Room: Saving the English Language with Tamra Misak
One of the highlights of the week was an immersive language escape room titled The Time-Locked Language Vault. Students were transported into a thrilling story set deep beneath the British Library, where a mysterious power surge had disrupted a secret vault preserving the entire history of the English language.
Working in teams, students travelled through different eras, solved linguistic puzzles, decoded clues, and collected five Chrono-Keys needed to restore the system. Throughout the activity, they practised grammar, vocabulary, logical thinking, and communication skills while collaborating under time pressure. The escape room created an exciting atmosphere of adventure and demonstrated that language learning can be both challenging and highly enjoyable.
Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain & Fitzgerald – Through Creative Activities with Janka Potančoková
The fourth workshop day was dedicated to four iconic figures of British and American literature: William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The aim of the workshop was to introduce students to the lives, works, and lasting influence of these authors through creative and interactive activities.
Students worked in groups to explore famous literary works, learn about the authors’ lives, and discover the historical contexts in which they wrote. Rather than relying on traditional teaching methods, the workshop encouraged learning through games, discussions, creative tasks, and collaborative problem-solving.
Activities included matching famous quotations to their authors, creating visual interpretations of literary themes, completing knowledge-based challenges, and presenting their findings to classmates. Through these tasks, students gained a better understanding of why Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain, and Fitzgerald continue to be regarded as some of the most influential writers in literary history.
The workshop also highlighted the timeless nature of literature. Students discovered that themes such as love, social justice, adventure, ambition, dreams, and the search for identity remain relevant today and continue to resonate with modern readers.
The British Commonwealth with Michelle Turčan
The final workshop focused on the British Commonwealth. Through research, discussion, and collaborative learning, students explored the history, purpose, and cultural diversity of Commonwealth nations.
Working in teams, they created informative posters presenting different Commonwealth countries. Their projects focused on geographical features, cultural traditions, national symbols, notable personalities, and historical connections. Students then presented their work to their peers and discussed similarities and differences among the countries they had researched.
This workshop helped students gain a broader understanding of global connections between nations, develop research and presentation skills, and appreciate the cultural diversity that characterises the Commonwealth.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
The workshop week demonstrated that learning a foreign language can extend far beyond textbooks and traditional classroom instruction. By combining art, literature, research, teamwork, and interactive activities, students experienced English as a living language that can be used to create, communicate, and explore the world.
Throughout the five days, students strengthened not only their language abilities but also their creativity, communication skills, confidence, and capacity for collaboration. Many discovered new interests, gained greater confidence in using English, and realised that language learning can be both meaningful and enjoyable.
We would like to thank all participating students for their enthusiasm, creativity, and active involvement throughout the week. We hope that the experiences and knowledge they gained will inspire them to continue exploring the English language and the rich cultural world connected to it.