News You Can Use

No. 26
November 2011
b y t h e NUC U Te a m & He l e n D o r o n
Dear Teachers
and Franchisees,
Are you aware of just how special we are? Let
me tell you a story... Once there was a lady who
was given a very expensive, very beautiful, very
perfect diamond. She initially really appreciated
this diamond and felt so fortunate to have it.
She wore it with pride on a chain round her
neck. Yet as time went by, she became used to
the necklace and forgot about the diamonds
perfection. Eventually, she simply cast it aside.
A friend saw her do it and asked her why she
was treating something so valuable in such
a careless manner. This reminded her of the
beauty and value of the diamond and she wore
it again proudly.
We know we have a great methodology and
materials to work with, and the best teachers
- teachers who are dedicated to ongoing
Contents
Helen with the team from LC Los Remedios, in Spain
From left to right: Jesus Romero (Teacher),
Karolina Piorkowska (Teacher), Helen Doron,
Angela Snchez (MF), Lorena Rejano (Administrative LC),
and Laura Nicols (Teacher).
Truly International
New Materials & Courses
A Great Start for TTC 2
Training is Fun!
Inspirational TTCs
We Are Truly International
Helen Doron in the Media
Welcome to our New Franchisees
News from Poland
News from Ukraine
2011 Annual Conferences
Thailand Mini AC
Prop Competitions
Focus on China
The Learning Studio Option
New Learning Studio in Italy
Amazing Prop Room
London with Helen Doron!
End-of-Year Fun
ETD Course in Italy
Four-Legged Fun
Cool HDEE Rappers
pansko Holiday Courses
Proudly Passing the Pearson Exam
Holiday Courses in Portugal
Special Event in Poland
Swiss Happenings
Expo for Kids
Animated Readings in San Marino
New in Thailand
Opening My LC
Happy LC Romania
A New Generation
Grand Opening in Italy
Successful LCF!
HDEE & Social Media
HDEE Teacher Movie!
Expanding Worldwide
Hands-on CEO
Feature Teacher
Reaching Out to Children
One Language Is Never Enough!
The Importance of Jokes
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training and who regularly attend seminars and
conferences. We know that our materials have
no parallel in scope and quality anywhere in the
world. Yet, like the lady with the diamond, we
sometimes forget why we need to keep up with
ongoing training to remain the best. Or we
forget how special our methodology is, and we
start to take it for granted a bit....that is, until we
are reminded.
I had an interesting experience a few weeks ago.
In Israel, we were running a radio campaign
for the beginning of the new school year, with
various radio stations for national coverage. We
needed to record a few children saying the simple
sentence I learn English with Helen Doron.
It was the school holidays still, so we simply took
children that the offce staff knew. These children
were not yet learning with HDEE. I must admit
thinking to myself that we really ought to use only
HDEE students for the advert, but others argued
that for such a simple sentence, we could use
any child of 6, 8 or 11. You may not be surprised
to learn that these children - even though they
spoke in an animated manner and really threw
themselves into the dramatics of this simple
sentence could not get it to sound like English.
The accent and intonation were all wrong so that
when it was recorded, it simply didnt sound like
English at all!
In the end we brought HDEE students to record
the advert. It was just one line, but it needed to
be done right! These students had been listening
to their CDs daily and had absorbed the
pronunciation and fow of the English language,
and the advert was a success. This is the quality
of our students worldwide.
Being a Truly International educational
organisation is the theme of this edition of News
You Can Use. We know no borders. Our teachers
are international and our students become
international. It is a joy to work with you all
and to know no borders, boundaries or limits
because thats part of what makes us so special.
We are effective. We are dedicated. We all shine
like diamonds, and....we are Truly International.
Helen Doron
Lingua franca is a phrase from Latin that originally referred to a western European tongue used as
a common language in trade and diplomacy. Through accidents of history and the infuence of
American hi-tech, the English language has become our lingua franca in the modern global age.
At Helen Doron Early English, we believe that English, outside of the Anglophone world, should
continue to play the role of lingua franca, becoming the bridge language that allows people to
communicate across differing mother tongues and cultures.
Making contact with other cultures through a common language opens the mind, stimulates
intellectual agility, and expands cultural horizons important skills in a highly mobile, globalised
society. Multilingualism is a tool for understanding others, as well as communicating with them.
Thats part of what makes Helen Doron Early English truly international.
You can watch Helen Dorons speech on language and cultures here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzuPvDIyuRs part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0ozJxzz3Fs part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNGopzCxUFk part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uw8fxUJzZ8 part 4
Helen speaks on the importance of an international language.
Truly International
3
Another year has begun and we are happy to
inform you of our new developments for the
coming year.
Didi the Dragon Green
Didi the Dragon
Green is ready,
completing our
four-year Polly and
Didi kindergarten
programme. Now
our students can enjoy 13 new episodes with
Didi and her friends.
Student Set
The student set is composed of:
1 DVD with 13 episodes
Didi the Dragon Green Activity Book - 48
pages for use in the kindergarten, with 2
sticker pages.
Didi the Dragon Green CD
Parents are encouraged to enter our website
www. didiandpolly.com in order to download,
at no cost, the illustrated texts of the CD that the
children can colour in at home.
Teacher Set
The teacher set is composed of:
1 DVD with 13 episodes
Didi the Dragon Green Activity Book
Didi the Dragon Green CD
Teacher Guide (for once or twice weekly
lessons)
Long version songs and playback CD
Flashcards
Downloadable props and games for teachers
(referred to in the Teacher Guide) are available
on the Teacher Portal.
And heres another bit of good news: now you
can train for both Didi courses in a one-day
seminar. So join the next Didi seminar in your
area, and you and your students can have lots of
fun with Didi the Dragon.
Botty the Robot Upgrade
The upgraded Botty is here and we hope you
are already enjoying it.
The upgraded set includes:
One version of the workbooks instead of
two (we previously separated Asian versions
and European versions)
Four workbooks instead of fve, including
new content
Completely new graphics
Upgraded Script Book graphics (no
content change)
New Vocabulary Flashcards (some printed and
some for download from the Teacher Portal)
Revised Phonics Flashcards now only
available for download from the Teacher Portal
Please Note: The CDs and DVD remain
unchanged, except for label graphics.
Wed be happy to receive your feedback as you
start teaching with the NEW BOTTY!
Pre-Botty Read and Write English
Course and New Teacher Guide
The full Read and Write English
set is out and about! It now
includes a Teacher Guide with
10 lessons and is packed with
downloadable games and
fashcards.
New Materials & Courses
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Students who are not yet familiar with the
Latin alphabet (e.g. in Middle and Far Eastern
countries) can now learn the Read and Write
English set as a two-month pre-reading and
writing course. The course introduces the ABCs
to children in a fun and interactive way, and is
a perfect preparation for the new and improved
Botty workbooks.
Enjoy the Teacher Guide pack that accompanies
our Read and Write English workbook
A Teacher Guide to help you plan your
lessons
Lots of downloadable games
Colourful downloadable fashcards (all
downloadable from the Teacher Portal).
HDEE Teacher Shana Tibi has just started to teach
Read and Write English at the Learning Centre
in Karmiel, Israel. She writes in:
This course is designed for students who are
not familiar with the English alphabet. Here,
they learn the names and sounds of letters,
how to put the sounds together to form words,
and how to write each letter. The students are
excited to participate in games and competitions
as they familiarise themselves with the English
alphabet. This is a great class to teach, because
you see immediate results. It is very rewarding
to experience learning in action and satisfying
to know that you are helping students with the
building blocks of reading and writing. This
course is very helpful to teach before diving
into the new Botty material, as it prepares the
students for the curriculum.
Paul Wards World
Grammar Workbook
As we have had some
requests for grammar and
writing practice workbooks
for younger learners as
well, we are producing a
grammar workbook for Paul Wards World.
The grammar practice in this book covers the
verb to be, WH questions, the present tenses,
future tense and up to past simple. In addition
there are reading and listening comprehensions.
Teachers can download audio fles with
recordings of the listening comprehensions from
the Teacher Portal.
Release date for purchase by teachers and LCFs:
January 2012
New, Simplifed Paul Ward and the
Treasure Grammar Workbook
The new and simplifed version of the PWT
Grammar Workbook is now available, so PWT
teachers now have two options:
Version 1: The original book with advanced
grammar levels. This can be used in countries
where higher levels of grammar are required
for this age group. It can also be used as an
excellent summer course before starting the
Teen English programme.
Version 2: A simplifed version which covers
present tenses, some modal verbs and verb
tenses up to past simple and past progressive as
well as more free writing exercises.
Both versions have downloadable audio fles,
including listening comprehensions based
on the gripping and hilarious detective story
running through them The Adventures of
Detective Bungle.
HDEE Lessons in Malls, Libraries
and other public places
In addition to our HDEE Birthday Parties,
another exciting new promotional tool is now
available on the Portal. These are 10 special
lesson plans to be given in malls.
As with the HDEE Birthday Sets, the goals of
these lessons are:
Creating awareness of HDEE
Creating an additional source of income for
LCFs and teachers (in countries where malls
pay for such services)
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The lessons are for 2-7 year olds and are each
45 minutes long.
They include 10 different themes based on
HDEE materials:
Animals
Wild animals
Body and actions 1
Body and actions 2
Transport 1
Transport 2
Colours
Numbers
House and shapes
Food
No special training is required for HDEE teachers.
A detailed guide for teachers as well as crafts
and games for the lessons are available on the
Teacher Portal under Pedagogic -> Mall Lessons.
At the end of the lesson, each child receives a
small set containing the following:
Branded plastic bag
Craft done during the lesson
Colouring page (downloaded)
Sticker I took part in a Helen Doron
English lesson
Balloon
Promotional sheet for parents
Super Nature Divided
Super Nature was originally designed for twice
weekly lessons. However, since many teachers
teach it once a week, we have decided to divide
the two books into four books, thus enabling
teachers to fnish a book in a year and also
providing four years of Super Nature courses for
schools.
We now have:
Super Nature 1A (Units 1-3 of Super Nature 1)
Super Nature 1B (Units 4-6 of Super Nature 1)
Super Nature 2A (Units 1-3 of Super Nature 2)
Super Nature 2B (Units 4-6 of Super Nature 2)
The Reading and Writing Workbook with Phonics
which is taught alongside Super Nature 2 has
also been divided into:
Super Nature 2A Reading and Writing
Workbook with Phonics (Units 1-3 of
original workbook)
Super Nature 2B Reading and Writing
Workbook with Phonics (Units 4-6 of
original workbook)
The division has been done in a way that
requires no changes to the teacher guides (page
numbers have been left practically unchanged
and some extra pages have been added for this
purpose).
CDs have been similarly divided.
At this stage the new books and CDs will only
be produced according to demand.
The original books can still be used for twice
weekly lessons.
Super Nature Song and Playback CD
A Teacher CD with
songs and playbacks
for both Super Nature
1 and 2 is now
available for teachers
teaching Super Nature.
San Benedetto LC.
As part of HDEEs ongoing
development work and
upgrades to the Helen Doron
Teen English programme, the
development team created a
new Teacher Trainer Course.
We now offer the new TTC 2,
covering the material for older
children: the Paul Ward
courses and the Teen English
programme. TTC 1 continues
to cover material for the younger ages.
Over the summer, Anne Lynch, MF of Sicily,
hosted one of the frst TTC 2 sessions. Teacher
Trainer Justyna Frankiewicz-Popioek, from
Poland, presented the course, and reported back
on the event. Justyna writes:
I approached the last week of June with a little
fear and anxiety, but also with great enthusiasm
my frst TTC 2 was scheduled, and was to be
held in lovely Messina, Sicily. It turned out to be
an awesome experience for me, and I hope for
the teachers too! The participants were a mixture
of senior teachers, junior teachers (actually
trained just two weeks before in TTC 1) and one
brand new teacher, who came just for this TTC.
The participants were amazing - frst of all, I
was proud of the senior teachers knowledge of
HDEE methodology, and I admired their desire
to learn new information and gain new personal
insights, which was obvious when we discussed
multiple intelligences and played psychological
games. Their thorough understanding was later
visible in very good essays. But even more
breathtaking was the level of their practical
preparation for the presentations: their ideas
were original, and their interpretations of the
songs wide-ranging funny for PWT and deep
and thoughtful for Out of the Waters. They
made amazing efforts to prepare for grammar
presentations and to create posters for
the Teen English and PWT days
(I must add here that half of the group
were native English speakers, for
whom teaching grammar is much
harder than for non-native speakers
who usually studied to some degree).
I had my 12-year old son Przemek with me,
and the conference participants practiced and
played many of the activities and games with
him, gaining a new perspective on how and
where things need adjustment, and what the
attitude of teenagers can be. He is approaching
a diffcult age now, so the fact that he enjoyed
the activities just as much as I did was proof of
their outstanding quality. (Mom, I must be good
if I managed with all these super-sophisticated
games, dont you think? Looks like this HD
really works! said Przemek, who has actually
graduated from all of the HDEE levels now)
We really had fun! Anne Lynch, the MF of
Sicily, seemed to enjoy herself too, as she was
present for much of the training, preparing
herself for the professional marketing campaign
of the new products in autumn.
I came to Messina with some fear and anxiety
of the novelty I was about to face, and I left
Messina with a deep feeling of total fulflment,
and even more enthusiastic about teaching
TTC 2. It was great fun!
A Great Start for TTC 2
A prop made by
Francesca from Anne
Lynchs LC for matching
texts to pictures. Its
based on Thermal Wings
from the Out of the
Waters album.
Props made by a new Teacher, Fantasia from England,
showing the spelling rule of gerund forms.
Dancing to Theres a
Hole in My Bucket
in day 4 of TTC 2
(PWT), the group all
dressed as Lisas and
Henries. Front row,
from left: Roberta,
Valeria, Justyna,
Francesca. Back row,
from left: Fantasia,
Chia, Stefania, Simona
TT Justyna
Frankiewicz-
Popioek
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Training is Fun!
Timisoara, Romania hosted its very
frst TTC. It looks like everyone
understood one of the most
important lessons: the
Helen Doron Method is a lot of fun!
Red Bus for Us: From left to right:
Zsuzsanna Bekesi (TT), Alina Corbeanu,
Emma Marincu, Giorgiana Manescu.
Thanks to our great Teacher Trainers and wonderful training materials, Helen Doron HQ has been getting
some good feedback about the Teacher Training Courses over the last few months. Take a look at what
the participants have had to say on their feedback forms (they may send in comments anonymously):
From Budapest, Hungary, March 2011:
...I feel I have had a life changing experience which is setting me on a really
positive, supportive and fun path. Thank you so much!
Anonymous
From Cologne, Germany, March 2011:
I enjoyed the course. I learned about Early Child and Brain Development, which
inspired me to dig into the subject deeper. Im grateful for the experience gained.
Anonymous
From Dreieich, Germany, April 2011:
You changed my attitude to life and to teaching children. It was wonderful!
I am tired, but inspired with so many ideas!
Anonymous
From Odessa, Ukraine, July 2011:
Thank you for the Teacher Training Course full of enjoyment, adventure, fun
and collaboration, which inspires me to inspire others to believe in their kids.
Tanya
From Munich, Germany, July, 2011:
Very good encouragement and nice tips for life and education in general.
Anonymous
From Bremen, Germany, August 2011:
Thank you very much for the training. I am set to infuence the next generation
and everyone around me.
Diana
Inspirational TTCs
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During the summer, I was
vacationing at the Dead Sea here in
Israel. It was typical Israeli leisure
time at the spa: sunning on the
beach, enjoying the mineral-rich
mud of what Israelis call the Salt
Sea, and generally unwinding.
News You Can Use was the last
thing on my mind...
Until I chanced to overhear a
fellow vacationer: a woman
enjoying the spa with her family.
I didnt recognize the language
maybe it was Slovakian? Curious to
know where she was from, I struck
up a conversation.
We spoke in English, of course
it is the international language,
especially for tourists. She told me
that she was from Subotica, Serbia, which
led to the Question: Are you familiar with
Helen Doron? Why, of course, she said. In
fact, her young son took Helen Doron English
courses for several years. We had a wonderful
time, sitting by the pool, chatting about
English and Helen Doron.
There we were, two vacationers, from two
continents, speaking two different languages,
but fnding common ground in Helen Doron
Early English. That night, I knew Id found the
theme for this issue of News You Can Use:
Truly International.
This is what makes Helen Doron Truly
International: not just that we teach English
all over the world, but in the way we build
bridges between cultures. When a tourist
from Serbia can fnd common ground with an
Englishwoman living in Israel, then you know
youre Truly International!
Thanks to Bojana and her son, Nikola, for
their positive feedback. A key part of the
Helen Doron Methodology is the positive
feedback given to the students; but sometimes,
when it comes back around, we can see just
what a boost it really gives.
Congratulations, also, to Subotica
LC, Serbia, for the excellent job
they are doing in promoting our
wonderful methodology and
making such an impression on the
parents and children.
I had the opportunity to meet the
LCF, Sabina Beslic, and see her
LC, on my recent business trip to
Serbia; it was wonderful to see
how she has made herself and her
Learning Centre such a vibrant part
of the community.
The trip to Serbia was exhilarating.
I attended a meeting of all the
LCFs, along with the NF, and was
deeply impressed by everyones
commitment to maintaining the
highest teaching standards and to
promoting Helen Doron Teen English. In the
course of my three day visit, I was able to
visit many of the Learning Centres in Serbia.
They all looked welcoming, and everyones
enthusiasm was infectious it really buoyed
me through a tight schedule.
I returned home energized after the visit.
Like the Dead Sea, Serbia is one of many
wonderful places in our Truly International
world.
Best Regards,
Anne Gordon
The Dead Sea - Israel
We Are Truly International
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Helen Doron in the Media
Helen Doron is one very busy lady! She really
gets around in her drive to spread the word
about the unique Helen Doron language
learning system. At the same time shes
working with her pedagogic development
team creating courses and materials, she
is also teaching classes, greeting new
franchisees, and staying in public eye via
international press and media. This year,
interest in Helen Doron Early English brought
Helen into the pages of major European
womens journals.
In May, Helen appeared in the Austrian
womens magazine, Woman. She spoke
about her methodology, its origin, and the
importance of imparting encyclopaedic
knowledge to our children. As Helen said,
Nothing makes the same demands on the
brain, or trains the mind better, than learning
a language! Small babies can already
learn, through repeated hearing and positive
reinforcement. She elaborated that babies
and small children soak up knowledge like a
sponge, and that the best time for children to
start learning is long before they start school.
Later in the summer, Helen was selected
by alfemminile.com, the Italian online
womens journal soFeminine, as their
Woman of the Week.
Read the article at: http:// www.alfemminile.
com/donne-societa-diritti-della-donna/helen-
doron-d20922.html.
Earlier in the year, Helen was also given a
two-page spread in La Isha (For Woman)
magazine in Israel - the largest publication in
the county oriented towards womens issues.
Helen was selected to be featured in
these magazines both for her success as a
woman in business, and for running a large
international company which supports
women in management positions. Helen
spoke primarily about her teaching method,
the infuence of motherhood on her company,
and what it means to her to run a large
international company.
Her tireless promotion of Early English
education has paid off in many ways. Since
frst beginning in 1985, Helen has educated
a generation of parents the world over on the
benefts of multi-language learning in young
children, and built a thriving business on that
premise. Through her drive and inspiration,
and with the help of so many others who share
in the vision of Helen Doron Early English,
this brand has become both a market leader in
language education programmes for children
and a shining example of woman power.
At the Woman magazine interview in Vienna, Austria.
From left: Petra Muhr, interviewer; Helen Doron;
Martin Laschkolnig, co-MF for Austria
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Welcome to our New Franchisees
Austria
Learning Centre for Krems
Katherine Helldorf
Bosnia & Herzogovina
Learning Centre for Sarajevo Centar
Nina Viskovic
China
Learning Centre for Xuhi Jiang Weiqi
Learning Centre for Kunming Zhenyifang
Ling Han
Learning Centre for Ningbo Book City
Jie Zhang
Croatia
Learning Centre for Novi Zagreb 1
Branka Antonic
Learning Centre for Rijeka 1 Arna Tomic
Learning Centre for Samobor
Maja Bernat Piletic
Learning Centre for Trnje Tihana Uzelac
Learning Centre for Zadar Ana Nekic
Ecuador
Learning Centre for Sur de Quito
Alexandra Calero
Germany
Learning Studio for Bad Aibling Iris Riemer
Learning Studio for Brannenburg
Samantha Cowburn
Learning Centre for Dinslaken, Voerde &
Huenxe Renate Seymour
Learning Studio for Freilassing
Stefani Vicktor
Hungary
Learning Centre for Bekescsaba
Monika Gyongyi
Learning Centre for Budakeszi
Orsolya Szalma
Learning Centre for Hajduszoboszlo
Sandor Darin
Learning Centre for Kis-Dunamente
Renata Szorenyi
Israel
Learning Centre for Modiin Gilad Berger
Italy
Master Franchisor for Puglia
Angelica Miguens Azuaga
Master Franchisor for Sardinia
Andrea Barbarossa
Learning Centre for Cuneo Claudia Roveglia
Learning Studio for Gubbio
Annalisa Clementi
Learning Studio for Orvieto Simona Taddei
Poland
Franchise Partner for Bielsko-Biaa,
Pszczyna, Wadowice & Owicim
Magdalena Galuszka
Learning Centre for Belchatow
Paulina Bajerowska
Learning Studio for Boleslawiec
Agnieszka Jeziorna
Learning Centre for Lodz Widzew
Anna Leitloff
Learning Centre for Starachowiche
Beata Bdziska
Learning Centre for Walbrzych
Anna Lenkiewicz Budny
Learning Centre for Wodzislaw Slaski
Anna Smialek
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New Franchisees who do not appear below will feature in our next issue
Romania
Learning Centre for Bucharest North
Ruxandra Alexandrescu & Andreea Erbasu
Learning Centre for Timisoara 2
Alina Stefania Corbeanu
Learning Centre for Timisoara 3
Eduard Szatmary
Serbia
Learning Centre for Novi Sad 4
Danijela Tubic
Spain
Master Franchisor for Community of
Valencia Juan Carlos Miguel Oltra
Learning Centre for Almeria East
Eduardo Gonzalez Merchan
Learning Centre for Les Corts, Barcelona
Meena Athwani
Learning Centre for Montequinto
Elena Escudier & Silvia Paredes
Learning Centre for Murcia Centro
Carmen Pagan Larios
Learning Centre for Oliva
Caridad Mateo Martinez
Learning Centre for Teatinos Malaga
Edita Jankantaite
Liechtenstein
Learning Studio for Liechtenstein
Manuela Koch
Switzerland
Learning Studio for Waedenswil
Brigitte Peters
Thailand
Learning Centre for Park Village
Thornjutha Noosap
Learning Centre for Prawet
Jump Start Co., Ltd
Turkey
Master Franchisor for Ankara
Kutadgu Etm Yayincilik Danimanlik
Hzmetler Lmted irketi
Master Franchisor for Istanbul
Engin Fikirler Yabanci Dil Ve Egitim
Merkezi Anonim irketi
Master Franchisor for Marmara-
Mediterranean Tekcare Egitim Saglik
Medikal Turizm Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret
Limited Sirketi
Ukraine
Learning Centre for Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy
Tanya Shvachka
Learning Centre for Borshagovka
Elena Serebryakova & Alexey Korshunov
Learning Centre for Desnyanskiy
Tatiana Kopach
Learning Centre for Donetsk Voroshilovskiy
Anna Slyusar
Learning Centre for Livoberezhna
Anna Vodolazka
News from Poland
Theres always something
noteworthy happening
in Helen Doron Poland.
In this issue of NUCU,
Aleksander Kurdubelski
(HDEE Franchise
Operations and NCAF
Coordinator for Poland),
brings us reports on
Helens visit, International Childrens Day, the
kickoff of a nationwide PR campaign to promote
the HDEE method in Poland, and a feature about
a wonderful promotional idea: demo props, and
how to put them to good use!
Helen was invited by Polish MFs to come to
Poland the end of May 2011 to promote the
HDEE method. The date wasnt accidental; it
coincided nicely with a big PR campaign set to
launch as part of the entire countrys Childrens
Day Festivities that began on June 1st.
The International Childrens Day in Poland
is a national holiday, celebrated by children
and adults alike. Children do attend school;
however its usually to enjoy special activities
like outdoor plays or feld trips. Parents usually
buy small gifts for their kids - the smaller the
children, the bigger the gifts.
So many people were involved to ensure
the success of all the projects designed to
strengthen the impact of Helens visit and to
muster PR support. They did a lot of hard work
and tight scheduling, making sure Helens
promotional tour went as planned but it was
worth it! In only three short days, Helen, with
her usual energy and enthusiasm, accomplished
a great deal:
A live interview in TVP2 (Polish public
television channel 2) with video about the
HDEE method.
An interview recorded for one of the biggest
internet portals Onet.pl
An interview recorded in the Warsaw radio
RDC
A press conference in Warsaw. We invited
representatives of the parenting press and
reporters from the major newspapers.
A press conference in Katowice. We invited
representatives of the parenting press and
reporters from the major newspapers.
The Polish MFs were tireless, and hired a PR
agency to support all the activities. The results of
these efforts were quite gratifying, and came to
us through a press monitoring service, where we
discovered the following:
Between 21 May 21 September:
59 articles and free ads in the newspapers
and magazines
143 articles and free ads in the internet
portals
Compare those numbers with the four months
before Helens visit:
30 articles and free ads in the newspapers
and magazines
59 articles and free ads in the internet portals
Helen, watching a
demonstration lesson
during a press conference.
Helen during her Poland trip. From left: Joanna Cesarz-Zbroszczyk - Tychy MF,
Helen Doron, Mariusz Siara - Krakow FP
By Daniela Shibi, BD & Customer Account Manager
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The demo-prop introduced
for HDEE Poland
This unequivocally proves how effective well
coordinated public relations work can be.
Last but not least, we want to talk about demo-
props, now in use in every LC in Poland. Its the
latest have-to-have in HDEE Poland! Demo-
props are an integral part of the demo lessons
a wonderful way to give parents and children
a taste of what HDEE lessons are really like.
Demo-props are very helpful for teachers during
these lessons too, assisting them in creating
a consistent and systematic presentation that
emphasizes the professionalism of the LCF.
The demo-prop has two faces. One side
is shown to the audience (the side with the
photos). The other side that faces the teacher or
person presenting the lesson has an explanation
of what should be said. This ensures that our
message is always presented in a correct and
consistent manner and that nothing important
is left out.
This is all part the grand plan by the new
Marketing Director, Barbara (Basia) Jurga-Palka,
to introduce standardisation in all our projects
and deliver quality customer service all around.
We are planning to create a promotional
strategy for all major cities now, and hope to
have more great news to report for the next
issue of NUCU.
Annual Conference
At the end of August we had a very nice Annual Conference (AC) with our
teachers it was very successful. The teachers feedback from the conference
was that it exceeded their expectations.
Among other things that we did during the AC was a performance by our
teachers of Goldilocks and the Three Bears from the English Through Drama
course. It was a great performance. The prop competition proved to be a special
event, too. We expected to have one winner, but the props and ideas were so
good that all participants got awards.
Reaching New Areas
Small towns started joining us with new LCs. At the end of April we signed an Agreement with
Tanya Shvachka in Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy, a town near Odessa with only 60,000 inhabitants. I can
see that from the very beginning of September, when she opened her LC, her numbers are steadily
growing. With a very poor economic situation in the Ukraine, thats a very promising sign: parents
care for the future of their kids and want to give them the best of the best in education.
I am very happy to share the news about still another new LCF, Anna Slyusar, who signed her
Agreement in September. Now we have an LCF in Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine. The total number of LCs
in the country is now 30. We are happy and proud that HDEE is already known across the country.
People trust us and join us enthusiastically. HDEE is a growing, popular brand in the Ukraine.
Best regards,
Vera Chub
National Coordinator, Ukraine
News from Ukraine
14
2011 Annual Conferences
Everyone knows that Helen Doron Early
English is growing. Weve grown so big in
fact, that we need an ever expanding list
of locations to host our Annual Teacher
Conferences and Learning Centre Franchisee
Conferences. The 2011 ACs and LCCs were
ambitious endeavours, held in 58 locations
worldwide. We want to thank all our hard
working NFs, MFs, LCFs, Conference
Organisers and tireless helpers for making it
such a worthwhile event in so many venues
around the globe.
The Conferences are designed to introduce
new product information, explore new
teaching techniques, give useful tips for
coping with challenges in the classroom,
and much more. Its also about networking,
having fun and recreation amongst good
friends and colleagues.
Helens personal message to teachers was
shown at every AC in the video presentations
Shaping the Future and New Horizons.
Because this year many countries hosted
multiple ACs, we dont have the space to
publish photos for them all. On the following
pages youll see a colourful collection of
selected photos and also pictures from some
of the amazing prop competitions that were
held at many of the ACs.
To see additional AC photos, check online
with Picasa, Facebook or other social media
sites that are hosted by MFs in your area.
Brno, Czech Republic - 2011 Annual Conference
Marek Halfar, National Franchisor for The Czech
Republic, with manager Barbora Toenovsk, writes:
There were almost 100 Teachers attending the AC and
the programme we had prepared for them was very rich
and amusing. Seven videos were designed and shot by
the Teachers during the afternoon programme (Stop
Motion Workshop). The AC lasted until late at night and
there was a disco party to fnish it.
Big thanks to the Master Franchisors who hosted the events: Albena Zahmanova, Alexandra Pickel,
Angela Sanchez Rodriguez, Anne Lynch, Armin Ritschny, Barbora Tosenovska, Bettina Wills, Bin Fu,
Birgit Mueller-Kirschner, Brunella Esposito, Christina Blum, Claire Weiqi Jiang, Cleopatra Avraam,
Cornel Barlea, Danijela Haralovic, Dorota Tereszczuk, Eileen Petzold-Bradley, Ekaterina Kozakova,
Fatih Dericioglu, Gary Shi, Giovanni Malgaroli, Gisela Busch, Greg Grabiec, Han (Helen) Ling,
Heiko Litzke, Ira Widderich, Jason Russell, Joanna Cesarz-Zbroszczyk, Katalin Deak, Klara Kiss,
Kui (Simon) Shen, Lorenza Gamberini, Marina Grekova, Marzena Lata, Meena Athwani,
Monica Carpio, Monika Feyrer, Monika Folkerts, Monika Laschkolnig, Natalia Piets, Nike Etiebet,
Nina Zerjal, Raffaella Boschini, Raffaele Forgione, Richard Powell, Ron Benvenisti, Sarah Kerschgens,
Shai Koren, Sofa Quaresma, Stefania Filip, Tatjana Petkovic, Tilman Heitbrink, Vera Chub,
Vera Schalhorn, Viktor Kwinta, Wilaipon Evans, and Yuliya Becke.
Thank you all for a wonderful job on the Annual Conferences.
AC Venues
Austria Niedersachsen, Germany Emilia-Romagna, Italy Moscow, Russia
Bulgaria Rheinland-Pfalz & Saarland,
Germany
San Marino & Le Marche St. Petersburg, Russia
Urban Area of Wuhan,
China
Hessen, Germany Tuscany & Umbria, Italy Serbia
Croatia North Bavaria, Germany Sicily, Italy Slovenia
Cyprus South Baden-Wuerttemberg,
Germany
Nigeria Slovakia
Czech Republic S Bavaria & N B-W, Germany Gdansk, Poland Catalonia, Spain
Ecuador Highlands Budapest, Hungary Lublin, Poland West Andaluca, Spain
Estonia Tel-Aviv, Israel Tychy, Poland Deutsche Schweiz,
Switzerland
Berlin, Germany Abruzzo & Molise, Italy Warsaw, Poland Thailand
Cologne, Germany Campania, Italy Wroclaw, Poland Izmir, Turkey
Duesseldorf, Germany Lombardia -North & East, Italy Portugal Kharkov Poltava, Ukraine
Westfalen, Germany Milan & Pavia, Italy South Eastern Romania Kiev-Oblast, Ukraine
Hamburg, Germany Piemonte & Liguria, Italy Transylvania, Romania Odessa/Mykologiv, Ukraine
Hannover, Germany
15
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Northern Bavaria - 2011 Annual Conference
Monika Feyrer, Master Franchisor for Nordbayern, writes: Northern and Southern Bavaria had a combined AC.
We went out bowling. If you notice some serious faces, its because of the missed strikes. My teachers and LCFs are
ambitious as teachers and bowlers alike!
Birgit Feser-Strobel, Martina Klietsch,
Tatiana Romanova
Martina Klietsch, Agnes Erdelyi-Regeci,
Claudia Schertel, Simone Girschik,
Aneta Dillmann, Franziska Bott
Solveig Liebig and Min No - LC Frth
San Marino - 2011 Annual Conference
Alexandra Pickel, Master Franchisor of San Marino and Le Marche, writes
about their refreshing outdoor AC: It was a great day, very relaxed and
flled with fun, sharing ideas and team building! In the afternoon we had
the San Marino LCs Before-Summer-Party and as we were a group of
about 80 people, the Sky Park sponsored the AC, letting us use all their
facilities free (including the tree climbing). All in all it turned out great!
Switzerland - 2011 Annual Conference
Bettina Wills, MF Deutscheschweiz & Liechtenstein, uploaded all her great AC photos to their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/helendoron.ch.f
In August 2011, Helen Doron Thailand held a Mini Annual
Conference - a half-day event in Bangkok. Helens video
presentations, Shaping the Future and New Horizons,
were an integral part of the Mini AC. Also featured was
a group brainstorming activity dealing with classroom
behavioural issues. The event was followed by a tasty
Korean barbecue dinner.
Everyone was impressed by just how much good material
can be presented in just a few short hours and by the fruitful
exchange of ideas in the group activity. The dinner was
more than just a meal as they continued their discussions on the conference sessions, and
formed an important bond as colleagues.
17
China 2011 Annual Conference
MF Bob Fu and Teacher Trainer, Ola Gornicka,
presenting to the group.
Posing for the group photo
Barcelona, Spain 2011 Annual Conference
Meena Athwani, Master Franchisor Catalonia, Spain, sent us
wonderful photos of their successful AC, which included special
performances, workshops, lectures and fun.
Brainstorming sessions during the
Thailand Mini AC
Thailand Mini AC
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Prop Competitions
Creative people are most likely found pursuing the following professions: art, writing, teaching,
and performing. In our experience HDEE teachers often embody a bit of all these professions.
Nowhere is that more evident than in the fabulous work of our prop makers. Here is just
a small selection of the fun, colourful and creative prop ideas presented during the Prop
Competitions held at the Annual Teacher Conferences around the world this year.
Barcelona, Spain: Meena Athwani, MF
Catalonia, writes: We didnt do a prop
competition for our AC, but what we did do
was a wonderful Story Telling Competition
with everyone making props like crazy.
Campania, Italy: Judging props was diffcult
there were so many great ones to chose from!
Bulgaria: Left to right Elly, Beata and Yoana.
Beata is one of the winners in the prop
competition. The other winner was Radi but
she somehow managed to escape the camera.
Budapest, Hungary:
These are just a few
of the prop photos
Katrin sent us.
Zagreb, Croatia: prop competition
winner was Sanja Zupan, of LC
Jarun, in Zagreb. Her winning prop is
called A piece of the night sky and
is used to introduce the verb shine.
The prop is simple to assemble and
a lot of fun to use. A cone of dark
construction paper, open at the small
end and covered at the wide end.
The inside surface is covered with
glow-in-the-dark star stickers. Shine
a fashlight into the cone, and when
you look inside, you can see the stars
shining at night!
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Slovakia:
Cool props!
Ukraine: Props sent to us by Natalia
Piets and Olga Pogrebytska, MFs in
Kyiv and Oblast: On the left from the
story Driving and on the right is a
multi-purpose prop.
San Marino and Le Marche, Italy:
These are just a few of the wonderful
props they displayed.
China: The proud winners of the
prop competition!
Teachers Day in China
Each year, China celebrates National Teachers
Day on September 10. In the Peoples Republic,
its traditional for students to show their
appreciation to teachers by presenting gifts
of cards and fowers. In the Zhongnan LC in
Wuhan, the teachers put up a tree, and the
students
decked it out
with leaves,
inscribed with
their Teachers
Day wishes.
New National Coordinator
We want to welcome
Bob Fu, the new HDEE
National Coordinator
for China. Bob is
actively working with
us to coordinate HDEEs
expansion in China.
His efforts are starting
to show results, in the
opening of new Learning Centres in the country.
20
Focus on China
The use of English as the worlds primary language for international communication
is a growing global phenomenon, and nowhere is this more evident than in China.
China is developing by leaps and bounds economically. Like never before, parents
now have the ability to give their children all the advantages in life and in China,
advantages means education!
That is one of the reasons why Helen Doron Learning Centres have been welcomed so warmly in
China. We are growing fast too - having already opened 6 Master Franchise areas, with more on
the way. The following short articles give you a glimpse into the Helen Doron China experience.
The Zhongnan
teachers were
happy to get
so many good
wishes!
Exciting Lessons at Ningbo Book City LC!
The children really love their English courses at the Ningbo
Book City LC, in urban Ningbo, China, and its no wonder
why their teacher, Cris Benavente, makes sure every lesson is
a treasure trove of action, laughter and exciting new learning.
The children have the time of their lives playing games in
English and literally fying high. This kind of exciting classroom
atmosphere is what Helen Doron learning is all about.
Positive classroom ambience coupled with fun lessons
and great materials sets everyone up for success; children,
teachers and even parents because their children are
happy, bright and challenged.
Looking at the exciting learning going on at Ningbo Book
City LC, we can all see a bright future for Helen Doron Early
English in China!

Can you believe this little girl

is a BBS student?
Summer Carnival at Zhongnan LC
Teachers Suzie Cai and Eileen Li, of LC
Zhongnan, in Wuhan, China, hosted a
fantastic Hawaiian-style Summer Carnival!
Fifteen families from LC Zhongnan attended.
What a wonderful
way to get everyone
excited about Helen
Doron learning! All
of the children and
teachers dressed up in
hula skirts and fower
leis, and danced to
Hawaiian-style music.
The most exciting
activity was the
watermelon rolling relay race. The
children rolled watermelons to the fnish
line as fast as they could.
Suzie helped guide the children along and
everyone got in on the excitement. Children,
parents and grandparents all cheered the
racers on with applause and laughter.
Singing and dancing during the festivities.
The watermelon race is on.
Beautiful China Learning Centres
As a teacher, have you ever asked yourself, What are the benefts of an attractive, well
planned, learning environment? For one thing, we feel it helps create a positive learning
situation, and also reduces stress on students and teachers. Here are some wonderful examples
of beautifully designed Helen Doron Leaning Centres in China.
Xuhui LC in the Shanghai Area
Zhengyifang LC in the Kunming area
Chongqing area LC
21
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In April, the little town of Gubbio, Italy
welcomed the frst Helen Doron franchise
in the Umbria region. The Gubbio Learning
Studio was ready for classes and Learning
Studio Franchisee Annalisa Clementi was
thrilled to open the doors of her new
school, and her Learning Studio opening
day was a memorable afternoon event for the
entire community.
Lots of parents and children attended and
enjoyed the great Learning Studio atmosphere
with balloons, games and fun demo lessons.
The regional MF, Raffaele Forgione, and his
sister, super-teacher Isania Forgione, joined
in the festivities. Isania worked hard (as
she always does) helping with many of the
activities and games for the children. Kangi
put in a special appearance, and happily
assisted with the children too.
Everyone had great fun playing and speaking
in English. Raffaeles support and cooperation
over the previous months contributed to
the success of this opening event, and, in
Annalisas words, the results of all our hard
work shouldnt take long to appear.
The Learning Studio Option
New Learning Studio in Italy
Sometimes, opening a full-sized Learning Centre is not
feasible the local area is too small to support a large
Learning Centre. Because of this, its now possible to open a
Helen Doron Learning Studio. The Learning Studio fulfls the
same function as a Learning Centre, but on a smaller scale.
Learning Studios require only one room, and there is
greater fexibility in their location they can be attached
to commercial space, or even located in a private home.
Learning Studios serve smaller communities and are
a viable option for rural areas, where populations are more thinly spread. Learning Studio
Franchises provide an affordable home base for self-employed teachers, allowing them good
visibility in the community and a secure setting from which to run their HDEE lessons.
Contact your local Helen Doron Master Franchisor for more information about the Learning
Studio option.
Annalisa singing the Colour Song with an EFI group.
Isania and Kangi at the
opening festivities.
Laurie Henkel, of LC Bad
Nauheim in the Hessen
region of Germany, took a
group of her students on a
fve day jaunt to London
in the spring. The trip was
a great success everyone
had a wonderful time, saw the sights, and of
course, practiced their English! Laurie wrote
in to share the experience:
What a great idea!
What an opportunity!
I wouldnt send my child with anyone but
with you!
These were just a few of the comments
that we received when we offered a trip to
London for fve days in April 2011.
What a week! Early Monday morning we (3
teachers and I) met the 15 students between
the ages of 9 and 14 in front of the LC, and
started out on our adventure. We took a bus
to Brussels and the train under the English
Channel. We arrived in London late Monday
afternoon and after checking into the hostel
we went out to explore Hyde Park. Although
the children were not really sure why they
had come all this way to see a park, they
slowly realised that they really were in
London, England.
The next three days were spent enjoying the
sights and shopping. The city was getting
ready for the Royal Wedding. It looked great
and the weather was perfect not a drop of
rain. The children loved seeing the places that
they had learned about in school and with
HDEE, and we loved watching them use their
English. They were able to order food, ask for
directions and simply function in English.
We left London on Friday with 15 tired but
extremely happy Helen Doron Early English
tourists.
The trip for 2012 has already been planned
and the places have already been flled! This
time we are staying in a private house where
we can have breakfast and make our own
packed lunches. Were looking forward to
doing it all over again next year.
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Ruzomberok and Liptovsky LC Slovakia:
now this is what we call an inspirational
prop room!
Laurie and her group at the Tower of London!
Amazing Prop Room
London with Helen Doron!
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End-of-Year Fun
ETD Course in Italy
Were always interested to know
whats happening with Czech
Republic. Barbora and Marek
have shared these wonderful
photos of what looks like a
fantastic event even Rex had a
great time.
Helen Doron CZ end-of-year camp photo with mascot Rex Football team at the MFs end-of-year party
love the shirts!
MF Jason Russell, of Emilia Romagna, Italy,
held a fun and very successful series of
summer holiday courses at his own Modena
Learning Centre. The courses focused on
English Through Drama, and judging from the
photos, the students had a great time! They
really got into their performance of Snow
White and the Rappers, as you can see from
their rehearsal, and the creative backdrops
they made helped bring the story to life.
The Helen Doron English Through Drama
Course is based on the tradition of
British Pantomime a talkative slapstick
performance that makes fun of the performers
and the audience. The productions include
humorous dialogue, silly costumes and hand-
painted scenery.
Our English Through Drama Courses offer
four classic tales with a modern twist that
children love: Snow White and the Rappers,
Goldilocks and Dreadlocks, Little Red Riding
Hood, and Cinderella.
Hard at work on rehearsals.
The show! Backdrops were painted by the children.
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Four-Legged Fun
Four-Legged Fun at Camp
Smile HD summer camp
2011: animal assisted
activities, with special
guests!
The San Benedetto del
Tronto LC organized a
summer camp with English
and pet activities this
summer with great success.
Here is an article written
by Silvia Rosetti, HDEE
Teacher & Pet Assisted
Activities Counsellor.
Alexandra Pickel, Helen
Doron MF, San Marino and
Le Marche
If youve ever owned a
pet you probably already
know all the amazing ways
they can improve peoples
quality of life and what
a precious contribution
they can make to a childs
development.
If youve never owned a pet then we are glad
to share with you our successful experience at
Camp Smile summer camp 2011 and animal
assisted activities! So you can take your cue
from these few lines to learn more about this
fascinating topic.
Numerous studies have shown that interacting
with animals can have signifcant physiological
and psychological benefts for people, and
particularly for children.
The presence of a friendly companion animal
can help to lower blood pressure, reduce
feelings of anxiety and isolation, and foster
a greater sense of well-being. In fact, simply
petting an animal can trigger the release of
benefcial hormones that enhance moods.
Interaction with animals also improves social,
emotional and cognitive functioning, as well
as confdence, motivation, self-esteem and
learning skills.
The communicative
and educational power
that animals have with
children is well known.
Its not an accident that
animals are so largely
present in HDEE courses!
For all these reasons,
we joined a successful
partnership with some
local well known
associations and we
carried out this innovative
project matching English
learning with animal
assisted activities.
In the tradition of the
HDEE method, we
took a fantastic hot air
balloon tour around the
world with the children!
Our young participants
had fun with English,
going through different
countries features and
customs. The children
also enjoyed other cool group activities such as
cooking delicious tidbits and playing outdoor
games like building sand castles or tug-of-war
challenges on the beach and in the park.
The park itself was the perfect natural setting
to welcome Camp Smiles special guests:
Clementina the donkey, Ringhio and Ettore the
dogs, Dory the rabbit and a peppy group of
turtles and tortoises! The camp lasted four weeks
and we arranged 8 meetings in all. Experienced
and qualifed operators introduced the children
to the world of each visiting animal and helped
them deepen their knowledge and improve their
confdence using special teaching strategies and
materials. The animals did all the rest!!
Special thanks to all young participants, parents,
staff, partners and, last but not least, the animals
for the enthusiasm they shared and the great
job! We all enjoyed this unique experience!
Group shot with Clementina the Donkey
Saying hello to Dory the Rabbit
It was an exciting milestone in Hungary at
the Orszgos Franchise Kzpont Learning
Centre. The frst class to complete the
Pearson Language Exam! Congratulations are
certainly in order. Everyone looks deservedly
proud displaying their certifcates!
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The children at Cernusco LC, in Italy,
performed Snow White and the Rappers
during their English Through Drama summer
holiday course. In addition to English, it looks
like they just might have a promising future
in hip-hop!
Cool HDEE Rappers
Sandra Grdi Bobinac, of the pansko LC in
Zagreb, Croatia, put on a great series of summer
holiday courses. Each course was held for one
week, for 4 hours per day.
Two of the summer courses were Paul Wards
World, with older students (ages 10 to 14).
Keeping up with the course material, and
keeping the students engaged, was a challenge
with the summer schedule, but the teacher and
the students were up to it; they successfully
covered all 19 countries in the Paul Wards
World lesson book, as well as their home
country of Croatia.
The children particularly enjoyed lunch they ate
some of the typical foods from the countries they
were learning about, and when they got home,
they asked for egg noodles and falafel for dinner!
The children loved the holiday courses, and really
enjoyed using one of their new English phrases to
say so: they had A whale of a time!
Spansko Holiday Courses
Playing games and having fun with Paul Wards World.
Proudly Passing the Pearson Exam
Aleksandra Korniowska, Regional Director
Helen Doron Early English, Pomorze Poland,
wrote to us about a special event this past spring
a one-day fundraiser for students, parents, and
the entire community:
There have been lots of bigger and smaller
events in our region this spring, but one I
would like to share with you is the English Song
Festival that was held on beautiful Miedwie
Lake near Stargard Szczeciski.
Where Children Come First was our
watchword on June 12
th
, 2011 in the
amphitheatre on the lake. It was a day full of
attractions for everyone, and, of course, a lot of
singing. In English!
The stars of the performance were the children
from HDEE Learning Centres in Szczecin,
Gryfno and Stargard. Young artists were very
creative in presenting their songs and two plays
(in English!) and they were awarded rounds
of applause from the Miedwie amphitheatre
audience. There was also a special guest: Arfk
- a music band from Szczecin, singing many
children songs.
This warm and sunny morning was also a
time of fun and games for children: a stilt
walking show, a lottery, arts and crafts, creative
workshops, fun with a clown, and of course
our man-sized Kangi! There were presents for
children and medals for the parents who knew
our HDEE method best.
The proceeds from
the festival were
donated to the
Childrens Hospice in
Szczecin. The event
was organized in
cooperation with the
Kobylanka commune.
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Special Event in Poland
Holiday Courses in Portugal
British Pantomime fun at the Lumiar Learning Centre. Holiday Course at the Learning Centre in Torres Vedras.
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HDEE Bulgaria participated in the frst Expo for Kids in Sofa. It was a lot of fun for the visitors and
some hard work for us but it was worth it! You can see some of the fun demos we did.
Albena Zahmanova, Master Franchisor for Bulgaria.
Fun with Babys Best Start Ten Little Elephants song from EFAC
Swiss Happenings
Expo for Kids
Back in May, the HDEE Switzerland teachers
from the Winterthur Learning Centre held a
team-building weekend in Ticino, near the
Italian border. Six teachers, one offce manager,
and one boss met together for a weekend
away from all distractions. They held a 3-hour
business meeting, brainstorming ways to
improve their LCs, but mostly they took the
opportunity to bond as colleagues and friends.
This past June, new Helen Doron franchisee
Brigitte Peters opened a Learning Studio (LS)
in Waedenswil. The location is scenic, on the
shores of Lake Zurich, and the opening was
festive, with games, balloons, and fun demo
lessons. After the party, Brigitte got right down
to the business of signing up new students, and
already has plenty of registrations for her classes
starting this year.
Also in June, on the same day that the
Waedneswil Learning Studio opened,
Switzerland held its frst-ever Helen Doron Teen
English Seminar, at the Winterthur LC. The event
was attended by 5 teachers from Switzerland
and one from Germany. The day was informative
and fun and the teachers are now ready and
eager to take on the HD Teen English groups.
In August, another new Learning Studio from
nearby Liechtenstein opened its doors. New
Learning Studio Franchisee, Manuela Koch, is
looking forward to starting classes this autumn.
Judging by Switzerlands busy summer activities,
they must have had a truly inspirational team-
building weekend back in May!
Showing off the learning sets at the frst ever Switzerland
Teen English Seminar: From left: Maya Thring (LC Basel),
Caroline Albert (LC Luzern), Andy Clark (LC Zrich),
Eunice Hess (LC Winterthur), Alison Spencer (LS Aarau).
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Animated Readings in San Marino
An innovative way to spread the word
about Helen Doron Early English: public
story readings!
The San Marino Learning Centre
presented the classic story, Three Billy
Goats Gruff, from the MEFAC learning
set, at a local library. Readings were
conducted entirely in English. The
story, and the simple English words and
phrases to be used in it, were explained
beforehand so that children could follow
the action, and then the fun began! The childrens response was enthusiastic. Two readings were
performed and afterwards, there was pizza for the children, and information about Helen Doron
Early English for the parents.
New in Thailand
Thailand is
another exciting
outpost of Helen
Doron Early
English. In May,
Thornjutha (Toey)
Noosap, the new
Learning Centre
Franchisee for
Bangkhuntien,
Thailand,
attended her
business training
seminar. Her Park
Village Learning
Centre is scheduled to open in September 2011.
Before joining Helen Doron, Toey directed a
programme for students working and studying
abroad. She and her husband grew to appreciate
the value of the Helen Doron Method, and
especially of exposing very young children
to English, when their daughter began with
a Babys Best Start group. Watching her own
childs progress in the BBS course gave Toey the
inspiration to open her own Learning Centre.
We all wish Toey good fortune and much
success with her new Learning Centre!
More exciting news:
Pon writes: There was an existing Paradise
Park Learning Centre that we decided to
rebuild entirely. We wanted the LC to look
fresh, updated, and have the new Helen Doron
branding too.
Congratulations Pon, it really looks like paradise!
From left: Thailand National
Franchisor Wilaipon (Pon) Evans
and New LCF Toey Noosap.
30
On the 6
th
of May, our partners, MF Meena
Athwani and her team, Pamela, Marta, Pilar
and Tony, had just arrived to help out with
the preparations: blowing up balloons,
displaying the materials, setting up some
food. The party was about to begin. My
sofas for the reception area
hadnt yet arrived.
Two weeks before this moment
our dear friend Kangi had
come by and helped us
prepare the mood. We went
out into the streets, took
pictures of the children with
Kangi and invited them to
come over to our opening
party, on the 6
th
of May. As
a reminder, we gave their
parents a very special bookmark they could
keep, with a message: When you come to our
opening party you will get a printed copy of the
picture we just made (of your child) with Kangi.
And then it was the big day! We set up an
area outside the LC where two Helen Doron
representatives, a couple of new friends, would
be painting childrens faces, handing out fyers
to their parents and inviting them to come
in to the Learning Centre. Inside the LC, all
the pictures of the children with Kangi were
being printed before the parents came in to ask
for them. At 17:00 my sofa arrived (you can
imagine what a relief that was) and ten minutes
later, came the frst parent with his baby. Then,
suddenly, our LC was full of parents and
children wanting to know more about us.
All our rooms were full! Our three
classrooms offered different options
for our guests. The orange classroom
was where our learning sets
were displayed for parents
to see. In the blue classroom
were demo lessons offered
by our great Teacher Trainer,
Pamela Athwani. We had
two demonstrations full of
children and adults who
wanted to try out the Helen
Doron Method and they
came out of it really happy!
Our third classroom was
more of a meeting point
where visitors could grab something to eat while
watching our Helen Doron Early English videos
and interacting with the staff and the other
parents. The rest of the school reception and
hallway was full of children and parents running
around asking questions.
It was crazy! But also it was a great opening
party at the new Helen Doron Early English
Learning Centre at Nova Esquerra de lEixample,
Barcelona, Spain. Thanks to partners, friends
and family who were there to help. It was May
6th when my dream came true even so; it was
only the beginning of what I hope will be a long,
successful, journey with Helen Doron Education!
The Timisoara 1 LC Romania is a happy place LCF Raluca
Maria Cionca has built a welcoming Learning Centre where
Paul Ward and his friends greet the children every day.
Opening My LC
Happy LC Romania
By: Ivette Vilalta
Learning Centre Franchisee
Nova Esquerra de lEixample, Barcelona, Spain
TT Pamela Athwani gives an EFI
demonstration lesson at the opening party.
31
Shlomo Berger was a
marketing executive for
a big pharmaceutical
company in Israel. He
lives in Shoham and
remembers fondly that
his 3 children all grew
up learning English with
Helen Doron.
Today his son is a lawyer; one daughter
is an Arabic language teacher and also
speaks fuent English and Hebrew. His other
daughter has a degree in social sciences and
speaks fuent English, French and Hebrew.
Being exposed to more than one language
growing up seems to have given the Bergers a
big head start.
Back in 1977, Sholmo probably would have
never guessed that 20 years later he would
be changing careers from pharmaceuticals
to education by joining the Helen Doron
network as a new Learning Centre Franchisee.
When asked why he chose the Helen Doron
educational franchise he explained, This is
a business that ticked all the boxes for me.
He wanted a new career close to home, one
that allows him to use his skills in marketing,
and also promotes education (an important
point for Shlomo, as he feels there is a great
need to give children every opportunity in
todays society).
He will be opening 2 LCs: one in Modiin
and one in Shoham, to take advantage of
afternoon classes for children. When asked
what he would like for the near future,
Shlomo said simply, to have my LCs flled
with many, many students.
His motto is:
Think Big,
Start Small,
Act Now!
A New Generation
Grand Opening in Italy
The town of Cuneo, Italy, celebrated its frst Helen Doron Learning Centre, when LCF Claudia
Roveglia opened the doors of her new, beautifully decorated LC. Pictured below, Claudia
proudly opens the door to the LC. Inside, she arranged a colourful display of learning sets for
visitors to browse through.
32
Modern communications technology has greatly
multiplied the speed at which word of mouth
can move, so that a message put into an online
social network site or blog can spread to distant
locations and new audiences in the blink of an
eye. We can harness social media to promote
Helen Doron Early English, to get our message
to more people, faster. Using social media
in tandem with our websites, or with more
traditional advertising like radio ads, billboards
or fyers, enables us to reach more people than
ever before - ultimately bringing more potential
parents and students into our Learning Centres.
HDEE are developing a strong presence on
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/
helendoron.english.
Like most social media applications, the
HDEE Facebook page is a multi-functional
communications tool. It can serve as a
networking hub among HDEE franchisees,
teachers and staff, and it can serve as an
advertising medium for Early English courses.
The Facebook page can even give parents and
students a voice, too.
HDEE Head Offce encourages local Learning
Centres to establish their own social media
pages. Facebook pages are excellent online
billboards for announcing events and
promoting your business in the community.
Notices or announcements posted to a social
media page are immediately visible to everyone
in your network; your contacts can spread
the word to their contacts, and so on.... a true
snowball effect!
To help you as you get established on social
media, HDEE has made a Social Media Policy
available on the Infoman Portal: Portal > HDEE
> HDEE Marketing > Social Media. The purpose
of the policy is to help you get the most out
of social media, and to help all HDEE social
media sites, together, in presenting a coherent
marketing image for HDEE online.
Successful LCF!
HDEE & Social Media
Mohammed Igbaria, Learning Centre Franchisee for Umm El-Fahm,
Northern Israel, received the kind of news every LCF wants to hear
youve received a special commendation for student numbers
from your MF!
With over 400 students enrolled, and an 11 year history of good
results with the Helen Doron Method, Mohammed has defnitely
made his Learning Centre a shining example of success through
hard work, fun and inspiration.
Mohammed credits his success to the Helen Doron Methods
relevance in todays social and economic environment. He says
that children need to be fuent in English long before they reach
university age. They need to use English much earlier, on computers or in school, and good English
is a must for career success later on in life. He adds, The materials and methods presented through
Helen Doron enrich the students world long after they fnish school.
From left: Shai Koren, MF Manager
for Israel, with Mohammad proudly
displaying his certifcate.
33
In our last issue, we reported that our new HDEE Teacher Movie was in
production. Were happy to announce that the Teacher Movie is now completed,
and ready for release.
The Teacher Movie is flled with interesting and insightful feedback from Helen Doron
teachers from around the world; about their success with the methodology, why they
love teaching the Helen Doron way and why Helen Doron Early English was the right
career choice for them.
The Teacher Movie provides a personal look into the workings of Helen Doron Early English
through the eyes of some of our most creative and dedicated teachers its the perfect tool to help
recruit new teachers to Learning Centres.
The Teacher Movie is available
for viewing on the website:
www.helendoron.com/become-a-teacher.php
HDEE Teacher Movie!
34
The Helen Doron HQ recently hosted several
new Master Franchisors from around the
world, attending our business training. A few
of the busy participants were able to take
time out to speak with us.
From Learning Centre to Master Franchisor
Mr Juan Carlos Miguel Oltra, Master
Franchisor for Comunidad Valenciana, Spain,
is no stranger to
Helen Doron
he frst joined us
in 2006, when
he became a
Learning Centre
Franchisee. He
wanted to make a real difference, and when
he found the Helen Doron method, knew that
hed found something truly valuable: a method
that works, and a franchise network that would
back him up. It was just what he needed to
bring Early English to his home region in Spain.
Mrs Angelica Gioconda Miguens Azuaga,
Master Franchisor for Puglia, Italy,
is new to
Helen Doron, but
shares a similar
perspective. She,
too, discovered
HDEE while
looking to open
language courses
for young children, and she, too, was moved
by the Helen Doron method. It harmonised
perfectly with Angelicas own convictions about
the importance of learning languages in early
childhood. Prior to opening her Helen Doron
franchise, she worked in the export industry and
as a private language tutor. Her frst language
is Spanish, she lives in Italy, and in addition
to English and Italian also speaks French. She
describes language as my passion.
Juan and Angelica both see great potential in
their new franchise areas.
After completing their business training, Juan
and Angelica headed back home, motivated
and ready to expand their franchises. We
know theyll do well, and we look forward to
hearing more from them.
New Master Franchisors from Turkey &
Sardinia believe in English for success in an
international economy
Mr Fatih Omar Dericioglu, Master
Franchisor for Izmir, Turkey, had just
returned home after 20 years living in the
United Kingdom, and was seeking a career
back in Turkey, when he joined Helen Doron
in 2009. He now has 4 LCs in his area, and
plans to add another 6 in the next two years.
Omar believes that quality English education
is necessary in Turkey a second language
is generally required to land a good job, and
English is considered essential.
I had to go to the UK to improve my
English, he said, and I wanted to bring this
opportunity home to Turkey, where there are
20 million people under age 14. We have a
huge need for Helen Doron Early English.
As the frst MF in Turkey, Omar saw himself
as a trailblazer. He says the frst two years,
while he established name recognition and
built a reputation, were a challenge, but now,
with three additional MF areas in his country,
he believes that HDEE is ready to take off big
time. Omar hopes to see 120 LCs throughout
Turkey by 2016.
Dr. Levent Okut is Master Franchise Manager
for Ankara, Turkey. He is a professional
pedagogue with an undergraduate degree in
primary education and a PhD in education
management from Ankara University.
He worked for many years in the private
education sector.
Expanding Worldwide
35
His deep connection with the English
language drew Dr. Okut to Helen Doron. He
says, The global economy requires English;
without English, jobs and degrees are hard
to get. This is especially true at higher level
professions, as scientifc and professional
journals are written in English.
He feels that early English education is the
key to success in Turkey. Many people can
read and understand English reasonably well,
but have diffculty speaking it. He sees this
as a problem for his countrys future, and the
Helen Doron methodology as the right way to
address the issue. It is the only programme
that systematically teaches young children
to speak English, using pedagogically sound
methods. Parents in Turkey, like parents
everywhere, want the best for their children.
Mr. Murat Gonulalan, Master Franchise
Manager for Istanbul, Turkey, comes
to Helen Doron from a background in
international business administration, mainly
with British or EU companies. Throughout
his career, he has used English as the
international language.
The Helen Doron Early English programme
is designed for young children, who can
absorb languages easily, and they havent got
the distractions of secondary school exams
yet. In Istanbul, the city is a huge market. It is
right between Europe and Asia, and is home
to many international companies.
With this opportunity in mind, Murat sees a
bright future for HDEE in Istanbul and he is
already getting a very positive response to
preliminary marketing efforts in his area.
Mr Andrea Barbarossa, is the Master
Franchisor for Sardinia, Italy, and comes to
us after 16 years as a business administrator.
He was drawn to Helen Doron because, I
feel the need for English here in Sardinia.
Our economy is based mainly on the tourist
industry, and with English as the international
language, I can see a perfect opening for
Helen Doron Early English.
English is a fundamental need in todays
world; Italians have particular diffculty
learning English pronunciation as adults and
the Helen Doron method aims at teaching
young children good English in a fun and
stress-free manner. Children who learn
English early, through this kind of mother-
tongue method, will speak it well as adults
and have a better chance to succeed in an
international economy.
October Business Training, From left:
Business Development Department Coordinator -
Bader Younes, LCF Shlomo Berger - Modiin,
MF Manager Murat Gonulalan - Istanbul,
MF Fatih Omar Dericioglu - Izmir, Account Manager
Lori Hadari, MF Manager Dr. Levent Okut - Ankara,
CEO & founder - Helen Doron,
MF Klara Eleonora Durmaz - Marmara,
MF Andrea Barbarossa - Sardinia,
VP Customer Business Development - Anne Gordon
36
My name is Claudia
Schneich-Argent. I
was born near Hanover,
Germany, to very
industrious, honest,
down-to-earth parents
who always were, and I
am lucky to say, still are
very much infuenced
by the bad experience
WWII had on their families, childhood and
education. They brought my big sister and
me up to be tolerant, to stand up for our own
ideas no matter what to stay focused, be
determined, honest and never forget or ignore
the ones in need.
When I started secondary education, I was
soon bored by very uninteresting English
lessons. When I was twelve years old my
parents sent me to England for my holidays.
I lived near London with an English family,
who are still part of my life today. For the frst
time I spoke in English without fear of being
corrected and reprimanded all the time for
my mistakes; I loved every moment, enjoyed
the freedom to travel about, roam the city
and experienced the funny and weird English
ways in three words: I was hooked!
From then on I tried to spend as much time
as possible in England, with the English
language and in other English speaking
countries. When my sister went to university
I took over the private pupils she was
teaching that was when I started to teach
and I have never stopped since.
FEFAC lesson Belinda the caterpillar
Feature Teacher
Claudia Schoeneich-Argent
Self Employed Teacher, Ratingen, Germany
Helen Doron Early English is successful because of its unique
methodology, which consists of repeated hearing, positive
reinforcement, and multi-media learning materials, presented
by expertly trained teachers. As CEO and founder of the
company, and head of the pedagogic development team,
Helen still stays active teaching in the classroom.
While Helen Doron Early English frst started with a focus
on younger children, Helen is now working to expand the
relevance of her special method to offer fun yet serious
learning to older students, and is currently teaching a Teen
English course.
Helen teaches courses each year, and uses her experience in the classroom as a guide in
creating learning sets, games and songs children of all ages can relate to.
Helen with her Teen English students
Hands-on CEO
37
In the meantime I had fallen in love with a
very nice young gentleman from London. We
got married and, I might add, we still are!
After a couple of years, in which we travelled
the world, our children were born. Naturally
we brought them up bilingually; it was
fascinating to experience and play an active
role in their development.
Seeing how effortlessly and playfully our
children picked up the two languages, not
only the vocabulary and grammar but also
the difference in intonation, I started thinking
about expanding my teaching. In addition to
private tutoring I began teaching adults and was
looking for ways to teach English to children.
I tried out a couple of methods and eventually
came across Helen Doron Early English.
I loved what I saw: the hands-on and fun way
of positive teaching and inspiring learning,
the fact that I can be myself and add my own
ideas to approach a subject in yet another way
to fnd out what jells best with the pupil or
a particular group. It is defnitely the nearest
you can get to learning English as a mother
tongue! After the experience with my own
children I felt at home with the Helen Doron
method immediately.
So, when we moved to Ratingen and I passed
a highly motivating and inspiring TTC in
March 2002, I altered the apartment in the
basement of the house we live in into a
teaching room.
I try to make all my students feel relaxed; I
joke a lot, tell them about my own mistakes
and never take myself too seriously.
Whenever possible I integrate their individual
preferences for games, songs, role-playing,
etc. Very often I feel that they need someone
to talk to who has an open ear, to play in
groups or in pairs just for the sheer fun of
playing - not for winning. In my area it is
pretty normal that even very small children
have an extremely full weekly schedule of
activities: tennis, swimming, dancing, music,
etc. I strive to keep each lesson a little oasis
for the students.
Like most of us, I have a funny story about my
teaching that I want to share:
When our new EFAC still
consisted of 5 units I was
teaching the baby-animals and
came across puppy. Naturally,
being German, the pupils
they all laughed as puppy
sounds like our German Papi which is the
diminutive of Papa (Dad).We had a good
laugh about it, I explained that the English
equivalent is Daddy and told them how our
English friends and family always expected a
little dog to come in when my own children
called for their father using the German
Papi. They loved that story very much and I
even had to repeat it a couple of times during
the rest of the course.
EFAC came to an end and all of the children
enrolled for MEFAC. Sure enough in the frst
unit we came across the subject of pets. We
got various animals out and sorted them into
farm animals, African savannah animals
and pets. One boy picked out a puppy, put it
next to the other pets and shouted excitedly:
A Daddy is a pet!
When it comes to my teaching philosophy, I
always remember what the American writer
William Arthur Ward once wrote:
The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
I know that I am not able to be a great teacher
every day, but every day I do my very best.
In my free time I like reading books, watching
flms and travelling with my fnger across
maps, dreaming of places I have not visited
yet and making plans for my future. Ideally
that would involve living in a cottage in the
heart of England, which I would like to take
as a base for many more travels together with
my husband.
Until then, I still hope to inspire and motivate
a lot of pupils. Happy teaching to all of you!
38
After the Asian tsunami disaster of 2004, Helen Doron Early English wanted to reach out and
help. Working through the Andaman Discoveries charitable foundation, HDEE funded a set of
educational scholarships in the village of Tung Dap, on Koh Phratong Island. Tung Dap was
devastated by the tsunami; many of the villages children lost everything their homes, their
possessions, and, sadly, friends and relatives. They were lucky to escape with their lives, and
getting back to school was hardly a priority.
The scholarships funded by Helen Doron Early English helped to change that.
The funds provided the essential peripherals for the kids to go to school:
transportation, uniforms, school supplies, computer fees, and lunch.
Today, nearly seven years later, we are happy to say that the children have
made good use of their scholarship opportunities. Several of the children have
grown up and left the programme to move on with their lives, while others are
still in grade school.
Ladda Klatalay is 10 years old, and attends school
in Tung Dap. She hopes to become a nurse.
Outside of school, she likes spending time with her
friends, helping her mom around the house and
enjoys studying art. She sent along a picture of the
undersea life around her native island:
Reaching Out to Children
One Language Is Never Enough!
You live a new life for every new language you speak.
If you know only one language, you live only once. (Czech proverb)
Most people in the world are multilingual, and
everybody could be; no one is rigorously excluded
from anothers language community except through
lack of time and effort. Different languages protect and
nourish the growth of different cultures, where different
pathways of human knowledge can be discovered.
They certainly make life richer for those who know
more than one of them.
(Nicholas Ostler, Empires of the Word)
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head, if you talk to him in
his language that goes to his heart. (Nelson Mandela)
39
If you really want to learn a language then its important to
be able to understand the jokes told in that language. This is
especially useful in English because jokes form an important part
of the English language.
Here youll fnd a wide variety of jokes - read them and see if
you understand them. If you like one, then try to learn it, and
fnally practice telling it to other people.
Two Balloons
Two balloons are foating across the desert.
One balloon says to the other:
Look out for the cactussssssssssss!
One balloon is foating across the desert...
2 x 11
Why is two times ten the same as two times eleven?
Because two times ten is twenty, and two times eleven is twenty, too!
Doctor
A man goes to the doctor and says, Doctor, please help me. I hurt all over.
The doctor asked the man to explain more. The man said, When I touch
my arm it hurts, when I touch my leg it hurts, when I touch my head it
hurts. Everywhere I touch it hurts.
The doctor examined the man and said, Mr Smith, your fnger is broken!
The Bilingual Parrot
A customer in a pet store sees a beautiful parrot with a blue string on one foot and a red string
on the other. He asks the shopkeeper what the strings are for.
Well, this is a bilingual parrot, the shopkeeper replies. If you pull the blue string he speaks
English and if you pull the red string he speaks French.
The customer is impressed, and curious. What happens if you pull them both at the same time?
Ill fall off my perch, you idiot! exclaimed the parrot.
The Importance of Jokes
Youll love the light and colourful new look of the site, which has been created to showcase
our latest developments, learning sets, courses and marketing materials all in an easy to use
template format.
Visit Our New Website!
www.helendoron.com