I come from a family of teachers, so teaching is in my DNA. Over the years I’ve honed my ability to detect and address the obstacles that students face in language learning. This allows me to creatively support my students, helping them push past their barriers and experience that rewarding sense of accomplishment. Since 2015, I’ve been teaching English and Croatian, and I’m always learning something myself, currently diving into French. My passion for languages extends to helping my students discover strategies that bring both progress and joy to the learning process.
Me as a Teacher
I love working with motivated and curious students who are ready to experiment and take on challenges. I want my students to feel comfortable, inspired, and excited about learning. Language learning isn’t always easy, but overcoming challenges is one of the most rewarding experiences, and I love seeing my students conquer obstacles. My goal is to make my students proactive and autonomous in their studies, rather than just passive recipients of a rigid curriculum. I encourage them to think outside the box and discover new ways of learning that work best for them. The connection we build is one of partnership—I'm here to guide them on their journey, not dictate it.
My lessons & teaching style
I tailor my lessons to fit each student's unique needs, mixing grammar, reading, writing, listening, and speaking based on their strengths and areas of improvement. Speaking is an area of particular focus, and I employ small, structured exercises to ease students into more spontaneous conversations. This doesn’t happen overnight, so the goal is to gradually build confidence and ease, so that speaking becomes second nature.
My teaching material
PDF file
Text Documents
Presentation slides/PPT
Audio files
Video files
Quizzes
Test templates and examples
Homework Assignments
Certificates
TEFL - The TEFL Academy - 2017Teaching English as a Foreign Language Course - 120 Hours.
Certificate verified
TEFL 120 hours - The TEFL Academy - 2017Completed 120 hours of TEFL course that, as part of its curriculum, taught me how to prepare students for various types of language tests ( IELTS, Cambridge CPE/CAE/FCE etc.)
Certificate verified
Education
1997 - 2003
Bachelor’s - DesignUniversity of Zagreb - School of Design
Work Experience
2015 - Current
English TeacherSelf-employed - Zagreb, CroatiaI've been teaching English online and in person since 2015.
5.0
Rating
251
Students
7,709
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
5.0
Rating
251
Students
7709
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
Croatian Lessons
Croatian
English
Trial Lesson
116 lessons completed
USD 20.00+
CROATIAN: Step 1 - a good place to start
A1 - A2Language Essentials3,773 lessons completed
USD 20.00+
Package with 12% off
CROATIAN: Step 2 - let's make progress
B1 - B2Language Essentials3 lessons completed
USD 20.00+
Package with 12% off
CROATIAN: Step 3 - the finishing touches
C1 - C2Language Essentials20 lessons completed
USD 20.00+
Package with 12% off
Availability
Based on your timezone (UTC+00:00)
1,585 Reviews
All
Croatian
English
Valeska
30 Croatian lessons
Teacher’s pick
I can’t recommend Irena enough: I learn so much during every lesson – not only language skills, but also methods to study more efficiently. Book a lesson now: you won’t be disappointed! 🙌🤓
Feb 1, 2024
Ilaria
21 English lessons
Teacher’s pick
Thank you Irena! For me you are more than a good teacher (and definitely you are the best!). Improving my English with you is a real beautiful, challenging, funny, enjoayble journey!
Jul 20, 2018
Amy
5 Croatian lessons
My first full lesson with Irena following my trial. Really fun, engaging and useful! Irena creates a comfortable space to try things out and challenge yourself while feeling supported. Great mix of activities and I really like her personalised, student-centred approach.
May 14, 2025
Brigid
71 Croatian lessons
Teacher’s pick
Irena is the very best Croatian teacher. Her lessons are tailored specifically to each student, and she creates all her own (high quality) materials. Irena makes me feel successful in my learning journey, even when I make many mistakes. She is patient and understanding, and explains things in a way that makes sense. Irena has special effective hints and activities for memorising new grammar rules and vocabulary. She remembers details about my life, and includes them in the lessons which makes the learning relevant and interesting. I look forward to my lessons with Irena every week, and the time in the lesson flies by. Hvala Irena!
Dec 19, 2023
Amy
5 Croatian lessons
Today we made a start on grammar! Croatian grammar has seemed very confusing and overwhelming to me before but Irena answered all my initial questions very clearly and outlined how we will break down the many declensions into manageable chunks. Another fun and engaging lesson. I love Irena’s passion for the subject and how she approaches knowledge.
Jun 3, 2025
Nickrog
3 Croatian lessons
Excellent first meeting with Irena. She was able to assess my level of Croatian extremely well and was overall a great professional