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Apr 21

PRODIREKT_Monogram_Posts

Aktuelno Program about the Importance of Language Education Abroad and How to Attend a Foreign Language School

Interview with Jasmina Saric, Director of Educational Programs, Prodirekt
April 2012
Radio show AKTUELNO broadcasted on 27 radio stations across Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro
AKTUELNO program is owned by B2B Interactive Media Group
Radio host: Sanja Velickovic
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English translation:

It seems that our last week’s announcement of the internship post in Prodirekt, a company dealing with education, has encouraged many of you to find out more about the opportunities to learn a language abroad. Our today’s guest is Jasmina Saric, director of educational programs in Prodirekt and co-founder of the social network Verbalisti (Verbalists), will answer your questions on this matter.

Jasmina, your company Prodirekt has agreed to offer a one-month internship opportunity to all our listeners interested in gaining a valuable experience in the field of education. However, you’ve just told me that, apart from being satisfied with the number of received internship applications and CVs, you’re also quite pleasantly surprised by the interest our listeners have shown in learning a language abroad. Why do you think this is, could it be because of the appeal of the social network Verbalisti?

AKTUELNO featuring Prodirekt internship opportunity with language network Verbalisti

There is no doubt the Verbalisti is an interesting concept in itself and we’re pleased it’s attracting so many language students and linguists; however, when it comes to the growing demand to study a language abroad, I believe it should be partly attributed to the fact that we no longer need visas to travel and partly to the fact that people, not just in Serbia but everywhere in the region, are perceiving the times of recession as ideal for education and improvement. Not to mention the fact that to fit a job, a person needs to tick more and more boxes, with the knowledge of at least one foreign language being very important.

We’ve received a lot of questions from our listeners. For instance, Dubravka Markovic from Belgrade would like to know why a student, before choosing a language course, should consult a language expert?

For a very simple reason – consulting a language expert can save you a lot of time and money. What is it that we can do to help every student choose the right course? The first step would be to define the reason for learning a language: it makes a great deal of difference whether you learn English, for instance, to be able to chat on the internet, or whether you learn German with a view to enrolling in an Austrian college; or perhaps you need Spanish to get a promotion in your company’s subsidiary in Spain. This is important, because it’s a specific level of knowledge that takes you to your goal, but also a specific kind of course. After establishing the goal, we need to determine our starting point and that’s why we ask our clients to do a placement test. The purpose of the test is to find out the current level of the language competence as opposed to the desired one. Once we’ve established these two important points, we can recommend a suitable course.

Our listeners would probably like to know how expensive these consultations and the placement test are?

In Prodirekt and with the Verbalisti, the consultations and tests are free and they are an integral part of our services. However, it is advisable to make an appointment in advance either by phoning 011 26-237-26 or emailing us at info@prodirekt.net

Predrag from Pancevo would like to know whether his 16-year old son who’s been learning English for years, both in school and taking private lessons, needs to attend a course in England? I believe this is an interesting question to students of all ages.

We don’t learn a language in a classroom only. On the contrary. A classroom is an artificial environment, or shall I say, a simulation of real situations. But even in this case there are differences, both in state or private schools – no matter how good the teaching is, or a teacher, when you learn a foreign language in your own country, you’re inevitably surrounded by people speaking the same mother tongue. The communication is bound to slip into that language, sooner or later. In England, or any other country, where you travel to learn its native language, the classes are international, and like it or not, you simply have to communicate in the given language. Even more importantly, outside the classroom, you’re forced to practice the foreign language in real life when for instance, you need to order some food, buy a train ticket or invite someone for a drink.

Jasmina Saric

What is the age limit for language programs abroad?

If we’re talking of programs intended for the teenagers, it’s between 12 and 18 years old.

Since we’re talking of teenagers here, do they travel with a group leader?  A tourist guide?

All our groups are accompanied. The person traveling with students is never a tourist guide because these are not tour packages but educational trips. Our group leaders are always experienced foreign language teachers, and in Verbalisti’s team there are at least 10 such teachers who’ve been participating in our programs for years. They are always with children, from the first passport control at the Belgrade airport to arrival at destination including airport transfers, through their stay in a foreign college, until they return home.

Here is an anonymous but extremely interesting question: I want my daughter to study in Oxford, not wander around doing sightseeing and shopping. Is it compulsory for students to participate in social activities program?

It’s not only an interesting question, it’s a very common one. Social activities, such as sport in students’ free time, sightseeing or creative workshops are not just having fun. Their aim is multifold, but the first and foremost one is continuous communication and socializing in an international environment, only this time in real life situations. Such activities are extremely stimulating and they not only help learning, but also familiarizing with different cultures. And last but not least, they help group leaders have all the students in one place.

Do students receive a certificate after they’ve finished a course?

All students receive a certificate indicating their level of language competency, the length and type of the course they’ve done. Let me just point out that all the colleges we work with are British Council accredited.

Are all your programs intended for teenagers and young people?

People learn languages for different reasons; in today’s globalised world the question of speaking languages and being able to communicate successfully is actually the question of professional survival. Verbalisti have developed 24 language programs aimed at all ages and levels. A substantial percentage of our clients are adults – students, young professionals, business people. We also offer a unique service in language consulting to corporations.

Mar 6

PRODIREKT_Monogram_Posts

Young Learners Language Education Tops Family Budget Priorities, Shows the Verbalisti Survey in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia

Belgrade, Serbia – March 6, 2012 – PRODIREKT and its language network Verbalisti today announced the results of the poll designed to discover how parents in the Balkans feel about the language education of their children. The visitors of the Verbalisti Facebook page were asked “How important is it for your children to learn a foreign language in the native speaking country?”. The survey was conducted in four countries – Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, during two time intervals – from 21st November to 21st December 2011, and from January 6 to February 6, 2012, and it generated enormous interest among the Verbalisti network fans and other Facebook members alike. The poll reached 247,757 people, while 1,566 participants cast their vote, with 1,226 of them saying that they would send their children to learn a foreign language in a native speaking country, regardless of the family budget constraints.

Verbalisti Poll: Young Learners Language Education Tops Family Budget Priorities

The Verbalisti poll reached 247,757 people, while 1,566 participants cast their vote

The Prodirekt poll was inspired by the similar one Berlitz Corporation conducted in Japan, Germany, the USA, Mexico, China, Brazil, France, Poland and Italy earlier in 2011. The purpose of the Berlitz poll was to determine how parents of children between the ages of 4 and 17 perceive the importance of foreign language learning. Their key findings show that almost 90% expressed interest in foreign language learning for their children outside regular school hours. Countries with recent strong economic growth, such as China, Mexico and Brazil, showed especially high interest in language education abroad. The lowest interest was in developed countries such as USA, Japan, France and Germany.

“It was interesting to find out from the Berlitz poll how parents in those 9 countries feel about language education of their children, but it is also helpful to see how Berlitz findings relate to our poll conducted in part of Southeast Europe. Furthermore, we wanted to determine what the parents’ opinion about learning a foreign language at home and abroad was”, said Jasmina Saric, director of educational programs, Prodirekt.

Verbalisti (attending My London program) about to leave for LondonThe Prodirekt survey polled 1566 people from 4 countries: Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants were asked “How important is it for your children to learn a foreign language in the native speaking country?” There were 4 answer options:

a)    It’s extremely important and I will provide it for my child regardless of financial constraints in the family budget – voted by 78% (1,226 votes)

b)    It’s very important, and I’ll provide it for my child if the family budget allows it  – voted by 16% (246 votes)

c)     It’s not that important, a local language school is good enough – voted by 2% (34 votes)

d)    It’s not important at all – voted by 4% (51 votes)

The Facebook members can access the poll here.

The poll results clearly showed that parents in SEE regard foreign languages as extremely important part of their children’s education:

  • 96% of them would send their children to a private language school – 94% to a language school in a native country, plus additional 2% who maintained that a local language school was good enough for their children’s language education;
  • 78% of the poll partakers uphold that improving a language in the country where its spoken is so important that they will provide it for their children regardless of the financial constraints in a family budget
  • Only 5% maintains that learning a language abroad is not important – 2% believes a local language school will do the job, and 3% claims that language education abroad is not important at all.
Jasmina Saric, Director Educational Programs, PRODIREKT

Jasmina Saric: "With the economic crunch and high unemployment rate among young people, parents perceive their children's language competencies as a key factor in getting a job, or at least as a necessary requirement for further education options abroad"

Jasmina Saric from Prodirekt further commented on the poll results: “The prolonged and severe economic crisis apparently does not affect, at least declaratively, the parents’ willingness to spend on their children education. This makes perfect sense: with the economic crunch and high unemployment rate among young people, parents perceive their children’s language competencies as a key factor in getting a job, especially in the local offices of foreign companies, or at least as a necessary requirement for further education options abroad.”

This high percentage of parents in Southeast Europe who perceive foreign languages as key to their children’s success ties in with the analysis about the boom in the junior language market, published by Dan Thomas, of The Pie, an online publication for educators (“Is the junior language market seeing a boom?”, January 12, 2012). In an ever more competitive job market parents recognize a second language – and having studied abroad – as a distinct advantage. The Pie analysis also shows that the demand is not only for English courses, but for other world languages as well.

Job opportunities have been shrinking with the global crisis and employers are becoming more selective; therefore, speaking English as a second language has become more important. The Verbalisti survey confirms the Pie findings, but also points out that in the developing economies the need for children language education is perceived as a must, and that parents are willing to continue spending on their children’s education abroad even in the harsh economic times.

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About PRODIREKT LLC and Communication Network Verbalisti (Verbalists)
PRODIREKT provides strategic management and executive education and training in the Balkan region. PRODIREKT’s innovative solutions for corporate management, marketing and international business communication offer a bridge between strategy and education, while its business group and social network Verbalisti, dedicated to language studies and professional training, helps young professionals and business people achieve their objectives in international communication.

The communication and language network Verbalisti has been created for language lovers and all those wishing to improve their communication skills. Furthermore, Verbalisti are the answer to the growing demand for the regional standardization in foreign language studies. Verbalists offer quality language courses for students of all ages and levels according to their various budget needs.

Feb 21

PRODIREKT Management Communication and Development

Education Coordinators in Serbia and Macedonia for the Fastest Growing Language Study Network

LANGUAGE STUDY AND EDUCATION COORDINATOR – SERBIA (1 POST) Position Code: 11-00-2012

LANGUAGE STUDY AND EDUCATION COORDINATOR – MACEDONIA (1 POST) Position Code: 12-00-2012

Due to our education group’s regional expansion, we are looking for two devoted language study and education coordinators – one  located in Belgrade, Serbia, and the other in Skopje, Macedonia.

Prodirekt Language Study and Education Coordinator

Due to our education group’s regional expansion, we are looking for two devoted language study and education coordinators – one located in Belgrade, Serbia, and the other in Skopje, Macedonia

The 2011 was a difficult year, yet we managed to produce some remarkable results. In 2011, our company opened the second representative office in Skopje, Macedonia. In the same year, PRODIREKT became the first company in Southeast Europe to be awarded the accreditation for the language education travel and Work-and-Travel program abroad by the two most important European associations – the British organization English UK and German ICEF.

Since its launch in 2010, the communication network Verbalisti has gained the support of over 120 foreign language teachers in the region, while our social network today has more than 11,000 members. The two communication and foreign language blogs, in Serbian and Macedonian, were also promoted in 2011 (with 430 followers), and the Verbalisti YouTube channel crossed the magic mark of 100,000 video views in less than a year.

We believe that education and personal development are the best investment for everyone, especially during the times of uncertainty and economic downturn. We realize that this year might be even harder than 2011, but we also believe that with hard work we can repeat the same success of the last year. If you are a fighter, fast learner and hardworking individual, then, please consider the following job description and position requirements:

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Verbalisti London young learners group_
Position:

  • Facilitate selling Verbalisti language programs.
  • Develop and lead meetings and workshops designed to assist sub-agents to become more effective at enrolling students from major cities in Serbia and the Southeast Europe region.
  • Seek grant funding and financial support for the educational programs of PRODIREKT and language network Verbalisti.
  • Establish and maintain contact with school directors, human resources managers in corporations, and owners of small-to-mid size companies.
  • Create content for internet-based communications. Write creative, engaging headlines, comments and blogs that increase traffic for Verbalisti media – Facebook page, blogs, YouTube Channel, Twitter, and PRODIREKT web site.
  • Translate language programs, contracts, and other related material.
  • Administer language evaluation testing.
  • Assist in developing and marketing of other education and training programs of the PRODIREKT group.

Qualifications:

  • Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. Efficient use of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook; Photoshop a big plus.
  • English fluency;
  • Understanding of Internet marketing and/or an experienced user of social networks;
  • 4-year college/university degree or above;
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a team;
  • Highly responsible and proactive in assuming new tasks;
  • Self-starter & quick learner; ability to learn new technical skills and good at multitasking;
  • Written and verbal skills in another foreign language in addition to English (German, French, Spanish, etc.) are a plus.

Please visit our Media Room and review our communication network Verbalisti and its social media (YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs) to learn more about our company. Candidates interested in applying for this job post, please email a letter of interest, as well as your CV in English and Serbian or Macedonian, with your most recent photograph, to recruiter@prodirekt.net

When applying, please quote Position Code 11-00-2012 (for Language Study and Education Coordinator in Serbia) and Position Code 12-00-2012 (for Language Study and Education Coordinator in Macedonia)

No phone calls please; only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. All applications will be dealt with in strict confidence.

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Feb 18

PRODIREKT Management Communication and Development

A Great Learning Ground in Internet Marketing (Serbia and Macedonia)

INTERNET MARKETING ASSISTANT – INTERNSHIP – MACEDONIA (1 POST)
Position Code: 09-00-2012

INTERNET MARKETING ASSISTANT – INTERNSHIP – SERBIA (1 POST)
Position Code: 10-00-2012

This is a great learning ground for a bright and motivated person looking to progress into a paid part-time or full-time position in our company.

The social network Verbalisti has been created for language lovers and all those wishing to improve their communication skills. Verbalisti is a brand of Prodirekt, which is a certified representative and partner of prestigious schools and colleges in world renowned university centres. Since its launch in 2010, the communication network Verbalisti has gained the support of over 120 foreign language teachers in the region, while our social network today has more than 11,000 members. The two communication and foreign language blogs, in Serbian and Macedonian, were also promoted in 2011 (with 430 followers), and the Verbalisti YouTube channel crossed the magic mark of 100,000 video views in less than a year. All these results led to a notable recognition for our company – the network Verbalisti was proclaimed the fastest growing social language network in the Southeast Europe.

Verbalisti Speak Your Mind! media segment

Speak Your Mind! media segment, featuring celebrity interviews, is the most popular on the Verbalisti Facebook page

Position:

  • Social networks – monitoring of activity, question answering, trend analysing, issue resolving
  • Create content for internet-based communications. Write creative, engaging headlines, comments and blogs that increase traffic for Verbalisti media – Facebook page, blogs, YouTube Channel, Twitter, and PRODIREKT web site.

Requirements:

  • Good verbal and written communication skills
  • Efficient use of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook; Photoshop a big plus
  • English fluency
  • Understanding of Internet marketing
  • Self-starter & quick learner; ability to learn new technical skills and good at multitasking.

We’re looking for a creative and inspired/inspiring person to contribute to a growth of our company and Verbalisti language network which is in the midst of expanding with additional media products and into new markets.

Please visit our Media Room and review our communication network Verbalisti and its social media (YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs) to learn more about our company. Candidates interested in applying for this job post, please email a letter of interest, as well as your CV in English and Serbian, with your most recent photograph, to recruiter@prodirekt.net

When applying, please quote Position Code 10-00-2012 (for Internet Marketing Assistant – Internship).

No phone calls please; only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. All applications will be dealt with in strict confidence.
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VERBALISTI SOCIAL MEDIA
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Apr 6

PRODIREKT Management Communication and Development

Dejan Trpkovic about Management Recruiting in Serbia and Montenegro in an Interview for Daily Politika

Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro – April 6, 2004 – The oldest and most prestigious daily newspaper in Serbia and Montenegro (SCG), POLITIKA, describes the growing management recruiting industry in the country in an interview with Dejan Trpkovic, the principal of Prodirekt, one of the leading management consulting and executive search firms in SCG.

PRODIREKT Dejan Trpkovic Interview in PolitikaMr. Trpkovic comments that Serbian experts living abroad are not returning in higher numbers to SCG since the gap in their salary expectations and market conditions are still too wide.

“Credit crunch and strained cash flow pose a major problem for fast growing small and medium size companies in attracting professional management,” says Trpković. He adds “Local managers are not interested in equity compensations.”

“It is not good to see that most local companies are still thinking that they are implementing strategic management when they plan three years in advance,” adds Dejan Trpkovic. “Senior managers should be able to predict market trends and be proactive in the positioning of their companies on the market.”

“Although we try to focus on the selection of senior executives, Prodirekt sometimes has to engage in the middle management searches. The market is simply not developed yet to the extent to make the searches for top management an exclusive business option,” explains Trpkovic why major international retained executive search firms are still not present in SCG.

Complete interview: Katarina Sekulic: “Turnkey solution for engaging the best professionals” in Politika (April 6, 2004, in the Serbian language). Download PDF version here.

About POLITIKA
Politika AD is the oldest newspaper publisher in the Balkans – founded in 1904. Politika Newspapers & Magazines, a part of Politika AD, was founded on March 1, 2002 as a joint venture between Politika AD and “Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung” (W.A.Z.) from Essen, Germany. Politika AD publishes three daily newspapers and 14 magazines – weeklies, bi-weeklies, and monthlies. Politika, a daily, is considered one of the most respectable newspapers in Southeast Europe.

About PRODIREKT
Prodirekt provides strategic management and human resource consultancy services to clients ranging from large corporations to emerging growth companies in southeast Europe, across a broad range of industries and sectors. The company has earned a reputation for successfully completing the most complex management searches in the region due to Prodirekt consultants’ in-depth knowledge of specific industry sectors and years of direct senior-level experience and long-standing relationships with top leaders.

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