Between 8 and 10 October 2026, the traditional seminar for teachers of the Slovenian language in Croatia took place in Rijeka, organised by the Institute for Ethnic Studies (INV) in collaboration with the KPD Bazovica Slovenian Cultural Centre in Rijeka.
At the start of the seminar, participants were addressed by representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of the Republic of Slovenia, the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Zagreb, the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians Abroad and Worldwide, the Slovenian Institute for Education and the Federation of Slovenian Associations in Croatia. Two members of the INV team Dr Barbara Riman and Saša Kernjak Zubović collaborated on the preparation and delivery of the programme.
👩🏫 The programme included a lecture by Dr Anita Peti-Stantić on the role of translation from Slovenian into Croatian in the learning process, and a lecture by Assoc. Prof. Dr Mojca Stritar Kučuk on the mistakes made by Croatian speakers when learning Slovenian from a corpus-based perspective. Particular attention was also paid to a discussion on the challenges and future of teaching the Slovenian language in Croatia. The programme was further enriched by a workshop on applying for project funding and a visit to the First Sušačka Croatian Grammar School in Rijeka, where Slovenian is taught according to Model C.
📖 As part of the seminar, the new bilingual picture book “Dora gre na Snežnik / Dora ide na Snežnik” by author Sabina Skok was also presented. The translation and printing of the picture book were carried out in collaboration with INV and the Slovene House of the KPD Bazovica.
🎭 The professional programme was complemented by a workshop led by Slovenian puppeteer Tilna Kožamelj entitled “The Puppet as a Teaching Aid”. Participants also attended the puppet show “Slatke riječi”, in which Kožamelj performs as a puppeteer. Both activities showcased various ways of incorporating puppetry into teaching and creative activities.
The seminar facilitated the exchange of professional knowledge and experience and contributed to further networking amongst teachers, educational institutions and the Slovenian community in Croatia.
The seminar was co-funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of the Republic of Slovenia and the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth of the Republic of Croatia.
