Where languages meet village firefighting

The village linguist with an emergency siren

In Vratišinac, a small village in Croatia’s northernmost Međimurje region, Barbara’s day might begin with teaching German past tense online and end with a community emergency drill. “I’ve been an active volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years,” she says with unmistakable pride. “We do regular training, work with local children, and yes – I’ve actually put out real fires.”

This unusual pairing – language teaching and emergency response – reflects Barbara’s character perfectly. In both roles, she combines careful preparation with the ability to adapt instantly. The village itself, with its football club, school, and inevitable small-town gossip (“something new happens every day,” she laughs), grounds her in a community where everyone wears multiple hats.

Her path to teaching wasn’t straightforward. After studying German and Polish at Zagreb University – “extremely intensive, especially German” – she initially wasn’t sure what career to pursue. “When I started my studies, I didn’t know what I wanted to do professionally,” she explains. A part-time teaching position during her third year revealed an unexpected talent and passion. “I could tell the students were satisfied, and that’s something you notice as a teacher. It felt right.”

The planned-yet-spontaneous approach to language learning

Barbara’s teaching philosophy reflects her dual nature as both meticulous planner and intuitive responder. “I always have a plan at the beginning of each lesson,” she explains, “but it’s not rigidly detailed. If I see a topic isn’t connecting with a student, I’ll pivot.”

This flexibility extends to personalising lessons around students’ interests. “If I discover a student loves football, I’ll find ways to incorporate that – maybe we’ll practice numbers through football scores or vocabulary through match descriptions,” she says. Similarly, she adjusts to each student’s emotional state: “I can tell when someone’s having a bad day or an exceptionally good one, and we’ll go a bit slower or faster accordingly.”

What makes this approach work is Barbara’s genuine connection with her students. Many have been with her for years, developing relationships that transcend the typical teacher-student dynamic. “We have a friendship-like relationship. Each week we talk about what’s new in their lives, and they ask me about mine too. I think students appreciate this personal connection.”

From classroom to wedding guest

The lines between teacher and friend have blurred over time, with some students even attending Barbara’s wedding. “Sometimes they can’t wait for their lesson to tell me something new – they’ll send a WhatsApp message right away,” she laughs. “But we save the full conversation for our lesson.”

This personal investment creates a powerful learning motivation. “Students are more engaged when they think, ‘Today I’ll see Barbara, I need to tell her something,’” she observes. This warm atmosphere has contributed to her perfect teaching record: “I’ve had many positive moments as a teacher, but not a single negative one.”

Balancing languages, fires, and first steps

Barbara’s life transformed recently with the birth of her daughter Tara, now ten months old. The energetic baby who “sleeps very little but gives us lots of fun during the day” has added yet another dimension to her already full life.

At home, her husband scans TikTok for interesting baking ideas to challenge her. “If I have all the ingredients at home, he’ll get what he wants the very next day,” she smiles. This culinary creativity extends to traditional Croatian dishes like “purica i mlinci” (turkey with a special flatbread) alongside experimental desserts.

Between lessons, she makes time for her two cats – Buba and Mara (named after “ladybug” in Croatian) – who have become minor celebrities among her students, who inquire about them at the start of lessons. She balances this domestic life with twice-weekly fitness sessions, yoga (introduced to her by a student), and summer rafting adventures with friends.

A language collector’s journey

Barbara’s personal language journey continues alongside her teaching. After mastering German and studying Polish at university, she’s now teaching herself Spanish through Duolingo – fitting in practice whenever she can. “Sometimes ten minutes a day, sometimes half an hour – whenever I have time. As you can see, I love languages.”

This perpetual student mindset keeps her teaching approach fresh. At Let’s Learn Croatian, she appreciates the balance they’ve struck: “We’re ambitious and modern, but not excessively so. We have contemporary teaching methods, everything’s online, and we offer flexible scheduling – but what’s best are the teachers, of course,” she adds with a smile.

Despite her love for European travel – Austria, Slovakia, and a honeymoon in Cyprus – Barbara’s heart remains in her small Croatian village. “My favourite place is home,” she says simply, capturing the essence of someone who has found contentment in connecting worlds: languages with people, tradition with innovation, and learning with life.

For Barbara, teaching Croatian isn’t about grammar rules or vocabulary lists – it’s about building the same sense of community she finds in her village and with her volunteer firefighters. It’s about being prepared for anything, while remaining flexible enough to adapt when life takes unexpected turns.