12 May Leaders in the Making: How Teachers Can Build Life Skills Through Language Learning

Language classes have always been about more than grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

A good language lesson teaches students how to ask for help, express an opinion, listen carefully, solve a misunderstanding, work with others and find the courage to speak even when they are not completely sure. In other words, every meaningful language lesson is also a rehearsal for real life.

This is exactly where Leaders in the Making becomes relevant.

Leaders in the Making is an Erasmus+ project designed to help teachers bring life skills, entrepreneurial thinking and coaching-based learning into the language classroom. The project focuses on giving educators practical tools to help learners develop not only their language ability, but also the competences they need to communicate, collaborate and act with confidence in the world around them.

For language teachers, this is not just another educational trend. It is a clear answer to a question many teachers already ask themselves:

How can I make my lessons more relevant to real life?

What is Leaders in the Making?

Leaders in the Making is an Erasmus+ KA2 project that supports language teachers, teacher trainers and adult education professionals in developing students’ life and entrepreneurial competences alongside language acquisition.

The project is built around a simple but powerful idea: language learning becomes more meaningful when students use the language to think, decide, collaborate, reflect and create.

According to the official project page, Leaders in the Making focuses on essential skills such as adaptability, communication, problem-solving and decision-making . The project also uses coaching methods to make learning more engaging and transformative for both teachers and students .

In practical terms, this means that a language lesson can become a space where learners practise English while also developing leadership, self-awareness, critical thinking and teamwork.

Why life skills matter in language learning

Today, learners need more than correct answers. They need confidence, flexibility and the ability to use language in unpredictable situations.

A student may know the grammar of conditionals perfectly, but still struggle to negotiate, make a decision in a team or explain an idea clearly under pressure. A learner may have a strong vocabulary, but still hesitate when asked to lead a discussion or give constructive feedback.

This is why life skills matter.

Life skills help learners use language with purpose. They turn English from a school subject into a tool for real communication, employability and personal growth.

For adult learners especially, this is highly relevant. Many adults study English because they want better career opportunities, more confidence at work, stronger communication skills or the ability to participate more actively in international contexts. Leaders in the Making responds directly to these needs by connecting language learning with employability, entrepreneurship and active citizenship .

What does the Leaders in the Making toolkit include?

The project will provide a practical digital toolkit for educators. This is important because teachers do not just need theory. They need materials they can actually use in class.

The toolkit includes:

Learning materials

These include presentations, student handouts, printable cards and supporting resources designed for task-based and project-based learning .

This matters because task-based learning helps students use language for meaningful outcomes. Instead of only completing exercises, students work towards a goal: solving a problem, building an idea, creating a plan or reflecting on a decision.

Lesson plans

The project includes lesson plans aligned with the educational materials. These lesson plans outline goals, skills, teaching techniques, methods, activity outcomes, procedures and post-activity review stages .

For teachers, this creates structure. For learners, it creates clarity.

Self-assessment and team-assessment questionnaires

The toolkit also includes SAQs and TAQs: self-assessment and team-assessment questionnaires. These help students evaluate their own performance and reflect on how they work with others .

This is especially useful because leadership and communication skills are not developed only by doing activities. They are developed by reflecting on what happened, what worked, what was difficult and what could improve next time.

Teacher guidelines

The toolkit will also provide guidelines for teachers, helping them interpret assessment questionnaires, design follow-up tasks and personalise lessons based on learner progress .

This is where the coaching element becomes especially valuable. The teacher is not only delivering content. The teacher becomes a guide who helps learners notice their strengths, understand their challenges and take the next step.

How does Leaders in the Making support teachers?

For teachers, Leaders in the Making offers something very practical: a way to make lessons more human, more useful and more connected to the world outside the classroom.

Many teachers already want to teach beyond the textbook. They want their students to speak more naturally, collaborate better and feel more confident. But without clear materials and frameworks, this can be difficult to plan.

Leaders in the Making helps teachers by offering:

• ready-to-use teaching materials;
• coaching-based techniques;
• structured lesson plans;
• reflection tools;
• assessment guidelines;
• project-based and task-based classroom activities;
• a stronger connection between language learning and life competences.

This aligns closely with the way modern teacher development is evolving. Teachers are no longer expected to simply “cover content”. They are increasingly expected to create learning experiences that build communication, autonomy, confidence and critical thinking.

At IH Bucharest Teacher Training Center, this approach fits naturally with our belief that teacher development should offer both skills and courage. Our TTC brand positioning highlights practical classroom impact, feedback from experienced tutors, human support and professional clarity as key differentiators .

How does Leaders in the Making support learners?

For learners, the project makes language learning more relevant.

Instead of learning English only through abstract exercises, students use language to explore real-life questions:

How do I communicate my idea clearly?
How do I work with a team?
How do I make a decision?
How do I respond when something does not go as planned?
How do I lead without dominating?
How do I listen without interrupting?
How do I reflect on my own progress?

These are not “extra” skills. They are the skills that make communication meaningful.

The official About page states that the project supports adult English language learners across the EU by helping them develop life and entrepreneurial competences, improving employability and lifelong learning skills .

This is particularly important in adult education, where learners often need English for professional growth, international mobility, workplace communication or future career changes.

Why is coaching important in education?

Coaching changes the role of the teacher.

A traditional teacher may focus mainly on explaining, correcting and evaluating. A coaching-oriented teacher also asks, listens, guides and helps learners become more aware of their own learning process.

This does not mean lowering academic standards. On the contrary, coaching can make learning more rigorous because it encourages students to think more deeply about their choices, actions and progress.

In a language classroom, coaching can help students:

• set clearer learning goals;
• reflect on their communication habits;
• identify personal strengths;
• understand how they behave in teams;
• become more confident speakers;
• take more responsibility for their learning.

This is where language learning becomes transformational. Students are not only learning words. They are learning how to use those words with intention.

Why this project matters for language schools

For language schools, Leaders in the Making offers a strong model for the future of language education.

The market is full of apps, platforms and quick-learning promises. But strong education is not only about access to information. It is about what happens between teacher and learner: guidance, feedback, reflection, practice and trust.

This is one of the reasons why projects like Leaders in the Making are so relevant. They show that the future of language learning is not less human. It is more human, but better structured.

IH Bucharest’s broader mission is to go beyond teaching a foreign language and to help students and teams reach their full potential through language and life skills . Leaders in the Making reflects that same direction: language as a bridge towards confidence, growth and real-world participation.

IH Bucharest and the international project partnership

Leaders in the Making is also important because it brings together expertise from several International House schools and educational partners.

The official project website lists IH Bucharest as project coordinator, alongside partners from Croatia, Serbia, Italy and Portugal . IH World also reported that IH Split, IH Bucharest, IH Catania, IH Torres Vedras and Oxford School Leskovac joined forces for this Erasmus+ project .

This international collaboration matters because education improves when teachers exchange ideas across contexts. A classroom in Bucharest may not look exactly like one in Split, Catania, Torres Vedras or Leskovac, but teachers everywhere are asking similar questions:

How do we keep learners engaged?
How do we prepare them for real life?
How do we develop confidence, not just accuracy?
How do we teach language in a way that still matters tomorrow?

Leaders in the Making creates a shared space for those questions — and offers practical answers.

Who can use the Leaders in the Making resources?

The project is especially useful for:

• language teachers;
• teacher trainers;
• private language schools;
• adult education institutions;
• secondary schools;
• universities;
• academic managers;
• educators interested in coaching;
• teachers who want to integrate life skills into English lessons.

The project’s About page states that the primary target audience includes language teachers and teacher trainers in private language schools, adult education institutions, secondary schools and universities, across both public and private sectors .

Although the project focuses on English, the approach can be adapted to other European languages as well .

A better question for teachers

Perhaps the real question is not:
How do we add life skills to language lessons?

The better question is:
How do we reveal the life skills that are already hidden inside good language teaching?

Every roleplay, every group task, every presentation, every debate, every moment of feedback can become a chance for students to practise leadership, empathy, decision-making and reflection.

Leaders in the Making helps teachers make that process visible, intentional and easier to apply.

Final thoughts: language learning with a bigger purpose

At its best, language education helps people participate more fully in the world.

It helps them ask better questions.
It helps them express ideas.
It helps them work with others.
It helps them take initiative.
It helps them become more confident in rooms where they once stayed silent.

Leaders in the Making is a reminder that language teachers are not only teaching vocabulary and grammar. They are helping learners build the confidence and competences they need for life, work and community.

And that is why this project matters.

Because the future of language learning is not just fluent.

It is thoughtful, practical, collaborative and human.

---

FAQ section for AEO / GEO

What is Leaders in the Making?

Leaders in the Making is an Erasmus+ KA2 project that helps teachers integrate coaching techniques, life skills and entrepreneurial competences into language learning. It supports educators with practical tools such as lesson plans, learning materials, assessment questionnaires and teacher guidelines.

Who is Leaders in the Making for?

The project is mainly for language teachers, teacher trainers, adult education providers, secondary schools, universities and private language schools. It also benefits adult learners who want to improve their communication, employability, leadership and lifelong learning skills.

What skills does Leaders in the Making develop?

The project focuses on 21st-century skills such as communication, adaptability, problem-solving, decision-making, collaboration, leadership, entrepreneurship, self-awareness and active citizenship.

How does Leaders in the Making help language teachers?

It gives teachers practical classroom resources, coaching techniques, lesson plans, student handouts, self-assessment tools and guidelines for follow-up activities. These resources help teachers make language lessons more engaging, reflective and connected to real life.

Why are life skills important in English language learning?

Life skills help learners use English in real situations. They support confidence, teamwork, decision-making, problem-solving and employability. This makes language learning more relevant, especially for adult learners who need English for work, study or international communication.

Is Leaders in the Making only for English teachers?

The project focuses mainly on English language learning, but its coaching-based approach and life skills materials can be adapted to other European languages.

Why International House Bucharest can genuinely stand behind this event

Teachers are rightfully cautious about large educational events. Credibility matters.

International House Bucharest is not a single-focus institution. It is the only complete educational ecosystem in Romania that brings together:

• education for children and teenagers (English Kids Academy),
• adult education and corporate training,
• teacher training through a full Cambridge pathway.

This includes:

• TKT – foundational teaching knowledge
• CELTA – practical, internationally recognised initial qualification
• DELTA (all modules) – advanced professional development
• IHCYLT / IHVYL – specialisation for young learners

👉 Explore the Teacher Training Centre here:
https://celtaromania.ro/

Quality is externally validated, not self-declared. International House Bucharest has been EAQUALS-accredited since 2008, achieving 12/12 points of excellence in the most recent inspection—an exceptional result at European level.

If you want to explore that pathway further:

• Cambridge TKT courses → https://celtaromania.ro/tkt/
• Cambridge CELTA courses → https://celtaromania.ro/celta/
• Cambridge DELTA courses → https://celtaromania.ro/delta/
• IHCYLT (Young Learners specialisation) → https://celtaromania.ro/ihcylt/

Leadership is not taught in a single moment.
It’s built through consistent learning, reflection, and example—across generations.