When print textbooks are outdated the moment they're published, what do you do? If you’re Renata Kucharska, you build an alternative that can keep pace with the fast-developing needs of learners who are training for the workplace. In this episode, Renata shares how she ventured into tech to build a custom, gamified vocabulary app for her teenage mechatronics and programming students. We talk about the reality of teaching niche vocational English, how a simple leaderboard got her teenagers voluntarily running their own tournaments outside of school hours, and why a 'less is more' approach to design is as crucial as the content itself.
Watch with closed captions here.
TALKING POINTS
- The vocational resource gap: Why traditional textbooks can't keep pace with fast-moving technical industries.
- Accidental engagement: How adding points and a leaderboard got teenagers voluntarily studying outside of school hours.
- The developer's golden rule: Why simple user experience and layout will always beat a complex system.
- The classroom payoff: How instant digital feedback translated to an unexpected boost in student reading and speaking confidence.
ABOUT
Renata Kucharska is an experienced teacher of English with over 25 years in ELT. She is the founder of Idiom Be Heard English and E-Solutions for ELT, where she combines language teaching with practical EdTech solutions. Renata designs courses, creates exam-prep and vocational English learning applications, including vocational English for mechatronics students and programmers. She also creates websites, e-learning platforms, and automations for educators and online businesses, helping them build independent, professional online offers.
RESOURCES & REFERENCES
🔗 E-Solutions for ELT website
🔗 Connect with Renata on LinkedIn
🔗 Follow Renata on Instagram
👉 Contact Renata on LinkedIn or her website to get teacher-level access to check out the app's functions
SUPPORT US
☕ Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tesolpop
⭐ Leave a review wherever you listen
THE PRODUCER'S EDIT
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CREDITS
Producer: Laura Wilkes
Editor: Haven Tsang
Special thanks to our guest, Renata Kucharska
Production by Communicating for Impact
TIME STAMPS
01:13 - The vocational gap
02:05 - What inspired Renata to build an app
02:29 - How leaderboards sparked engagement
03:14 - The "Duolingo for Mechatronics" concept
05:35 - The surprise response
07:30 - Classroom impact
08:49 - The developer's golden rule
10:50 - How to connect with Renata to test the app
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