Towards Excellence in Applied Linguistics. Innovative Second Language Education in Egypt / Erasmus Project

Project Title

Towards Excellence in Applied Linguistics. Innovative Second Language Education in Egypt /

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building in higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics:

Project Summary

XCELING aimed to contribute to a modernization of the FL teaching in Egypt at different levels:1) Modernization of FL teaching methodologies (TEACHING), with special emphasis on ICT.2) Pre-doctoral training and learning in applied linguistics (LEARNING).3) Open access materials orientated to FL learning for Arabic-speakers in social disadvantage (refugees, migrants, etc.) (OUTREACH).In order to address these three aspects, XCELING has created a Network of 6 Language Innovation Centres (LICs). The LICs have a threefold structure in line with these dimensions: TEACHING (train the trainers), LEARNING (pre-doctoral education) and OUTREACH (co-creation of open access teaching materials).The most important results, produced by the LICs, will be a program of both train-the trainer sessions (our WP2 intensive training sessions in Europe targetted at young and future Egyptian foreign language teachers) and of a capacity building program for future teachers through applied linguistics research methods (our WP3 intensive training sessions in Egypt taught by European professors in two editions: 2019 and 2020-21).Beyond the project lifetime, the Network of the LICs will continue coordinating activities of the same sort for the years to come (see those a summary of those held in the LICs from 2019 to 2022: https://xceling.usal.es/2020-2021-lics-activities-programme/Besides, the LICs Network has created open access FL instructional material for Arabic speaking migrants and refugees (our 7Ling smartphone app) and implement a pilot program with them.Another result is XCELING virtual archive (XVA: http://wva.usal.es), a collaborative archive where our XCELING collection of open access teaching activities (classes, public lectures, conferences, workshops, webinars, etc.) in the field of applied linguistics to foreign language teaching, dealing with methodologically innovative foreign language education, is stored. Once recorded, these activities, developed both in Egypt and in Europe, are also uploaded and made available in our YouTube Channel. These activities are transmitted via streaming as they are developed, but they are also recorded and made available in this XVA. They are internally classified into different categories, such as language of instruction and linguistic contents. These materials can also be accessed by date, or by the Language Innovation Centre (LIC) or University where they were produced.A possibility of co-tutelle for potential doctoral students and the integration of QA measures are other consequences. As for the impact envisaged:1. On the national level, current and future FL teachers have been exposed and will continue to be exposed to innovative teaching methodologies and PhD students to Applied Linguistics research.2. At the international level, the beneficiaries have been and will continue to be the Arabic-speaking groups at a social disadvantage (refugees and migrants).In addition, there has been a number of indirect beneficiaries, such as the Egyptian and European universities (in both cases their staff have acquired important experiences), Egypt’s Ministry of Communications (it has intensified ties with Europe), as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations whose objectives concern groups with problems of integration: they have received teaching support on existing projects of cultural assimilation and education for the labour market.

Project Website

http://xceling.usal.es

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 986682 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITE DE POITIERS
• RUPRECHT-KARLS-UNIVERSITAET HEIDELBERG
• ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
• THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN
• UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA
• HELWAN UNIVERSITY
• ALEXANDRIA UNIVERSITY