Facing the Fear of Public Speaking in a Foreign Language Erasmus Project

Project Title

Facing the Fear of Public Speaking in a Foreign Language

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 : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

FIGHT THE FRIGHT project aim is to:
– develop key and transferable competencies, impacting adults’ private and professional lives – foreign language competence, interpersonal communication, self-empowerment, and self-esteem
– reinforce the introduction of drama techniques in teaching and learning of key skills and competences
– improve adults’ learning performance
– enhance employability and improved career prospects for adult learners
– modernize the education and training offer for adult learners
but as well to:
– increase adult participation in learning
– increase competencies of adult educators and staff for motivating the participants and supporting persistence of adults in learning
– increase the use of open online portals for implementing blended learning and increasing the flexibility of training programs, supporting self-directed learning, and supporting the exchange of best practices and experiences among adult education staff.

In order to achieve that goal, all planned results, partners in this project are proposing a suite of Intelectual outputs to be developed:
– Take the Stage: A Curriculum for Developing Public Speaking in a Foreign Language Using Drama Techniques (IO1) comprising: a guide for trainers piloting the Curriculum (lesson plans), detailed descriptions of exercises (aims, outcomes, procedure, resources needed, possible variations and adaptations) and video tutorials – guides and recording of exercises. Partners will adopt a blended learning approach – a portion of it will be implemented face to face and a potion online (also tackling the issue of public performance online, in videoconference calls). The program is planned to be developed and piloted with adults who has a fear of public speaking and that puts them in a situation where they are not doing their job in a good enough and professional way – 75 participants (adults having at least B1 level of proficiency in English) will be included in piloting in total.
– Set the Scene: A Guide for Adult Education Professionals on Using Drama Techniques in Teaching and Learning – to deliver the piloting program in the professional and appropriate way to get the most successful and happy adults that struggle every day with all those issues and frights, the Tutor handbook as part of IO2 will be developed. This Guide will be delivered during the C1 activity where 2 adult educators/professionals from each partner country will be trained to deliver the piloting program of IO1 to the participants.
– Come Online: Online Platform for Developing Public Speaking Skills – the platform will be developed as a place where participants that will attend the pilot program, all interested institutions, associate partners, stakeholders, and other end users will be able to use the developed resources for online learning and all other developed materials. All developed materials and resources will be free for further re-use, even when the project is over, and will be translated into every partner language.

Although the intellectual outputs will be piloted and used in English (since one of the major project objectives is the development of public speaking skills in a foreign language), all the developed materials will be translated into partners’ national languages in order to ensure greater transferability potential. That way, the developed outputs will be available for adaptation for the teaching and learning of other foreign languages, including partners’ national languages.

Partners believe and hope that all developed project outputs will produce a significant and substantial change in the development of adults’ basic skills, as well as provide a good and useful tool for the professional development of adult education professionals in order to adapt to learner/user needs. The partners are all strongly committed to use, maintain, and further develop the results after the official life cycle of the project – to find a sustainable source of financing to continue their further use and exploitation.
The consortium is very interested in spreading the knowledge and awareness on the use of drama techniques in developing public speaking skills because well-educated and skilled people engaging in active citizenship are the best foundation for a sustainable society.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 159403 Eur

Project Coordinator

Ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih Dante & Country: HR

Project Partners

• INSTITUTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
• STORYTELLME, UNIPESSOAL LDA
• DOMSPAIN SLU
• Fundacja Pro Scientia Publica