Developing Literacy skills in bilingual learners through Digital Technology Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing Literacy skills in bilingual learners through Digital Technology

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

St Paul’s Primary School in Cardiff, Wales and CEIP Establiments in Palma Mallorca worked together to develop the teaching of Literacy skills of learners who speak more than one language. St Paul’s have over 30% of learners who are bilingual in a variety of languages including Urdu, Somali, Hindi, Bengali and Spanish, teaching through the medium of English, with its Native language Welsh taught as a second language within its curriculum. CEIP Establiments teaches through the Native language of Catalan and Spanish as a specific subject with many children identifying as speaking three languages.

Both schools focus on their native languages ,Catalan and Welsh, as core areas of the curriculum. The transnational link focussed on the celebration of national, European and global citizenship, inclusion and encouraging positive attitudes to diversity. The project focussed on the development of language and literacy skills through digital communication whilst supporting article 30 of the UN rights of a child: The rights of children belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic minority groups. The project investigated the way in which we as schools deliver Literacy and language skills to our learners who speak additional languages. During the project, the sharing of good practice and the development of innovative ways of addressing possible underachievement for this group of learners was a focus, with activities designed to develop basic skills in Language and Literacy and the use of Digital Technologies in the 21st Century.
Digital literacy was identified as an important part of being a 21st Century global citizen, with the schools planning and delivering a combination of Literacy and digital skills throughout the project. This was accomplished through the use of a range of digital platforms, including the provision of a sustainable link between the schools.

During the project, the schools were able to provide learners and teaching staff with rich, real life experiences that enhanced learning whilst in turn developing teaching and learning skills. The schools encouraged learners to nurture their language skills, to view them as an additional tool to learning and to become an important part of their global citizenship.

Through the analysis of baseline data which included pupil questionnaires, national outcome data and language assessments the schools planned an action research project based on current good practise and innovation. This included teaching and learning approaches, communication through arts and developing feedback and assessment techniques. Learners participated in a Literacy link where they peer assessed written work from the partner school. Teachers took part in shadowing projects where they visited partner schools to observe good practice, the sharing of ideas and learning more about different approaches.

Quantitative and qualitative data collected during the project demonstrate that the project enabled learners to develop positive attitudes toward language and literacy. The project furthered the school communities understanding of global citizenship and Article 30 UN Rights of the child, enhancing the development of literacy and language skills and also improving understanding of how to use digital technologies for communication.

The project provided teachers with an excellent professional development opportunity, giving them a greater understanding of education in Europe whilst enhancing their approaches to teaching bilingual children. Upon completion of the project the schools are considering the examples of good practice gained during the project and how it can disseminate this practice and knowledge to other establishments working with children who speak more than one language and are at risk of underachievement due to this.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 26500 Eur

Project Coordinator

St Paul’s CIW Primary School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• CEIP Establiments