Europea, what do we have in common? Erasmus Project

Project Title

Europea, what do we have in common?

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

Our project brought together five countries: Germany, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia with schools that are attended by pupils aged 11 to 17.
These students wanted to get to know other European countries. We have noticed that we learn very little about the daily lives of our neighbours through our media. Moreover, the global expansion of trade, the opening of borders and European integration show that the knowledge of a foreign language is essential. Students shared what they knew with other young people. They introduced their country through the following subjects: their school, their city, their region, their use of the media, culinary specialties, the charm of their country, environmental protection and emigration (“my origins”).
The students made short films (referred to as “capsules”) and presented them on the E-twining platform. Several capsules were made on the same subject. The platform was also used for exchanges between students and teachers participating to the project (photos, short films showing our working meetings or our visits, quizz).
In addition to this work, five one-week-long meetings took place involving the students in partner countries during which they lived daily in a host family, discovered a cultural program and a different school system as well as teaching methods in each country, they met the school administration staff, they were greeted in the town halls. What is more, four four-day-long working meetings took place involving the teachers (harmonization of the results and their evaluation, progress of our learning practices and our capsules, preparation of our reports).
The exchange of digital and interdisciplinary skills has been reinforced by this international cooperation. Students, especially those who came from less educated and socially disadvantaged families, had the opportunity to meet their counterparts from other countries and to learn more about how they think and live.
The E-twining platform “Twin Space”, a safe and innovative learning resource, has been used by all the countries for this very purpose.
We tried to put down prejudices, to practice open-mindedness, to promote self-esteem and to reinvent the endeavour of learning. The students involved had to behave in an impeccable manner and had to show the progress of their knowledge.
Parents were also involved in the project since they remained in constant touch with their children.
At the end of each year, an activity report was drawn up.
After 26 months of collaboration a film “Einblicke in Europa / Regard sur l’Europe / An Eye on Europe” showing what the students of each country have made was produced in France. A book exposing our project and its conclusion was also published. Our interdisciplinary project was a form of unconventional and modern teaching in which the students participated with great motivation.
Students rarely have the opportunity to use foreign languages outside of teaching classes. During the meetings, they talked to other young people, to host families and to teachers. In this way, they could check their language skills. Of course, even teachers have deepened their methodological and language skills.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 139160 Eur

Project Coordinator

collège Marcel Pagnol & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Piaristicka spojena skola Frantiska Hanaka
• LICEO STATALE “LEONARDO” SCIENTIFICO – LINGUISTICO -GIARRE
• ZS Bila Lhota
• Aartalschule