Languages Among Teenagers Involved in Nature and Society Erasmus Project

Project Title

Languages Among Teenagers Involved in Nature and Society

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

In a globalized world, multilingualism is a relatively well-understood notion on the level of economic and educational politics that reflects the EU’s concern for this key notion for development; however, it is still applied with difficulty within the strict limits of educational systems. The knowledge of several foreign languages is a priority within EU’s educational policies, mainly due to its obvious advantages: better prospects on the work market and within the field of entrepreneurship, advanced communication abilities, public speaking, team work, the acquirement of problem-solving strategies, a better understanding of various cultural and behavioural models, an increased ability to internalize universal values that are protected within the EU. Such a large number of advantages can only represent opportunities that the EU understands and wishes to promote. Unfortunately, the official programs cannot offer enough space and time for an efficient learning that could aid in the process of obtaining stronger communicational abilities. Our project wishes to offer a learning alternative, based on active teaching methods, as well as on means of non-formal education, identified by those learning themselves, all by utilizing an e-learning platform. By using the newest trends within the field of teaching/studying foreign languages (the communicational method), as well as the motivation offered by the use of digital instruments, the native potential of the groups involved within the project and their active involvement in their own learning process, the project is attempting not only to aid the participants in gaining the linguistic abilities corresponding to the A2 level of CECRL, as well as other key abilities (such as digital, civic, cultural or personal ones), but also to guide them to internalize the most important values in the development of a good European citizen: democracy, equality, freedom, respect for human rights, rule of law but also the desire to improve the quality of his/her life via protecting the environment we leave in.
The project is focused on the study of other languages besides English, which, in itself, cannot provide an access to multilingualism, and which implies the uniqueness of the assimilated cultural model. In order to diversify the assimilated socio-cultural models, as well as to increase and strengthen one’s linguistic abilities, it is necessary to multiply the experience in communication by adding, besides the study of the English language, that of other foreign languages – in the case of this project, of the Latin languages, whose common background, will facilitate the process of learning in a short time plan: two years. The implied Latinity of the five involved countries will allow the participants to reach the A2 level of CECRL by the end of the project. The feasibility of this project is based on lexical structures, as well as on the similarity of morphology and syntax, which may grant the simplification of the learning process and the gain of communicational abilities in a relatively short time plan. The usefulness of the study of these languages may not be obvious for many, but one may not forget that the common source of so many languages is ancient Italian, that Spanish is the second most spoken language on a worldwide level (the first being Chinese), whilst Portuguese is the sixth, that French is one of the official languages of many international organisations (the European Commission, the UN, NATO), whilst Romanian is the only Latin language from Eastern Europe. The surveys held within our schools prove there is a surge of interest within the student body when it comes to learning these languages that only occupy a role with little importance amongst the curriculum that is taught in our schools. Our project comes as a response to the strong wish of personal and professional development our students have manifested.
Learning will be possible through a digital platform that will include five sections corresponding to the languages of the project. Each section will be managed by the target country, whose role will be to upload various educational materials meant to offer an authentic learning experience, based on original documents, as well as innovative methods. The pupils will be those responsible for identifying means of learning , as well as for choisng appropriate items and materials. The platform will also contain a chatroom which will offer the chance of authentic communication in each language, amongst the active members. The learning process implies individual study, as well as the attendance of monthly sessions organized in each school for each language by the interested teachers and students. Tutor students will also be involved. Each section is composed by five chapters: listening, reading, writing, speaking and culture awarness besides the basics chapters (essentiel rules). The platform will be used by the school communities as part of their curriculum.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 114420 Eur

Project Coordinator

Colegiul National de Informatica Matei Basarab & Country: RO

Project Partners

• I.I.S.S. F.Ferrara Palermo
• COLLEGE HONORE D’URFE
• IES Puig De Sa Font
• AGRUPAMENTO DE ESCOLAS DA MAIA