Teacher Culture Pluri Erasmus Project

Project Title

Teacher Culture Pluri

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

The current dominant paradigm in language education is teaching languages (and cultures) in isolation, e.g. as separate subjects. Such a compartmentalized approach is far from optimal because it can lead to “limitations in terms both of learning capacity and space in the curriculum” (FREPA, 2010, p. 8), especially when aiming at increasing the number of languages taught, i.e. realizing the Barcelona Summit (2002) “mother tongue + 2” objective. This limitation is clearly visible in the relatively low average number of foreign languages (FL) learned per pupil in, for example, EU secondary education reported by Eurostat, which in 2012 did not exceed 1.6. At the same time, the European labor market shows a growing demand for effective multi- and plurilingual communication skills and (pluri)cultural awareness (ET2020, Languages for Jobs).
The project will deliver educational modules that highlight synergies in the teaching of various languages and cultures, thereby integrating the notions of plurilingualism(PL)/pluriculturalism(PC) into international training programs for FL teachers. The plurilingual/pluricultural approach to FL learning steers away from the conviction that an individual’s languages and cultures are kept in strictly separated mental compartments. Instead, it encourages the build up of communicative competence to which “all knowledge and experience of language contributes and in which languages interrelate and interact” (CEFR, 2002, p. 4).

The modules will be:

– composed of a compendium of thematic content, teaching units, a teacher’s companion, a reflection tool-kit;
– available for use both as complete regular courses or intensive workshops (e.g. 3 ECTS workload) and as individual smaller-scale units/topics, on various levels of teacher education (e.g. B.A., M.A., M.Ed.);
– developed in a co-collaborative way by international researchers, teacher educators, applied linguists, linguists, pre-/in-service FL teachers;
– based on research findings and existing resources providing both theoretical insights into as well as practical solutions for FL learning;
– empirically (re)tested, (re)evaluated in different transnational settings, (re)modified and improved accordingly, including the documentation of the underlying processes;
– digitalized, documented and maintained on the project website, which grants open access to all interested parties; and
– designed with the goal of effective and sustainable integration into international FL teacher education programs.

In doing so the project answers the call for “measures aimed at promoting multilingualism and enhancing the quality and efficiency of language learning teaching” (EC Communication on Multilingualism).

The primary target group of TEACUP are FL teacher educators, who use the modules in the teaching of FL pre-/in-service teachers (secondary target group). These two target groups are natural multipliers who have the capacity to transfer of knowledge and competences to the tertiary target group, FL language learners. The OECD (“Teachers Matter” 2005) points to a link between the quality of teaching/teacher education and student attainment: Effective teaching depends to a large extent on the expertise of teachers.
Therefore, in order to promote a more integrative approach to FL learning, to support the provision of a wide range of languages and cultures, and to value and make use of linguistic and cultural competences of citizens, teacher educators and pre-/ in-service teachers need to be equipped with innovative tools for teaching.
The TEACUP consortium consists of FL teacher trainers and researchers from five countries: Spain (the University of Córdoba and the Delegation of Education in Córdoba); Germany (Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and the University of Bremen); Poland (University of Lower Silesia); Hungary (TEE: the Hungarian section of the European Association of Teachers); and USA (Texas Women’s University).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 278142 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD DE CORDOBA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Texas Womans University
• DOLNOSLASKA SZKOLA WYZSZA UCZELNIANIEPANSTWOWA
• Tanárok Európai Egyesülete
• Delegación Territorial de Educación
• CARL VON OSSIETZKY UNIVERSITAET OLDENBURG
• UNIVERSITAET BREMEN