C.L.E.V.E.R. – Children Learn English Very Easily and Rejoyce Erasmus Project

Project Title

C.L.E.V.E.R. – Children Learn English Very Easily and Rejoyce

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The quality of early childhood education and care is very important in present times because children have to be prepared for the future and to adapt better to the requirements of the European Union. Studying English in the kindergarten is one of the ways to improve it. Children are capable to absorb new knowledge and language skills better and with greater success. An attractive, interactive way of teaching English can encourage them to like English and to want to study it. The project C.L.E.V.E.R. – Children Learn English Very Easily and Rejoice was created as a response to this necessity. It used innovative methods of teaching English, for example CLIL and PBL methods, by teaching certain subjects through English. Apart of it, teaching and using basic ICT was necessary in communicating and cooperating in different activities.
The regular and free of expense English courses in kindergarten were rare or unavailable for all willing children. Apart from that, a vast majority of pre-school teachers didn’t speak English, didn’t study methods of teaching foreign languages, didn’t want to use ICT. The project allowed to change this situation. It aimed at establishing a body of theoretical and practical aspects regarding teaching English in the kindergarten. It implied a set of objectives, closely connected with the kindergarten curriculum, but using English as a means. In the same time, it was an example for other kindergartens interested in studying English.
The key project objectives were as follows:
• To teach English the kindergarten children by using modern methods of work.
• To use English not only during regular English classes but in another activities during the day/week.
• To encourage teachers for improving their language and professional skills.
They were coherent with the following European Union priorities:
1. Enhancing the quality of early childhood education and care.
2. Strengthening the profile of the teaching professions.
The project „C.L.E.V.E.R.” pertained strictly to teaching English the kindergarten students. The cooperation in a transnational project implied using English in actual communication, which proved to all participants the importance of learning English as a means of cooperation in the future as European citizens.
It allowed to increase educational opportunities for kindergarten students, give them an equal start in the school reality and enable an achievement of success in the future (by shaping of traits such as tolerance, openness, self-confidence, curiosity, ability to work in a group – the use of natural skills and talents of children). It prepared our children for today challenges, in order for them to broad knowledge of new cultural contexts, the willingness, and the ability to accept and recognize the differences in each of these contexts, and to gain an European awareness, and for that, the transnational project was essential.
The collaboration between project partners allowed teachers to learn from each other, share the knowledge and experience, find out more about the methods and theories of second language acquisition in the kindergarten, collect and develop methodological material suitable for preschool children, establish a body of good practices and implement them in their kindergartens. The project was both innovative and complementary to other projects already carried out. The innovation of the project was determined through introduction or extension of teaching English the whole or the majority of our kindergarten communities not only during regular English classes but mainly in another activities during the day/week – using modern methods of work, including elements of CLIL, PBL and ICT. The partners involved in the project: Poland, Turkey, Spain, Slovenia, Portugal, Lithuania, Italy, Latvia and Romania, have been selected in order to offer a great cultural, geographical, historical and social variety. All partners brought their skills and competences to the project: some of them – their experience in European project working, others – fresh ideas and vision of conducting activities.
All teams worked with different methods of teaching which they shared and recommended. Project activities were closely integrated into the school curriculum and for the quality of its implementation developed a monitoring system, including questionnaires, surveys, evaluating tests for different participants. ICT was fundamental for research, communication and presentations. The results were widely disseminated through web, media, conferences.
Sustainability was achieved through continuous creation of communities which were able to manage and use resources efficiently, to tap the innovation potential of the partnership.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 167678 Eur

Project Coordinator

Publiczne Przedszkole nr 2 im. Janusza Korczaka w Radomsku & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Scoala Gimnaziala Ocna Sibiului
• Kedainiu r. Labunavos pagrindine mokykla
• Istituto Comprensivo Allende
• Vrtec Najdihojca Ljubljana
• Fundação CEBI – Fundação para o Desenvolvimento Comunitário de Alverca
• Daugavpils 13.pirmsskolas izglitibas iestade
• CEPA S.C.A.