Improving the Involvement of Volunteers in Language Learning for Refugees Erasmus Project

Project Title

Improving the Involvement of Volunteers in Language Learning for Refugees

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Integration of refugees; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The readiness of volunteers in all countries to help in the so called refugee crisis in 2015 was a strong impulse, which has to be valued as a resource. Especially because we believe that the involvement of volunteers has a positive influence on the process of integration in general. Nevertheless, language learning is a field of action which belongs in the hand of professional trainers and were untrained volunteers should not be left alone.This project has developed tools and guidelines to support teachers, volunteers and organisation concerning the involvement of volunteers in language learning for refugees. The three toolkits emerged in this project address the three target groups (teachers, volunteers and organisations) and take regard to their specific needs and concerns.This project shows innovative ways how volunteers can be involved in language learning for refugees. The field of action includes both volunteering inside of the classroom side by side with teachers as well as volunteering in extra-curricular activities.In order to encourage language teachers to collaborate with volunteers, we have developed a TOOLKIT FOR TEACHERS. This toolkit addresses the doubt of many teacher concerning the role of the volunteers in a classroom setting. The toolkit offers a lot of hands-on material how to involve the volunteer in the classroom.A second TOOLKIT addresses VOLUNTEERS. This toolkit displays a variety of possibilities to support language learners without acting as a teacher. It is mend as inspiration for volunteers, encourages them to team up with existing structures and organisations, but it also offers tips and advices for those who would like to set up small initiatives and projects on their own.Both toolkits were tested in local projects and evaluated by external experts.With this experience we finally developed a third TOOLKIT. This third toolkit addresses ORGANISATIONS which would like to set up projects to implement volunteering in language learning for refugees. This toolkit takes into account what organisations should consider before starting working with volunteer. Another focus is on recruitment, induction and volunteer coordination. Furthermore, we showcase a number of interesting projects, as a source of inspiration how to start. This project has shown that Teachers, Refugees and Volunteers benefit on a long term from such close cooperation:TEACHER gain extra support inside and outside of the classroom. With a counterpart on their side, a more individual teaching is possible. The volunteers can overtake some activities within and outside of the classroom to further improve the learning success of the participants. The experience of this project will be adaptable also for other language classes.REFUGEES benefit from a more intensive way of language learning and most importantly get in touch with the society they now live in. Many times, newly arrived find it especially hard to practice outside of the classroom because they have no contact to native speakers (except for the teacher). Also, non-natives that already dominate the language on a high level can become valuable guides who have even more empathy for their situation.VOLUNTEERS are people who give their time and energy to help others. In supporting language learning of refugees, their contribution is visible and success is tangible. This is important for them personally, but through multiplication of this effect, it also affects the way society receives refugees on a long term.This Strategic Partnership gave five European organisations of very different size from UK, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and Austria the chance to learn together over the period of two years. All organisation had high expertise in language learning. Four out of five organisations already brought along a broad experience in the field of involving volunteers in language learning. The learning process does no stop while this Strategic partnership expires. Quite opposite, this partnership has given all partners new inputs and the chance to share learnings with a wider audience. All partners continue to work on further learning and training material. The only partner which didn’t bring along experience with volunteers to start with, managed to build up ongoing volunteer projects with more than 40 active volunteers and a volunteer coordination in the period of this partnership.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 260405,36 Eur

Project Coordinator

CARITAS DER ERZDIOZESE WIEN – HILFE IN NOT & Country: AT

Project Partners

• DANSK FLYGTNINGEHJAELP FORENING
• EFA London
• IBIS – Interkulturelle Arbeitsstelle für Forschung, Dokumentation, Bildung und Beratung e.V.
• CVO VOLT