Bat Bi Three: Researching European linguistic heritage, Basque and Dutch bilingualism Erasmus Project

Project Title

Bat Bi Three: Researching European linguistic heritage, Basque and Dutch bilingualism

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 2018

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

“Bat Bi Three: Researching European linguistic heritage, Basque and Dutch bilingualism” is a research project with a clear goal: to research two different bilingual realities, such as the Dutch and the Basque ones in order to establish the common characteristics and also the distinctive ones that make each language unique in the European multilingual reality.

Language heritage is and has been an undoubtedly paramount element throughout history when it comes to preserving culture. In fact, fortunately, and thanks to programs such as Erasmus+, the recognition of our multilingualism as an incalculable value is becoming a reality. In fact, we have humbly aimed at contributing our grain of sand to enhance this value with the project hereby presented:

Within the European linguistic diversity, there are two bilingual realities, the Basque and the Dutch ones, which, being small, share a particular jewel: their languages. These languages can often be taken for granted by students and are seldom regarded as pieces of study. This is why we decided to lead a project that would give the students the opportunity to reflect on their own bilingual contexts and discover new bilingual existences. We have focused on the following languages: Dutch, English, Basque and Spanish because these are the different languages our students use in their personal and academic contexts.

Students aged 15-16 have been involved in this project that has finally lasted 3 years (from September 2018 to September 2021). Initially, it was meant to be a two-year project. However, it was unexpectedly and unfortunately interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which obliged us to make changes and juggle things around in order to meet our ends. Nevertheless, this pandemic also brought some good aspects, the most noteworthy being the fact that even if at the beginning 19 students were going to participate, we could finally increase the number up to 30 in the first year and 46 in the last one. The latter was reached thanks to the virtual mobilities (although not ideal) that allowed the participation of all the students that were interested in the project, resulting in a much wider impact. Most students come from middle-class families, although we have had a few students from families with a lower income, some of them from different cultural backgrounds and or origins, and we also had a participant student with intellectual disability.

In total, we were able to organize and execute four main activities. Three short-term exchanges and a digital exchange, the latter stretched out over a longer time period. A description of the activities can be found in the report and on the Erasmus+ Platform site.

The project has been brought about all through the year: before, during, and after the mobilities, and the students have investigated different aspects of Basque and Dutch bilingualism following the PBL methodology and collaborative work as part of their own syllabus. During the project, students and teachers have reflected on their bilingualism, they have improved linguistic and communicative competencies and they have worked on research and presentation skills. In addition, teachers have had the chance to work together with other European colleagues using innovative and active methodologies that have made them strengthen and improve their linguistic and educational competencies and which they are implementing in the classroom.
Thus, we can state that the expected objectives have been attained.

The expected long-term benefits of our project can be divided into two ways. On the one hand, we are confident that all the students that participated have benefited from that experience and will be able to capitalize from what they have learned in their further studies. Of course, most of them will leave school soon or have already left but the project will remain at school and future students will have the chance to benefit from it. The long-term benefits for our schools are a work in progress. Both the partner schools have expressed their willingness to continue working with bilingualism and the bilingual realities of our societies in our respective curricula. The fact that many teachers and staff of our school were involved in the project means that we can benefit a lot from the lessons and experience that we gained. In fact, the PowerPoint that was created and also the handouts and presentation models can serve as a good practice example for many new students.

Project Website

http://sites.google.com/antonianokide.com/erasmusantonianoikastetxea/home

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 65684 Eur

Project Coordinator

Visser ‘t Hooft Lyceum & Country: NL

Project Partners

• JOSE DOMINGO EPELDE FUNDAZIOA