English through entrepreneurship Erasmus Project

Project Title

English through entrepreneurship

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

PROJECT SUMMARY “ENGLISH THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP”

This projects was led through a cooperation of five secondary schools from Belgium, Croatia, Norway, Romania and Turkey. All of the partners believed in the effectiveness of alternative ways of language learning. Therefore they set up this project in which students developed their English by working together in the entrepreneurial field. We shared the conviction that in the ease and unassumingness with which students cooperated internationally lies the answer on how to tackle issues the European Union faces today. Through this project participants could strengthen the awareness of European citizenship. They also would experience cultural diversity between participating countries. As a side-effect the areas where the short term students’ exchanges took place were promoted as cultural tourist destinations.

We created five short term exchanges of six students, accompanied by two teachers. During these meetings students were divided in mixed thematic working groups: entrepreneurship, e-newsletter, tourism and culture. In between the exchanges students continued their work through online cooperation.

We offered participating students the opportunity to meet inspiring role models, such as a polyglot, several future oriented entrepreneurs and professionals from the field of journalism.

Students were encouraged to conceptualise the creation of their own online newsletter. In several writing seminars we taught them how to write news articles, how to take and write an interview and they were made familiar with features of different text types. A top experience for the students was the moment their newsletter “NewsforYOUth” was launched on the internet. Once running, this working group had to develop strategies for marketing and PR of their news letter, esp. using social media. Students also got a “Fake news workshop” on correct and newsworthy news.
In between the students exchanges, participants kept publishing articles. In doing so, they seemed to face some difficulties linked to their long distance cooperation. In order to overcome such challenges, we introduced them to some learning principles from the field of distance management. Their goodwill to keep cooperating internationally in between mobilities was consolidated by signing an “Intentional agreement”.

These learning principles proved to be useful too for the students of the entrepreneurial working group. This group was introduced to the theoretical principles on how to make a businessplan. They created a business concept for a travel app. During this process, they felt the need to establish a joint venture with the tourism and culture working group. They also got a workshop in which they learned techniques how to precisely define mission and goals for their business. As a result, they got clear about their mission and target groups, consisting of young eco- friendly travellers, so that they were ready to start the implementation phase of their travel app.

In cooperation with the tourism and culture working group, an outline for a tourist guide on the areas around the participating schools was created. Then this working group started making video clips to promote their region. Later they created proposals for itineraries in the participating countries, which were briefly introduced in a brochure, handed out to passers-by in the streets of Strasbourg. This brochure contained a link to a website created by the students, on which they posted a more elaborate description of their itineraries. During the final mobility in Strasbourg, students presented and dissiminated this output in an office of a local travel agency.

To develop students’ oral proficiency, we challenged them to stand up and speak up confidently in presentations on outcomes and outputs, during final ceremonies at the end of each working week. In Strasbourg students participated in a roleplay in the European parliament. Also a comedy theatre was organised for this purpose. A “Lost in translation” activity as well.

The rationale behind the initiation of this project was the development of English language skills through contemporary methods in a context of business and tourism. The idea behind the project title “English through entrepreneurship” proves to be confirmed through our qualitative analyses. The 16 to 19 year-olds were exposed to an environment in which such life skills as creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking were employed, which led to a dramatic progress in their English skills. Students reported their self-confidence grew and they became more open-minded.

Apart from the fact that long lasting friendships were established, students’ cultural awareness and interest were aroused.
The 16th March 2018 closing ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg strongly contributed to the development of European citizenship in students’ hearts and minds.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 190780 Eur

Project Coordinator

GO! atheneum Irishof Kapellen & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Tiller videregående skole
• Prva gimnazija Varazdin
• Colegiul Tehnic Mihai Bacescu
• OZEL IHLAS ANADOLU LISESI