Intercambio+: Connecting Cultures through Structured Language Exchange Erasmus Project

Project Title

Intercambio+: Connecting Cultures through Structured Language Exchange

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

CONTEXT
‘Intercambio+: Connecting Cultures through Structured Language Exchange’ combined will unite a complementary partnership with experience in language training, cultural heritage and Erasmus+ VET mobilities. The partnership consists of Brighton Third Sector Training (UK) as the applicant organisation, Capacity Ireland (Ireland), Third Sector International (Spain), Materahub (Italy), DSC Formation et Developpement (France), Synopsis Practice Lda (Portugal) and International Exchanges Berlin (Germany).

The European Commission has identified language learning in Europe as a specific issue that needs to be addressed. Multilingualism in the workplace is extremely beneficial, nevertheless approximately 50% of EU citizens can only speak and understand their mother tongue. This project intends to overcome some of the barriers of language learning combined with encouraging cultural appreciation, integration and awareness.

Objectives
– Produce a cultural handbook, which identifies pathways to language training
– Develop a toolkit with materials and guidance to run Intercambio+ sessions
– Launch the Intercambio+ online platform
– Promote professional development of staff and learners from all partner organisations, alongside integration of community organisations.
– Foster greater European cooperation in the both culture and language training.

Target Groups
Vocational providers: We aim to disseminate our project results, Intercambio+ and the cultural handbook to vocational providers, cultural and community groups. The outputs will help them encourage and provide practical advice to learners, which will be especially useful should they embark upon either an Erasmus+ mobility or work experience abroad. Through such providers, we expect the project to have a positive impact on these learners, who are predominantly young and interested in working across Europe in linguistic or culture-orientated jobs.

Employers: We hope that the project will result in highly positive impacts for employers looking to hire workers from abroad. The exchange of ideas will inform new ways to implement cultural heritage and language learning in European courses, thus improving the standard of employee for the employers. By discussing these key areas with our partners, we hope to improve the access that these employers have to a workforce with sufficient and relevant skills.

Decision-makers and regulators: By engaging these stakeholders with the project, we hope to affect a positive impact in the sense that they will become more aware of the need for discussions on culture and language learning in Europe. We hope to also emphasise to them the importance of providing courses specifically for VET learners who wish to work abroad, as this target audience is likely to continue to grow in the future.

Activities
The main project activities will include:
– Transnational Project Meetings: Brighton (UK), October 2019; Marseille (France), February 2020; Seville (Spain), June 2020; Dublin (Ireland), October 2020; Matera (Italy), January 2021; Berlin (Germany), April 2021; Lisbon (Portugal), July 2021.
– Cultural handbook and transnational reports: publications made freely available online, to be translated into English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese
– Intercambio+: an online platform whereby learners, staff and representatives from local communities can access learning materials and arrange social, cultural events with language learning at the core
– Multiplier events: to coincide with the European Day of Languages and to run an Intercambio+ session with 30 local and foreign participants

Methodology
To understand and evidence good practices in language learning, the partners will contact previous and current learners; conduct quantitative analysis on the importance of languages and different cultures in a national context; and interview stakeholders in the sector to adopt a broader perspective. In combination with the partners’ own feedback from learners and experience in language training, the project will result in a final transnational report, to be translated into each partner country’s language, as well as the publication of cultural handbooks and Intercambio+ toolkits.

Results and Impact
The cultural handbook will give vocational providers of teaching qualifications the tools to improve training, work placements and language courses for their learners. This result will indirectly produce a positive impact on learners, especially those who participate in mobility projects, in regard to their language skills and therefore employability within the teaching sector.

Transnational reports and the language learning guide will foster interest from VET providers, language schools, community groups and cultural bodies outside the partnership. The primary intangible outcome refers to the professional development of various staff involved in the project, including VET trainers, project managers and researchers.

Project Website

https://www.intercambioplus.eu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 200394 Eur

Project Coordinator

Brighton Third Sector Training Ltd. & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Synopsis Practice Lda
• CONSORZIO MATERAHUB INDUSTRIE CULTURALI E CREATIVE SCARL
• DSC Formation et Developpement
• MOLINARI, FRANCESCO UND BENEDETTI,CLAUDIA GBR (INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES BERLIN)
• C.L. ADULT EDUCATION & TRAINING LIMITED
• Third Sector International S. L.