“It is easy to teach – if you know how” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“It is easy to teach – if you know how”

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 2016

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

Lifelong learning is more and more popular among people over 50. Developing new interests, common learning and personal development are the reasons why more and more seniors take up learning. Learning languages is the most often chosen by seniors form of educating. Unfortunately there are very few materials for teaching seniors (50+) which take into consideration perceptual possibilities resulting from brain work adequate to this age. The partners in the project organize educational activities for seniors. Foundation „Aktywni XXI” runs Jelenia Góra 3rd Age Academy. E-Seniors is a nongovernmental, non-profit organization which organizes different forms of education for seniors including language courses. UNIVERSIDAD DE CASTILLA – LA MANCHA realises a three-year programme „Jose Saramago” for seniors in which there is also a course of English. All the partners’ organisations have problems resulting from the fact that there are very few methodological materials dedicated for the work with people over 50. That is the reason why the project, whose goal was to develop educational materials for teaching English to seniors, was created.
In order to prepare materials which would activate the learners, be a pleasure and at the same time be effective in a relatively short time, we asked the seniors :
– why they learn English and
– what they consider to be the greatest difficulty in learning a foreign language.
The answer to the first question enabled the choice of topics which would be interesting and pleasant for the learners. The answer to the second question let the teachers develop methods minimizing learning difficulties.
Having collected that information, teachers working in the three partners organisations prepared 9 lesson plans, which then were used in the groups being taught in the organisations. The teachers presented their opinions about the conducted classes during the partners meetings. They discussed the ways of realising the lessons, possibilities to adjust the plans to the levels of the learners and other modifications. The lesson plans and the teachers comments were published in the brochure „How to teach people 50+”
During the partners meetings there were Open Language Workshops organized for seniors. They were conducted by the teachers from partners organisations. The workshops were a form of dissemination of the project among the beneficiaries of the host organisations but they also allowed the learners of English to check their skills and believe that they are able to communicate in a foreign language.
We informed about the project and its results in:
– meetings of local organisations working in the area of teaching adults
– international meetings (study visits and partners meetings with other organisations during the other projects)
We finished the project with the summarizing seminar. English teachers from Jelenia Góra, specializing in teaching adults, were invited to the seminar.
The project has measurable and long-term benefits. The lesson plans prepared during the project will be used by the teachers of partners organisations to conduct lessons with the seniors. The plans are also available for all the teachers working with the seniors.
The Open Workshops conducted during International Project Meetings and discussions with seniors have led to writing a new project in which seniors will take an active part. The new project will also develop the partners cooperation.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 42975 Eur

Project Coordinator

FUNDACJA “AKTYWNI XXI” & Country: PL

Project Partners

• E-SENIORS: INITIATION DES SENIORS AUX NTIC ASSOCIATION
• UNIVERSIDAD DE CASTILLA – LA MANCHA