kids.deutsch.info – a portal for learning German in a fun and playful way Erasmus Project

Project Title

kids.deutsch.info – a portal for learning German in a fun and playful way

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 school education

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; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

The language learning portal deutsch.info – Deutsch für Kinder (www.deutsch.info/kids), which was developed during this project, is directed at children between 5 – 8 years and engages children to learn German playfully. It is accessible in more than 8 languages (The navigation is also available in 25 languages, the app in 18 languages).

The App „Dandelin – Deutsch für Kinder“ can be downloaded and comprises videos, songs as well as interactive exercises for children to train basic German vocabulary while playing. Funny videos about the mascot Dandelin and two children introduce the topic in each part of the app (e.g., baking a cake, not being able to sleep, learning the alphabet …). With the help of the videos, it is possible to understand the story without needing a translation or reading skills. Entertaining songs, which refer to real life situations of children (e.g. I am hungry!) enlarge the vocabulary and support language acquisition of children through repetitive elements. With the interactive exercises within the app children then train the correct meaning of words and sentences.

Additionally, there are 35 teaching units for kindergarten and primary schools which can be downloaded for free and comprise numerous and linguistically effective activities for the teaching of German. The mascot Dandelin plays an important part as it is involved in many activities and sometimes also gives instructions. Emphasis is put on CLIL-based language learning content as the integrative teaching of content and language skills strengthens the learning process. Each unit starts with a list of learning goals and the grammar and vocabulary that is being trained in this unit to inform teachers about the goals and topics of each unit right at the beginning.
The videos as well as the songs are also accessible via the website and YouTube and can be used by the teachers either individually or in combination with the 35 teaching units. Children can also watch and hear the videos and songs autonomously on YouTube.
9 worksheets with ideas for parents to support their children’s language acquisition in their mother tongue as well as in German can be used in more than 8 different languages. The website is continuously being translated in additional 17 languages.
All materials were developed by language teaching experts of the involved partner organizations and were technically implemented by an experienced web design studio. The project partners from schools and kindergarten tested the materials continuously and gave feedback via an implemented peer-review-process. All in all, 9 videos, 9 songs, more than 1000 illustrations and 18 rewards (as PDFs) were produced. The materials for parents are available in numerous language versions in the form of 225 nicely illustrated PDFs. The 35 teaching units for teachers in schools and kindergarten are also available as downloadable PDFs.
The project was a logical continuation of the development of the online German language learning platform www.deutsch.info, which had been developed since 2011 with the support of different project grants by the European Commission. It was directed at adult learners as well as alphabetized children and youngsters from 6-18 years. The target group of the current project were non alphabetized preschool children as well as children at the beginning of school.
Now, two months after the end of the project we already see a very promising number of users: The app was being downloaded 3500 times in different test versions. The final version is now in Google Play and Apples App Store available and was being installed on more than 1000 gadgets since the end of the project. It was rated 4.9 out of 5 (Apples App Store) and 4.8 out of 5 (Google Play). The feedback of parents and teachers during the testing of the product and during the multiplier events showed that the results of the project enjoy great popularity. In the context of German as a Foreign or Second Language the results are very innovative and are one of the few online products, which are available for non-alphabetized children.
The current project is connected to the website www.deutsch.info, where almost 625.000 users have been registered during the last 10 years. This guarantees that the project site www.deutsch.info/kids will be sustainably maintained and even further developed. What’s more, the users of the already existing website will become multipliers of the new project (as many of them are teachers of German).

Project Website

http://www.deutsch.info/kids

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 320840 Eur

Project Coordinator

Österreich Institut GmbH & Country: AT

Project Partners

• Inter-kulturo mednarodni kulturno izobraževalni center d.o.o.
• STUDIO GAUS GMBH
• Vrtec Tezno Maribor
• Scoala Gimnaziala “Pia Bratianu”
• Osnovna sola Janka Glazerja Ruse