Problem oriented Soft CLIL approach for LOTE Erasmus Project

Project Title

Problem oriented Soft CLIL approach for LOTE

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: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

The main goal of the project was to create new and attractive teaching materials for German and Russian. The project was based on the innovative combination of the Soft CLIL method with problem-oriented teaching and on the integration of cross-curricular topics into the teaching of foreign languages. These are the topics of sustainable tourism and financial literacy and real mathematics, which are not only part of students’ daily lives, but also a cognitive challenge for them. This compensates for the so-called cognitive humiliation accompanying the learning of a second foreign language, in which students again go through already known topics from the first foreign language, which can be very demotivating. Properly chosen topics, which are an intellectual and cognitive challenge for students, make it possible to combine students’ non-language knowledge and practical / language skills and contribute to increasing their motivation to learn. Real mathematics and sustainable tourism are thematic areas that can motivate students to develop critical thinking, autonomous learning, responsible behavior, higher individual involvement as well as civic activism and also influence the choice and performance of future careers. The themes of learning units thus not only contribute to foreign language teaching, but also support various dimensions of active citizenship (from reflection on the business environment and related challenges for individuals and society to sustainable behavior in everyday situations – shopping, travel, coexistence and social cohesion, preservation of traditions, cultural heritage, climate change, etc.).
The created textbooks are available in printed form, in online form for download (PDF), but also in ePUB format intended for tablets and reading devices. This format integrates links to audiovisual material and other Internet resources (links, pages, videos), which bring textbooks closer to the everyday experiences of students growing up in a digital environment. In this way, the project attracts and supports teaching through digital media, reflects the various available digital resources and in many exercises also aims at education for critical handling of the media, or the creation of digital content in the form of project teaching.
All textbooks are supported by teacher manuals developed for each textbook, which will guide the teacher reliably while working with textbooks in the classroom.
As different cross-curricular topics can be taught based on the chosen method, the project partners also planned and created a separate methodical publication, which describes in detail the work with the problem-oriented Soft CLIL method and demonstrates how to work effectively according to the method and how to prepare teaching materials. This publication was published in the languages ​​of the project (German, Slovak, Lithuanian, Slovenian) and in English, which creates a path to knowledge transfer for teaching other languages ​​and other subjects. By mastering this methodology, teachers can further develop professionally. Several project activities described below also contributed to the aspect of teachers’ professional development.
All planned outputs of the project have been achieved and are the result of excellent cooperation in a team of university experts and secondary school teachers. As there are no similar teaching materials on the market, the results of the project prove that the cooperation of several experts from different sectors is a positive experience that leads to the improvement of teacher competences and skills.
Another aspect of the project was the training activities for secondary school teachers, which significantly contributed to their professional development in the field of methodology and didactics of foreign languages, the Soft CLIL method and problem-oriented teaching. Equally important was the participation of the professional teachers in the writing, verification and evaluation of new teaching materials. In the spirit of the Soft CLIL method, cooperation between foreign language teachers and teachers of other vocational subjects has also deepened.
Other teachers and experts for whom a multiplication event has been organized can also benefit from the results of the project. It was attended by teachers from a total of 13 countries, and the event provided basic information not only about the project, but also about the Soft CLIL method and problem-oriented teaching and prepared teaching materials. The record of the event and all outputs are available on the project website.
A number of articles, scientific publications and other presentations for professional audiences have also contributed to the development of language education. The project partnership’s secondary school teachers were also involved in the preparation of some of these outputs, which has helped to bridge the gap between the academic sphere and school practice.

Project Website

http://kger.ff.ucm.sk/de/softclil/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 296163,44 Eur

Project Coordinator

Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Trnave & Country: SK

Project Partners

• VILNIAUS UNIVERSITETAS
• Vilniaus Gabijos gimnazija
• Vilniaus jezuitu gimnazija
• Gymnázium Ivana Kupca, Komenského 13, Hlohovec
• UNIVERZA V MARIBORU
• Wiedner Gymnasium/ Sir Karl Popper Schule
• GIMNAZIJA FRANCA MIKLOSICA LJUTOMER