Sports and language – olympics unlimited Erasmus Project

Project Title

Sports and language – olympics unlimited

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Gender equality / equal opportunities; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

In the framework of this Erasmus+ project the participating students explore the topics “Sports and Language – Olympics unlimited”. Following the principles of project-oriented learning, the students are going to comprehend and recognize the importance of language learning combined with the development of core competencies in sports and sportsmanship as well as fairness. In sportive encounters (training sessions in clubs, competitions and performance measurements etc.) the adolescents can apply their skills in various areas and, at the same time, overcome their potential fear of using the foreign language. Cooperating in a team and a playful approach contribute to the reduction of prejudice. “By raising awareness of the responsibility of every single person for their body physical, mental and social wellbeing are to be promoted. Students are to be encouraged to develop a healthy and holistic lifestyle taking responsibility for the environment as well as human beings. Thus, taking a holistic concept of health into consideration, school is to contribute to students’ healthy lifestyle incorporating physical activity“. The present project achieves these educational aims of the Austrian Curriculum for Academic Secondary Schools. Moreover, forming intercultural, mixed-gender teams across countries lays the foundation for a European citizenship in a gendered world beyond given national and conceptual borders, such as gender. Sportive and linguistic encounters between students with diverse skill sets encourage the idea of inclusion – the appreciation and recognition of diversity. Thus, this project contributes to a peaceful coexistence of different nations in the future. Dealing with questions concerning “regional, Austrian and European identities with regard to the aspect of open-mindedness” (see Austrian Curriculum for Academic Secondary Schools) is of great importance, too.
The two schools taking part in this project, namely BG/BRG/BORG Köflach and Collège Le Parc Dijon, set the goal to support and challenge learners individually and, at the same time, focus on open-mindedness, equality, fairness and European unity. These goals are supported by sportive and linguistic encounters: competitions (short and long term performance measurements), possibilities of self-assessment, training sessions in clubs of both partner schools (existing cooperations), communicative exchange in the respective foreign language and in English (presentations on the native language and cultural aspects, everyday life communication within host families und at school) and visiting tourist destinations. Therefore, as part of the preparation prior to the real-life encounters information concerning the visiting country as well as the partner school is exchanged, virtual friendships are formed (e-mail, chat etc.) and preparation courses (referring to language and cultural aspects) are held. In addition, the Olympic Games 2024 are intended to be perceived by the public, using a number of digital tools that enable students to produce advertising material, such as flyers, online advertisements and sets of pictures). Subsequently, these various advertisements are presented (screens in school, yearbooks, homepage, parent-teacher meetings, conferences) and made accessible to the public (regional media, eTwinning, Twinspace).
In order to promote the start and further development of the present project colleagues, parents and others involved are continuously informed (parent-teacher meetings, conferences, homepage and yearbook of the school, regional media, eTwinning, Twinspace). The focus of mutual meetings and discussion is on organisational questions, brainstormings, the exchange of ideas as well as general approaches and procedures. The responsible teams in the two schools (with their project coordinators) are available as contact persons for further details on the status quo of the project.
Within the context of this project running over a two-year period, two exchanges of students in their 8th and 9th school year and organisational staff meetings take place in the school years 2020/21 and 2021/22.
The responsible teachers have gained a substantial number of experiences in working with Erasmus+ projects. Numerous learning and training mobilities (Job Shadowing in Dijon, visit of a French delegation of the Académie die Bourgogne in Köflach, project “Grenzenlos macht Schule” in Cyprus, “Happy School” in Florence, “Francophonia” in Nice) have served as sources of inspiration to the present project “Sports and Language – Olympics unlimited”.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 61620 Eur

Project Coordinator

BG/BRG/BORG Köflach & Country: AT

Project Partners

• Collège LE PARC