Studying Innovative Methods of Education for Languages through Theatrical Activities Erasmus Project

Project Title

Studying Innovative Methods of Education for Languages through Theatrical Activities

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 2017

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

The SIMELTA project was not decided at random. It is the result of a previous project Grundtvig, PLALE (Playing for Learning, 2013–2015), in which six European partners had studied the impact of gesture / body language through theatrical practices in the teaching of a living foreign language in adults. The objective was to test this tool on targeted groups of adult learners. Undoubtedly, theatrical practices had worked in all groups; this pedagogy had been welcomed by all those who had experienced it and the results had been conclusive. The teachers themselves were attracted and enthused by this approach. But how to prolong the effect, how to extend this innovative teaching method and make it available to as many people as possible? The teachers we saw during PLALE had told us that they felt a little helpless, without too much assurance to be able to continue on their own. They lacked training, they wanted to be shown the way. At the end of the project, some of the partners decided to embark upon a new objective: to create resources for foreign language trainers. Moreover, given the European challenge for the integration of migrants, the project had to devote a large part of its work to developing solutions for the trainers directly involved.

SIMELTA – Studying Innovative Methods of Education for Languages through Theatrical Activities – was launched in November 2017. Three of the partners who participated in the previous project were back: the English Com’Eddy Theatre of Bordeaux – France, the city of Pavia represented by the CEM – Italy and the school Escola Fernão Mendes Pinto of Almada – Portugal. A fourth partner came to join the group, the University of Latvia, in Latvia. In each country, the partners worked to find participants within each entity or by developing partnerships: teachers or trainers in foreign languages who did not know or who wanted to deepen the pedagogy put forward in this programme. Whatever their audience of learners, these teachers had to be able to seek answers and material from the partners, whether in the form of observation, participation in seminars or training events. The latter would be in charge or their coaching, for the appropriation of the tools.

In the first year, the partners focused on teacher profiles. What were their teaching methods? What were their possibilities of adopting new pedagogy into their classrooms? What were their apprehensions and obstacles? During seminars, questionnaires and various meetings, the partners listened very closely to all this information. They were going to be helpful in the development of the resources. Great care was taken in disseminating the project to the various existing media, the emphasis being put on the Internet and its ability to reach a wide audience; from the beginning of the project, SIMELTA has set up a website, a Facebook page and a YouTube channel.

The partners were not without experience in teaching through gesture / body language. So, from the first year, they organized three days of training for trainers in Almada. There, workshops led by theatre professionals, but also professionals in music and dance, were put in place to discover different but valid techniques that apply to the teaching of languages. The arts were on trial. Subsequently, workshops were set up in the four countries, involving local teachers and their students in real immersions in singular contexts. Training modules were also given, this time for the trainers alone. Paris, Bordeaux, Almada, Pavia, Milan and Riga, the locations were often chosen according to demand. During a five-day trip to Italy, the partners attended and participated in several workshops specifically dedicated to teaching the language of the host country to migrants. Here again, rich and numerous exchanges have contributed to the reflection and work of building resources.

The SIMELTA project has come to an end. Tutorials, documents, testimonials, training are now available for language trainers who wish to add an extra method to their actual way of teaching. The different Internet vectors are maintained and on each of the sites of the partner institutions, the resources or links are searchable. The partners remain available for any information and assistance requested and training sessions are still ongoing. Perhaps the SIMELTA project has not succeeded in revolutionizing the world of language teaching, but it has certainly helped to expand the possibilities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 58265 Eur

Project Coordinator

English Com’Eddy Theatre & Country: FR

Project Partners

• centro educazione ai media
• LATVIJAS UNIVERSITATE
• ESCOLA SECUNDÁRIA FERNÃO MENDES PINTO