Unlimited Erasmus Project

Project Title

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 2019

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

In a world that is becoming increasingly networked and in which we increasingly meet people from other cultural backgrounds, intercultural skills are more in demand than ever before. This includes knowledge (e. g. language skills, country- and culture-specific knowledge) and skills (e. g. observation, self- and external reflection, openness, strategies for dealing with culture shock or other conflicts).

Good language skills are the key to other cultures. Here the pupils of both partner schools are disadvantaged: The German secondary school pupils, because they often come from parents who have little education, have problems learning or travel little. The it. students, because Italian is a Romance language and the Italians spend most of their holidays in Italy.
As a result, the students of both partner schools hardly find any authentic speaking opportunities in everyday life, which has a noticeable effect on their motivation to learn English. They can hardly cope with everyday situations in which they use English (e. g. on the Internet, in conversation with refugees or tourists).

When dealing with people from other cultural backgrounds, misunderstandings often occur, as insufficient language skills, encounters and training do not allow sufficient intercultural competence to develop. Due to the high proportion of foreigners in both schools, conflicts between people of different cultures occur almost daily. The primary objective of the project is to promote intercultural competence in all the above-mentioned areas. In addition to promoting language competence, which also includes the training of teachers’ methodological competence, pupils should above all come to the realisation that it is necessary to get involved with people from other cultures, to prepare for planned encounters and to reflect and adapt their experiences and attitudes accordingly during the encounter.

A total of up to 40 German and 40 Italian students from grades 5 to 8 will participate in the project. This is more pupils than can be indicated in the item “Learning, Teaching, Training” due to the automatic calculation according to flat rates within the budget. The participants come from many classes to share the project with many other students. Participants are selected not according to their language skills but according to character criteria (interest, seriousness, reliability).
Since only German secondary school teachers will accompany the pupils, two German primary school teachers as well as the German school management will also sit in on the partner school.
Students and teachers who do not travel to the host country are either actively involved in the project (e. g. participating in the welcoming ceremony, eTwinning projects) or passively involved (e. g. Power Point from students for students, teacher training seminars).

The project is based on the development of two travel guides, one for the German pupils about the region Emilia-Romagna and one for the Italian pupils about the region Rosenheim/Chiemgau.
In the 1st year, up to 20 Germans and 20 Italians travel for this purpose to the partner school to explore its region. With the exception of an emergency plan (e. g. contact person, daily questions from teachers) and general rules of behaviour, they will not be further prepared for the exchange. In project teams mixed from different countries, various topics are worked out (e. g. Italian/German, food culture, school system), recorded in writing in a previously agreed format and then brought together. For example, we will get an insight into a school day, eat a typical meal or explore the surrounding area. Before, during and after the meeting, the project teams are given sufficient time for dialogue. Through eTwinning, pupils share their results.
The German pupils of the 1st year prepare the German pupils of the 2nd year for their stay with the help of the travel guide, an additional Power Point presentation and various discussion rounds. The same goes for the Italians. The pupils of the 2nd year go through the same programme, but with the task of checking and adapting the information in the guide.
Discussion rounds and questionnaires will reveal whether and to what extent intercultural competences have developed and whether the preparation of the 2nd groups was useful in terms of coping with everyday life in the host country.

The Erasmus+ project is intended to be the start of a long-lasting school partnership. The travel guides will be a first source of information for future school groups. Pupils and teachers should bring the acquired speaking and teaching skills into the classroom and ensure a noticeable upturn in English teaching and the promotion of the European idea.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 63152 Eur

Project Coordinator

Otfried-Preußler-Grund- und Mittelschule Stephanskirchen & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Istituto Comprensivo “G.Bassani”