The Pools-cx project is based on several projects under the POOLS umbrella (BP-BLTM, POOLS, POOLS-T, and POOLS-M) Visit the main pools website www.languages.dk
Together with the original pools partners we have compiled a list of interesting project that have given us inspiration, several of the project have shared their ideas with pools-cx, some of the projects have been finished for a few years, but we have selected those from whom we have learned and been inspired.
TOOLS (Tools for CLIL Teachers)
TOOLS is developing a free online service / tool, which will enable language teachers from LdV, Erasmus, and Grundtvig sectors to create multimedia webpages for language learning with all words automatically linked to online dictionaries in +100 languages.
The advantage of a fully online tool is that it will work from all existing and future operating systems it will also enable creation of language learning multimedia webpages from and to mobile devices like tablets (e.g. iPads).
The users will have options of making the resulting webpages immediately online for free through the developed system (or other systems like dropbox.com) or downloading them for uploads to their own websites.
The resulting webpages will support all characters (UTF8) so it may be usefor languages like Lithuanian and Arabic.
The project teams will demonstrate the system strengths and make exemplary language learning materials for Arabic, Danish, Gaelic (Irish), Gaelic (Scottish), Lithuanian, Portuguese, and Spanish
ArabicOnline.eu is an EU-funded online eLearning course of Modern Standard Arabic for tourists, students and business people. The interactive eLeaning course is already being used by major universities as part of their teaching, countless schools, Government and diplomatic services as well as thousands of online learners.
ECLIL is European Union funded project to develop and build resources and a resource centre for the use of Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The ECLIL European project has created an open games engine for language teachers (any language). It allows teachers to make a lesson, specific game for their students in a few minutes. You can even make specific games for a single student, group or all of a class. You can then change or add another game in minutes for the next lesson.
As this resource is restricted to genuine educators please ensure that you register with your full name and school details, as we can only admit genuine educators.
There is an urgent need for specific materials, resources and guidelines for implementation which guarantee excellence in language learning. The ECLIL games engine answers the need for teaching materials in a focused and unlimited way. UWS E-CLIL Games e-clil.uws.ac.uk e-CLIL Content and Language Integrated Learning
Ed2.0Work is a European Union funded education network that has two missions:
To create a network that spans education and the world of work and is designed to improve the use of Web2.0 tools in both fields.
To create a set of tools for the empirical evaluation of Web2.0 tools
The project will create a network between stakeholders in the education and work sectors that will examine how both should be using Web2.0 in the education and work environments. Educators and employers can get involved in this project from the earliest stages. The objectives: The project will build a sustainable network that will:
Build an empirical template to assess the effectiveness of Web2.0 tools.
Analyse the needs of stakeholders in education and work of how Web2.0 tools can be utilised.
Examine existing uses of Web2.0 tools in education and work.
Establish a repository of research, best practice guides and case studies
Mixed working groups of educators and employers will study how the new possibilities can be used within differing sectors. 3 network conferences will be held during the project.
An early focus will be the founding of a European Centre, based on the Web2.0 European Resource Centre www.web20erc.eu founded in 2009.
The AHRC-funded Research Networking project Researching Multilingually (December 2011 – December 2012) seeks to create a research network through which to develop a better understanding of the complexities and opportunities when researching multilingually. This under-investigated theme has been a concern of ours for some time. Thus, the AHRC project builds upon our exploratory seminar in Durham in 2010 and a colloquium of papers on this theme presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the British Association of Applied Linguists (BAAL). Read more from: http://researchingmultilingually.com/
The EU GLOSSA project is offering free online courses for Greek. The project has created C1 & C2 (CEFR) Greek courses. The courses will run online from Nov 2011 until May 2012. There is no cost for participation. The courses will suite students or teachers that are currently at B2 level. The course will include full support You can register on the project website here.
In the following video, you can see (in Greek) a brief presentation of the GLOSSA project as it was made by prof. Dimitrios Fessas (General Secretary of the Centro Ellenico di Cultura and responsible for the coordination and implementation of the GLOSSA project in Italy) in the framework of the documentary series “Diaspora” of the Greek National Television Chanel ERT3 .
“The EU Lifelong learning programme is the largest globally to push forward change in education. Be part of the revolution and integration.” Created and curated by Joel Josephson Joel Josephson curates this topic from blogs, tweets, videos and much more: go to http://www.scoop.it/t/european-union-education-projects or to the main page for Scoop It: http://www.scoop.it/
On the Slovake.eu multilingual website you can learn to speak Slovak language easily, quickly and completely free. The portal contains language courses at different levels (A1 and A2) with many exercises, fun games, dictionaries - all that you can acquaint with grammar, learn new words, or even virtually interact with other users of this site in Slovak. In addition, you can find various information about Slovakia - Central European country with an interesting history, beautiful scenery and many tourist sites. Read more here
The Online Language Lab helps teachers get their students speaking more. It allows teachers to set speaking work for their students to complete online, and lets teachers assess and give feedback on their work.
In addition, teachers can include video and audio as stimuli when setting work, and require students to complete multiple choice and short answer questions alongside their recorded answers.
PICTURE offers - in 5 languages - guided modules and video material aiming to increase insight into intercultural communication in Europe among students from age 16 onwards.
The core item is a personal interview with foreigners carried out by students after in-class preparation. This means that students have to actually use the language they are studying in practice. They are prepared for these interviews with material that can be used in class but also through interactive lab units and video clips such as How to interview. By way of example parts of some interviews as carried out by Dutch students are shown here on video.
Please feel free to download our introductory unit to read about our ‘mission’, then browse through the website and see how you can use the materials!
One of PICTURE's by-products is a collection of "intercultural incidents", some of which have been published in this booklet, a pdf-file, the cover of which is shown on the right.
The English Trust for European Education is a charitable organisation set up to foster the development of multilingual European Education in Britain. What is multilingual European Education?
In 1953, when a European Union was not even dreamed of a number of parents set themselves up to create educational establishments where children of different European backgrounds could be taught side by side in their respective mother tongues, learning from each other while broadening their horizons, in order to become truly Europeans. The experiment was subsequently taken up by the Commission and its institutions and there are now several schools across Europe based on this concept. Uniquely, European Schools offer a European Baccalaureate, which gives access to all higher education institutions across the European Union.
The philosophy of European Education is best encapsulated in the words of Jean Monnet, regarded by many as the architect of European Union:
"Educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices, acquainted with all that is great and good in different cultures, it will be borne upon in upon them as they mature that they belong together. Without ceasing to look to their own lands with love and pride, they will become in mind Europeans, schooled and ready to complete and consolidate the work of their fathers...."
Grammar Explorer is an online grammar of Danish. It aims to make grammar practice both entertaining and interesting. Grammar Explorer offers material which leads to an in-depth understanding of the major themes of Danish grammar and usage. It is ideally suited to a self- study environment as learners are carefully guided in their learning. Grammar Explorer has been designed specifically for the internet and for online learning. It meets the requirements of the Council of Europe's syllabus for level A2, Waystage. It prepares learners for a European Language Certificate (A2), recognised throughout Europe. This project was funded by the European Commission as part of its Socrates / Lingua 2 project programme to improve language learning for everyone.
The Stella Project delivers comprehensive online language learning courses for less widely taught and used languages within the European Union. At the moment, Danish and Hungarian are offered at beginners level (A1). There is also a beginners course of English for speakers of Hungarian, Czech, Italian and German. The courses are based on the Council of Europe's requirements and linked to the Common European Framework of Reference. Each course consists of a series of interactive units, which cover basic topics like travelling to a new country, meeting people, ordering a meal, visiting the market, etc. Each unit contains audio dialogues, vocabulary work, exercises and an audio-visual presentation of a specific grammatical topic The latest version of Macromedia Flash player is required
This project was originally funded by the European Commission as part of its Socrates / Minerva programme to improve language learning for everyone.
BeCult is an online multimedia learning tool for young people in vocational training in the hotel and gastronomy sector. The tool is a learning platform where young people can prepare themselves culturally and lingually for a placement in another country. BeCult reproduces in a virtual world real work places in selected countries and companies with their specific linguistic and cultural settings. BeCult uses relevant methodologies for young people being confronted with unfamiliar situations during a stay abroad.
It is available free of charge on the internet and accessible from any place before, during and after a training placement abroad. BeCult allows for tutored learning but does not require language teachers.
For information and contacts please visit us at our website at www.becult.org
Mikko Turunen International co-ordinator Project manager, Finland Pirkanmaa College Tampere
e-tridem.net is a project based on EU educational Policy that every citizen should develop competence in at least two European languages. A further project aim is to foster 'intercultural learning through new media' and thus contribute to enriched cross-cultural exchanges.
The project will follow these concepts by analysing best-practice models in the partner institutions. A model for virtual language and cultural exchanges will be developed, tested and evaluated. Methodologically, it will be based on the theories of blended learning and use tools such as the webquests, amongst others.
Project Description:
The project is trialling an innovative new method of practising language, where three native speakers of English, Spanish and German work together practising the three languages in a structured online environment. Each member of the threesome wants to practice the two other languages, and also acts as helper/informant on his/her own language for the other two members.
Thus it uses native speakers of 3 languages, each of whom wishes to practise the other 2. There is a context of
suggested communicative joint tasks, e.g. WebQuests, that give content to the practice and
guided modes of interaction between the two participants who are practising a language and the third who is their guide, mentor and informant regarding his/her mother tongue.
The system is based on the solid experience of the main partners in fostering this kind of independent activity between pairs of learners, where each native speaker of the pair wishes to practise the other's language. Two unique aspects of this project are
to engage groups of 3 native speakers instead of 2
to use ICT as a strong part of the learner practice in a blended teaching situation where face to face meetings are also arranged.
We believe that the benefit of this system for genuine multi-lingual communication will be that
a wider cross-cultural interchange and understanding can be achieved.
insights can be developed about which languages can most fruitfully be practised by one learner. It should be noted that this is a totally undeveloped area, in which it is assumed by many people, without evidence, that cognate language can more easily be learned. But this is still open to test, especially because there is anecdotal evidence that using cognate languages at the same time may be confusing [e.g. false friends].
motivation is increased by the use of 3 members of a learner group instead of pairs, and therefore more interesting cultural comparisons will be made.
I wanted to make another suggestion for a website about tandem learning. It is hoping to do "language learning 2.0" -- becoming a community site where language learners and teachers can bring their combined experience together. The initial foundation is language exchange -- getting speakers of two different native languages to teach each other. Language resources are coming next -- a way of creating community opinions on what are the most useful tools for learning a certain language (best textbook, dictionary, websites, podcasts, etc.). There are even more plans in the making.
In 2005 and 2006 teachers of the Pallas Athene College and the Horizon College worked together on the development of a website aimed at improving pupils' motivation and capacity to learn foreign languages.
Our intention is not only to add new foreign language programmes to the website by extending our transnational co-operative network, but also broaden and improve the existing programmes of English, French and German.
Virtual Experiences: Preparing students for foreign language use in the hotel and catering industry, A Leonardo da Vinci project
What we do The Virtual Experiences project is developing a series of video-based language lessons, to allow hotel and catering students undertaking work placements abroad to gain advance experience of using English and German as a foreign language. The primary target audience are VET centres for the hospitality industry.
Why we do it Language skills are an important part of work in the hospitality industry and whilst students acquire language skills in the course of practical training, there is an identified lack of language training with the target group. To this end, the project develops a series of self-study lessons centered around realistic situations to develop the language skills of students prior to commencing a work placement.
When we do it VIRTEX is a three-year project running from 2004 to 2007.
Who we are AT - Tourismusschulen Bad Leonfelden BE - EfVET (European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training) BE - VTI Spijker CZ - Hotelova Skola A Vyssi Odborna Skola Hotelnictivi A Turism DE - Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Philipps-Universität Marburg EE - Kuressaare Ametikool LU - AEHT (the European Association of Hotel and Tourism Schools) NL - Horizon College (coordinator) NL - Radnai Research bv UK - LCD (Language Consultancy Desk)
Project Promoter: Interesource Group (Ireland) Limited
Sign Awareness And Learning The Language
SIGNALL is a transnational language competency and training project which aims to increase awareness of Deaf culture and sign languages amongst organisations, employers and hearing people. It aims to cultivate a behavioural change and commitment from organisations, employer bodies, educational establishments, public authorities and society as a whole in the way people who are deaf are perceived and treated.
Participant countries include the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Spain and the UK.
SIGNALL's awareness information pack will aim to provide a mechanism that will witness a change in the way society in general will behave towards Deaf people - not by being tolerant as in the past, but through social integration, access and understanding.
Products include a book, a DVD documentary, a CD-ROM and a website.
The Web Project is a Finnish project with a multitude of materials, tools, and resources for language teachers. The project has until now been based on internal funding.
LANCELOT School GmbH– LANguage learning by CERtified Live Online Teachers - is a virtual training centre for language teachers and is part of the EU-funded project which bears its name.
The school aims to both professionalize and revolutionize language learning in virtual classrooms by providing the following main three services:
Training Centre - European Certificate for live online language teacher from 9/2007 Recruitment Centre Provider of Virtual Classroom Technology
In addition, LANCELOT School GmbH will facilitate the growth of an online knowledge pool, where educators can share their techniques, resources, and expertise.
Free recordings of native Spanish speakers and plenty of activities for language learners to check their comprehension of REAL Spanish from all over the Spanish speaking world!
NEWAP is a project within the EU-Socrates programme Lingua 2, with ESTA-Bildungswerk gGmbH being the leading partner. The project is concerned with the simultaneous teaching and learning of Finnish, Hungarian and Turkish based on a new digital language learning method. So far these languages have only rarely found their way into the range of courses on offer in the vocational and further training sector. As far as grammar is concerned, the project method focuses on the structural similarities between the three target languages. Content-wise it takes a situational approach in which cultural aspects of the countries involved are at the centre of interest.
...stands for Visual Interactive Analysis, and is a web-based Java application, ideal to supplement language teaching from high school/gymnasium level and up. VIA supports grammar training in several languages, at the moment Danish, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Latin and English. With VIA, students can try their hands on thousands of exercises, primarily within the fields of morphology and grammatical functions, but also syntax and slot-and-filler analysis (Danish "feltskema"). Teachers are welcome to create their own exercises, using a user friendly interface.
Identification exercises (for identifying form and function) contain solutions provided by the editor, on the basis of which feedback can be given to the student in case of erroneous or incomplete identification. Similar for the slot-and-filler exercises. As yet, this feedback function is not implemented for tree drawing exercises, which are nevertheless attractive as syntax trees are build graphically as the student identifies the syntactical elements.
To train productive skills, a new kind of exercise, namely insertion, was added to VIA in September 2004, drawing directly on a built-in morphological dictionary. Errors in spelling are caught and analysed extensively, giving the student specific feedback on the most likely mistake that was made. Insertion exercises, as mentioned above, require the morphological dictionary, which at the moment covers Italian and Danish.
VIA supports multiple kinds and levels of feedback. These range from yes/no responses, through indications of error location and application-generated responses, to online grammar lookup, and viewing of the individual editor's custom-made tip for the particular exercise or the proposed solution. There are online grammars for Italian and Danish, indexed by grammatical categories, which allow VIA to provide the student with a direct link to the appropriate section, on basis of the error analysis.
Learn more about VIA from our site at via.hum.ku.dk where you can find introduction videos, information and articles on VIA, presentation of the development team and users, as well as material associated with the use of the program.
This project fully supports the e-learning initiative of the European Commission, encouraging language teachers and trainers to make full use of the new media and information and communication technologies (ICT) and the new media for learning scenarios which may be independent of place and time. There is a general and specific need to familiarize language teachers and trainers with the use of ICT and to show them how to use these to their best advantage in different vocational training situations. Research conducted by the International Certificate Conference (ICC) for the European Commission, the experience of different members of this consortium in related work have shown quite clearly that there is an urgent need to develop the new literacies (scientific, digital, practical, linguistic and cultural) if vocational language teachers and trainers are to take full advantage of the possibilities offered by virtual learning environments. A major shift of paradigm in the cultures of learning is called for in current publications and surveys on this subject, (see "The impact of new information technologies and internet on the teaching of foreign languages and on the role of teachers of a foreign language", a report commissioned by the Directorate General of Education and Culture in 2003). Learn more about EUROVOLT in their pools webpage or Visit the EUROVOLT website: www.eurovolt.net
From the Comenius Network DAF-SUEDOST we have received the e-mail below:
Dear Mr. Andersen,
I received your mail from Gaby Frank Voutsas, who met you at EUROCALL 2004 and who is a partner in our Comenius Network DAF-SUEDOST www.daf-network.org , for which my institution is the coordinator. Our topic is language education, in particular we are linking schools, university departments and other experts in the field of German as a Foreign Language (GFL). On our site we present a whole series of European language learning projects http://www.daf-netzwerk.org/english/projekte , but mostly, of course, related in one way or another to GFL and presented in German. I think, you may find "clusters" for your new project there. One project which I know because we were part of it, is the GEH MIT project, http://www.ellinogermaniki.gr/ep/geh-mit/.
I find your project POOLS very interesting. I also looked into the site of www.languages.dk. Because your work in the BP-BLTM is of interest to language educators in general I was wondering whether you would agree to have BP-BLTM presented on our website. I could do this, or you do it by signing up as a network member through our website http://www.daf-netzwerk.org/english/mitglieder/anmeldung.php in which case you will receive a user name and a pass word and can enter your own project data.
During the project we looked at new, innovative ways to improve access to language learning for adults and created a set of transferable modules, which have been piloted and tested in all partner institutions.
-Models of flexible learning environments that address the obstacles to learning such as long distances, ageing, institutional and economic requirements and restrictions
A CD-ROM presenting all the stages of the project, inc. photos, video clips and sound is available on request. Visit also our updated and upgraded project web site at www.vapaaopisto.fi/projects/cafall We hope that you will find our experience useful to enhance your own teaching of languages, including -Models for community-based curriculum planning that address the defects of curriculum planning such as the absence of needs analysis and the lack of cross-institutional co-operation.
The project offers an excellent free service (apparently no payment is required), which is also very useful for those taking the plunge into "Tandem Learning". From FriendsAbroad.com we received the message below:
FriendsAbroad.com has been created to allow people to learn and practice another language by connecting with REAL people, all over the world.
The idea behind FriendsAbroad.com is simple; We want to help people from all countries to connect with each other; to send messages, to chat, to understand each other’s lives and cultures and of course, to practice their language skills! In just two months, we have more than ten thousand members from over one hundred countries. It’s easy to join and we’d love to know what you think!
Best Wishes, Gwenaelle Mayaud Marketing Department FriendsAbroad.com
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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