Leonardo: EUROVOLT
via VLE (2005-2007)
Project summary:
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).
To increase competence
in the new literacies
for language teachers
and trainers, this
project will enable them
to use virtual learning
environments with ease
in a variety of language
learning contexts (in
DE, EN, PL, SV, NO, BG,
OT-Russian planned) and
for a wide range of
vocational sectors
embedded in a variety of
cultural backgrounds. It
will illustrate clearly
how to deploy newly
developed e-learning
environments, providing
activities to practise
all four language
skills, with special
focus on oral
communication.
A set of
teaching/learning
scenarios and exemplary
materials, models of
good practice in modular
form, will illustrate a
principled approach to
the use of the new media
and to various
methodological
approaches (concepts),
showing how to apply
quality criteria to the
planning, implementation
and evaluation of
learning programs for
specific vocational
purposes.
In addition, the
materials produced and
the templates for
establishing quality
criteria, will
contribute to the
increasing pool of
documentation of good
practice throughout the
Union, which can be
emulated by training and
educational
establishments
throughout Europe. The
use of the new media in
vocationally oriented
language learning (VOLL)
can contribute
significantly to the
efficiency of learning
in this area.
Sample language learning
modules will be
developed in Bulgarian,
English, German, Polish,
Swedish, Norwegian (and
prob. Russian). Manuals
in English for wider
distribution throughout
the Union and in the
chosen languages, where
necessary. It must be
evaluated and
established during the
piloting phases whether
the language
teachers/trainers
(trainees) need versions
in their target
languages and will also
depend on available
funding resources.
Target groups for the
model language courses
will be:
ECET: Bulgarian as a
foreign language for
office clerks in the
tourism industry (CEF
Level A/B)
Verband Wiener
Volksbildung: English as
a foreign language for
Austrian prison officers
(Level A 2/B 1/B2)
University of Potsdam:
English for students of
social sciences (Level B
1/C
2)
Warsaw School: English
for Psychology (Level B)
University of
Southampton: German as a
foreign language: Online
portfolio learning for
engineers and scientists
(Level B)
Warsaw School: Polish as
a foreign language for
diplomacy and politics
(Level B/C)
NTNU/Nordland: Norwegian
as a second language in
the health and caring
sector (Level B)
Folkuniversitetet:
Swedish for Medics,
Level B (in co-operation
with TellRight Project)
(Planned: Nordland:
English/Norwegian/Russian
for Public
Administration, Level B)
The project itself will
illustrate how partner
institutions can
collaborate and network
using virtual
environments and
contribute to a pool of
resources which may be
called upon by other
colleagues working in
the specific linguistic/
vocational area in
Europe, and it will
motivate private
enterprises (incl. SMEs)
to implement language
tuition for their staffs
on a regular basis.
The specific aspect of
innovation which this
project offers is a new
Virtual Learning
Environment displaying
three integrated areas
in the field of language
education :
1. Teacher training
modules: The full
integration of ICT and
the new media in
different vocational
language teaching,
learning scenarios and
cultures (new technical
and methodological focus
on oral communication
skills and access for PC
and Apple MacIntosh (!)
users).
2. Model language
learning modules:
Various methodological
and didactic innovations
for the language
teachers and learners
(e.g. an electronic
vocational language
learning portfolio to be
integrated into EUROPASS)
and
3. a special VLE area
with links to other
models of good practice
displaying vocational
language teacher
training and vocational
language learning by
2007.
Process-oriented and
external evaluation of
the project will secure
all measures of quality
issues and the
possibility of adapting
the project results to
other vocational
sectors.
The results of the
project as well as the
different products (VLE
content, manual and
CD-ROM) will be
disseminated throughout
Europe.
The project will
co-operate and
collaborate with other (EU)
projects and partner
institutions in the
field throughout Europe.
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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