Pools-m is a TOI
(transfer of innovation)
project based on the
original BP-BLTM
project,
which selected five
communicative language
teaching methods
suitable for VET
teachers and their
students, especially
those preparing for or
in the midst of work
placement in other
countries. For each
method the project
developed sets of
materials and
instructions for
exemplary lessons.
To help the training of
the less experienced
teachers the use of the
methods and materials
are demonstrated through
instructional video
recordings of exemplary
lessons.
The main outputs to be
translated, adapted and
transferred during the
pools-m project period
are:
-A video library with
subtitled commented
recordings of the five
methods used in real
classes.
-A manual with five
method descriptions,
instructions and ready
to copy and use
materials
-An International Work
Placement Guide
-This website.
This project will
transfer the BP-BLTM
results to Italy,
Lithuania, and Turkey by
adapting and translating
the guide, the methods
manuals, the ready to
use in classes
materials, and the
subtitles for the
project videos.
Recent research and
improvements in language
teaching methods have
not been fully applied
in VET in IT, LT, and TR
especially not in the
LWUTL (Less Widely Used
and Taught Languages).
This is found in the
Eurydice Studies
"Foreign Language
Teaching in Schools in
Europe" 2001) and in the
European Language
Learning Materials
Survey" (December 2000)
According to a
Eurobarometer survey
carried out in 1997,
Difficulty with foreign
languages is by far the
most feared problem when
young Europeans
contemplate working or
studying abroad.
Language proficiency is
a key instrument for a
common understanding
between citizens of
Europe and for
exploiting the rich
cultural heritage of
Europe (European Report
On Quality Of School
Education, May 2000).
Teachers in technical
colleges in IT, LT, and
TR teaching the less
taught languages are
often not educated as
language teachers;
research and
improvements in language
teaching methods have
not been applied. This
is based on our own
experiences as well as
the Eurydice Studies
"Foreign Language
Teaching in Schools in
Europe" 2001 ) and as
stated in "The European
Language Learning
Materials Survey"
(December 2000) "Many
felt that lower level
course materials for
LWUTL were rarely
communicative in nature
(which they attributed
to the fact that
teachers of LWUTL have
little pedagogical and
methodological
training), and
emphasised the need for
improvement in this
area. In the same vein,
the lack of a "learning
to learn" approach in
LWUTL materials was
mentioned «.
POOLS-M deals
substantially with use
of ICT in languages
teaching methods, in
2005 the Uteacher
project found that 45%
of teachers in IT
declared “to have little
knowledge of this
issue”. Another research
paper “ICT Development
In Education In the
Baltic Countries – 2005”
(see www.emokykla.lt)
shows that in LT
computers are mainly use
for teaching ICT and
that “in other subjects
IT technologies are used
‘passively’ (writing
texts), and not
‘actively’ (forming
presentations,
demonstrating
simulations etc.).”
Computers are now widely
used by teachers in TR,
"however, this wide use
of computers has not yet
been observed in the
instructional activities
– either using a
presentation tool during
class or using computers
for experiments (Usluel
& Askar, 2002)." Also in
Turkey "Studies pointed
out that teachers’ use
of ICT for instructional
purposes is insufficient
(Martins, Steil, &
Todesco, 2004; Askar &
Usluel, 2003; Szabo &
Suen, 1998; Proulx &
Campbell, 1997)."
The TOI project targets
the above needs in IT,
LT, and TR through
communicative language
teaching methods and
materials with an
emphasis on cultural
diversities and
promoting learning LWUTL.
The use of ICT in
several methods (for
instructional purposes)
also work for promoting
ICT among language
teachers and learners.
For each
teaching method the
project teams
will develop
sets of
materials
and
instructions
for
exemplary
lessons in
Italian, Lithuanian, and
Turkish. Such
materials
are also ready for use in
Basque, Danish, Dutch, Gaelic, Romanian and they have been
translated
into
English,
German and
Spanish to
facilitate
later use in
other
languages.
To help the
training of
the less
experienced
teachers the
use of the
methods and
materials
are
demonstrated
through
instructional
video
recordings
of exemplary
lessons with
subtitles in the
project partnership
languages.
The project teams have adapted and translated five
manuals covering language teaching methods and a guide for
students preparing for a work placement period
The POOLS-M partnership has decided to open the online
evaluation areas. These areas will remain open for the next
two years so we can collect data on the courses. Please user
the online forms so you can assist us in the work after the
funded period:
SUPSI, the Swiss pools-m partner has collected the
electronic evaluations from the past pools-m pilot courses.
The evaluation results from teachers and their students can
be downloaded here:
The
Italian team has
prepared a teachers'
guide for a board game
preparing students for
International Work
Placement.
Download the guide
here to order
the board game, please
contact: Stefano Tirati:
stefano@cscs.it
+39057350444 Website:
https://www.cscs.it
The POOLS-Machine Plc is
a simulation where the
participants have to
choose between four
locations for a new
factory, each location
has advantages and
disadvantages. Download
the simulation in:
The simulation
can be played in groups with three
to five students (if less than five
in a group then some students will
have to have more than one profile
in the simulation)
The simulation
is self explanatory; each student is
given a text with a personal
profile, the students read and
inform the other group members about
the content.
Go to the
Airport download page to download the simulation
materials in English, Italian, Lithuanian, and Turkish
The final video produced by SUPSI demonstrates the five
communicative language teaching methods (PhyEmoC, Task Based Learning,
eTandem learning, Simulations, and Computer Assisted
Language Learning):
The video comes complete with all the materials used in
the lessons. Download the instructions, handouts / student materials used in the video:
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.
