OBJECTIVES

‘Creativity in language learning' is a project aimed at valorising the importance of the intercultural and creativity dimension in language learning and at promoting and encouraging linguistic and cultural diversity.

Emotions and feelings are often kept out of language courses, as if learning involved only the rational part of an individual. As a consequence, the learner does not feel involved and often has only a passive role in the learning process

The project is based on the assumption that creative and less conventional devices such as drama, songs and video clips are very effective methodological tools in language teaching and that they can target different audiences, from children to adults, being thus consistent with the objectives of the transversal programme.

The CREALLE project mission is thus: collecting and defining a series of methodological tools that show the effectiveness of creativity learning both for junior and adult learners and at the same time spreading these to a maximum target group of language teachers and trainers.

Our main objectives are:

Ø  To show the effectiveness of theatre, songs, video clips and other creative approaches in addressing and resolving typical language learning difficulties (e.g. shyness in oral expression), providing learners with lively teaching sessions adaptable to individual needs.

Ø  To enhance learners' creative and intercultural skills

Ø  To create a network of teachers that share this 'creative approach' for future collaboration and students’ exchanges

Ø  To show the usefulness of creative tools in the language learning of disadvantaged categories such as immigrants and illiterate adults 

Ø  To create a website able to show and disseminate the best practices.

Ø  To organise a course for teachers/trainers interested in exploring creative approaches to language teaching

The project target groups are school teachers (foreign language teachers in particular) and other educational workers who work with children and youngsters; school principals, adult educators, life-long learning providers; students, etc., as well as decision-makers from different levels of the educational systems in the project partner countries. 

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ACTIVITIES 

The methodology proposed to achieve CREALLE outcomes is developed on a basis of a logical sequence of activities. Indeed the whole work plan has been split into 3 core stages: Preparatory stage, Dissemination stage and Exploitation stage.

In the course of the Preparatory stage the transferability of the products and outputs of the 4 CREALLE target projects will be assessed through participatory matching sessions that will be organized in all project countries. In addition, a research of the best 'creative' practices will be carried out.

The second stage foresees two main activities:

1)     the Development of a website in English, French, Italian and German containing the best 'creative' practices created in European projects. This latter could result in the constitution of a virtual library where all the teachers and professionals interested in the link between creativity and languages can find data and contacts.

2)     the organization and realization of the International Dissemination Conference in Brussels with Project Fair within its frames. Besides the goal to valorise the 4 particular projects, the Conference aims to give an opportunity to these and other educational projects to be disseminated in an international context. The participants, coming from different countries, will demonstrate how creative approaches can work effectively in different languages and thus how creativity is absolutely pivotal and consistent with the aims of multilingualism.

Finally, in the course of the Exploitation stage the program of a training course addressed to the FL teachers/trainers interested in all the creative tools that we have highlighted in the project will be written and inserted on the Comenius-Grundtvig database and the Conference’s results will be disseminated through newsletters and website. 

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 OUTCOMES 

§   Four interactive "matching sessions" to bring together supply and demand organized in UK, BG, IT and DE. In each session there will be interactive exchanges between the 4 CREALLE project promoters and the users, with the aim of facilitating the transfer and exploitation of the project results to meet new users' needs. The projects and products will be presented as a “point of departure” towards the broader issues of adaptability and  utilizing the products, as well as towards the possibilities for innovating the traditional teaching methods with creativity-based methods.

§   Research activities in order to identify the needs of the two target groups and to select the best creative practices for the EU-funded projects and products that will be chosen for the dissemination at the International Conference and to be made available on the website in the form of a virtual library

§   An International Dissemination conference and a Projects Fair in Brussels aimed at

§  to bring together and display some good practices and products from already implemented EU educational projects – the 4 CREALLE target projects and others aimed at contributing to creativity in language education;

§  to discuss how foreign language learning in the EU countries might benefit from the transfer and utilization of the know-how produced by the European educational projects represented within the partnership and others selected to be presented during the “Project fair”;

§  to exchange experience, efficient practices and lay the foundations for potential networking between relevant actors in the field concerned;

§  to involve key representatives: educationalists, decision makers, FL teachers, school authorities.

§   A website in English, French, Italian and German containing the general information on the project (objectives, activities, results and partnership) and a virtual library consisting of the best 'creative' practices created in European projects.

§   A brochure and a poster, both in EN, FR, BG; DE, IT, for dissemination purposes. They describe topic, partners, main activities and products of the CREALLE project.

§   A special issue of the magazine Scuol@Europa illustrating some of the best creative practices published in Italian on paper by FENICE and delivered to over 3000 Italian representatives of target groups (i.e. upper secondary schools, institutions and policy makers).

§   An electronic-based special issue of the periodical Scuol@Europa published by FENICE on CREALLE outcomes and forthcoming project activities with several articles related to the topic of the project. It will be translated into all partners’ languages, and delivered to over 6000 representatives of target groups.

§   2 newsletters in five languages (EN, FR, BG; DE, IT) sent by e-mail to representatives of target groups. The first one aims at disseminating creative learning language projects; the second one at reaching and involving a wider audience in the International Conference.

§   The program of a training course to be inserted on the Comenius/Grundtvig database addressed to the in-service teachers/trainers in FL interested in exploring creative approaches to language teaching

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PARTNERSHIP 

·         Lewis School of English, Southampton, UK - an independently managed language school accredited by the British Council and member of Quality English which has long held the belief that the most effective teaching happens through the use of a wide range of teaching materials and techniques, rather than simply following a coursebook, and by adapting to the needs and interests of individual students. This approach to language teaching has attracted and developed a high calibre of teachers who enjoy exploring different resources and techniques, with the aim of engaging and developing the learner. Thus the Lewis School functions as an ‘ideas lab’, where teaching ideas are conceived, shared and honed.

The Lewis School’s operations have expanded to include nine summer camps for junior students (six in the UK, one in Italy and two in the USA) and major projects such as:

·         Theatre Express - (www.lewis-school.co.uk/theatre) an international language-learning project that brings the world of theatre and language teaching together. The projects encompass music, dance, drama and culture and culminate in an English-language performance by the students.

·         A Fresh Approach – (www.fresh-approach-to-learning.com) a project that offers English language teachers all over Europe fresh and innovative practical guidance to develop their language-teaching skills through highly interactive conferences and workshops.

·         Hello Schools – a video competition for junior students (http://www.lewis-school.co.uk/helloschools/).

In these projects the school works with a great number of students who can have very different levels of English. The school staff have remarkable experience in dealing with people from very heterogeneous social, cultural and religious backgrounds. This approach, very attentive to intercultural dialogue and the respect of diversity has enabled the school to have, in 2010, 717 adult students from 53 nationalities.

·         Federazione Nazionale Insegnanti Centro di iniziativa per l’Europa (FENICE), Naples, Italy – a non-profit professional association founded in 1981 with a different name. During 29 years of activity, its aim has been to increase the European dimension in education, to highlight the educational and formative value of state schools, favouring and promoting initiatives which may help to meet the growing demand for education and training; to promote and plan initiatives, training projects, refresher courses, the cultural improvement of teachers as well as research and experimentation in the teaching field, it has designed and carried out more than 30 seminars and public conferences, 135 in-service courses and training courses for teachers both initial and in-service, most of which had been authorised by our local educational Authorities.

From 2001 until now it has been involved, as coordinator or partner, in 20 European projects in the field of education and training within LLP and Socrates, Leonardo & Youth Programme. FENICE publishes a periodical called «Scuol@Europa» sent to 3000 upper secondary schools in Italy and a newsletter sent out in three languages (IT, EN, FR) all over Europe to about 6000 institutions and policy makers with information on its activities in trans-national partnerships in European Projects. It aims at promoting the products and the methods developed by trans-national partnerships to a wider audience, and to encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences.

FENICE’s website (www.fenice-eu.org) includes, in three languages (IT-EN-FR), beyond the details of all the activities and all the issues of the newsletter and of the periodical, the presentations of eleven European projects on foreign language learning in which it has participated as promoter or partner so acquiring a wide experience.

·         Kulturring in Berlin e.V. – Berlin, Germany - a non-profit association bringing together local initiatives and groups in the cultural and educational sector across Berlin. Established in 1994, it continues the work of the Kulturbund which was established in 1945.The Kulturring has centres and offices across Berlin and concentrates on the following:

§  Contributing positively to Berlin's environment with local cultural initiatives;

§  Organising local cultural events such as exhibitions, fairs and symposia;

§  Supporting intercultural dialogue with different migrant groups across the city;

§  Offering educational activities and courses for the long-term unemployed;

§  Organising school projects and library events.

The Media Education Department of the Kulturring in Berlin e.V. has introduced media education with a video focus to primary and secondary schools and pre-service and in-service education. The department has a successful path with media educational and video and language combined projects and is looking into how video production can be used as a tool to foster media and intercultural competence.

The Media Education Department has so far coordinated five multilateral European projects: “Television News on Europe” (http://23muskeltiere.de/europe.htm), “Speech Bubbles” (http://speechbubbles.net/), “Media Education across the Curriculum”(http://mediaeducation.net), “DIVIS - digital video streaming and multilingualism” (http://divisproject.eu) and “viducate - video production as a lifelong learning tool” (http://viducate.net)

The department has offered training opportunities for teachers within seminars, workshops and courses within international conferences, University workshops, school workshops and European teacher training courses in most European countries.

·         Intercultural Co-operation Foundation (ICCF) - Sofia, Bulgaria – a non-governmental, non-profit organisation established in 2003 and registered in the Central Registry at the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice as an organisation which works for public benefit. ICCF is active in the implementation of educational projects on an international and national scale addressing cultural and linguistic diversity and supporting the transition to modern educational practices that help teachers to meet learners’ needs more adequately in the dynamic and ever-changing contemporary world.

The main objectives of ICCF are to support the establishment of relations of tolerance, agreement, mutual respect and co-operation between representatives of different cultures, ethnic groups and religions in regional, national, European and international aspects; to encourage and support the free exchange of ideas and good practices, as well as the free movement of people for achievement of cultural interaction with regard to the safeguarding, progress and popularisation of the virtues of different cultures in the context of cultural diversity and pluralism; to assist to sustainable development and progress of the society throughout initiatives that contribute to the dissemination of knowledge, recognition of democratic values, respect of human dignity and the irreversible civil and human rights.

On a national level ICCF cooperates with educational institutions (schools and universities), other non-profit organisations and local municipal authorities. It develops and implements initiatives aimed at improving teachers’ qualifications, activities addressing civic education, as well as educational inclusion and social integration of young people with minority origin.

ICCF has been an initiator and partner in nine international projects, supported by the EC in the frames of Socrates programme and LLP. Three of these projects were dedicated to promoting the foreign language learning and multilingualism. Languages and culture are closely related, so sustaining cultural diversity is impossible without supporting and sustaining the linguistic diversity across Europe and around the world.  

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