Lucia Elena Petrescu azi_today2003@yahoo.co.uk EuroEd Foundation Iasi

Lucia Elena Petrescuazi_today2003@yahoo.co.uk

EuroEd Foundation Iasi

Developing family learning,  study support and the

teaching of foreign languages to young learners

Developing family learning,  study support

“In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully

equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

Al. Rogers

European policies:setting people on the path to a lifetime of

learning ensuring open and democratic societies by

training people in citizenship, solidarity and participative democracy

providing adults with ways to improve their knowledge and skills

Keeping them mentally fit and potentially more employable

Target groups:

familiesteachers trainers educational staff

Family learning:

informal and formal learning that involves more than one generation

Family learning:creating a host of fresh opportunities to pursue

previously thwarted ambitions.

Family learning:

a range of roles that illustrate the changes and different aspects of support need in the 21st century

Family learning:

raise awareness on family members’ roles and their importance for everyone’s welfare

Family learning:

Child education

Family learning:

disadvantaged background for both parents and children

Issues facing society

Update experience and maximize new informational acquisitions

Family learning and study support:

EFLNFACE IT!NOCHILDLB

European Family Learning Network

Grundtvig 4 programme From 2006- 2009 Partners: Finland France Germany Ireland Italy Norway Poland Romania Slovenia UK

European Family Learning Network

Meeting the priorities of the EU:

Access to and participation in lifelong learning for all, including disadvantaged people should be promoted and improved at national and community level

Reduce poverty and social exclusion among marginalized groups.

improve people's skills and help them towards active citizenship and personal autonomy

European Family Learning Network

Key words:networksharingtrainerspolicy makers

European Family Learning Network

Objectives:Develop an advocacy and dissemination

strategy. Create and maintain a high quality

website Create a European Family Learning

publication to promote the benefits of a Family Learning approach

European Family Learning Network

Aspects:Family members learning togetherStages of family lifeRelationships, rolesTaking responsibility in a wider society

European Family Learning Network

Actions: Inaugural Network planning meeting. (October 2006 London, UK)

Network planning meeting. (May 2007 Marseille, France)

Seminar on Family Learning and social inclusion, working with migrant families

Network planning meeting (November 2007 Genova, Italy)

Seminar on Parental Involvement

Network planning meeting (May 2008 Karjaa, Finland)

Seminar on Family Learning and Citizenship

Network planning meeting. (October 2008 Iasi, Romania) Seminar on national network and infrastructure development

Conference and dissemination event (June 2009 Birmingham, UK )

www.efln.eu

Room for local implementation?...

Would you need to implement these ideas in your area?

What would be the best way of doing that?

Who would benefit from them?

FACE IT ! Families and Active Citizenship

Education, an Integrated TrainingGrundtvig 1 programme

From Oct.2006 to Sept. 2008

Partners: Romania United kingdom France Italy Ireland

FACE IT ! Families and Active Citizenship Education,

an Integrated TrainingMeeting the priorities of the EU:

• FACE IT ! aims to pool existing experience and expertise and develop a sustainable Life Long Learning and Family Learning educational tool to promote Active Citizenship and Participatory Democracy in

migrant/socially isolated or disadvantaged families

FACE IT ! Families and Active Citizenship Education,

an Integrated TrainingObjectives: increasing skills and knowledge in the areas of

Active Citizenship and Participatory Democracy and Family Learning

creating a trainer training programme and accompanying toolkit

designing materials to attract hard-to-reach learners

bringing disadvantaged and isolated families into education

FACE IT ! Families and Active Citizenship Education,

an Integrated TrainingKey words:InvolvementCommunitiesDevelopmentEmpowering peopleChallenge

FACE IT ! Families and Active Citizenship Education,

an Integrated TrainingActive citizenship:active involvement of individuals in

public life and affairs developing the skills, knowledge and

understanding making informed decisions about their

communities and workplaces improving the quality of life

FACE IT ! Families and Active Citizenship Education,

an Integrated TrainingActions:1. Research (Oct 06 – Mar 07 )

2. Course design (Mar 07 – Jul 07 )

3. Testing (Aug 07 – Sep 07 )

4. 1st FACE IT ! International Trainer Training (Sep 07 – Nov 07 (2 weeks) )

5. 2nd FACE IT ! International Trainer Training (Nov 07 – Jan 08 (2 weeks) )

6. Pilot National FACE IT ! (Mar 08 – May 08 )

7. FACE IT ! International Conference (May 08 – Jul 08 )

8. More FACE IT ! national training (Jul 08 – Sep 08 )

www.faceitproject.org

Room for local implementation?...

Would you need to implement these ideas in your area?

What would be the best way of doing that?

Who would benefit from them?

No Child Left Behind

Comenius programmeFrom 2007 to 2009Partners:United KingdomSpain LithuaniaRomaniaPoland

No Child Left Behind

Meeting the priorities of the EU:1. The project establishes a discipline

during the school years of instilling a “thirst for learning”

2. It follows a thread of European cultural context and it contextualizes the learning making it meaningful

No Child Left Behind

1. It develops employability skills amongst participants: creativity, self-esteem, confidence and achievement

2. Teachers are provided with previously untried or undiscovered methodologies shared via national and international networks

No Child Left Behind

Key words:Thirst for learningLife skillsAchievementAdapted methodology

No Child Left Behind

Objectives:To improve achievementEquip young people with life skillsOffer a contextualized learning so that the

learners would understand its benefits

No Child Left Behind

Actions:Piloting the training packageAdjusting the programme according to the

partnersPiloting the training with each partnerEvaluating the training (trainees, trainers,

individual observer)Readjust the trainingCreating support materials

Room for local implementation?...

Would you need to implement these ideas in your area?

What would be the best way of doing that?

Who would benefit from them?

The role and importance of family learning and study support

What do these projects change?

Understanding the need of being up to date with the new society and its requirements

Offering a general view on the wider European community and thus having better understanding of personal characteristics

Promoting self awareness and self confidenceEncouraging intergenerational supportPutting theory to practice through useful activitiesSupporting practitioners

Target groups

TrainersAdults members of the familyChildrenLocal policy makers

Room for local implementation?...

Would you need to implement these ideas in your area?

What would be the best way of doing that?

Who would benefit from them?

The teaching of foreign languages to young learners

Teaching foreign languages to YLEuropean policies:

“It is this diversity that makes the European Union what it is: not a ‘melting pot’ in which

differences are rendered down, but a common home in which diversity is celebrated, and

where our many mother tongues are a source of wealth and a bridge to greater solidarity and

mutual understanding.”

EU strategy for multilingualism

Teaching foreign languages to YL

The cultural component:Involving children in international

collaborations

Offering a large diversity of ways to discover new national and cultural identities

Sharing traditions

The methodological component

Language acquisition through contextualised and meaningful activities

The use of practical activities during which children can practice the language in real life situations

Raising linguistic awareness using unconventional means of language teaching/learning

Creating a more concrete sense of achievement by creating material/lesson support

Teaching foreign languages to YLThe fun in it!!!Asking for children’s help in deciding the next step

Allowing time for children to enjoy the activities

Learning by doing and maximizing direct experience

Raising responsibility by introducing elements of games

Teaching foreign languages to YL

Chain stories EATThe Dinocrocs travel to the Balkans

Partners:FranceSpainPortugal ItalyRomania

Chain StoriesMeeting the priorities of the EU:support the linguistic diversity of the EU

encourage improvements in the quality of language teaching

create enjoyable, educative and motivating, learning, experience for teachers and students from, eventually, the whole of Europe

Chain Stories

Key words:passive knowledge integration language acquisitionmotivational factorsinterestlowering barriersadventure

Chain StoriesOBJECTIVES:Collaboration to achieve children’s

awareness of the multilingual and cultural wealth of the European Union

Offer a strong and engaging, personal motivation to children to learn different languages, not only the most widely used ones. (with a subject that directly appeals to the age group)

Chain storiesHow it’s made:1. Choose the partners2. Assign an order3. Write the first chapter4. Send it in the original language for the students and in

a common language for the teachers5. Attach the dictionary, drawings and any other clues

about the chapter you’re sending6. 2nd (intermediary) partner – solve the enigma and then

continue the story following the above mentioned steps7. Last partner – concludes the story8. All the partners receive the full version of the story 9. Teachers exchange exercises they used in class

Chain Stories

Structure:1. Planning phase (Oct. 2006)

2. Initial phase (Oc.t-Nov.2006)

3. Design and contents (Nov 2006)

4. Piloting (Dec.2006-May 2008)

5. Open to romance (Jun. 2008- Feb.2009)

6. Open to multiple linguistic families (Feb.-Sept. 2009)

7. Final (Jul.- Sept. 2009)

8. Final management (Sept. 2009)

Chain Stories

Writing stories:

Chain stories

What happened? Children were enthusiastic about

receiving the new chapters They tried to decipher the unknown

language and had fun with the false friends

They learnt new words in the foreign language

Chain stories

Follow up activities:Act the story

Word games

Organize a quiz based on the information collected about the countries involved

Make a presentation/project about one of the countries involved in the project

http://www.chainstories.eu

Partners:Bulgaria

United Kingdom

Netherlands

Italy

Romania

Eating Abroad Together

Meeting the priorities of the EU:“Multilingualism is essential for the proper

functioning of the EU”“Early learners become aware of their own

cultural values and influences and appreciate other cultures becoming more open towards and interested in the others”

Action plan for the promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity 2004-2007

Eating Abroad Together

Key words:Healthy eatingTraditionsInnovationResearchDirect experience

Eating Abroad Together

Objectives:Promote language learning and linguistic

diversity (by means of healthy eating)Encourage children to contribute to the

development and promotion of healthy eating strategy

Develop materials for teaching languages and language awareness

Eating Abroad Together

Romanian experience

Eating Abroad Together

Eating Abroad Together

Healthy eating:

Eating Abroad Together

Talk with the nutritionistObserving the well eat plate and the

nutritional pyramidKeeping food dairiesObserving their own eating habits

Eating Abroad Together

Eating Abroad Together

JURNAL:

Eating Abroad Together

And action!Discussing about eating habitsComparing our with the ones from the other

countriesMaking posters with family diariesEating togetherCookingWriting recipes Trying them at home with the family

Eating Abroad Together

Communicating with the partner schoolSending emailsWriting lettersPostcardsPuzzlesPicturesFilms

www.eatingabroadtogether.eu

The Dinocrocs travel to the Balkans

“Learning languages(…) is an important factor in doing well at school. Contact with another

language is not only compatible with becoming proficient in one's mother tongue, it also makes

it easier. It opens the mind, stimulates intellectual agility and, of course, expands

people's cultural horizon. Multilingualism is part and parcel of both European identity/citizenship

and the learning society.”European Union White Paper

BUT…

The Dinocrocs travel to the Balkans

not sufficient numbers of nursery or primary school teachers who know how to teach a foreign language

teachers are not sufficiently motivated to acquire the expertise necessary for such teaching,

foreign language teaching is generally regarded as extremely difficult

the methodological tools for the instruction of languages to young children are lacking

 A winning alternative to the traditional system of training language teachers Traute Taeschner

The Dinocrocs travel to the Balkans

STILL……

HERE WE ARE!!!HOCUS

LOTUS

The Dinocrocs travel to the Balkans

Objectives:improving the quality and attractiveness of

pre-school and primary school education by adapting the ‘The Adventures of Hocus and Lotus’

instructing currently practising teachers in the necessary linguistic and methodological skills for teaching a foreign language

The Dinocrocs travel to the Balkans

Key words:StoriesCartoonsSongsMimicActingMagic teacher!!!

The Dinocrocs travel to the Balkans

Innovation!!!the teacher is not expected to know the

foreign language The training allows even those teachers

with no previous knowledge of the new language to go on and teach it

The Dinocrocs travel to the Balkans

BY WORD OF MOUTH:

http://www.hocus-lotus.edu

WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR YOUR

CHILD?

azi_today2003@yahoo.co.uk

lucia.petrescu@euroed.ro