DigiNET – Digitalization and social media for adult employment
March 26, 2018
SELF-MATE
September 20, 2018
SELF-MATE
September 20, 2018
DigiNET – Digitalization and social media for adult employment
March 26, 2018

As part of its efforts to promote mobility and intercultural understanding, the EU has designated language learning as an important priority, and funds numerous programmes and projects in this area. Multilingualism, in the EU’s view, is an important element in Europe’s competitiveness. One of the objectives of the EU’s language policy is therefore that every European citizen should master two other languages in addition to their mother tongue.

In this regard this project wants to focus on the oral skills for a proper communication in  foreign languages, based on the observed lack of trainings and tools teaching or fostering oral communication techniques and the too  focus on grammar issues that can make people (especially adults) not willing to make the effort to learn or improve a foreign language.

In addition, this project will also help the European Union’s aspiration to be united in diversity (something that the harmonious co-existence of many languages in Europe embodies, as languages can build bridges between people, giving  access to other countries and cultures, and enabling to understand each other better) as well as to get a more competitive labour force.

Objectives

The main objective of the project is (with the support of ICT) to improve the oral communication skills of adults in foreign languages through training and cooperation between equals, putting special emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge when communicating in a foreign language and on the promotion of face to face contact between adults willing to have a conversation in a certain foreign language with other people with good knowledge of such language (natives or high-level speakers).

Thus, the main idea is to give content and develop a series of  online tools so that adults (especially adult education staff), on the one hand, can be trained in a series of key aspects, potential topics and tips related to the conversation in a foreign language, while, on the other hand, can become a contact area where people willing to improve their oral communication skills in a foreign language can interact and have a face to face communication with native or high level speakers in order to improve their practical domain in such language.

This will also suppose an improvement in adults oral communication, which will lead to improving their cultural and intellectual background, their mobility prospects and their employability potential due to the importance of languages in today’s economy.

Target Group

Primary target group, adult education staff (educators, teachers, mentors, peers, language providers, or prospective individuals interested in developing their labour path in adult education) will increase their capacity for the provision of foreign languages, with special focus on oral communication techniques, tips and strategies and will also obtain an increased capacity and confidence for more active involvement into educational and lifelong learning activities.

On the other hand, and as secondary target group, all adults willing to improve their communication in foreign languageS will benefit from the project. So, adults from different ages and backgrounds, including those belonging to disadvantaged groups (young adults, middle-aged adults, women, unemployed,  long-term unemployed, dropouts, etc), as well as those looking for labour or study opportunities abroad, will be impacted with an increased accessibility to non-formal activities, in this case related to oral communication skills in foreign languages.

Partners

  • Método Estudios Consultores – Spain
  • Union of parishes of Gondomar, Valbom e Jovim – Portugal
  • University of Vienna, Postgraduate center – Austria
  • Kairos Europe – Uk

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