basic information
THE INITIATIVE PROMOTER’S PERSPECTIVE
The information for the Case Study was collected during an interview with Guillaume le Dieu de Ville, co-founder of the “Lingueo” project.
The background of the “Lingueo” project is based on the observation according to which today the learning process of a foreign languages is facilitated by the multiplication of the possible channels but it is impoverished in terms of contents and oral practice. For this reason, Lingueo represents an alternative tool to have person-to-person virtual lessons with mother tongue teachers, according to the availability of the students. Lingueo is a simple, international and flexible method whose main intention is to democratize the learning process of a foreign language.
The project target groups are all the users of the project portal who intend to use in order to pass an exam, to obtain a job, to improve their skills, etc. At the same time, the project is addressed to all the tutors who gave an important contribution to the “teaching spect” of the Lingueo initiative.
The project target languages are: English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Russian, Sign language.
Lingueo’ objective is to make language learning more accessible and wide-spread through the development of a more affordable and ready-to-use learning platform, which gives a wider range of people the opportunity to learn a wider variety of languages. Lingueo’s other mission is to constantly bring an edge of innovation into language learning, making the learning experience more entertaining, targeted, and motivating.
The first step of the project consisted in the realization of a user friendly web site which could contain all the didactic units and answer the practical needs it was created for. Then, the search of motivated and well prepared teachers, helping the link between the students and the most appropriate teachers for their specific needs and requests. Finally, the practical aspects of the site, with a customer care and a specific section where students could receive an appropriate feedback for their performances.
Ten thousands users is the most evident result of this project. The site further developed its contents and improved the matching between teachers and students. Most of the users positively passed an exam or obtained a work thanks to the help of the Lingueo web site.
The Lingueo group decided to submit the application for the European Language Label with the aim to receive a greater visibility, to obtain a qualitative recognition and to share an innovative practice of learning.
The reasons of the candidature were positively confirmed. First of all, the project received a great visibility thanks to this qualitative recognition and a lot of people approached the web site for the first time thanks to the Label. Then, Lingueo showed to an European audience how an innovative method based on new media can be positively used in teaching a foreign language.
The institution put the Label logo on its portal as an added value for its activities. Then, the Lingueo group produced an official press statement which was transmitted to local and national networks.
Thanks to this award, the project obtained a better credibility, an indispensable added value for the online activities which usually have to pay a high level of mistrust. Then, the label also produced a motivational push on the project promoters, convincing them to keep on following this innovative direction.
In order to develop a quality project in the field of Language learning, the Lingueo group advices to focus on transparency. It is necessary to explain all the details of the initiative and to afford the Label committee to all the sections of the project.
The European Language Label is a qualitative recognition, not a commercial initiative. Exploiting it as a commercial product means to degrade the noble intentions it has been created for.
THE NELLIP NETWORK’S PERSPECTIVE
The NELLIP Network selected the Lingueo project for its consistency with the political priorities of the European Commission in the field of language learning. In particular, the Lingueo project enhances the quality of language teaching through the participation of well prepared and motivated teachers. Then, it promotes multilingualism (being structured in 14 languages), and new approaches to language teaching and learning (using the potential endless opportunities offered by new technologies). Finally, the project offers different teachers on multiple subjects, with the aim to meet the specific needs of well targeted groups.
THE NATIONAL AGENCY’S PERSPECTIVE
The project was selected as case study by the French National Agency “Europe-Education-Formation”.
According to the French evaluator, as stated in the “Label des Labels – 10 ans de projets” publication, this project shows how a small enterprise can autonomously realize an online teaching platform, able to reach an important number of possible end users.
Comments on this Case Studies
Date: 2014.08.05
Posted by Itala Ceccacci (Italy)
Message: I am a retired woman, interested in learning English in order to speak with my nephew, whose father is American. A friend of mine suggested me the Lingueo website and I found it immediately helpful and user-friendly. And this comment is the best result of what I learnt in the last few months