basic information
THE INITIATIVE PROMOTER’S PERSPECTIVE
With the growing number of young people with a migration background in Austria, both authorities and educational institutions are preoccupied by improving the education and work opportunities for all. The project network ‘Dynamo’ has fostered a wide range of integrated measures since 2007 that would lead to language learning (German as a Sencond Language) and other skills needed by teenagers and young adults with a migration background in order to enhance their ability to acquire basic qualifications and a better understanding of the Austrian cultural and work environment. This would result in obtaining graduation diplomas that would enable them to find a workplace, thus reducing the unemployment rate through qualifications.
The project network Dynamo has set a wide range of objectives such as :
- Equality of chances for young people and, as a result, better integration perspectives in the educational system and society, as well as employability;
- Ensuring compliance with basic education and qualification requirements as well as obtaining graduation diplomas for young adults;
- Ensuring a better understanding of intercultural and real life related aspects, besides the language learning experience (e.g. developing the concepts and underlying philosophy for fighting prejudice, workshops and trips in support of integration, etc.).
The project network 'Dynamo' has used innovative teaching methods in order to achieve objectives. A number of mentors have been trained to support young learners throughout the learning process and also in developing intercultural competences for a better integration in society. Formal training is in German but counselling can take place in any of the target languages (i.e. the migrants’ mother tongues) mentioned above.
Materials are also tailored to the needs of the course participants and have a well balanced content and approach.
More than 3100 students received educational, professional- socio-psychological counselling only in 2008 and their number increased every year. As a result the initiators of the project have diversified the range of services offered to teenagers and young adults with a migration background, for example: Betriebsconsulting.
The application for innovative language projects 2009 fitted the annual focus on “Language Learning for the Workplace”.
THE NELLIP NETWORK’S PERSPECTIVE
The project is consistent with European policies directed towards the social and professional integration of people with a migration background. It also fosters highly innovative materials and methods in the field of language teaching and learning and by councelling young adults in their mothertongue (Farsi, Arabic etc.) also contributes to the use of less widely spoken languages.
The project is consistent with the European, National and yearly priorities. It fitted the annual focus on language learning for the workplace.
The project is also consistent with priorities such as:
• promotion of new approaches to language teaching and learning
• promotion of multilingualism and the development of positive attitudes to cultural diversity
• promotion of recognition and validation of integrated skills acquired through non formal and informal education.
Comments on this Case Studies
Date: 2014.10.20
Posted by Rodica (Romania (Prosper ASE))
Message: My name is Rodica and I teach Portuguese and French as foreign languages. This project inspired me especially as concerning approaching intercultural communication. I think there is a need to train teachers in teaching intercultural communication through creative and innovative activities. Such projects give us a lot of ideas. Congratulations!
Date: 2014.10.20
Posted by Gheorghe (Romania (Prosper ASE))
Message: Hello, I am Gheorghe and I was involved in different activities related to the process of definition, recognition etc. of qualifications acquired within non formal education programs. I think such projects are extremely useful and they should be implemented in other countries, too. I will talk about it with my colleagues and we hope to use it as a model to design a similar project in Romania also. I will contact the promotors of this project, maybe they are interested in a new partnership for a new similar international project.