Lifelong Learning Programme

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basic information

Title of the Project
Bridges for Education
Brief description
The ‘Bridges for education’ project is aimed at promotion of understanding and tolerance by the foreign languages and linguistic diversity and intercultural educational exchange among 8 countries. The project has been directed towards students aged 14-18 and teachers from different countries. It was held in a boarding school at ‘Hospis-Energia” in the town of Targovishte, Bulgaria for 20 days - from 7th July to 26th July 2003. Results: Development of self-evaluation skills and adoption of new pedagogical approaches; Building of various communicative skills in accordance with the intercultural exchange; Signing agreements for future cooperation with Latvia, Estonia Belarus, Russia, Romania and Poland.
Country
Bulgaria
Year
2003
Target Language
Bulgarian, English, Estonian, Latvian, Polish, Romanian, Other
Sector
Higher Education
Transversal (more sectors addressed)
Further Information

THE INITIATIVE PROMOTER’S PERSPECTIVE

Background

The project “Bridges for Education” was implemented by the NGO Foundation “English Club”, Bulgaria in cooperation with institutions from Bulgaria, Byelorussia, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Poland, Romania as well as the American foundation “Bridges for Education”, the Regional inspectorate for education (city of Targovishte), I Primary School “Hristo Botev” and a few private companies.
The project was directed towards students between 14 and 18 years of age as well as teachers from different countries.
The target languages were English, Bulgarian, Estonian, Polish, Romanian, Latvian, Byelorussian and Russian.

Objectives

The project “Bridges for Education” has the following objectives:
- Promoting mutual understanding and tolerance through foreign languages and linguistic diversity;
- Intercultural educational exchange among 8 European countries;
- Adopting new pedagogical approaches and developing self-evaluation skills

Approach

The project included 140 children from 8 countries as well as 15 international and 15 American teachers. It took place in the facilities of “Hispis-Energia”, Targovishte, Bulgaria within a period of 20 days.
The students were divided into 11 groups based on the performed preliminary tests. Every day the students were able to learn and discuss on different topics (history, civilization, music, geography, business English, leadership, ethnical models, etc.) though English and the other represented languages – Bulgarian, Estonian, Polish, Romanian, Latvian, Byelorussian and Russian.

Results

- Reaching a high number of people and ensuring support from governmental, municipal, public and private institutions
- Participants from 8 countries and a team of teachers
- Adopting new pedagogical approaches and developing self-evaluation skills
- Developing various communication skills related to intercultural exchange

Why the European Language Label?

The aim for the application for European Language Label was based on the possibility for gaining additional dissemination and popularity for the project idea and methods.

Activities following the award of the European Language Label

Further dissemination of the project and its results at local and national events.

Assessment of the Impact of the European Language Label

Receiving the award was a sign of recognition of the success of the project. As a result the project gained better visibility.

Recommendations for future applicants for the ELL

Future applicants for the Label award are advised to first define clearly their target groups and then direct their project at covering specific needs of those groups with methods and products that would bring actual benefit to them. The application form for the Label should show in detail how this is achieved.

THE NELLIP NETWORK’S PERSPECTIVE

Consistency with European Policies in the field of Language Learning

The project is consistent with the European priorities in the field of language learning because it was directed at enhancement of the quality of language teaching, focus on teacher training, promotion of new approaches to language teaching and learning, promotion of multilingualism as well as promotion of the development of teaching material for the learning of less widely spoken languages

THE NATIONAL AGENCY’S PERSPECTIVE

Motivations

The project was selected based on the quality of its results and its consistency with the national and European priorities in the filed of language learning.

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Comments on this Case Studies

Your comments are welcome


Date: 2014.10.14

Posted by Mark Fowler (Ireland)

Message: This project shows the usefulness of planning and implementing a short term project that can serve as a pilot. Its results can encourage and promote later projects

Date: 2014.07.15

Posted by Richard Rossner (uk)

Message: This demonstrates that an award winning project can be as simple as planning and running an enriching 3-week course for language learners. It was great that so much was done to promote the use of a foreign language for promoting intercultural awareness and other 21st century skills.

Date: 2014.02.21

Posted by Emidio Balestracci (Italia)

Message: I like the idea of project on interculture. I am responsable of interculture in my school and I want to do projects with international partners to promote the sensibility of students and parents on the theme of understand and accueil other cultures as a moyen to enrich us and to expand our orizon.

21 December 2014

Audio- video presentation of the NELLIP project

An audio- video presentation of the NELLIP project has been created and made available in the Information section of the NELLIP portal. To access the presentation please click here: http://nellip.pixel-online.org/IF_intro.php.