Case Studies

This information was given to me by Annie Nielsen, the project promoter of Vores Faellesprog in e-mails and in a phone interview in August 2012.

In Danish as a second language there were difficulties for students to fully understand the grammar when teachers used Danish words to explain. The idea of “Our common language” is to use mother tongue as a means of making the grammar more available to students from different countries.

To make students learn grammar and the Danish language using their mother tongue.

The first material was a series of grammar books that were published in 1993-94 in 10 languages: Turkish, Arabic, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, English, French, Persian, Swahili, Vietnamese and Spanish. Later, the program was developed with questions in ten languages and exercises in Danish in a digital version. The basic idea that the user should be able to read about Danish Grammar in his mother tongue, is maintained. This was the foundation for the e-learning project which followed and received the ELL. The website provides grammar facts and examples and it allows you to practice on what you have learned using exercises.

Annie Nielsen reported that the project has been very successful. The number of visitors to the web site is one indicator. Another is that the department of education and other providers of education have linked to the e-learning site. Another result presented is the need for increasing the amounts of languages available.
The ministry of integration has made an external evaluation.

Annie Nielsen has participated in international conferences, for example in Tallinn in 2008 at the European Language label awards conference. She has also visited other countries to make speeches about the project.

Since the award was presented the number of visitors to the webpage has increased. Receiving the award made a difference in the project’s sustainability as well as adding international contacts.

This project is very interesting on several levels. It has made grammar more accessible for students by using the mother tongue to explain it. Further more it has advanced from the books, which also presented an interesting and well-working method, to more interactive options on the net. This enables the student to practice anytime and anywhere when he or she has the time.

The project Vores Faellesprog, Our common language consist with the following policies: It has a comprehensive approach. The needs of the students are identified and met. Added value. It provides an improvement in the teaching and learning of languages in a national context.

The priority for the ELL in 2007 was Diversity in language learning

"Vores Fællessprog" Our Common language works for every level of language learning from beginner to advanced level as well as studies on your own. The project was supported by the ministry of education.