ICT in Language Learning – Promoting Usage and Achieving Sustainability

English is the taken-for-granted lingua franca of the commercial and academic worlds.  But what happens when you are faced with someone who speaks one of the so-called less widely used and taught languages – the LWUTLs – Czech, Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian – to name but a few?  Or what happens when people from these countries wish to communicate with each other?

One of the major challenges to learning languages for many people across the globe is the lack of accessible, affordable and sustainable language-learning tools. Whilst people seeking to learn major world languages don’t face such a great problem - the high demand for learning English and other languages for international business is, to a large extent, met by a vast and competitive provision of learning tools – communication barriers amongst and between speakers of so-called Less Widely Used and Taught Languages (LWUTLs) – are much harder to overcome.

For Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), these barriers link directly to poor export performance, and to restrictions on regional growth and internationalisation as resources for language training are limited, whilst large multi-national corporation can select from any number of language learning resources for their staff to facilitate growth and entry into foreign markets.

Also for students, there are significant communication difficulties when pursuing exchange programmes in countries where English – the taken-for-granted international lingua franca – is not widely spoken.

It is not for a lack of will that language-skills development is not pursued but rather a lack of accessible, affordable and sustainable learning tools.  Open educational resources of course exist for language learning; however, that these resources are often unavailable in users’ native languages is seen as a significant barrier to their effective utilisation.  There is a particularly clear lack of good quality, interactive, yet linguistically accessible resources for LWUTLs such as Czech, Lithuanian, Latvian, and Polish.  However, through ICT and social innovation, this is a gap that can be closed.

The project ‘Everyplace’, funded by the European Commission Lifelong Learning Programme, is developing an online, free educational resource offering learners the opportunities to learn LWUTLs in their native language of instruction.  Combined with targeted intercultural elements, this resource seeks to enhance communication competences amongst the staff of SME organisations operating in cross-cultural environments, and for students on exchange programmes in areas where English is not commonly spoken.

However, the innovative aspect is not in the multi-lingualism of the learning resource, but that in intrinsically and contextually linking the learning of LWUTLs with the authentic communication settings of small, less-widely visited towns, this accessible and contextually-driven language-learning resource becomes a self-sustainable, self-disseminating carrier; it showcases small and medium European towns, and, in an age of growing investment in the marketing of places, is itself showcased by these towns.  Local governments, civic offices and stakeholders in local leisure and tourism have an inherent interest in promoting their towns, and are more than happy to support language-learning resources which encourage regional and international awareness and recognition of these towns.

The project ‘Everyplace’ integrates language learning into the daily experiences, socio-economic interests and emerging trends of a modern information age.  With ‘Everyplace’ we are not only redefining the way people learn, but we’re redefining the stakeholders.

Trainers as facilitators and coaches

The European Workplace Tutor - EWT

VET personnel plays a central role in assuring the quality of vocational training.

The shift towards lifelong learning and the re-definition of the role of in-company trainers from instructors to coaches / facilitators has meant that trainers find themselves challenged by new trends, needs and expectations.

Teaching, training and tutoring at the workplace

In order to ensure that training personnel can respond to these challenges and promote the quality of vocational training in Europe, it is essential that they are provided with in-depth and high-quality training.

The European Workplace Tutor is a training programme which aims at equipping trainers with the competences they need to plan, deliver and evaluate training, to guide learning processes at the workplace, to assess individual and organisational training requirements and respond to them. The EWT project aims at transferring the training contents of this training programme to new countries (Romania, Spain and Hungary) as well as to further embed it in existing structures by developing common standards and exploring certification and permeability between educational sub-systems.

For further information on the project, please visit
www.workplace-tutor.eu

Adult Education Mobility: Focus on quality and effects on employability

The European Grundtvig programme supports international mobility activities for in-service training for adult educators and the development of international training courses. These actions are set up in support of improved access to a rich and varied range of adult education training opportunities with a European scope. Creating synergies between policy and the Grundtvig programme has been an on-going challenge since Grundtvig was launched in 2000.

Conference on the "Professional Development and Mobility of Adult Education Staff

At the  European Commission’s 4th conference on the “Professional Development and Mobility of Adult Education Staff” in Florence on 6 – 8 June 2012, Donatella Amatucci, Director for EU Cooperation Programmes, Ministry for Education, University and Research in Italy stressed the need for both coherence and responsibility in European cooperation.

Mobility creates opportunities
Tapio Säävälä, Acting Head of Unit, European Commission, DG EAC raised the question of how Professional Development and Mobility of Staff can pave the way for improved quality and efficiency in adult learning. The following milestones were formulated:

• Supporting innovation and creativity;
• Bridging the generational gap;
• Developing ICT skills and making use of computers of learning with youth and children.

Radu Szekely, Expert Consultant, West of Scotland Colleges' Partnership, emphasised the benefits of Grundvig mobility as most people become more motivated to continue learning, have improved their intercultural awareness, and use new knowledge and skills in their work by being part of the GRUNDTVIG mobility programme. The survey can be downloaded here.

Nevertheless, satisfaction with Grundtvig Mobility is only one factor that has to be analysed.  Its long-term effect on employability is another important issue concerning the quality of Mobility in Adult Learning, according to Catherine Tsavdaridou, former official of the European Commission, DG EAC, responsible for staff mobility action.

GINCO (Grundtvig International Network of Course Organisers)
Professional development of all staff in adult education is seen to be a decisive factor in the quality of adult education. The Grundtvig funded international consortium GINCO is aiming to create a European wide network of adult education organisations actually running Grundtvig courses or willing to do so in the future. die Berater® and other Partners of the GINCO network took part in the “European Commission’s 4th conference on the Professional Development and Mobility of Adult Education Staff” to further foster the Europe-wide cooperation and the exchange of expertise.

GINCO can help course organisers and stakeholders:

• To improve the quality of Grundtvig European training provision and its accreditation systems;
• To share expertise with other (potential) Grundtvig course organisers;
• To strengthen the cooperation between the relevant stakeholders: adult education providers, LLP National Agencies, the European Commission and other;
• To contribute to their professionalisation concerning Grundtvig course provision and delivery
• To help expand the Grundtvig course offer in LLP countries;
• To support the dissemination and sustainability of the Grundtvig courses.

www.ginconet.eu

The need for a network - The geographical and cultural span, the variety in the sector and the size of the programme make it difficult to administer and match offer and demand. The courses could be improved e.g. in terms of their quality, the link with Lifelong Learning and national policies, the appropriate use of ICT and recognition and validation of learning outcomes. Thematic gaps in course provision could be filled. Grant allocation procedures and communication between all stakeholders is also an area with room for improvement.

Differences in pedestrian priority and safety – what this means for European mobility

There are many ways in which we see the European Union as a homogenous entity. For most members, the single currency makes them a part of this European unity, businesses trade with ease across European boundaries, and European citizens are free to travel, work and, should they wish to, reside permanently in any other member country. This is the glory of the European project, and the reason why so many people across the world would go to extreme lengths to obtain a European passport. It is also the reason that states on the periphery of the European community are battling for EU accession; vowing to change their own cultures, standards and ways of doing things to align themselves with the high standards of the European community. Despite the pressing instability of the EU as a powerful economic entity; despite the international concern – and let’s face it, sheer panic – over the future of Europe, countries and individuals currently not in the club, want in. But to what extent do our aspiring European brothers and sisters need to adapt? Which differences are present that draw the line between those who are in, and those who are out? And what can be done to close the gap?

Of those countries strategically battling for access to the European community, Turkey is pursuing its fair share of strategic changes, one of which echoes at the heart of basic human need – the need for safety and security. Of this, pedestrian safety seems to rank pretty high on the agenda. With an ever increasing number of cars on the roads in Turkey, the need to protect pedestrians and to minimise injuries and fatalities is important enough. The need to demonstrate clear and direct policy making and implementation on the issue as stipulated in the Vienna Convention 1969 is a pressing European-accession priority. The responsibility for pedestrian safety lies in the decision making structures of local and national government. In the case of the South Western Turkish province of Antalya, die Berater® are on hand, along with partners from Sweden and Spain to assist the Antalya Directorate of Security in the development of a culture of pedestrian priority on some of the regions busiest roads.

But what are the problems? 
It was clear from our own research that drivers in Antalya are well aware of the function and purpose of pedestrian crosswalks, and proclaim proudly that they acknowledge and respect these devices of pedestrian priority. This didn’t explain why over 90% of pedestrians surveyed in Antalya felt unsafe crossing the road. There is clearly a cultural difference and misunderstanding between these road users.

With huge influxes of domestic and international tourists every year, Antalya has a good reason to improve the safety and security of simple pedestrian activities. Within the framework of the European Commission Leonardo di Vinci Transfer of Innovation programme, die Berater® will be developing and delivering targeted vocational training modules for driving instructors, school teachers and traffic police, helping drivers to learn and understand pedestrian culture, whilst helping school children and other pedestrians to better understand the culture of drivers by, thus making a solid contribution to the harmonisation of driver-pedestrian relations in Antalya, helping to save lives, and promoting the development strategies that Turkey - and other EU candidate countries – need to pursue to secure their future within the European community.

Putting European Cities to Shame 
However, how much better are the rest of Europe? A recent study visit to Stockholm showed us in unequivocal terms that, even on the busiest roads and multi-lane round-a-bouts, a pedestrian who steps out on to a non-illuminated (zebra) crossing will be granted the courtesy of being able to cross safely by everyone from cyclists to lorry drivers. We found that the priorities of drivers in Sweden were very clearly ranked and aligned, whereas those in Antalya were mixed and unpredictable (and those in Austria and Spain somewhere in the middle). This put the cities of Vienna and Barcelona rather to shame, since pedestrians report not feeling entirely safe all the time when crossing busy streets, and drivers report that pedestrian crossings are not always visible or obvious. As an occasional driver in Vienna, not always familiar with the placement of crosswalks, I would largely agree.

More than a cross-cultural faux-pas 
But what does this mean for European mobility? Well, just because the Swedes might be confident and comfortable crossing the road in Stockholm, doesn’t mean that the Turkish, or even the Spanish or Austrian driver is going to meet the standards of predictability that the Swedish pedestrian might expect. How can we profess to belong to a harmonious European community when drivers and pedestrians across the continent and beyond expect different things from each other? If we want to promote European mobility – integration in academic, vocational and commercial fields – we need to look beyond simple economic and trade homogeneity, and look towards our expectations of our fellow European citizens in all areas. Cross-cultural faux pas might present us with some humorous, or at worst, awkward moments, and inter-cultural education might give us the heads-up on how many times to kiss somebody on the cheek when meeting for the first time, but pedestrian priority is, all clichés aside, an issue of life or death. This goes beyond policy (the Vienna Convention is well implemented), and it goes beyond simply educating people (we all know the rules). Improvements in pedestrian safety are not just an issue for candidate countries, but should be priorities for promoting and achieving safety and security in European mobility. To do this, we should learn from the innovations of our Turkish counterparts. We need to change attitudes, to align priorities, and promote a feeling of mutual respect and predictability in pedestrian priority across the European Community. For more information on how the APPSA project is setting new standards in pedestrian priority, take a look at http://www.appsa.eu/.

How and why do seniors learn?

RIVER – Recognition of intergenerational volunteering experiences and results
The Grundtvig project RIVER, coordinated by die Berater®, focuses on the validation of competences developed through active involvement in senior volunteering. One of the project’s’ aims is to motivate senior citizens to engage in volunteering activities, by showing them the learning benefit from themselves. 

But is this an efficient way to motivate older people to learn? As part of the event “ESF meets Leonardo Da Vinci & Grundtvig: Learning and Working in Old Age”, one workshop addressed the question of older peoples’ motivation to learn. Particularly in learning activities for older people, existing experience has to be seriously considered when creating and offering learning opportunities. 

ESF meets Leonardo Da Vinci & Grundtvig (Copyright: Martin Lusser)

In the context of professional further education it is important that the learning activity of the individual person is acknowledged by the employer.  One main result was that the level of general education determines the motivation to engage in lifelong learning. But even people with a lower level of education show high interest in the topic “learning” when it is delivered to them in their daily context and the offers are low-threshold. So the motivation strongly depends on what is offered, what context it is offered in and how people can benefit from the learning content in their everyday lives?



More information on RIVER: www.river-project.eu