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since may 16, 2006

IDEA-Intercultural Diversity in Educational Approach

IDEA is a project financed by European Commission within Socrates Grundtvig2 Programme.

IDEA intends to reflect upon the different possibilities and ways of teaching to certain adults learners´ groups in an intercultural context. It will also develop appropriated teaching material for senior citizens. One of the approach will be to include arts as a support in teaching languages.

The project duration is forecasted for two years (September 05-June 07).

The IDEA project aims are:

preparation and implementation of different approaches and materials including internet material and material based on the involvement of arts in language classes.

The IDEA project objectives are:

• to recognize the needs of different groups of Adult learners, especially of seniors citizens

• to check the learners´ expectation in the countries involved in the project and reflect on some effective and appropriated ways of responding to their demand and to the educational challenge of an ageing population in an enlarged Europe

• to reflect upon innovative and appropriated intercultural teaching methods for each group , e.g. by working together with arts sections or including arts in language teaching and learning

• to improve the learners´ knowledge in the cultural and intercultural fields of language (impact of history on arts, impact of arts on languages, sounds related to ceremonies, to situations, ….)

• to involve internet use in teaching and learning and as a communicating tool between learners of the different countries involved in the project to motivate the learners to share their experience through internet or in meeting with learners´ groups of all countries involved in the project

IDEA-Project contents

Aims and objectives of the project proposed by the Learning Partnership are to work out a concept:

1. to improve knowledge in languages for certain groups of adults (e.g. immigrants, disadvantaged people, jobs applicants …)
   and especially for senior citizens

2. to include arts, nature, local history, … as a support in language teaching and learning
   e.g.

• to work out sheets / exercises about pictures, paintings, architecture, sounds… to be used as a support in teaching and learning(historical backgrounds, intercultural activities, basis for
  communicative tasks,…)

• to visit museums, historical places, etc… with the learners

• to propose virtual visits of places, sites, museums, etc… to widen the learners´ knowledge without expenses for them

• to develop activities connecting language and culture

• to motivate the learners to share their experience through internet with learners groups of all countries involved in the project

3. to meet the challenge of growing expectation for Life Long Learning for senior citizens

4. to fight xenophobia and increase understanding and respect for cultural, ethnic or political differences
   
   

Partnership organisation

Using the experience of being a partner in a previous learning partnership, the coordinating organisation will organise meetings, centralise the information given by the different countries and install a communication platform, write the necessary reports and take the responsibility of verifying the fulfilment of the steps defined together with the whole group.
All participants - including the coordinating organisation - will have the same responsibility and duties to be respected during the whole extend of the project. They will all have an equal part of preparation and work to do.
The first meeting of the partnership will take place in October 05. In this meeting the responsibility and the steps of work of each partner will be discussed again.

effective cooperation between the participating institutions be ensured:
- By using a common contact forum in internet to enable a continuous communication, to exchange of ideas, to make suggestions
- By giving regularly reports in that forum so that eventual misunderstandings can be solved at once
- By meeting regularly

Expected impact of the project

Learners and staff directly participating will exchange experience and information about other countries. They will learn more about language, culture, arts and handicrafts, way of life and social problems in the different regions involved in the project. They will improve tolerance and understanding for each other and fight against xenophobia.

The organisations/institutions will have to learn to cope with intercultural partners, to reflect upon different ways of approaching tasks and to respect the national identity and ways of life of the persons involved. It will be important to have an open mind and to be ready to accept differences.

For the local community, visits of learners from other countries will improve communication, tolerance, knowledge about other European countries and friendships will certainly be built.

the final objective is to offer teaching / learning material as a support and to enhance the relation between culture and language. This can be achieved e.g. in opening a website with exercises and didactic material and in installing a communication platform in the web.

Project success evaluation

Evaluation sheets will be worked out in the first project meeting so that each country can check :
- the own achievement of the work to be done
- the involvement of learners and staff
- the acceptance in classrooms
- the quality of the material produced
Tests worksheets will be presented in classrooms and in conferences for teachers.
Workshops will take place.

Project results dissemination

1. workshops in each organisation – pamphlets - presentation to the local and education authorities – questionnaires - press release

2. meetings with similar institutions – presentation of the project – questionnaires - common lessons – training for teachers

3. material is going to be tested also by associations working in the field of lifelong learning (e.g. church communities)

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The content reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.