The Erasmus+ project entitled "Language Stay 2.0 - Supporting qualitative and sustainable language courses abroad (Li-Lingua)", carried out by the Office of Education of the Principality of Liechtenstein (Schulamt des Fürstentums Liechtenstein) with the involvement of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) of the Council of Europe, has been successfully completed. The aim was to make a significant contribution to the promotion of the international dimension in school education in Liechtenstein by promoting sustainable and more efficient learning in language stays of pupils. The ECML was represented as a partner in the initiative by Mirjam Egli-Cuenat and Katharina Höchle-Maier who accompanied and supported the exchange programme. Following its completion the initiative was noted as a model of good practice by the external evaluator.
This initiative was based on the results of the ECML’s "Plurilingual and intercultural learning through mobility" (Plurimobil) project. The project has been conducted at the Liechtenstein Gymnasium using the Plurimobil tools within a pilot language stay, involving 109 pupils and 5 teachers. It has helped provide an insight into the experiences of pupils and institutions in using the Plurimobil instruments so that they can be best be adapted to at institutional and classroom level. Plurimobil has proved to be a valuable instrument in order to guide teachers within the framework of their mobility activities and for learners during a language stay, contributing to a more efficient and conscious learning experience.
The Plurimobil teaching tools developed by the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) offer activities and materials to support the plurilingual and intercultural learning of students for the phases before, during and after a mobility activity. The tools can be adapted to multiple mobility projects across all educational levels. The dedicated ECML website provides a set of practical training tools to plan mobility activities. Plurimobil consists of
- a handbook explaining why it is necessary to support learning mobility and demonstrating how to use lesson plans in different types of school;
- a concise instruction manual for teachers and teacher trainers who use Plurimobil for the first time; and
- 5 sets of lesson plans designed for 5 levels of education – primary school, lower secondary school, upper secondary school (general education and vocational education) and teacher training – providing an array of practical activities and ready-made resources that will help teachers and teacher trainers prepare their students for participation in a mobility activity and guide them through it.
Summary of the key recommendations from the Li-Lingua project
Pedagogical and didactical level:
- Motivation is a decisive factor for both teachers and students for working successfully with the Plurimobil tools.
- Take account of the evaluation of the language stays in any future implementation of the LG-Plurimobil-Toolbox, e.g. the transfer of know-how.
- In case of a reimplementation it could be a possible option to separate the training with the Plurimobil tools from the regular school activities and offer it as advanced training instead. For this, sufficient time resources must be made available to all involved persons.
- When adapting tools take into consideration the lesson plans of the teachers as far as possible in order to reduce their expenditure of time and to ensure a higher degree of identification with the adapted tools.
- Considering that teachers’ individual approaches can differ greatly with regard to intercultural learning – which has an effect on how they use the Plurimobil Toolbox, create a more solid basis by means of reflexive training in advance.
- Consider using the portfolio in digital form which could better motivate students, and allow them to be more creative and to illustrate their experiences and adventures with photos and other pictures.
- The French teachers and the English teachers should discuss whether and in what form the portfolio should be used in future language stays and which assignments they want to use (avoid repeating assignments!). Possibly create a bilingual issue (English and French) of the portfolio with a pool of assignments on various aspects of language and intercultural learning containing compulsory and optional assignments.
- Focus on the portfolio during the lessons; allow extra time to students for their portfolio assignments to work on these at school.
- Strengthen the role of the group leaders in their pedagogical and didactical support during their leisure time and in the context of the host families, e.g. they could act as a moderator for the Plurimobil tools.
- Use the existing network which was reinforced by the project at hand to support future language stays.
- Expand the project framework to further countries (e.g. Spain and Italy) in possible follow-up projects.
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Li-Lingua resources
- The final report and all relevant documents are published for your use on the project website: http://www.li-lingua.li/ (incl. Plurimobil toolbox, analysis and recommendations, dissemination plan, dissemination activity protocol)
- Li-Lingua: Analysis and recommendations: English version (PDF) – German version (PDF)
ECML resources