Context and background of the projectKlessheim School and College of Tourism have an international focus with internationality, modern languages, European context, mobility and intercultural exchange being quality objectives of the school development plan. Our 75 teachers teach 600 students aged between 14 and 21 years. Our school has a longstanding student exchange programme with the French tourism school Lycée des métier de l’hôtellerie et du tourisme Alexandre Dumas and has signed a memorandum of understanding with London based Barking and Dagenham College with a view to exchanging students and staff. In our school, extensive work has been done to develop CLIL and EMI materials and teaching methods.Objectives of the projectIn cooperation with our partner institutions we want to generate a European added value in the areas of transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications (ECVET), the further strengthening of key competences in VET curricula and the promotion of empowerment, employability and active citizenship of young people. We are going to document and disseminate the findings and insights gained in the course of our mobilities both traditionally with pen and paper and by means of ICT.Number and profile of participantsIn the short term exchanges of groups of pupils a group of students accompanied by their teachers go and visit their partner institutions. The students are selected on grounds of their competences in the areas of culinary arts, restaurant skills and foreign language competence. They are accompanied by a culinary arts lecturer, a restaurant skills lecturer and a language teacher. The short-term staff training events offer training in the field of culinary arts, restaurant skills, tourism and modern languages. Depending on the institution the number of teachers taking part in the mobility is between one and three.Description of activitiesThe focus of the student mobilities is on culinary arts, restaurant skills, modern languages and tourism. Languages, subject-specific and intercultural competences are being acquired and trained hands-on in direct contact with speakers of the target language in our partner institutions, their training restaurants, kitchens and hotels in the target country. The visiting students and teachers work in tandems with the hosting students and teachers. The project objective and product of each mobility is the common selection, preparation, serving and selling of a menu with accompanying drinks typical of the partner countries. Students assisted by their teachers will also document the processes, products and (subject-specific) language by ICT. The activities also include getting to know each other’s educational and training systems, company visits and a cultural programme. The short-term joint staff training events focus on country and culture specific contents and competences in the fields of culinary arts, restaurant skills, tourism and modern languages (e.g. current British food trends, classical French cuisine, Austrian regional cuisine, cheese and wine, bohemian desserts)Methodology to be used in carrying out the projectThe project is carried out in co-operation and in close consultation with the stakeholders of the institutions taking part in this project. Concerning methodology, the tools used in addition to this project application to carry out this project are memorandum of understanding, timeline as well as continuous project management. This ensures budget and time control as well as risk management. The project teams communicate with each other at regular intervals. To validate learning outcomes ECVET and Europass Mobility are used. Transnational project meetings have been scheduled to facilitate reflection, operations management and documentation of the project’s progress and results.Results and impact envisaged- improved subject-specific and foreign language competences- enhanced teaching and learning methods as well as materials, resources and tools- enhanced intercultural awareness in relation to internationality and the European dimension- deeper understanding of social, linguistic and cultural plurality- deeper understanding of the connections between formal and non-formal education and training, vocational training and job market- improved knowledge and readiness in relation to innovation and internationality in education and training- enhanced support and assistance in relation to student mobilities (international internships)Potential long term benefits- strengthening and further development of strategic partnerships on international and European level- increased capacity to act on EU or international level- transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications to facilitate learning, employability and labour mobility (ECVET)- promotion of empowerment, cross-sectorial co-operation and active citizenship of young people - further strengthening of key competences in VET curricula
Context/institutes: As a tourism school with an international orientation, the tourism school Klessheim has internationality, foreign language competence, a European approach, mobility, and intercultural exchange as quality goals in the school development plan. In Klessheim, 75 teachers teach 600 pupils aged between 14 and 21. A long-standing student exchange programme with the Lycée des métiers de l'hôtellerie et du tourisme Alexandre Dumas in France already existed and a project agreement was signed with the Barking and Dagenham College in London to exchange students and carry out teacher mobility. Extensive preparatory work was carried out in the area of teaching materials and methodology. Project objectives: Together with our partner institutions, we wanted to generate European added value in the areas of transparency and recognition of knowledge and qualifications (ECVET), the further strengthening of key competences in the vocational training curricula and the promotion of empowerment, employability and active citizenship among young people. We documented and disseminated the results and findings gained in the mobility activities in traditional paper form and by means of ICT. Number and profile of participants: Within the framework of learner mobility, twelve to fifteen learners per partner institution were accompanied by three teachers. The learners were selected on the basis of their skills in cooking, service and foreign languages. They were accompanied by a cooking teacher, a service teacher and a language teacher. The teacher mobilities were short-term joint offers of further training for personnel in service, cooking, tourism and the foreign language. Depending on the educational institution, one to three teachers from the departments of cooking, service, foreign languages and tourism were involved in the mobility activities. Description of activities: The focus of the mobility of learners was on practical and theoretical subjects. Language, professional competences and intercultural competences were acquired in the partner institutions and their teaching facilities in the target country in contact with speakers of the target language in practical application. Learners and teachers from both institutions worked in tandem. The project objective and product of each mobility was the joint creation, cooking, serving and selling of a country-specific menu with beverage accompaniment. The activities also included getting to know the training systems, company visits and a cultural programme. Objectives achieved: Promotion of linguistic and communicative competences, which has further enabled the implementation of multilingualism and bilingual teaching at the school; the positive approach to European cooperation was reinforced further; mobility and intercultural exchange was promoted; improvement of employability; strengthening of key competences. Very good contacts could be established with partners abroad (hotels, schools,...). It has also encouraged both students and teachers to see education in an international context, thus creating essential cultural understanding. The exchange and adaptation of subject-specific teaching materials and teaching resources in the target languages (teachers) took place. The teachers improved their methodological competences in the field of CLIL and bilingual gastronomic and tourism lessons. In conjunction, the practical final examinations in service in the ITL class (language focus class, which was primarily involved in the project) are now also carried out bilingually (German/English). The participants also acquired and improved their language competence in the field of gastronomic and tourist terminology as well as in relevant aspects of Social English/French. In addition, innovative subject-specific teaching materials and resources were developed and produced in the target language English, which did not already exist in the form required for the educational context. Students gained a deeper understanding of social, linguistic and cultural diversity. The state funded Barking & Dagenham College, for example, is located in East London, a traditionally socially disadvantaged area that is currently in a development and upswing phase; the Klessheim Tourism School is a private school with a traditionally higher stratification. The project therefore also a served to promote social balance and mutual social acceptance.