Our project "CLIL as a Bridge to Real Life English is focused on fostering students' motivation for learning foreign languages, especially English, through encouraging their inner curiosity for novelty and obtaining new information about partners' countries from their own point of view.We share The Council of Europe's aims to build a greater Europe based on shared values, including tolerance and respect for cultural and linguistic diversity. It promotes the use of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) as a practical means of helping people of all ages and backgrounds to learn more languages and engage with other cultures.The project also helps to build and develop the so- called 21st century skills (critical thinking, problem solving, research practices, creativity, artistry, curiosity, imagination, innovation, personal expression, planning, self-discipline, adaptability, initiative, leadership, teamwork, ICT literacy, entrepreneurship). To be more specific, we intend to use cross-curricular approaches in the teaching&learning, focusing on the development of digital skills and English language competences, in order to address our students' expectations to bridge the acquisition of the foreign language to real life. All the project activities are designed in such a way as to facilitate the study of the basic exact subjects through CLIL approach, in order to develop the basic and transversal skills of our students. We can observe that it is essential for the teachers of our age to know and use English no matter what subjects they teach. Our hope is that a greater understanding and enjoyment of English can enrich people's lives and enable them to make more of the exceptional cultural and communications phenomenon which English has become. In our project, we will try to present ideas about English in intelligent, entertaining, inclusive and interactive way. We will prepare and use a variety of media-online platform, exhibitions, books, web sites, blogs, videos, discussion, contests, theatre plays, street games and even computer games to bring the teaching English to life.We will integrate the four main skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, relevant to teaching English in a natural way, as it happens in the real life. All student and teacher will have a chance to create their own European Linguistic Portfolio and design their career path.What is more, we will promote the learners' autonomy and cooperation by offering them European Club extra classes. Finally, we will make use of the bridges between language and culture, both the real and methaphorical ones. In this context, we will build new bridges, renovate those existing and design many new ones to be built during our project. This project is a chance for us to create a common sense of what European construction should be, in its inhabitants' everyday life.The project involves 7 schools: Niepubliczne Gimnazjum przy I LO im. Ks. A.J. Czartoryskiego w Pulawach (Poland) as a coordinating institution, KORFEZ FEN LISESI (Turcja),1st Lyceum of Perama (Greece), I.E.S. "La Escribana"(Spain), DARJAVNA FINANSOVO-STOPANSKA GIMNAZIA "INTELEKT(Bulgaria), Istituto Istruzione Secondaria Superiore "Rosa Luxemburg"(Italy), Stredna priemyselna skola Povazska Bystrica (Slovakia).We have planned 3 transnational project meetings, for 2-3 representants of each school, dedicated to some milestones of the project: 1st meeting in Poland , 2nd meeting in Slovakia and 3rd meeting in Italy.There will be 4 short-term exchanges of groups of pupils organized:Spain: The photographic contest called Bridges among Cultures will be an important means to integrate English with other school subjects. CLIL approach is the part of our project, thus the contest will develop knowledge on History/Art /Geography of southern Spain in English.Bulgaria: Workshops on Codex of Friendship, which will be a common work of all participating students, both in mobilities and in local activities. This set of rules and good advise will help students to enter the real world of multicultural Europe.Besides, the special programme focused on spring traditions in partners' countries will be held. Turkey: Building a Bridge via English Festival will focus on integrating English to real life through many artistic and practical activities inside and outside the institution. The activities will help students to deeper understand the links between nations and cultures.Greece: Theatre can be used as a means to build a bridge between students of different countries and different backgrounds.By using the on-line platform/other resources and through direct involvement into the project activities, our students will develop their creativity and thinking skills, the IT and language skills, all these essential competences for all modern- day European citizens.In the course of the project through cooperation both students and teachers will learn how to teach, learn and live in multicultural Europe.
The project "CLIL as a Bridge to Real Life English ” concentrated on developing motivation towards studying languages (mainly English) by fostering their inner curiosity for novelty and gaining new information about the partners' countries. The project promoted the use of European Language Portfolio as a practical means of helping people of all ages, irrespective from their background, studying foreign languages, initiating new contacts with people representing other cultures. The project helped to build and develop the so called 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, research practices, creativity, artistic curiosity, imagination, innovation, personal expression, discipline, adaptability skills, initiative and leadership in team work, ICT skills and management. The project used cross-curricular approches towards teaching and learning and concentrated on developing digital skills and language competences in order to fulfill students' expectations which meant cobining the process of mastering a foreign language in real life situations. The project activities were introduced in such way to enable learning basic subjects with the use of CLIL method, which helped our students to develop transversal skills. Thanks to our participation in the project we have understood that it becomes essential for the teachers of our age to master knowledge and skills of English usage regardless of the subject they teach. We also realised that the knowledge of Enlish language may bring positive life changes and become a unique phenomenon in culture and communication meaning. In the project we introduced ideas on learning English in intelligent, funny and interactive ways. we prepared and made a use of different online platforms, exhibitions, coursebooks, internet sites, blogs, videos, discussions, contests, drama plays, street games or computer games in order to introduce English learning into life. We integrated four major skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening, which are demanded in any language learning process doing that in a natural way such as it happens in real life. The students and teachers had a chance to create own European Language Portfolio and design own carrier path. We tried to promote authonomy and cooperation of our students by offering extra-circular classes in European Club. We used bridges between the language and the culture, both real and methaphorical. In that context we built new bonds, strengthened those existing and designed many new ones during the project. The project was thought as a chance to create the feeling of an expected European dimension in everyday life of its citizens. The project involved 7 foreign schools: Niepubliczna Szkoła Podstawowa KLASYK in Pulawy (Poland) as an coordinating institution, KORFEZ FEN LISESI (Turkey), I Liceum of Perama (Greece), I.E.S."La Escribana"(Spain), DARJAVNA FINANSOVO-STOPANSKA GIMNAZIA"INTELEKT”(Bulgaria), Istituto Istruzione Secondaria Superiore Rosa Luxemburg"(Italy), Stredna Priemyselna Skola in Povazska Bystrica(Slovakia). We held 3 transnational project meetings for the representatives of each partner schools based on key project issues in Poland, Slovakia and Greece. There were 4 short term student exchanges in Spain: The photography contest called "Bridges Between Cutures" which seemed to be a precious tool to combine English with other school subjects. Making use of the CLIL method was part of our project, that is why the contest developed extended knowledge on history, art and geography of southern Spain introduced in English. Bulgaria: Workshop on the Codex of Friendship - common students' work participating in mobilities and those who were engaged in local actions. The set of principles and good advice helped the students enter multi-cultural Europe. Moreover, we held a special event referred to spring time tradition and festivities of the partners' countries. Italy: Building the bridge based on an English festival was focused on English language knowledge with real life by many artistic and practical activities inside and outside the school. The activities helped the students with deeper understanding of the links between different nationalities and cultures. Greece: A theatre was used to bulid a bridge to connect students of different countries and backgrounds. Making use of online platform and other resources as well as personal involvement in the project activities, our students developed creativity, thinking skills, IT and language capabilities, in other words essential competences so much needed for contemporary European citizens. In the course of the project both the students and teachers learnt how to teach, learn and live in multicultural Europe.