Prolonging life and improving its quality and the declining fertility of European Citizens make it necessary to prolong the activity of the elderly. It not only concerns professional activity but also active participation in social and cultural life. By 2030 almost half of Europe’s population will be 50 years old. In order to prevent the negative effects of the change in the social structure, different programs for active aging have been already implemented. One of the elements that facilities lifelong performance is continuous education, including learning languages. Lifelong learning is a challenge not only for learners but also for educators of older age groups. According to our observations and available research, people over 50 require a different approach and curriculum than younger people. Within the framework of the project implementation in Poland, Romania and Estonia, we want to support teachers who work daily with people over 50. In all partners organizations actions aimed at active aging are being carried out, mainly in the form of English classes for 50+ people, financed from various sources. However, the teachers who teach these groups in each partner institution encounter similar barriers and difficulties in their daily work. Through the exchange of good practice and experience, we want to increase the knowledge and competences of English language teachers of 50+ people which will enable them to prepare curriculum and activate this age group. As a result of our two-year cooperation we will create a collection of Guidance and Advice (PLO) which will be free and available to all people interested in it.
The extension of life span and improvement of its quality together with the decreasing fertility rate of European citizens make it necessary to extend the activity of elderly people. It does not only concern professional activity, but also active participation in social and cultural life. By 2030, almost half of Europe's population will be over 50. In order to prevent the negative effects of the social structure changing, various programs for active aging have already been implemented. Continuous education, including language education, is one of the elements that help stay fit throughout life. Lifelong learning is a challenge not only for learners but also for trainers of older age groups. The research-based on this project shows that people over the age of 50 require a different approach and curricula than younger adults. Within the framework of the project implemented in the partnership between Poland, Romania, and Estonia, we supported teachers who work with people over 50 on a daily basis. As part of international cooperation - during six international meetings and between them - we prepared "The Set of Tips and Guidelines for Teaching English in 50+ groups" - a collection of tips and tricks on how to conduct English classes for senior citizens so as to make learning effective and enjoyable. The tips are enriched with the results of comparative and survey studies regarding, among others the standard of living of senior citizens, access to education and related barriers, as well as English language teaching programs in each of the partner countries. In all partner organizations, project participants had the opportunity to participate in English demonstration classes with senior citizens. They also took part in workshops and activities aimed at improving the learning skills of older people. The training was conducted for 15 English teachers from partner institutions. It concerned the implementation and piloting of "The Set of Tips and Guidelines" and also showed the benefits of using the guidelines in everyday work with senior citizens. The participants could observe the classes prepared on the basis of the tool described above. Due to their general nature, the tips can be used to learn other languages in senior groups. They can also be used as a framework for the general education of elderly people. By exchanging good practices and experience, we increased the knowledge and competence of English language teachers of 50+ people in preparing programs and conducting classes for this age group. As a result of our two-year cooperation, we created a practical tool that is free of charge and available to those interested in the issue: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nflH7XRdwwQCek2058HFHg0U3ufZLZ23/view