Mobility is one of the cornerstones of European society according to both the Council of Europe and the European Union. Though the lack of language competences is still one of the main barriers to participation in European education, training and youth programmes. With 4 million mobility participants by 2020, Erasmus+ is a unique opportunity to study, train, gain work experience or volunteer abroad (EU press, 2014). As languages are the heart of mutual understanding and comprehension, it is essential to promote language learning for Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants. OBJECTIVES:This project aims specifically at developing 'The OPENLang Network', which envisages to connect all the Erasmus+ KA1 Mobility participants (HE students and staff, VET (at least 1 month mobility), Adult and School education staff, Youth learners, Youth Workers, Youth Entrepreneurs) in an OPEN informal and highly interactive online environment which could support more efficiently their effort to raise language awareness of the target mobility EU languages and to develop European intercultural knowledge. The project also aims at language teachers joining this network and voluntarily supporting this initiative. As a reward for their participation they will have the opportunity to get certified professional training on creating, sharing and using Open Educational Resources (OERs). This network will also supplement and enhance the formal Online Linguistic Support (OLS) European service by offering a truly informal and authentic language learning experience which will address the language needs of every European. ACTIVITIES: Any registered member in the platform will be able to find an e-tandem language partner which the system will automatically recommend based on his/her profile. In this way each member of the OPENLang Network will be able to practice the target language(s) of his/her choice with a native or near native speaker using either a desktop PC or a mobile device. The volunteer language teachers, who will also join the network, will have the possibility to attend the MOOC offered by the OPENLang Network, to participate in a number of activities which will broaden their professional network and get certifications. More specifically, a number of multiple innovative services and interactive material will be integrated in the OPENLang platform in order to address all educational/training needs: 1) the E-Tandem 24 EU Languages Learning Matching Service, 2) Qualified Assessment Tools for 24 EU languages, 3) An Open & highly interactive Forum, 4) A Personal Member’s Dashboard, 5) An open and interactive database of Language Open Educational Resources (OERs), 6) An OERs e-Toolkit including a quality framework for Language OERs, 7) An Open Educational Practices (OEPs) e-book, 8) A language teachers' training MOOC on the creation, sharing, use and reuse of multilingual OERs. PARTNERSHIP: The OPENLang Network will be carried out by a transnational consortium composed by 4 partners: the University of Macedonia (GR), the Open University of UK (UK), the Cyprus University of Technology (CY), and the international education and training institution Pixel (IT). Each partner brings a different expertise to the project but they all have active engagement with Language Learning and/or OERs, MOOCs, Mobile Adaptive/Personalized and/or Collaborative Learning & Assessment, Learning Analytics, etc. DURATION: 3 years. PROJECT STEPS: The total workflow of the project will be articulated in 6 'macro-phases' (a final brief overview report will be developed after the completion of each phase): 1) Preparation Phase; 2) Production Phase; 3) Implementation Phase; 4) Data collection & Evaluation phase; 5) Dissemination Phase; 6) Sustainability Phase. The project will produce 11 Intellectual Outputs (the main OPENLang Network E-Platform including). In addition, the project will develop many dissemination activities: a project’s Website, two Webinars promoting the Language Teachers' Training MOOC, the Pan European Contest on Open Educational Practices (OEPs), 3 local and 1 international Events, 11 Dissemination Tasks (one per Output), a Guide and a Tutorial Video presenting the E-Platform services, as well as a Sustainability Plan. It is envisaged that more than1200 adults (Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants and language teachers) across Europe will be initially benefited by the OPENLang Network. The project will deliver benefits that will endure in time thanks to the large variety of OPEN access services and materials offered free for use and reuse which will remain available for at least 5 years after the lifetime of the project. The OPENLang platform aims to become a milestone in Erasmus+ KA1 language preparation in view of mobility exchanges.
According to Erasmus+ guide, the promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity is one of the specific objectives of the Programme. The lack of language competences is one of the main barriers to participation in European education, training, and youth programmes. Mobility is one of the cornerstones of European society according to both the Council of Europe and the European Union. Though the lack of language competences is still one of the main barriers to participation in European education, training, and youth programmes. The “Open Language and Cultures’ Network” envisaged developing an innovative e-platform in order to promote the creation of an open and online language learning community of practice, for all Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants who need to boost their language skills & cultural awareness to facilitate their adaptation in their destination EU state. By creating a highly interactive and collaborative online language learning environment all members can practice the target language in an authentic way with the tandem learning methodology and all the useful materials and other services offered in the platform. This network can be also supported by volunteer language teachers that can orientate language learners in the practice of their target language via tandem language learning and other activities. Teachers from their side can receive professional certified training on discovering, evaluating, using, creating, and sharing Open Educational Resources (OERs). All members in the OPENLang Network community can choose their personal language learning path: a) Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants can use a set of e-services such as a database of 24EU Language Placement Tests for self-assessment of their language levels, record the language proficiency level, create their profile in order to start searching their tandem language learning partner, explore the database of recommended language OERs or suggest and share more language OERs, discuss in the community about topics of interest and even explore the MOOC on language OER for learning how to use efficiently CC licences and create and share OERs. b) Language teachers involved in the community can receive certified training on finding, evaluating, using, creating, and sharing language OERs (e-Toolkit for language OERs, training MOOC, OERs quality tool, e-Book with a collection of OEPs, webinar recordings, etc.), as well as find language OERs and OEPs (database of language OERs and OEPs) and participate in Tandem language learning and Community discussions. More concretely, the OPENLang Network platform provides Open and Innovative Education and Training by offering an interactive language learning online and mobile environment which includes the following Open e-services: a) Open Database of Language Placement Tests (LPTs) for all 24 EU languages; b) Personal Member’s Dashboard; c)Open & Interactive Database of Language OERs; d) OPENLang OER Evaluation Checklist; e) OPENLang e-Toolkit for Language OERs in three languages; f) OPENLang e-Book with Language Open Educational Practices (OEPs); g) OPENLang MOOC for language teachers’ training on finding, evaluating, using, creating, and sharing Language OERs; h) E-Tandem 24 EU Languages Learning Matching Service, and e) an Open & Interactive Community Forum. During the lifetime of the project, the consortium completed the production of all eleven (9) Outputs, a series of tutorials and training material for MOOC on language OER, 2 e-books, dissemination material, the implementation of all four (4) Multiplier Events, and three (3) Workshops/Webinars. Furthermore, the OPENLang Network project produced the following results: a) OPENLang Network Website; b) OPENLang Network Social Media Presence (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube); c)Twelve (12) published research papers in conferences and a Q2 journal ;d) Four (4) additional research papers submitted to other conferences and journals (currently under review) which present the research conducted on the following topics of IOs: a) Exploring the language Learning Profile of the Erasmus+ KA1 Mobility Participants; b) OPENLang Pedagogical & Design Framework; c) OPENLang Quality Framework for Language OERs; d) Language Teachers’ Training on Language OERs; e) Interactive OPENLang e-Toolkit for Language OERs; f) Language Teachers’ Training on Tandem Language Learning g) MOOC pilots. Thousands of people have reached the platform and hundreds registered in the platform, MOOC, and all the events and workshops organized. The content of the project’s Website and Platform will be openly available for at least 5 years after the end of the project. The Outputs, extra deliverables, and Training Videos will be openly available as OERs with CC 4.0 licenses on open repositories. In addition, the authors’ versions of the scientific publications will be openly available on the partners; websites, and open repositories.