The DeTalks is a project which aims to support the linguistic education of newly arrived young immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers by removing the talk from communication. For the newcomers in Europe, learning of the host societies’ languages cannot be restricted only in grammar and vocabulary. Someone who focuses on grammar will become a grammar expert, and someone who focuses on vocabulary will become a walking dictionary, but if they want to communicate with natives they need to turn their attention to other crucial aspects of communication. The non verbal value of culture (that enables feelings and attitudes) has been neglected by the linguistic education of the new citizens of Europe. One can convey a lot of information in body language, facial expressions, volume and tone of the words he/she use, use of spacing and precisely what he/she does between the words, as well as his/her image, clothes, behaviour and even when knowing that he/she shouldn't say or do something. Cultural and social aspects are bigger aspects of communication than grammar and vocabulary ever could be. The DeTalks project aims, not to replace the traditional linguistic education but, to complete it with non verbal communication. The DeTalks consortium consists of seven partner organizations and thirteen associated partners from Sweden, Greece, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Hungary and France who are specialists in the field of inclusive, creative non formal learning and youth work. Folkuniversitetet has extensive experience working with immigrants and newly arrived and teaching Swedish as a second language, while the other six core partners are members of the ROOTS&ROUTES International Association and implement innovative, creative youth projects in the field of performing arts and media in an international level. This cross sectoral collaboration will support the newly arrived young immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in two ways: a. by developing an innovative methodology for linguistic education through non verbal communication, focusing on the attractiveness and effectiveness of non formal training methods and tools of the performing arts and media, b. by including the local youth in this training, especially young people with fewer opportunities who, while acting as linguistic peer coaches, will be familiarised with the cultures of their newly arrived peers and minimize xenophobic feelings and attitudes. In the framework of its 2 years duration, DeTalks project will develop two Intellectual Outputs: 1. Toolset / Manual “Creative non verbal methods for inclusive linguistic education in Europe”: a systematic collection of diverse inclusive and interdisciplinary creative/artistic methods and tools and their modification possibilities with regard to the specific communicative needs and abilities of participants (both young immigrants/refugees/asylum seekers and locals with fewer opportunities). 2. Tutorial Videos for the DeTalks methodology: a set of seven (7) video/tutorials will be produced in the framework of DeTalks project in order to facilitate youth workers/linguistic educators/trainers in the performing arts and media, outside the consortium to implement/replicate the DeTalks methodology in specific frameworks. These tangible results will be theoretically classified and scientifically substantiated by appropriate theoretical concepts and will include all the results of the good practices' research and the needs assessment in each country. The DeTalks Toolset/Manual will be freely accessible online and will be easily replicated/adapted by youth workers, linguistic educators and artistic trainers outside the partnership who wants to implement it in different contexts across Europe. DeTalks project follows a systematic Dissemination and Valorization strategy in order to develop an International network of stakeholders and to build the next generation of the linguistic education for newly arrived immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers by utilizing the inner human ability and need to communicate and learn from each other.
The DeTalks project started to be designed in May 2017. At that time, Europe continued to receive tens of thousands of people daily, mainly through the southern and eastern borders. This potential diversification in population flared up radical right and populist rhetoric and reproduced an attitude of fear towards the unknown, the different, the other. Against this rhetoric of fear, the European Union, governments, local authorities, thousands of people, either organised in Civil Society organisations or autonomous, acted towards finding ways to welcome Europe’s new citizens and creating a space of more solidarity, equality, and education opportunities for all. At that time, the concept of DeTalks seemed ideal. Six active cultural-artistic organisations from the ROOTS & ROUTES International network, with significant experience in inclusive art-based education, together with the leading institution for refugees, asylum seekers’ and migrants’ linguistic training in Sweden, designed a project in the firm conviction that social inclusion of Europe’s new citizens is based on the development of communication. Non formal educational practices applied in artistic development (expression tools) are combined to the early stages of linguistic training, to create an educational material based on humans’ innate ability to communicate non verbally; because, for new immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Europe, acquisition of the host society’s language cannot be restricted only to grammar and vocabulary. Someone who focuses on grammar will become a grammar expert, and someone who focuses on vocabulary will become a walking dictionary, but to communicate with natives, a turn of attention to other crucial aspects of communication is needed. Non verbal value of culture (that enables feelings and attitudes) has been neglected by the linguistic education of the newcomer citizens of Europe. We can convey a lot of information in body language, facial expressions, volume and tone of the words we use, in the use of spacing and in what precisely we do between the words, as well as in our image, clothing, behavior, and even when not knowing what to say or do. Cultural and social aspects are stronger and wider aspects of communication than grammar and vocabulary could ever be. According to this, non verbal communication would not just support the acquisition of the host society’s language, but would also facilitate cultural meaning exchanges, and finally support intercultural communication. DeTalks includes in its framework also locals of the same age as the main target group. We created a safe educational environment, where we could encourage and facilitate non verbal communication between local and newcomer youth, incorporating peer learning methodology and simultaneously developing two dimensions of inclusive education: intercultural communication (through the development of non verbal and para-verbal elements) and mutual understanding (through collaboration). DeTalks is designed to extract talking from communication by focusing on the social aspect of learning a language, in the ways people express themselves, and on the inclusive potential of non verbal communication, having three, interrelated main goals: 1. to use, in the best possible way, the power of non verbal communication in the linguistic education of new immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers; 2. to create environments of non formal education where the trainees will develop their communication skills through performing arts and media; 3. to develop an essential inclusive role for the young people of the host societies through the correlation with the new immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, by applying the peer coaching method. The DeTalks project has developed a Guidebook with 18 practices, selected as a set of energisers/practices that we believed could and can be applied in the linguistic training of Europe’s new citizens. For each practice presented, you can find clear instructions, practical tips, and hands-on information. In non verbal practices, the visual element, sound, and body language are at the very core of the work. Therefore, most practices are accompanied by video tutorials that you can find here: http://www.rootsnroutes.eu/detalksvideos/ The DeTalks project brought together artists, pedagogues, language teachers, and social workers working with migrants and asylum seekers around a specific goal: to explore new creative techniques related to non verbal communication in order to facilitate a positive approach to the languages and culture of host countries. Young artists, youth workers, and educators contributed to the DeTalks project with their competencies, while they at the same time were educated/trained to the innovative DeTalks method. During the project time, they have created a professiona l network, not only at local but regional and international levels too.