HOWL (Hospitality at Work with Languages) is an exchange of good practices with the aim of supporting the learning of foreign languages. More in detail, the partnership intends to focus on the learning of a second language (i.e English or German) in the vocational training courses in the HORECA (Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism) sector that also include some forms of work-based learning as a distinctive part. Very often the training organizations are aware that the knowledge of a second language is fundamental for a good working insertion in this field but at the same time, the students are not really aware of that as they tend to underestimate the importance of foreign languages and they lack this competence. This gap is particularly clear when they participate in mobility projects and, if filled, the students would benefit more from these experiences and maximize the results. The partner organizations come from Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and Poland: all of them are either sending or receiving organizations in mobility projects and want to provide their training in a way which is more and more linked with the labour market needs, thus raising the employability of their students. The teaching methods of foreign languages will be examined starting form the partners' experiences: two of the organizations (UK and Germany) are also involved in activities supporting the language learning of young people going to their countries for mobility projects or to work in the HORECA sector. The "success factors" will be identified, as well as the needs of the companies and the trainers. During the first year of the project the partnership will exchange and analyse their methods and tools according to indicators agreed during the first transnational meeting: in accordance with the priorities set by the European Union to raise the competencies provided by VET organizations and their trainers, a learning activity ("Short Term staff Training Event) will be organized. The event will take place in Derry (United Kingdom/Northern Ireland) and last 5 working days; the host organization is The North West Academy and trainers from all the partner organizations will be involved. They will mainly be foreign languages trainers but also trainers involved in work-based learning in order to combine language and work. Therefore, the main aims of the project are on the one hand the exchange of good practices and on the other hand, starting from the findings, also the building of a future project of "development of innovation", developing tools and methodology that can be transferred to other contexts and course of the partners.
The aim of the project was to exchange good practices in the learning of a second language from a peer learning perspective. The ultimate target groups were the students but the trainers were the first target group: they were able to exchange methodologies and tools, especially during the learning activity and during the transnational meetings. Methodologies and learning strategies were learnt in a very practical way keeping in mind the working insertion of our learners. The partners focused on the initial vocational training in the HORECA sector and in WBL settings as common to all partners: mobilities, dual system pathways: learing a second language is crucial for a better working insertion in this field and for widening the experiences. The partners wanted to focus their trainers on the spoken and technical language and on interactive and non formal tools.
The project originated by the awareness of the low level of foreing languages competencie in the VET learners; especially in the restaurant/horeca sectors and in the WBL courses. Especially when faced with mobility experiences or foreign customers the learners don't have an appropriate level of knowledge. The reasons are manifold, one of them being also a need to improve the competencies of the trainers who need to switch to more practical approaches and methodologies. Another focus is the need to involve trainers of practical subjects in order to connect the learing of a foreign language to the world of work. The partners had already worked together and the needs were the same: therefore the project started from the needs with a view to exchange good practices in the field of learing a second language, train the trainers by experimenting tools and methodologies in order to offer to learners a more practical and engaging approach.