CONTEXT We have a large portion of the population is over 65 still healthy and life expectancy has lengthened the quality of life has improved and these Seniors are still very active support their children help grow their grandchildren would still like to learn feel. An important pillar of society, how effectively they are, needs to feel involved in education path again, learning proesses, social events. Our challenge is: Is it possible to teach the elderly? Can the elderly actually learn? And learn a second language? We asked ourselves these question and we think that this path had been already written by Montessori decades ago. OBJECTIVES and OUTCOMES: This project intend to reach many results starting from a simple sentence: Seniors have much more to do and know than you think! Our long term aim is to build bridges through aged persons in different european countries. The crucial point is to experiment english, use it for comunicate and not just teach it in traditional theorical way. You can use the Montessori method to teach the elderly by creating places where you learn English, experiment with English and participate socially in European culture and at the same time: the EnForSe Corners! During their activities these EnForSe Corners will give opportunities for meetings between Seniors who live in different countries and who use English to communicate. Through this project we will introduce to the Montessori Method a sort number of teachers and adult trainers in the field of language learning as for adults and NUMBERS AND PROFILE OF THE PARTICIPANTS: 10/15 senior over 65, retired teachers, Retired workers in general, unemployed seniors that have never been able to graduate and wish to learn and restarte their studies or simpliy seniior that need company and feel useful and wothy again. ACTIVITIES: 1. International meetings to present each partner, bring each own experience to the table, share needs and get involved in the follow up of the creation and implementation of EnForse Corner and EnForSe Day. 2. Learning Teacher Trainings courses on: Montessori method from basis to evolution, Montessori Mehtod inspired practices. 3.Create a EnForSe practical guidelines to teach english to senior using a Montessori inspire method 4. Workshop to define and create all the activities and timesheet for the EnForSe Corner and EnForSe Day. 5. EnForSe special Room placed in EUROPE FOR ALL location to coordinate all the EnForSe Corners. 6. English corner station called EnForSe Corner will be set up at the headquarters of each partner, where activities will be carried out to put the various organizations in contact with each other. 7. EnForSe Day, in which each participant will use english to comunicate and share significan new sociality. METHODOLOGY: Montessori Method was created to let brain damaged children actually to learn, we want to use in to teach english to senior. Our strategy is to create in each partner location the EnForSe Corner, place to experiment and learn english in a experimental way, an active way of lerning and living and fill their time with meaniningful activities (such as the EnForSe day), using and sperimenting new pedagogical approach to teach foreing language to senior: Montessori inspired method to teach english to senior. Using the brain to learn new notions or to deepen those already acquired helps the mind to stay in shape:the so-called Brain Fitness. RESULT 10/15 senior each partner involved in Eglish lesson and EnForSe activities, target of total amount of 90 seniors, over (65) but this number is increaseable. 18 english teacher trained in Montessori inspired method for senior trained EnForSe practical guidelines to teach english to senior written 1 EnForSe special room created for sustainability and dissemintation 6 EnForSe Corner created 6 EnforSe day events implemented IMPACT: Spreading of knowledge trough dissemination of the EnForSe practical guidelines to teach english to senior Bridges built through different countries Senior envolved in european identity and culture and sense of belonging. Elderly to socialized, extended their network of knowledge and friendships. Better quality of life for senior In long period each year these EnForSe corner will stay in touch and continue to programme events, cultural day, english lesson for senior.
This project intended to reach many results starting from a simple sentence: Seniors have much more to do and know than you think! Our long term aim was to build bridges through aged persons in different european countries. The crucial point is to experiment english, use it for comunicate and not just teach it in traditional theorical way. There are many benefits that you can get in learning a new language. In fact, studies show that learning a second language like english greatly helps in improving brain health through slowing down the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive ability, memory retention, stimulates overall brain activity and more. Not to mention endless opportunities and betterment of your social life. So our final target, by studying English, could join a global community of fellow Enforse English learners we wanted them also to be confident that almost anywhere in the world someone will be able to understand them and help them if they need it. More of this they coul be able to reach many more contents ready to be reached don social media and internet platform.
Do adults/seniors feel discouraged? Embarrassed? Or doubtful? And asking theirselves am I too old to learn English? Well, the answer is NO. It is never too late to learn English. Or any other language for that matter. Language learning has no age limit. While it is true that studying English from a young age has its advantage, it is not impossible to learn English even if they are already seniors/adult. We have applied for this project to try to give and answer to these questiond for seniors; because there is a large portion of the population is over 65 that is still healthy that deserve a good quality of life. These Seniors are still very active: they support their falilies helping grow their grandchildren, many of them are important pillar of society, and they deserve to to feel involved in education path again, learning processes, social events, so why not give them an oppoetunity they didn't have in their past? Adults tend to think that they won’t be able to learn English quickly. But that’s not true. An adult’s brain is more developed than a teenager’s. You are wiser. You are more disciplined. In time of difficulties and restriction (due to covid) to active travelling this project try to use practical on line activities to teach english to seniors.