The objective of this project was to address the specific needs of different groups and current issues at our school. It was anticipated that the project would facilitate the development and consolidation of students' foreign language skills. It was anticipated that their heightened interest in these subjects would facilitate the consolidation and expansion of the school's foreign language offers in the final years (Years 11-13). The innovative examples observed and experienced in the partner schools would prove beneficial for both students and teachers. One such example is the use of digital devices in a multitude of situations, both within and beyond the confines of the classroom. From the perspective of the school, there was a desire to identify novel and enhanced methods of acknowledging the multicultural and diverse backgrounds of a significant proportion of the student body. Additionally, there was an aspiration to draw inspiration from the establishment of novel school cultures within a newly constructed school building.
The impetus for this project was the identification of current needs within the school and among its pupils in a number of key areas. It was imperative that new strategies be developed to respond to the new challenges that had emerged. The project responded to the students' expressed desire for more international contacts, particularly with educational institutions in countries of which they are learning the languages. The school system was experiencing an influx of pupils who had not yet acquired proficiency in the national language. An international class had been established at our school to assist pupils from Ukraine (and other countries) in acquiring proficiency in the German language. The project was to discover and implement new and improved strategies for the integration of these pupils and for the appreciation of those pupils who themselves (or whose parents) have their roots in other countries, cultures and language areas. The special situation of our school, where not only more and more computer technology is being introduced, but also a new extension to our school building will soon be inaugurated, has led to the necessity and interest to innovate teaching and learning on several levels.