Openlang Network
According to both the Council of Europe and the European Union mobility is one of the cornerstones of European society. The lack of language competences is still one of the main barriers to participation in European education, training and youth programmes. With 4 million participants by 2020, Erasmus+ is a unique opportunity to study, train, gain work experience or volunteer abroad (EU, 2013). As languages are the heart of mutual understanding and comprehension, it is essential to promote language learning for Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants.
On that basis EU has decided to offer linguistic support through the Online Linguistic Support (OLS) to selected participants for studying, carrying out a traineeship or volunteering abroad in the framework of long-term mobility activities supported under Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (HE students and staff, VET (at least 1 month mobility) learners/staff, adult and school education staff, Youth learners and workers). They will all have the opportunity to assess their language competence while only selected participants may follow an online language course to improve their language skills. This course offers a series of self paced short lessons (10min each), a weekly Massive Open Online Course (30min) and 2 monthly tutoring small group sessions (30min each).
We consider the following as ‘drawbacks’ for the Erasmus+ OLS:
OVERALL OBJECTIVES:
The OPENLang Network addresses the needs for linguistic skills and culture awareness of Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants and the training needs for OERs of language teachers:
a) Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants (HE students & staff, VET , Adult & School education staff, Youth learners, Youth Workers, Youth Entrepreneurs) that need to boost their language skills (24 EU) and cultural awareness including those who will not enroll in the OLS courses.
b) Volunteers language teachers who will support the Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants offering their professional experience while receiving professional certified training on the creation, sharing and use of language OERs.
See more: https://www.openlangnet.eu/
On that basis EU has decided to offer linguistic support through the Online Linguistic Support (OLS) to selected participants for studying, carrying out a traineeship or volunteering abroad in the framework of long-term mobility activities supported under Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (HE students and staff, VET (at least 1 month mobility) learners/staff, adult and school education staff, Youth learners and workers). They will all have the opportunity to assess their language competence while only selected participants may follow an online language course to improve their language skills. This course offers a series of self paced short lessons (10min each), a weekly Massive Open Online Course (30min) and 2 monthly tutoring small group sessions (30min each).
We consider the following as ‘drawbacks’ for the Erasmus+ OLS:
- Available courses not in 24 EU languages;
- Highly limited opportunities for oral authentic communication and for peer-to-peer feedback (native or native level speakers);
- Lack of opportunities for building Personal Language Learning Networks’ or a wider Community of EU mobility ‘supporters’;
- No access to multilingual language Open Educational Resources (OERs) in 24 EU languages;
- No emphasis on building cultural awareness.
OVERALL OBJECTIVES:
The OPENLang Network addresses the needs for linguistic skills and culture awareness of Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants and the training needs for OERs of language teachers:
a) Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants (HE students & staff, VET , Adult & School education staff, Youth learners, Youth Workers, Youth Entrepreneurs) that need to boost their language skills (24 EU) and cultural awareness including those who will not enroll in the OLS courses.
b) Volunteers language teachers who will support the Erasmus+ KA1 mobility participants offering their professional experience while receiving professional certified training on the creation, sharing and use of language OERs.
- The OPENLang Network envisages to:
1) connect these 2 groups in an interactive collaborative environment (Web-based and mobile-based) that will support more efficiently their effort to raise language awareness of the target mobility EU languages and to develop European intercultural knowledge covering all EU cultures.
2) foster the Open Education European multicultural and multilingual vision to all OPENLang Network members.
See more: https://www.openlangnet.eu/
