AVS goes English
Start date: Jul 1, 2014,
End date: Jun 30, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
This mobility project has been aimed at improving the English language competences and the knowledge of CLIL methodology of 10 teachers of scientific and technical subjects in the ongoing pilot courses in the first two years of the educational path in our Institute. To achieve this objective, teachers traveled to UK to follow language and CLIL methodology courses . Courses attendance was during the summer or at the very beginning of the school year to have the best effect on the educational programme
The selection of the participating teachers has been made by a committee composed of the Headmaster, the project manager and the coordinators of the classes in accordance with the requirements emerged in the councils of the pilot classes courses, giving priority to teachers who have already started a CLIL training program at European and/or national level .
To facilitate the project development and its impact a steering committee has been created composed of the pilot classes tutors and of all teachers teaching scientific and technical subjects in English. The committee has been responsible for making point of activity, organization and clear drafting of programs and methodologies to be followed in the classes .
The experience and expertise achieved by the teachers in their mobility have had an obvious impact on the ongoing pilot courses. The educational process in the first two years of a technical insitute presents many difficulties due mainly to the fact that the students are heterogeneous not only in terms of previous skills and motivation , but also, given the high number of students from non-EU countries, in linguistic terms. The activation of pathways including technical and scientific subjects in English is getting quite successful in helping to achieve the educational goals and reduce early school leaving, especially because language learning takes place within the laboratory activities typical of scientific disciplines, and this fact encourages a greater student involvement. It is obvious that the greater the number of theoretical and practical teachers able to contribute to the implementation and success of these paths , the greater the students number who will benefit from it .
Linguistically skilled teachers have been able to increase the number of exchanges and internships abroad that the Institute organizes .
Teachers attending language and / or methodological courses have significantly improved their
language skills,
methodological expertise in the field of CLIL,
approach to multiculturalism,
interpersonal and organizational skills.
These acquired skills are having a good and measurable effect on the planning and the activities of the councils of the pilot classes but not only, because the teachers involved in the project, thank to the augmented language skills, are now organizing a lot of international activities inside and outside Erasmus+ scope, involving colleagues and students of other classes. The project results have lead to an overall improvement in the effectiveness of the teaching and of the students learning.
Furthermore, the CLIL methodology , especially in multi-ethnic classes, have confirmed to be an intercultural education strategy as it leads to the consolidation of the knowledge of the students using the more powerful integration tool (language).