Speakeasy
Start date: Nov 1, 2011,
Speakeasy plans to address some of the challenges regarding the implementation and delivery of foreign language courses for migrants. The key focus of this project is to develop stimulating interactive speaking strategies so that learners will be motivated to attend a language course that more effectively assists them in being able to cope confidently with various real life situations and manage language challenges more effectively in their host country. Based on previous experience and preliminary research, we can conclude; the organizational and pedagogical method should be very flexible, practical and suited to fit those involved. Migrants are not a homogeneous group and therefore make up a vast variety of competences and experiences and come from a diversity of social, cultural and religious backgrounds, these factors will to be a significant consideration. Speakeasy will provide intimate and stimulating ‘language clubs’ that are of a recreational nature and which suit the learner, it plans to explore opportunities to communicate and transfer language to a variety of contexts, enabling the learner to feel confident about following an accepted code of language by selecting an approach that suits their needs and is appealing. This project will offer personalized language guidance by setting up a variety of interactive recreational scenarios like cooking club, breakfast club, café club, book club, drama club, film night, radio shows, Email club, Skype club, language partners etc. The diversity of activities will be based around the learners’ interests, needs, requests, skills and experiences indicated in the needs assessment. The communicative tasks and learning activities will relate to personal, public, occupational and educational domains. The website will enable autonomous learning, providing access to video and audio material which will provide short, authentic, relevant examples of real life exchanges and will help learners consolidate what they have learnt.