Projects

Achizitii in proiect

www.toolproject.info
Tool for Online and Offline Language Learning - TOOL project ( ref. no. 230285-CP-1-2006-1-RO-LINGUA-L2)

TOOL project was been funded by the European Union, builds ‘blended learning’ language courses in five European languages: Dutch, Estonian, Hungarian, Maltese, and Slovene. These courses are designed at A2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference and address learners who have had an initial introduction to one of the languages and who wish to progress from a basic survival level to a higher competence. The project partners are experts in language education and technology in education from across Europe.

The project undertakes to create a blended learning system, online and offline, with materials for learning and teaching in five languages: Dutch, Estonian, Hungarian, Maltese, and Slovene, based on a methodology which is readily transferable to the learning and teaching of other languages.

The project targets adult learners who have had an initial introduction to one of the five languages and who want to progress from a survival level to one of greater competency – A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference. Diaspora, businesspeople, tourists, as well as people who are interested in languages are all part of the targeted sector.

TOOL works closely in the development of its outputs with another Lingua project called ALL. The goal of this collaboration is to harmonize the final products of the two projects. This synergetic approach is expected to allow language institutions to teach a coherent package of nine European languages that can be learned and taught with all the advantages of a blended learning methodology.

Blended learning combines the inspiration and motivation of traditional classroom teaching with the fun and flexibility of e-learning (aka online or distance learning) to create courses that are accessible and motivating for adult students. TOOL blended learning courses include a number of innovative features, including the possibility for tutors to correct work online and to communicate online with learners. In turn, learners can communicate with other learners, thus enabling group work, sharing of homework and community building. Weekly offline classes with the course tutor are included. These classes introduce new topical issues connected to linguistic structures, clarify online issues brought up in the previous week and reflect on the process of learning.

In addition, the course design tools are extensive and allow course builders to include dynamic, news-based elements. For example, an event in the morning's news can be included in a course unit. This increases the perceived value of the course and its immediacy, leading to an increase in motivation.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.