Language Teaching Methods

Introduction to pools-m

Pools-m is a TOI (transfer of innovation) project based on the original BP-BLTM project, which selected five communicative language teaching methods suitable for VET teachers and their students, especially those preparing for or in the midst of work placement in other countries. For each method the project developed sets of materials and instructions for exemplary lessons.

To help the training of the less experienced teachers the use of the methods and materials are demonstrated through instructional video recordings of exemplary lessons.

The main outputs to be translated, adapted and transferred during the pools-m project period are:

-A video library with subtitled commented recordings of the five methods used in real classes.
-A manual with five method descriptions, instructions and ready to copy and use materials
-An International Work Placement Guide
-This website.

This project will transfer the BP-BLTM results to Italy, Lithuania, and Turkey by adapting and translating the guide, the methods manuals, the ready to use in classes materials, and the subtitles for the project videos.

The project brochure is available in EnglishGerman, Italian, Lithuanian, Turkish, and Danish

Visit the pools-m blog and Join the pools-m facebook group

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Project background

Recent research and improvements in language teaching methods have not been fully applied in VET in IT, LT, and TR especially not in the LWUTL (Less Widely Used and Taught Languages). This is found in the Eurydice Studies "Foreign Language Teaching in Schools in Europe" 2001) and in the European Language Learning Materials Survey" (December 2000)

According to a Eurobarometer survey carried out in 1997, Difficulty with foreign languages is by far the most feared problem when young Europeans contemplate working or studying abroad. Language proficiency is a key instrument for a common understanding between citizens of Europe and for exploiting the rich cultural heritage of Europe (European Report On Quality Of School Education, May 2000).

Teachers in technical colleges in IT, LT, and TR teaching the less taught languages are often not educated as language teachers; research and improvements in language teaching methods have not been applied. This is based on our own experiences as well as the Eurydice Studies "Foreign Language Teaching in Schools in Europe" 2001 ) and as stated in "The European Language Learning Materials Survey" (December 2000) "Many felt that lower level course materials for LWUTL were rarely communicative in nature (which they attributed to the fact that teachers of LWUTL have little pedagogical and methodological training), and emphasised the need for improvement in this area. In the same vein, the lack of a "learning to learn" approach in LWUTL materials was mentioned «.

POOLS-M deals substantially with use of ICT in languages teaching methods, in 2005 the Uteacher project found that 45% of teachers in IT declared “to have little knowledge of this issue”. Another research paper “ICT Development In Education In the Baltic Countries – 2005” (see www.emokykla.lt) shows that in LT computers are mainly use for teaching ICT and that “in other subjects IT technologies are used ‘passively’ (writing texts), and not ‘actively’ (forming presentations, demonstrating simulations etc.).” Computers are now widely used by teachers in TR, "however, this wide use of computers has not yet been observed in the instructional activities – either using a presentation tool during class or using computers for experiments (Usluel & Askar, 2002)." Also in Turkey "Studies pointed out that teachers’ use of ICT for instructional purposes is insufficient (Martins, Steil, & Todesco, 2004; Askar & Usluel, 2003; Szabo & Suen, 1998; Proulx & Campbell, 1997)."

The TOI project targets the above needs in IT, LT, and TR through communicative language teaching methods and materials with an emphasis on cultural diversities and promoting learning LWUTL. The use of ICT in several methods (for instructional purposes) also work for promoting ICT among language teachers and learners.

For each teaching method the project teams will develop sets of materials and instructions for exemplary lessons in Italian, Lithuanian, and Turkish. Such materials are also ready for use in Basque, Danish, Dutch, Gaelic, Romanian and they have been translated into English, German and Spanish to facilitate later use in other languages.

To help the training of the less experienced teachers the use of the methods and materials are demonstrated through instructional video recordings of exemplary lessons with subtitles in the project partnership languages.

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Manuals and guides

The project teams have adapted and translated five manuals covering language teaching methods and a guide for students preparing for a work placement period

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The student guide can be downloaded in:

Computer assisted language learning in context

Download the manual in:

The manual has been through a final edit and improvements through SUPSI, the Swiss "silent" partner in pools-m:-)

Task based learning / teaching

Download the manual in:

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Simulations

Download the manual in:

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The Physical-Emotional and Cultural approach (PhyEmoC)

Download the manual in:

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Tandem Learning

Download the manual in:

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Course Guide

Pools-m has produced the final course guide. Click here to download

Teacher Course materials

A Course Guide

The guide gives advice on how to run the courses: Click here to download

PowerPoint slides used for courses

Collection of PowerPoint slides used for the method courses. The slides may be adapted / translated  for different course situations.

Lithuanian PowerPoint slides

Danish course slides:

SUPSI, the Swiss pools-m partner has prepared a Video demonstrating three methods complete with ready to use materials 

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Evaluation forms after courses

The POOLS-M partnership has decided to open the online evaluation areas. These areas will remain open for the next two years so we can collect data on the courses. Please user the online forms so you can assist us in the work after the funded period:

Downloadable forms:

SUPSI, the Swiss pools-m partner has collected the electronic evaluations from the past pools-m pilot courses. The evaluation results from teachers and their students can be downloaded here:

Download the compiled user evaluations from pools-m: Text comments from students and teachers, teachers evaluations, and student evaluations

 
A sample certificate has been developed by the Danish designer Lone Olstrup. Download certificate here

Ready to use materials

The teams have prepared different types of materials to be used in classes

A board game for preparing students for a work placement period

The Italian team has prepared a teachers' guide for a board game preparing students for International Work Placement. Download the guide here to order the board game, please contact: Stefano Tirati: stefano@cscs.it  +39057350444 Website: https://www.cscs.it 

The Italian team has prepared a new simulation. Download it from here

The POOLS-Machine Plc is a simulation where the participants have to choose between four locations for a new factory, each location has advantages and disadvantages. Download the simulation in:

Airport is a simulation that can be used by students with a language competence around level B1 (European Language Portfolio). The simulation AIRPORT (see https://www.languages.dk/methods/airport.html) is now making use of Clilstore: The English version of the five profiles are availble online with all words linked to dictionaries in +100 languages: https://clilstore.eu/cs/939, https://clilstore.eu/cs/938, https://clilstore.eu/cs/937, https://clilstore.eu/cs/936, and https://clilstore.eu/cs/935

The simulation can be played in groups with three to five students (if less than five in a group then some students will have to have more than one profile in the simulation)

The simulation is self explanatory; each student is given a text with a personal profile, the students read and inform the other group members about the content.

Go to the Airport download page to download the simulation materials in English, Italian, Lithuanian, and Turkish

Return to St Kilda is a simulation which can be seen in use on the videos demonstrating language teaching methods. The simulation is available in

Videos demonstrating language teaching methods

The project teams have adapted five videos demonstrating language teaching methods in real classes. The videos have subtitles in

The final video produced by SUPSI demonstrates the five communicative language teaching methods (PhyEmoC, Task Based Learning, eTandem learning, Simulations, and Computer Assisted Language Learning):

 

The video comes complete with all the materials used in the lessons. Download the instructions, handouts / student materials used in the video:

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Brochures and dissemination materials

The project brochure is available in EnglishGerman, Italian, Lithuanian, Turkish, and Danish

There is also more information available in the pools-m blog and in the pools-m facebook group

Brochure in Italian advertising courses in Italy

Brochure for a two days teacher course on language teaching methods. Download brochure here

Fact sheet about the project can be downloaded here

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Last edit: January 19, 2023

 

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] 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.