European Educational Programs: Erasmus+, eTwinning, and CLIL
European Educational Programs
Erasmus+ (Key Action 2)
The Erasmus+ program supports all levels of school education, from preschool to secondary. Its main goal is to foster understanding of European cultures, languages, and values among young people and educators.
What is an Erasmus+ Partnership?
Multilateral partnerships involve at least three schools from three different European countries collaborating on cross-curricular projects. These partnerships enable staff and students to work together with international partners for two years.
Main Aims of Erasmus+ Partnerships
- Increase student and staff mobility across the EU.
- Strengthen partnerships between schools in different EU member states.
- Promote language learning, innovative ICT-based content, and improved teaching practices.
- Enhance the quality and European dimension of teacher training.
- Improve pedagogical approaches and school management.
Funding for Erasmus+ Partnerships
Funding is based on the number of mobilities (staff and/or students traveling abroad).
eTwinning
eTwinning is a community for schools in Europe. It provides online tools for teachers to connect, collaborate, and engage in projects.
What is an eTwinning Project?
Schools from at least two different European countries collaborate on a project using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). There are no grants or required face-to-face meetings.
eTwinning Project Topics
Projects can focus on any topic and should balance ICT use with classroom activities, aligning with national curricula.
Who Can Participate in eTwinning?
Two or more teachers from schools across Europe can participate. Collaboration can be within the same subject or cross-curricular. Schools from preschool to upper secondary levels are eligible.
eTwinning Participating Countries
eTwinning includes EU member states, as well as Croatia, North Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, and Turkey.
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
CLIL involves teaching subject matter through a foreign language, with the dual objective of learning the content and the language simultaneously.
Benefits of CLIL
- Motivates students and teachers.
- Provides a purpose for language use in the classroom.
- Enhances language learning by focusing on meaning.
- Increases exposure to the target language.
Effective CLIL Teaching Practices
- Exposure to challenging input through authentic materials, text adaptation, scaffolding, and meaning-focused processing.
- Form-focused processing through examples, recasts, and clarification requests.
- Output production through various interaction formats, oral and written tasks, and encouragement to use the target language.
- Active teaching behaviors such as clear instructions, task descriptions, pacing, and comprehension strategies.
CLIL Methodological Tools
- The 4Cs: Content, Cognition, Communication, Culture.
- Bloom’s Taxonomy: Promotes higher-order thinking skills.
- Cummins’ Matrix: Assesses language and content demands in tasks.
- Scaffolding: Supports learners in understanding new content and developing skills.
BICS and CALP
- BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills): Used in social situations.
- CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency): Used in academic contexts, requiring abstract and formal language.