Improving secondary school students' communication skills in English based on teaching cooperation between two proactive language centres
▶Summary
The motivation to create this project arose due to the situation related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The necessary transition to online teaching, especially at the beginning, was not easy and sometimes it was ineffective. Both project partners reflected on the increased demand from secondary school students for language tutoring and the increase in language competence in English, especially for communication.
▶Objectives
Both partner organisations wanted to satisfy the demand from those secondary school students who had been discouraged by online teaching from developing language competencies. Our tasks was therefore, on the basis of the joint online course, conducted in an effective way, to catch up as much as possible with the obvious shortcomings in their spoken expression in English, with the involvement of native speakers.
▶Activities
1. Kick-off meeting: Presentation of the project team and the partner organisations, presentation of project planning. 2. Methodology: Teaching in public language courses for secondary school students. Sharing experience and good practise. 3. Teaching staff mobility (the Czech teaching staff experienced face-to-face teaching conducted by the Irish team members). 4. Has COVID-19 set your English communication skills back? Don't be upset at ll! Improve your English with ACET and UPOL! (two-week intensive language course). 5. One-week intensive language course in English for Ukrainian refugees from the same target group (instead of the unrealized teaching staff mobility of the Irish team).
▶Impact
Several satisfied secondary school students who not only improved their English language skills after completing the course, but also gained more confidence in working in an online environment and further motivation to improve. This project was a great and unique opportunity to develop the capacity of both partner institutions. Both language centres plan to continue with a similar product at a reduced price.