The European Dimension
across
the Curriculum of
English Language Teaching
Angela Charalambous
Eudhokia Anastassiou
EUROPEAN DIMENSION
QUALITY EDUCATION
The European Dimension
=
cognition+affection
Activities to equip children, young people and
adults with knowledge, skills and competences
to understand, participate and benefit from
Europe
Towards
The development of Quality Education and
encouragement between Member States
European Citizenship
being active - having the knowledge and
skills and competences to make a
difference
Acting Together
Schools can foster the idea of
European integration
through
1) the harmonisation of the system to the
new challenge (outside the classroom)
2) the curricula (inside the classroom)
The Cyprus curriculum
is humanistic,
aiming at the development of
“round personalities”,
mentally, morally and aesthetically refined,
healthy, active and creative,
able to promote intercultural understanding,
tolerance, cooperation and respect
among individuals so that the ideas of
democracy, freedom, justice and peace
can prevail and the European dimension of education
can be realised.
European Dimension and the Cy Curriculum
Citizenship education in schools is offered as:
 separate subject – Civics
 integrated into traditional subjects (e.g. history,
religious education, geography, literature, music,art,
Languages )
 cross-curricular educational theme present
throughout the curriculum
 extracurricular activities in the context of
Lifelong Learning Programme
Role of Languages
The teaching and dissemination of the
languages of the member states are key issues
in the process of developing active citizenship
***Call for new approaches in teaching and
learning
Cy English Curricula
“learners with fully developed personalities
empowered by multilingual competencies, are
better prepared to take on both individual and
collective responsibility, have a better chance
to benefit from the opportunities offered to
them in national, European and international
contexts and are more willing to commit
themselves to the promotion of such values as
Equity, Tolerance, Justice and Peace”.
Allocation of teaching periods of languages
PRIMARY
2h per week at the last three years
LEVEL
CLASS
AGE LANGUAGE(S)/
PERIODS
GYMNASIUM
(lower sec)
A
B
12
13
ENGLISH /3p
ENGLISH /3p
C
A
14
15
ENGLISH /3,5p FRENCH /2p
ENGLISH /3p
FRENCH /2p
B
16
ENGLISH
2p or 6p
C
17
LYCEUM
(upper sec)
FRENCH /2p
FRENCH/2p
FRENCH
2p or 6p
ENGLISH
FRENCH
2p or 6p
2p or 6p
* German, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Russian
*Other
languages
Teaching Methods and Approaches
• Learner-centred
• “eclectic approach”
• Differentiated Instructionequal opportunities for ALL
• Communicative competence
• Intercultural competence
• Cooperation- Collaboration - Partnerships
• Content based/Thematic -oriented
• Active, experiential work – Learning how to Learn
• Lifelong Learning Skills
Language rooms
A place with a mission!
If you give a man a fish,
you feed him for a day
If you teach him how to fish,
you feed him for a lifetime
(Confucius 551-479BC)
Language rooms
A serious proposition to move away from
the rigid boundaries of the traditional
classroom and open new ways in
language learning enhancing Ss’ cognitive
and metacognitive
development
flexible
A communicative and collaborative centre!
Technology
Real language in context,
away from coursebooks
and conventional
classrooms
Teaching materials/Coursebooks
•
•
•
•
•
Gymnasium Level - Magic Moments series
Lyceum Level – Going for Gold
Adaptation of authentic material
Cross-curricular training
English- a medium of
communication
European Language Portfolio
Accredited model No83.2006
Class A Gymnasium, 12-15 years old
Piloting Basis in 2005
AIMS:
a) provide and sustain motivation
through longer term continuing
education,
b) enhance the recognition of the
language learning achievement of
learners and
c) enhance coherence in educational
systems and efficient interfaces
between educational sectors
European Language Portfolio
Actions to ensure the successful
implementation in Class A, Gymnasium
1. Two-day Seminar on Training
teachers ton use the European
Portfolio, by Ulle Turk
2. Teachers who attend become
multipliers and co-ordinators in their
school unit
3. A guide prepared by the Ministry
with suggested steps
4. Informative leaflets for the parents
Extracurricular activities
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Lifelong Learning Programme – Comenius
European Language Label
Spring Day for Europe
European Day of Languages
Partnerships - Euroscola
e-twinning
European Youth
Parliament
Coming together is a beginning
Keeping together is a progress
Working together is a
success
Henry Ford
‘Coming together is a Beginning
Keeping together is a Progress
Working together is a Success’
Henry Ford