YGGDRASIL project

 European culture, language and identity in a new world

Aims of the project

The students

   -   communicate in English with the students of the European partner schools in regular intervals

   -   cooperate in international project groups and collect, with their teachers, material for bilingual

       lessons

   -   improve their foreign language skills

   -   realize the importance of multi-lingual language learning from their own experience

   -   reflect their cultural background

   -   get to know and come to a deeper understanding of other cultures

   -   realize the meaning of prejudice and try to reduce prejudice

   -   realize the causes of xenophobia and the discrimination of ethnic minorities

   -   help to reduce xenophobia

   -   realize the advantages and problems of the globalization of culture and language

   -   reflect on what they consider “normal”

   -   get to know the generations’ different views of things

   -   improve their skills using information and communication technologies for communication

   -   put the Internet to meaningful and critical use for research, publication and communication

The teachers

   -   communicate in English with the participating teachers of the partner schools in regular intervals

   -   cooperate in international teams and improve their team skills

   -   improve their skills using new media and the information and communication technologies

   -   use new teaching methods

   -   develop teaching methods to strengthen students’ autonomy

   -   improve their knowledge of the school systems of the participating countries

   -   improve their knowledge of European culture and European structures

   -   draw inspiration for their daily lessons from the intensive exchange of ideas with their colleagues

       of the European partner schools

   -   are motivated for educational and didactic work in their own schools by working on an

       international project

Impact on the school:

   -   bilingual teaching methods are tried and used

   -   language learning is promoted

   -   the exchange of teachers and students is stimulated and supported

   -   the European image of the school is sharpened

   -   xenophobia and prejudice are reduced at the schools

   -   the schools open themselves to external partners

   -   the schools get and implement material / lesson plans for intercultural learning

   -   educational and didactic theories are discussed among the participating colleagues

   -   schools exchange their experience with various teaching methods

   -   teachers reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of their school systems

   -   the knowledge of different organizational concepts can be put to use for the organizational

       structures at one’s own school

Impact on the local community:

   -   public awareness of xenophobia and of the exclusion of ethnic minorities is increased, which

       helps to reduce xenophobia and discrimination

   -   people realize the importance of language learning and multilingual skills

   -   people become more aware of the integration of the school into a European network and of the

       importance of Europe for every single citizen

   -   the inclusion of the local media, the local cultural clubs, the organisations of ethnic minorities and

       local businesses makes people aware of their democratic responsibility and they become more

       attached to the school