Building bridges with ConBaT+

Why do we need bridges ?

Why do we need bridges? To empower professionals of languages by giving them tools to manage ethnic and cultural heterogeneity as well as over-crowded curricula. To introduce and disseminate content-based and plurilingual activities that can be linked to several subjects of the curriculum. To relieve the increasing pressure teachers experience in their daily task of dealing with diversity.

What kind of bridges do we need?

What kind of bridges do we need? Wide bridges to allow many vehicles (methodologies, didactics, research, …) and many people (students, teachers, educational bodies, …) from all over the world to cross over. Long bridges to reach for all kind of languages, cultures, knowledge. Open bridges to facilitate and support free and unrestricted communication and exchanges. Strong bridges that can withstand possible adverse wind.

Where should ConBaT+ bridges lead?

Where should ConBaT+ bridges lead us? To places that... raise plurilingual, pluricultural and intercultural COMPETENCE among primary and secondary school teachers and their pupils. empower teachers to create QUALITY cross-curricular materials in English, French, and Spanish, as an L2, for primary and secondary school learners. introduce the LANGUAGES and CULTURES present in the classroom into a number of subjects. motivate teachers to IMPACT on a reform of language learning and teaching. strengthen professional NETWORKS by providing several international and national meetings.

What is needed to avoid our bridges falling down?

What is needed to avoid our bridges falling down? Create strong links with other educators to empower language professionals through action research, by means of producing innovative materials, etc. Make a collaborative body of professionals with all the members of our educational community (head teachers, teachers, advisors, parents, social workers, NGOs …) in order to encourage democratic citizenship, social cohesion, mutual understanding and respect between the members of our community. Create networks with educational institutions and organisations at national and international levels to contribute to making the necessary changes in education in order to have fairer societies in the near future.

Thank you Merci Gracias http://conbat.ecml.at Thank you Merci Gracias