Learn&Teach, an innovative language learning project

This project was aimed to improve the speaking skills in foreign languages for secondary pupils. Oral skills are the most important but also the most difficult skills to work in a classroom of 25+ pupils. Our goal was to allow pupils to have regular language exchange with foreign pupils without traveling, using an online video calls platform. The primary objectives were to improve the oral skills up to a B2 level in foreign language after 2 years for grade 10 and 11 pupils and to share best practices between foreign language teachers. Three schools and one private company was the participants of this Project. Two schools were French (Institution Sainte Marie Sainte Front and Lycée Bossuet (Institution Sainte Geneviève)) and the third school was a British school, the Torquay Girls’ Grammar School. The private company was Blabloo, a Spanish Company developing the online video call platform. The main activities were first the language exchange between paired pupils from different nationalities through video calls and second the development of the ad-hoc platform for the Project. The video calls had to deal with specific monthly subjects in order for the pupils to then write posts about this subject once a month.153 pupils participated in the Project. 90% of them (138) activated their account in the online platform. 64% sent written messages to pupils of other nationalities, 24% performed at least one video call with a foreign pal and 12% had at least one video call every 2 weeks with a foreign pal. Teachers were able to notice a real improvement in the oral foreign language (English or French depending on the case) for the pupils who used the platform on a regular basis as well as an increase in their motivation and implication in the classroom The Project did have a very positive impact on the classrooms although it was restricted in terms of number of pupils who really took advantage of it. The Project was not mandatory for the kids and most of them did not participate on the long run. A long term benefit is the use of the platform by other schools and pupils besides the fact the the pupils who participated in the Project keep in touch and keep practicing foreign languages together.