Focus
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Brief description
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Author
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Using interactive writing tasks as a means of preparation for a high-stakes exam
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Adapting to written work online: the surprising willingness of students to adapt early in lockdown depended on motivation and the example of the teacher. The study highlights the importance of teacher self-confidence and communities of practice among colleagues
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Alina Pisica (RO)
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Progression from monologue to dialogue, with cooperative feedback
(case study in French)
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University level students did preparation online for the oral part of their C1 exam in French. This involved opportunities for intensive work in distance mode, and provided insights into students’ independent learning when aided by technology
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Bettina Imgrund (CH)
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Novel practices in pre-service teacher education focusing on use of online technology
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The case study describes a course for 22 student teachers run, due to the pandemic, as a Hackathon Challenge with the title “Put language learning in the service of a social purpose”. Links are available to six reports on the team projects, as well as other resources
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Katerina Zourou and Evangelia Mousouri (GR)
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Creation of numerous videos to support the teaching and learning of French early in lockdown
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The videos are bilingual and feature instructions for tasks and examples, such as illustrated figures with speech bubbles modelled by one speaker, often with translation into Croatian.
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Kristina Pirs (HR)
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Mediation activity based on simulation involving paraphrasing a Croatian e-mail in French (upper secondary)
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In online lessons, students had to explain the contents of the e-mail orally in French and record their explanation on Vocaroo . Assessment criteria (‘task achievement’, ‘accuracy’ and ‘adaptation to communicative context’) at three levels were then applied. Ideas for exploiting online tools for teaching French were exchanged via a designated platform organised by the Ministry of Education
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Loreana Selišek Butina and Kristina Pirs (HR)
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The personal problems faced by year 10 students during early lockdown
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To relieve stress and promote wellbeing students of English identified a personal problem due to lockdown, then role-played in pairs - one as client, the other as ‘psychologist/counsellor’. The case study also highlights the usefulness of professional networks
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Luljeta Malaj (AL)
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Symptoms of Covid and guidelines for avoiding infection and protecting oneself and others
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A project done with second year high school students to carry out research on the causes and symptoms of Covid 19 and to design a guidance leaflet for use in the school. The effect of the project was positive in terms of motivation and the leaflet produced was effective.
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Luljeta Malaj (AL)
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Creative work in early primary, and recording of descriptions to be exchanged online
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In their online English class, children were asked to design a poster, and then record their description of their posters and their feelings about them. The usefulness of CLIL methodology and the Importance of teachers’ focusing on emotional aspects of learning are highlighted, along with the special potential of language learning to aid the broadening of horizons.
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Sandra Gil (ES)
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Storytelling and reconstruction as light relief using digital media
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The lesson with adults at B2 level in English Involved dictation, text reconstruction, summarising and recounting fairy tales, as well as written work. The Importance of sensitivity and response to affect in lockdown and of identifying motivating tasks to lift mood are emphasised. The fact that technology needs to be seen as no more than a tool in communicative language teaching is also highlighted
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Susan Starbuck (IT)
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Debate among students on the effects of lockdown on mental health
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Following preparation, the online debate involved year 8 students of English from different groups. The value of online group activity for learning rules of debating and exploring mental health issues at a difficult time is emphasised., and the case is made for a better balance between online education and live lessons beyond lockdown
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Vilda Kiaunytė (LT)
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Practising use of conditionals and commenting on invented ‘mottos’
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collboard was used with by a group of upper secondary students of English for joint sentence writing. Another group of students watched a short video on writing mottos at home and then did creative work in groups. Students then commented on each other’s work, thereby enhancing motivation. Learning to use a wide range of on-line tools and reflecting more on the importance of social contact and active communication in groups are highlighted.
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Eva Lorencovičová (CZ)
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Business simulation towards a virtual ‘trade fair’ (business students in HE)
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Over a semester, business students at a university worked on developing a fictitious company profile and a booth and presence at a virtual ‘trade fair’ using technology in Zoom breakout rooms creatively, then shared their work. The implications for lockdown and post lockdown situations are discussed.
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Heather Kretschmer (DE)
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Medieval English ballads as compared to modern pop songs in an online unit with positive results
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The lessons involved Input, discussion then live creative work on medieval ballads as compared to modern pop songs, Students shared and commented on each other’s blog posts via Padlet. This was followed by explanatory discussion of students’ creative choices and exchanges on this. This yielded good language practice combined with a motivating marriage of the traditional literature lesson and creative interactive work, enhanced by technology.
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Carla Tosoratti, (IT)
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Study of and responses to Shelley’s ‘Ode to the West Wind’, with spontaneous reference to students’ feelings about the pandemic
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A ‘flipped’ approach was used with upper secondary (year 4) students working on this poem. The teacher’s input video was released 4 days ahead of the online lesson. Students were asked to react publicly with comments and questions via Moodle. In the follow up online lesson, there were spontaneous personal reactions to the Covid situation drawing parallels with the sense of the poem. This was followed up with a Moodle writing assignment (assessed).
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Mara Zordan (IT)
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Online oral interaction in Chinese, then English, with Taiwanese peers
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After a lengthy period of preparation, online meetings were organised between groups of Italian upper secondary (year 3) students of Chinese and peers learning English Taiwan. Group work based on prepared descriptions of small towns in Italy (history, attractions etc.) were prepared and exchanged with similar descriptions in English provided by the Taiwanese. The focus was on successful interaction, including pronunciation, engagement etc.
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Francesco Imparato (IT)
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Written interaction with peers: students exchanged points of view on specific topics in Chinese in short messages
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Students at upper secondary school (year 4) responded in a set time (5 minutes) in Chinese to a question set by the teacher using spiral.ac. All students could see each other’s answers. The teacher then organised a debate on the topic based on further questions and each other’s responses.
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Tommaso Rossi (IT)
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