3. A 10h training module, organized as
follows:
•one 3h face to face training session
•one 4h on-line session
•one 3h face to face training session
4. • Getting to know and use the AlphaEU pedagogical
materials;
• Participating in a EU Co-financed multinational
project, in the field of early education;
• Getting to know pedagogical strategies about
multilingualism and pre-school education;
• Implementing the AlphaEU digital products in
pre-school institutions;
• Sharing your units and plans for using the
products in an educational environment.
5. 1.1.Presentation of the project
1.2. Presentation of some theoretical
and methodological aspects;
1.3.On-line registration of the
participants
1.4.Alphabet books and Activities
1.5. Form project work groups and
set deadlines for the next training
sessions.
Session 1 - 3 hours face to face training
6. Session 2 - 4 hours on-line training
2.1.Exploring the pedagogical material available on the site
of the project : the digital alphabet books, the digital
activities, the resources and the Adult Mediator’s Guide
Temporary link for books: http://alphaeu.org/ebooks/
Temporary link for activities: http://alphaeu.org/activities/
2.2. Getting together in groups of 2 or 3 and plan a set of
activities to be implemented in pre-school institutions buy
05/2014
2.3.Identifying two educators/parents interested in using
the AlphaEU digital materials in pre-school
institutions/their homes with their own children
2.4. Planning on how to introduce the AlphaEU digital
materials to parents
2.5. Planning activities to be used in pre-school
institutions/at home by parents with their own children
7. 3.1.Presentation of results for 2.2.; 2.3.;
2.4.; e 2.5
3.2. Comments on the resources
3.3. How to prepare the activities to be
implemented in pre-school institutions for
AlphaEU data collection
3.3.1.video interviews
3.3.2.implementation reports
3.3.3.reflections
Session 3 – 3 hours, face to face training
8. Priority: Promoting Early Foreign Language Learning
Multilingual awareness at an early age
Thematic Alphabet books in English, German, Greek,
Italian, Portuguese and Romanian
Digital materials
http://alphaeu.org/
Enquadra
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metodológi
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9. In pre-school education, parents are the main factors in
ensuring the success of language learning.
Language awareness:
Phonemic awareness
Looking at basic familiar topics from a slightly
different perspective
Learning , pronouncing
Simple language
Understand before producing
Introducing a foreign language in relevant
contexts
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10. Intercultural competence and multilingualism
Opening children’s minds to multilingualism and cultural
diversity has many advantages:
•enhances individual and social development
•increases their capacity to empathise and interact with others
•enhances competences such as comprehension, expression,
communication and problem-solving
•can increase powers of concentration and strengthen self-
confidence
•promotes the personal development of the child to live and
act in a culturally and linguistically diverse world
The creative exploration of a foreign language stimulates
curiosity for the global world and its plurilingual and
pluricultural aspects.
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11. Why are there 6 languages in AlphaEU?
EU multilingual policies sustain that it is important to guarantee
that children can have access to learning several foreign
languages as this will prepare him or her to be more sensitive to
other people and cultures.
The child can learn two foreign languages and show curiosity for
many others as part of his or her open-mindedness and
tolerance for diversity training.
A child should be exposed to a maximum of two foreign
languages in terms of awareness programmes provided the
foreign languages are meaningful to him or her..
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12. Why should a child explore foreign languages such as English or
German?
It is a first step into the consistent study of these
foreign languages in schools.
Why should a child explore foreign languages such as Italian,
Greek, Portuguese or Romanian?
Because it contributes to develop a positive
valuation of all languages. All languages are
similarly important and ways of organizing human
life
Because it is important to promote an intercultural
approach in schools.
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13. Benefits of using digital
resources?
• Motivate children to learn
• Develop critical thinking
• Stimulates curiosity
• Improve problem solving skills
• Stimulate creativity and
communication
• Promote collaboration and
civic spirit
• Stimulate cultural awareness
• Promote a sense of social
responsibility
The question is no longer whether to
use digital resources, but how they
should be integrated into pre-school
education.
• Support social, cognitive and
linguistic development in children
• As well as aiding language
development, research shows
that the use of these technologies
through targeted, age-
appropriate games and resources
can enhance children’s ability to
understand reading, writing and
narrative.
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14. This is Alfa and
this is Zara
They will explore the world and take photos
of things and words for 5 Alphabet books;
30 digital alphabet books in 6 different languages, on 5 themes.
15. Alpha and Zara’s City alphabet book
Alpha and Zara’s Farm alphabet book
Alpha and Zara’s School alphabet book
Alpha and Zara’s Home alphabet book
6 Country alphabet books (Ireland, Austria,
Cyprus, Italy, Portugal and Romania)
16. Each book features native
speaker voices who recite
the letters, the words and
the intros on each page.
Dialogues between Alpha
and Zara
17. Each page contains two or three words
per letter. Users have to browse through
all the images on a page to find objects
(2, 3 objects) starting with the respective
letter. When clicking on an object, they
can hear the word in the native language
and see the written form of the respective
word.
18. On the A page, for example, click on the
letter sound and on the phonetic sound
if you want your children to hear how the
letter is pronounced in the language they
are exploring. Note that there may be more
than one phonetic sound for each letter of
the alphabet in some languages.
20. Teachers can take advantage on the
thematic organization of the digital
alphabet books as well as of the digital
activities that are available. The alphabet
books could be introduced following the
week’s theme.
How to integrate the AlphaEU digital alphabet
books in the children’s daily activities?
21. As pre-schoolers start learning the alphabet letters in school,
parents could start doing reinforcement activities at home,
while looking at one or two pages of the digital alphabet
books at a time. Parents could help their children explore the
letters that they have already learnt at school or the initial
letter of their names, in each digital alphabet book. They
could explore the different sounds at one point; or a specific
theme at another time.
And what is the parents’ role?
22. Each book contains words referring to specific national items
that can interest children from all partner countries. The two
characters, Alpha and Zara, visit the different countries and
take photos of the items included in the books. Children may
have visited foreign countries, or may be taken on a virtual
visit of a new country through the alphabet books. These
digital alphabet books are very rich in content and should be
explored slowly – one page at a time or cross-culturally,
through exploring animals in all of them or boats, capital
cities, or any other common object that is represented
differently across cultures. .
How to explore the Country Alphabet Books?
23. 3 digital activities:
Match the language!
Spell the word!
Test your memory!
Temporary link for activities: http://alphaeu.org/activities/
24. Match the language!
The aim of this activity is to compare the national
language of each partner involved to English. Before
starting the game, select the level of difficulty.
(Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced) On the screen
some picture cards with the corresponding word will
appear. At the bottom of the screen there are two
flags. – national language and English. The objective
of the game is to drag the card to the corresponding
flag.
25. Spell the word!
The aim of this activity is to help
children review the alphabet and
practice the spelling of words
related to the “School” Alphabet
Book in their language.
26. Test your memory!
The aim of this activity is to associate the
picture to its written word. This activity
exists for all five themes covered by the
Alphabet Books and in each of the six
partner languages. Once the children select
this activity, a screen with the five available
themes appears (Farm, School, City, Home,
Country book) Once they select the theme,
they are then asked to select the level of
difficulty.
27. 1. Introduction
2. Benefits of Early Foreign Language Learning and
Language Awareness
3. Multilingualism In AlphaEU
4. Why Use Digital Resources at an Early Age
5. How to Use the Digital Alphabet Books
ANNEXES
List of country words included in Country Alphabet books
Lists of words included in Alphabet books
