The document summarizes a study visit report from a group that visited Barcelona, Spain from March 19-23. [1] The group was composed of 16 participants from 12 European countries representing primary, secondary, further and higher education. [2] They learned about various good practices for language teaching and learning, including initiatives in Catalunya that promote bilingualism and multilingualism. [3] The group also discussed future cooperation between institutions and educators from different countries.

1. Study visit group report
Group No
Title of the visit Social Dimension of Language Learning 192-ES
Topic Language Teaching & Learning
City, country Barcelona – Catalunya/Spain
Type of visit General Education
Dates of visit 19th March – 23rd March
Group reporter Sarah Jane Rose
Dear participants,
The purpose of a study visit is to generate an exchange of experience and good
practice between the country you visit and the countries you all come from. Thus,
participating in a study visit can be an exciting experience and an important
learning tool for you.
During the visit you are invited to prepare a group report summarising your
discussions and learning. This will help Cedefop disseminate what you have learnt
to others, who share your interest but did not participate in this particular study
visit.
On the first day of the visit, you are to select a reporter who will be responsible for
preparing the final report and submitting it to Cedefop. Everybody should
contribute to the report by sharing their views, knowledge, and practices in their
respective countries. Please start working on the report from the first day of the
visit.
You will, of course, be taking your own notes during presentations and field visits;
but the group report should highlight the result of the group’s reflections on what
was seen and learnt during the entire visit and the different perspectives brought
by the different countries and participants. The report should NOT read as a travel
diary, describing every day and every session or visit.
Cedefop will publish extracts of your reports on its website and make them
available to experts in education and vocational training. When writing the report,
please keep this readership in mind: make your report clear, interesting, and
detailed enough to be useful to colleagues throughout Europe.
By attaching any photos to the report, you agree to Cedefop’s right to use them in
its publications on study visits and on its website.
Please prepare the report in the working language of the group.
Please do not include the programme or list of participants.
The reporter should submit the report to Cedefop
(studyvisits@cedefop.europa.eu) within ONE month of the visit.
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2. I FINDINGS
This section summarises the findings of the group while visiting host
institutions, discussing issues with the hosts and within the group. You will
be reflecting on what you learnt every day. But to put them together and
give an overall picture, you need to devote a special session to prepare the
final report on the last day of the visit.
In this section, it is important that you describe not only things you
learnt about the host country but also what you learnt about the
countries represented by group members.
1. One of the objectives of the study visits programme is to exchange
examples of good practice among hosts and participants. Cedefop will
select well-described projects/programmes/initiatives and disseminate
them to former participants and a wider public, including potential
partners for future projects. Therefore it is important that you
identify and describe all aspects that, in your view, make these
projects/programmes/initiatives successful and worth exploring.
Many of us were drawn to this diverse capital because of the richness of the
culture and languages used. In Catalunya the vast majority of pupils are
bilingual, Catalan is their mother tongue and Castilian (Spanish) is also
spoken. In addition pupils are also taught at least one foreign language from
a young age, add the influx of community languages and you have a melting
pot of diversity. 12 different European countries were represented by 16
participants from all sectors of education, primary, secondary, further and
higher education.
See grid below for details of good practice.
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3. Describe each of the good practices you learnt about during the visit (both from the hosts and from one another) indicating the
following:
title of the project/ country name of the contact person (if whom the project/ what features of the
programme/initiativ institution that possible) who programme/ initiative project/programme/initiative make it an
e implements it (if presented the addresses example of good practice
possible, provide a programme to the
website) group
English Day Catalunya Escola Montserrat Mirella All students Interactive
Sharing to Learn Sant Just Desvern Hands on activities in target language
Art & Crafts Creative
Euromania Inclusive
Scratch
English Day
French Community Ministry of Fabienne Denayer Children with special Social dimension and Language learning
Programme “DYS” of Belgium Education (FWB) needs
for students in
Secondary schools
(dyslexia in
Language courses)
Reading Project Italy IV Circolo didattico Alfio Russo Pupils of primary
“The seagull and “A. Di Giovanni” Principal of the school Laboratories focused on the Key competences
the cat” AGRIGENTO school Parents of pupils required by the UE
(supported by UE www.quartocircoloa - competence in mother tongue
through FSE) grigento.it - learning to learn
- digital competence
- sense of initiative and
entrepreneurship
- social and civic competences
- cultural awareness and expression
Priorities of Romania School County Laura Nadaban Teachers
Romanian Ministry Inspectorates - Teaching focused on key competences
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of Education - Language policies
- ICT

4. - Inclusion
- Entrepreneurship
Focus on French France Rectorat/inspection Olivier Massé Inspector (secondary - Language policies/when, what
Educational System académique Jacqueline school) languages/how/where
Sacareau Primary school - ICT
teacher adviser (for - first level second level
foreign languages) - disabled pupils
Student Poland The University of Jacek Romaniuk Students at the
Inclusion Warsaw University of Warsaw 1. Each collective ruling body is to consist of
20% of students
2. Office for Persons with Disabilities at
the University of Warsaw
http://www.bon.uw.edu.pl/en/univ4all/inde
x.html
Inclusion of students into collective ruling
bodies at the university;
taking care of special needs students and
students with disabilities
-ICT
Use of ICT for Turkey Ministry of National -Language policies
Foreign Language Education,Samsun Murat Yavuz Pupils of primary, -Fatih Project (sponsored by the government)
Teaching Anatolian High secondary, -How to use ICT(computer boards and e-tabs)
school high school for language learning for all pupils of all
teachers schools in Turkey
Languages of Italy Ministry of Angiolina Ponziano Initial and continuous
Schooling education, Inspector of Ministry training headmaster , Support for Italian and children from migrant
Italian and Italian L2 University and of Education teachers background primary and lower secondary
Research school , Minority languages and bilingualism
(French & German)
Nursery and Primary Catalunya Ministry of Joana Vidal Nursery and Primary
schools initiatives Education Catalunya (elementary) schools -Programme focusing on the oral skills in the
foreign language
-Activities where children are involved
(projects-films-reports –blogs etc)
- exchange programmes , visits abroad,
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contacts with natives:

5. -Progressive Immersion from Nursery schools
to Secondary schools (Continuum)
Improving languages Italy Deutsches Schulamt Walter Markus Pupils of lower and School partnerships:
and key Autonome Provinz Hilber upper secondary Training on a high level of communication in
competences in Bozen/Bolzano schools foreign languages, exchange of traditions,
projects and culture, history, geography
“learning by doing”
Practising foreign languages in commercial
schools with training firms (obligatory),
working together with sponsors of the real
market, exchange of experience,
international competitions on the fairs;
focusing on key competences (especially
entrepreneurship)
Catalunya Comprodon Joan Vila Language learners Working on many languages
focusing on similarities
Celebrate language days
Euromania
* You can describe as many good practices as you find necessary. You can add rows to the table.
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6. 2. The study visits programme aims to promote and support policy
development and cooperation in lifelong learning. That is why it is
important to know what you learnt about such policies and their
implementation during your visit. You are invited to describe your findings
concerning the following:
2.1 APPROACHES TAKEN BY PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES (BOTH HOST AND PARTICIPANTS’)
REGARDING THE THEME OF THE VISIT. ARE THERE ANY SIMILAR APPROACHES/MEASURES IN
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES? WHAT ASPECTS ARE SIMILAR AND WHY? WHAT ASPECTS ARE
DIFFERENT AND WHY?
• In some countries the concept of sharing to learn is implemented in
school life.
• There is no Euromania but it is substituted by other projects for
example E-twinning, Comenius and cross border cooperation.
• Welcoming classes are organised in countries with large numbers of
immigrants, for example Norway, Belgium, Spain, UK and France and
we feel it is a good way to involve a child in regular school life. In
Hungary such classes are organised for children with speaking and
learning difficulties.
• The National Reading Plan here is implemented with the aim of
enhancing the reading skill and promoting reading for pleasure, it is a
cross curricular strategy involving activities organised by local
authorities.
2.2 CHALLENGES FACED BY PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES (INCLUDING HOST) IN THEIR EFFORTS
TO IMPLEMENT POLICIES RELATED TO THE THEME OF THE VISIT. WHAT ARE THE
CHALLENGES? ARE THEY COMMON CHALLENGES? IF SO, WHY? IF NOT, WHY NOT?
Challenges:
• How to create an interactive community (social cohesion)
• How to become an active citizen in plurilingual Catalunya: for both
Spanish people (Catalan and Castilian speakers) and immigrants, by
maintaining the language and the culture of each one, protect and
preserve.
• How to incorporate additional foreign languages in the curriculum in
order to enrich the European dimension of future citizens.
The realities are somewhat different in the participating countries, we
could speak of a more multilingual situation (with a few exceptions) due to
historical heritage and everyday reality.
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7. 2.3 NAME AND DESCRIBE EFFECTIVE AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES (BOTH HOST AND PARTICIPANTS) APPLY TO ADDRESS THE
CHALLENGES MENTIONED IN QUESTION 2.2. PLEASE MENTION SPECIFIC COUNTRY
EXAMPLES.
The National Reading Plan – A project that promotes the implementation of
key competences in the mother tongue and in foreign languages, and
increases the level of literacy among the learners. Effective in boosting
students´ cultural awareness and expression however it must be developed
in such a way as to not hinder speaking skills.
Welcoming classes/Inclusion programme – A project aimed at personalising
the curriculum and adopting flexible ways to improve individual skills of the
learners.
Promoting community languages – Project that takes into account the
existence of numerous ethnic minorities in Catalunya aimed at retaining
their unique language and culture. At the same time the project makes
them a basis on which competences in foreign languages are built and
developed.
2.4 ASSESSMENT OF THE TRANSFERABILITY OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES. COULD ANY
EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT BE APPLIED AND TRANSFERRED
TO OTHER COUNTRIES? IF SO, WHY? IF NOT, WHY NOT?
CLIL – Content and Language Integrated Learning
One example we all agreed is good practice was CLIL, this project though still in
its infancy, in some countries, is gaining popularity. Using immersion
methodology CLIL is particularly effective when started at an early age and have
the opportunity to continue with other curriculum subjects. Not only does CLIL
improve student’s linguistic competence but simultaneously improves verbal and
non-verbal reasoning, creativity, cognitive processing and autonomy. We saw
evidence of the learner voice in the form of written comments, these reflected
its benefits.
On the other hand the degree of success relies heavily on the competence of the
teacher in the target language. Therefore we foresee issues in other European
countries because the standardisation of teaching qualifications is not always
regulated.
On balance we conclude that CLIL is an excellent programme to foster
continuous professional development and increases the learner’s mobility and
employment opportunities throughout Europe.
3. Creating networks of experts, building partnerships for future projects is
another important objective of the study visit programme.
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8. Please state whether and which ideas for future cooperation have evolved
during meetings and discussions.
Jacqueline Sacareau spoke to Joana Vidal regarding a link between her
schools and rural schools in here. In addition there are future plans to
initiate an exchange between classes of primary schools with Alfio Russo.
Dr Margit Engelmann spoke to Nuria Batlle, they decided that when she
returns with her students they will visit Institut Montserrat and lessons.
Laura Nadaban will be working with two other participants fostering an
educational exchange between Samsun and Schulsprengel Ritten,
Klobenstein/Collalbo (headmaster Walter Markus Hilber).
Jacek Romaniuk and Sarah Rose discussed a possible exchange.
Angiolina Ponziano spoke to Joana to suggest a link on the ministerial
website at project languages of schooling-. www.istruzione.it.
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