The Language Buddy project aims at enhancing the language learning of students (12 to 17 years old) with a refugee/migrant background through non-formal and informal learning through the upscaling of mentoring practices and implementation of a buddy system. Coordinated by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), schools/education authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and migrant-led organisations, the buddy system will involve their matching with students of HEIs (pedagogy/education/language/literature departments) who will be supported to act as language mentors in terms of voluntary programmes and/or placements within the framework of their studies.
Objectives:
- Upscale buddy/mentoring systems with a language-learning component for young people with a migrant background (12 to 17 years old).
- Build the skills of Higher Education students of pedagogy/ education/ language/ literature departments on innovative learning methodologies, intercultural pedagogy and language development.
- Enhance access of young people with a migrant background (12 to 17 years old) to non-formal/informal language learning opportunities (supporting the work done by schools).
- Enhance cooperation between Higher Education Institutions, migrant-led organisations, schools, NGOs, local/regional education authorities for the support of young migrants’ language learning.
Activities:
- Review of existing best practices and effective tools
- Co-design and development of the Language Buddy Model
- Establishment of Language Buddy system in HEIs
- Development of online course for HEI students
- Transnational Language Buddy Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop
- Training of HEI students
- Piloting of the Language Buddy system with pupils with a migrant background
- Evaluation of the pilots and development of the Language Buddy Model 2.0
- National digital roundtables
- Policy Recommendations for the mainstreaming of the Language Buddy Model
Target group:
The target group of the project are migrant students in secondary education, HEI students, stakeholders (Higher Education Institutions, migrant-led organisations, schools, NGOs, local/regional education authorities).
Timeline: March 2024 - Augist 2026
Partners: University of Macedonia - leading partner (Greece), Symplexis (Greece), PDE STELLAD (Greece), Universidade Catolica Portuguesa (Portugal), Casa do professor (Portugal), BildungsLAB (Austria), Multi Kulti Collective (Bulgaria), Migrant Integration Center (Romania), COSPE (Italy), SOS Malta (Malta), Advenio eAcademy (Malta), UTBV (Romania), UNWE (Bulgaria), Peñascal (Spain), UNIFI (Italy), UPV/ EHU (Spain)
Funding: European Union, Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)
