Dissemination for language teachers at Ekonomska šola Murska Sobota
On 29 May 2015, I prepared a dissemination session for the language teachers of Ekonomska šola Murska Sobota. There were 3 English teachers, 2 German teachers, one Slovenian teacher and our administrator for adults. Unfortunately, some German and Slovenian teachers were missing because they had other obligations.
The participants were informed about the project partners, the goals of the project and the results of the project so far. I presented the needs analysis report, the course syllabus and all the translations including national dishes. I also showed them the project website and the e-learning platform with already uploaded tasks to give them some ideas about how to use the platform. I also prepared some examples of the FrontDesk programmes in English, German and Slovenian to show them how they could be used in class. The Slovenian material is interesting for Slovenian teachers as the teacher present mentioned that the tasks would also be useful for students who are weak at their mother tongue. Although the material is originally meant for students who learn a foreign language it is obviously also useful for native speakers who have problems with their mother tongue. Additionally, I showed them the interactive maps, which they found useful, especially as they cover different landscapes. Furthermore, I presented the smartphone app on my smartphone so that they could see how to use it. They all found the app very useful and user-friendly and they all want to upload it on their smartphones as soon as possible.
Finally, I handed them out the project flyers to provide them with some more information about the project and asked them to tell friends and other people about it. I also asked them to fill in the evaluation sheet prepared for the meeting to get some feedback on the presentation.
The evaluation sheet asked for general information and more specific information regarding the presentation. As those teachers took part in the needs analysis survey and already gave some general information there, I would like to focus on the findings regarding the presentation and the usefulness of the project. All of the teachers and the administrator for adults found the presentation of the project and the moodle learning platform very useful. Regarding the question about using the learning platform, all of them answered that they would use it for the following purposes: teaching language (6 teachers), suggesting students for learning (4 teachers) and improving language skills (4 teachers +1 administrator).
Regarding the question about using the FrontDesk programmes, all of them answered that they would use it for the following purposes: teaching language (5 teachers), suggesting students for learning (6 teachers) and improving language skills (4 teachers +1 administrator). Regarding the question about using the interactive maps, all of them answered that they would use it for the following purposes: teaching language (6 teachers), suggesting students for learning (4 teachers) and improving language skills (3 teachers +1 administrator). One teacher mentioned one more purpose, namely finding her way around.
Regarding the question about using the smartphone app, all of them answered that they would use it for the following purposes: teaching language (4 teachers), suggesting students for learning (5 teachers) and improving language skills (4 teachers +1 administrator). Two teachers also mentioned other purposes such as using the smartphone app for finding her way around and on excursions.
All of the participants agreed that the project is very useful in general. Regarding the usefulness of the project for teachers 5 teachers found it very useful for teachers and one teacher found it useful.
No suggestions regarding the project were made.
Erna Vöröš,
Project manager of Ekonomska šola Murska Sobota,
Slovenia
From 28 until 30 May 2015 an International Scientific Forum was held in Riga, and it was dedicated to cooperation of Latvia and India in the fields of science, education and business. Latvia as an EU member state and internationally recognized as an efficient transportation hub in the Baltic Sea Region is highly interested to promote an exchange of views on how India and Latvia might create a network of cooperation in different academic, research and business aspects in the future.
The Scientific Forum was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, Turiba University, University of Latvia and supported by the LatvianIndian community. The main attention was paid to the interaction of society andenvironment, the actual problems and issues of migration and education, significant for the countries of European Union.
Within the framework of the Forum the XVI International Scientific Conference: TOWARDS SMART, SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE EUROPE: CHALLENGES FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT was held in Turiba University (Graudu street 68) on 29 of May. The conference was organized by the Faculty of International Tourism and special attention was paid to tourism, entrepreneurship, law and communication. The Conference was attended by the representatives of Latvia, India, Portugal, Poland, Lithuania, Turkey, Russia and Switzerland.
During the work sessions, the project members of Turiba University presented the reports about the project:
• Vaidesvarans Sundars, Maļavska Valērija “Key Skills for European Union Hotel Staff: a Project Overview”,
• Ineta Lūka ““Key Skills for European Union Hotel Staff”: a Comparative Needs Analysis of Language Competence Requirements””.
The Turiba University project member also published 2 scientific papers about the “Key Skills for European Union Hotel Staff” in the Conference Proceedings.
The paper “The characteristics of cross cultural peculiarities of European countries in hospitality industry” written by Anda Komarovska deals with the intercultural issues in the hospitality industry and analyzes the differences and similarities in terms of intercultural issues in the process of dealing with clients and provides an insight into cultural peculiarities of different European countries in order to provide qualitative tourism product. The author concludes that nowadays hotel employees are expected to provide more personal touch to customers, which means not only a standardized approach, but also cross cultural knowledge and skills, including verbal and non-verbal language and appropriate, culturally aware behaviour.
The paper “Key Skills for European Union Hotel Staff: a Project Overview” written by Sundars Vaidesvarans and Valērija Maļavska introduces readers with the Project, its stages and outputs, as well as with the results of the survey of hotel managers of Latvia. The authors conclude that the project is essentially aimed at increasing employability, international understanding and cooperation, supporting a flexible delivery mode, modern learning requirements with attractive, interactive, and modern online learning materials. The project closes the gap between various levels of education and training (university level, tertiary level and vocational level) increasing opportunities for participation for students and teachers in hotel, catering and tourism institutions, staff and trainees in hotels and restaurants, not merely in the partner countries but throughout Europe. One of the most important factors for success in tourism for those who will work in the hospitality sector is language skills and the project will arouse the curiosity for learning and understanding new cultures among a diverse audience. Bringing together and integrating partners from across the EU will help them come even closer and in terms of tourism providing added value and welfare.
For more information please follow the links:
http://www.conference_paper_intercultural_issues
http://www.conference_paper_project_overview
http://www.Ineta_Luka_Turiba_ Presentation_290515
Dr.paed., prof. Ineta Luka
Head of the Department of Languages
Project manager of Turiba University
Latvia
DISSEMINATION AND PILOTING OF FRONT DESK PROGRAM AND SMARTPHONE APP AT NINO BERGESE HOTEL AND CATERING SCHOOL, GENOA, 26th May
A further occasion for dissemination has just been carried out. The event was conceived as a multipurpose initiative. Nino Bergese took the chance for disseminating the project's contents in the school, for piloting David Sephton's smartphone app and, last but not least,for giving Mr Sephton's the opportunity of disseminating his own work in Italy.
We formally invited the school's English teachers, a group of students and some hospitality workers. The event opened with the headmaster's greetings and public acknowledgement of the work we have been doing. Secondly, Manuela explained the project's aims and contents both orally and with the support of a PowerPoint presentation. Mr Sephton also projected his PowerPoint presentations on how to use the FrontDesk program and the smartphone app. Lunch was served in the school's restaurant, and on this occasion, the participants had the opportunity of exchanging ideas on the project and an informal debate took place. After lunch, everyone moved to the main computer room to test the FrontDesk
program. We asked people to sign the participants' list. Next, everybody was assigned a computer system unit where to “play” with the FrontDesk program and find out more about it. The participants were very enthusiastic and spent quite a long time “playing” with the program and moving from one language to another. We handed out questionnaires to evaluate the products presented whose results clearly showed the participants interest and positive feedback both on Mr Sephton's software and on the dissemination activity as a whole.
Manuela Menolascina
Project team member of Nino Bergese, Italy
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.