Erasmus+ Online Linguistic Support

UNESCO MLW, Paris, 8 March 2016 Celine Peroni, European Commission, DG Education and Culture

1. Why the Erasmus+ OLS?

Erasmus

Exchange programme launched in 1987 Socrates, Socrates II, LLP…

Erasmus+

The new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport – 2014-2020

Erasmus+

But before we start… ERASMUS is originally an acronym! What does it stand for?

a) Education Programme for Reform, Alliances, Student Mobility and University Staff

b) European Research and Study Mode for University Students

c) European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students

Erasmus+

What is the Europe 2020 target for student mobility?

a) 10%

b) 15%

c) 20%

Erasmus+

The typical Erasmus+ student in 2013-2014 is…

a) a 23-year old woman who spends 6 months abroad

b) a 19-year old man pursuing a degree in social sciences

c) a 21-year old man going to Spain to study arts and humanities

Erasmus+

Erasmus+

How much was the Erasmus+ budget in 2014?

a) 34 million

b) 197 million

c) 2 billion

Erasmus+

How many participants studied, trained and volunteered abroad with Erasmus+ in 2014?

a) 120.000

b) 296.000

c) 650.000

Erasmus+

Erasmus+

How many students have been mobile since the launch of the first Erasmus scheme in 1987?

a) 1.6 million

b) 1.8 million

c) 3.3 million

Erasmus+

Erasmus+

What are the top 5 languages used to study abroad (in the correct order)?

a) English, Spanish, French, German and Italian

b) English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese

c) English, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese

Erasmus+

What's the + in Erasmus+?

The Erasmus+ OLS

To maximise language competence

To improve the quality of exchanges abroad

To measure the impact of Erasmus+ mobility

on language skills

2. For whom? How does it work?

For whom?

Since October 2014 Higher education students

European Voluntary Service volunteers

Since June 2015 Vocation education/training learners

Languages available

• Language assessments

• Language courses – DE, EN, ES, FR, IT, NL: A1 to C2 – PT: A1 to B2 – CS, SV, DA, EL, PL: A1

2014 DE EN ES FR IT NL

2016 + CS DA EL PL PT SV

Erasmus+ Participants

1st language

assessment

Online Language Course

+ Live Coaching

2nd language

assessment

Online language course incl. Live Coaching

How does it work?

Language assessment before departure+upon return to evaluate participants' proficiency in the language they will use to study, work or volunteer not a barrier to mobility! to help participants make the most out of their experience

Online language course before and during the stay abroad to improve language competences

How does it work?

Grammar (20 questions)

Vocabulary (15 questions)

Key communicative phrases (15 questions)

Listening comprehension (10 questions)

Reading comprehension (10 questions)

OLS language assessment

How does it work?

Key principles

The OLS language assessment is NOT selective.

The OLS language assessment is NOT meant to compete with international language certifications.

The OLS is here to help identify the students most in need of linguistic support and measure their progress.

Who is behind?

DG EAC: overall supervision EACEA: contract management Erasmus+ National Agencies: OLS licences management

DG EAC & EACEA

Beneficiary Institution

Participants

Beneficiary Institution

Participants

Beneficiary Institution

Participants

National Agency

National Agency

Contracting authority, SPOC for National Agencies, in charge of general project management, finance, contractual and legal aspects and controlling.

Licence allocation, volume forecasting and budget management for their group of institutions

Stakeholders Roles The European Commission’s Directorate General and Executive Agency responsible for Education and Culture

About 60 organisations responsible for delivering decentralised activities at a national level

Thousands of universities, higher education institutions, youth organisations, etc. who have signed a programme agreement with a National Agency

Yearly volume forecasting and management of operational flow towards participants

Stakeholders and Roles

OLS Live Coaching

Topics • Daily routines • Greetings • Family • Flat hunting • Health and social

systems • Academic writing • Presentation skills • Professional

environment

MOOCs

30' sessions Every week Available for levels A, B

and C Chat during the session Wide range of topics Students can attend as

many MOOCs as they like

Tutoring Sessions

30' sessions moderated by tutors Available for levels A, B and C 1 to 6 participants Highly interactive Tailored to the needs of the

participants Token system: one token for every

two weeks of mobility

Forums

One Forum for each OLS language Moderated by tutors To ask questions about the

language To connect with other Erasmus+

participants

3. First results

340.000+ participants on board

340.000+ participants assessed their level with the OLS

140.000+ followed an OLS language course

OLS success stories…

OLS usage in Higher education October 2014 – January 2016

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

Assessment 1 Started

Used Courses

Results at first language assessment

DE EN ES FR IT NL

C2C1B2B1A2A1

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Total LA1 per language 21.657 168.607 31.528 23.898 15.379 1.568

Distribution of CEFR levels at LA1 (all fields all Calls)

OLS Promotion package

• Presentations of the language assessment

and language course

• Leaflets • Fact sheet

• Links to Erasmus+ OLS YouTube playlists

• Erasmus+ OLS videos in native format

OLS videos!

Erasmus+ OLS YouTube playlists

Thank you!