The 2011 European Language Label has been awarded to the project French, Mali and Tourism managed by Devon Development Education. Children in Devon schools have been practising their French whilst learning about geography, sustainable tourism and global citizenship using an exciting range of multi-media resources; Take Mali is an interactive digital resource produced by DDE and the Learning and Development Partnership, in support of the project.
It gives children the opportunity to journey to the West African Country of Mali where French is the official language. Here they have the opportunity to engage with local Malians, listen to French and explore similarities and differences with their own lives. They also have the opportunity to take action in their role as global citizens regarding climate change, Fairtrade, and sustainable development.
Project coordinators Sharon Tanner and Matt Partridge, who attended the awards ceremony on 26th September at the European Commission Office in London commented ‘We at Devon Development Education feel privileged to receive this endorsement. Thanks to everyone who has contributed in the UK and Mali and for the positive feedback from teachers. We hope it illustrates the value and importance of education for global citizenship and intercultural understanding within an modern foreign languages context.’
The European Language Label award is presented by CILT, the National Centre for Languages. The European Language Label is an award for innovative language-learning projects. It rewards creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate learners and make the best of available resources. Award-winning initiatives have demonstrated creative thinking and lead to improved teaching provision and learner achievement. It will serve as a potential source of inspiration for projects in other contexts, languages and even other countries.