Online, collaborative, intercultural language learning

On the 19th February, I gave a talk with this title at the British Council BBELT conference in Mexico. I’m publishing the abstract and the video of the talk here. I think it sums up quite nicely some of the innovative things we’re doing right now.

There is no doubt that the corona virus pandemic has thrown the whole world’s education systems into crisis. But out of the chaos of this crisis, new opportunities for collaborative online learning of English are emerging; activities which require nothing but a device connected to the internet, and a willingness to use English communicatively and interculturally.

In this talk, I’ll explore three innovative ways in which the Hands Up Project is using online collaborative activities to develop the English language skills of learners around the world. All of the activities are free and open to all.

1) Our online intercultural communication skills course for under 16’s from anywhere in the world

2) Our team-taught Facebook live ‘English for Palestine’ curriculum-based sessions

3) An intercultural remote theatre project, involving children from Argentina, Palestine, Romania and Spain

We’ll also hear from three volunteer English teachers with the Hands up Project; some of the driving forces behind these ideas (Irena in Serbia, Elena in Spain and Hanaa in Gaza, Palestine) and by doing this tease out what the benefits may be of this work.

Watch on YouTube