Project

The BRIDGE project aims to integrate migrants already permanently resident in Europe: women and men who live in our cities and suburbs, who have children in our schools and who need to communicate in the most common situations of everyday life but are unable to do so because they don't speak our language. While newly arrived migrants are immediately included in integration programs where language teaching is compulsory, some of those who have lived in Europe for a long time are now forgotten and have become "invisible" to the reception system.

The BRIDGE project is addressed to them, through informal language teaching methods based on a "language club" model. In order to better support the integration process through language clubs, BRIDGE will create a new professional figure, the "language animateur", an innovative skill set combining language teaching skills with competences typical of social animateurs and inter-cultural mediators, thus offering a very innovative professional free training opportunity. 

What is a Language and Culture Animateur?

The BRIDGE animator gives life to a space, making it the centre of learning and activities for people who need to learn the language; where people from different countries, backgrounds, cultures, religions, life experiences, interests and needs feel comfortable to come in and find a welcoming, positive environment; where the learning starts from them and their daily communication needs.

In the Learning Village, there will be a questionnaire, where language teachers and volunteers will be able to assess their own existing competences against the BRIDGE animator competences.

What is a BRIDGE Language Club?

A BRIDGE Language Club is an informal learning space where BRIDGE Language & Culture Animators are able to organise language learning sessions for migrants, especially long-settled migrants who still need to learn the national language to help them manage daily life and communication.

A BRIDGE Language Club welcomes learners in a positive environment and makes it possible and easy for them to join sessions, to make requests about their language learning need, to learn at their own pace and always feel supported.

Flexibility of teaching and learning is the key for success of BRIDGE Language Clubs.

BRIDGE is a project funded by the European Commission and managed by the EACEA under the Erasmus+ Programme, KA3, since January, 2020.