METIKOS-Informal Language Learning for Immigrants

A Grundtvig Multilateral project 2011-2013

The Hellenic Culture Centre participates as a partner in the METIKOS project. For the immigrants the knowledge of the language of their host country is the most important factor for their social inclusion. However many of them are reluctant to participate in formal or non formal courses. Therefore, a clear need arises for the promotion of informal language learning methodologies that will fit the needs of the immigrants and that will facilitate them to learn the host language.

The project, in order to tackle this problem, will develop a methodology which will adapt existing practices in informal learning (language cafe, TANDEM, cyber language cafe) to the specific needs of the immigrants and will develop 3 web tools aiming at facilitating the immigrants in this learning process (cyber cafe, databank for language resources and online informal language community).

Furthermore it aims to create regional networks of stakeholders in the partner regions that will be able to promote and sustain this process in the local communities but also, through online and offline networking, in the whole Europe.

The main target groups of the project are on the one hand the final users (immigrants, immigrant associations and NGOs working with immigrants) and on the other hand the organizers of the sessions (facilitators, restaurants, cafes, cultural spaces).

The impact envisaged by the project is the significant increase of informal language learning for immigrants, the significant increase of the participation of immigrants in informal language learning sessions and the significant increase of the language skills of immigrants which will have as a result the increase of their chances for social inclusion.

The consortium of the project is consisted by 9 partners from 6 countries (GR, IT, FR, ES, UK, DE), namely
• ACTION SYNERGY A.E .  Greece, Coordinator of the project
• EUROCULTURA , Italy
• Hellenic Culture Centre , Greece
• Berlin-Brandenburgische Auslandsgesellschaft e.V. , Germany
• TANDEM Fundazioa , Spain
• Refugee Education and Training Advisory Service Leeds , UK
• MORRIS Association, France
• Cultural House of Albanian Immigrants in Greece,  Greece 
• Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, University of Southampton , UK