PENPALS
The project aims to improve writing and reading skills in English by corresponding with a peer from another country. Exchanging emails with students from another countries is to help increase pupils’ motivation to learn and use English, as well as, it will allow them to get to know other cultures and increase cultural awareness.
AIMS
During the project students will:
- develop their reading and writing skills in meaningful contexts
- engage in communicative activities
- improve their language and collaboration skills
- explore important values
- develop digital skills
- increase cultural awareness
- develop critical thinking
- develop the collaboration with their peers from partner countries
- increase motivation to learn and use English
WORK PROCESS
1. Teachers online meeting aimed to set up the rules, responsibilities and deadlines.
2. Questionnaire for students and finding a penpal for each participant of the project, signing a contract by all participants.
3. Throughout the school year, students exchange their email, teachers help and monitor pupils’ work.
4. Each month has an additional topic to discuss by students
- October – Getting to know each other. (hobbies, passions, interests)
- November – Where do you live? (countries, cities, interesting places)
- December – My values. (values, friendship)
- January – My authorities. (authorities, idols)
- February – My dreams. (dreams, ambitions)
- March – My achievements. (talents, achievements)
- May – Better world. (problems, solutions, advice)
- June – summing up the project (impressions, auto-evaluation)
Expected results
About our students:
- To increase their collaborative and communicative skills
- To create genuine bridges with peers from other European countries, compare their lives, their interests, their surroundings and find out similarities and differences. It brings out better tolerance, understanding each other, brotherhood and respect.
- To increase their skills in English
- To improve ICT skills
- To increase cultural awareness
OCTOBER
Teachers online meeting to set up the rules, responsabilities and deadlines
LOGO
We choose a logo for our project. Our students make it really well
We also present to our penpals our school, our city and our country through emails. Students work the descriptive text and they write emails to their new friends adding photos and information about them.
NOVEMBER
Students create their avatar and write a short description about themselves for our etwinningspace, so everybody can know each other
DECEMBER
For Christmas, we send our Happy New Year wishes to our penpals
JANUARY & FEBRUARY
During these months we send emails and videos showing how to do traditional Spanish dishes. Our penpals also send us their recipes :)
MARCH
Students need to support their Ukrainian penpals in some way and they make this emotional video for them
APRIL & MAY
Students talk about their hobbies and interests. They go on sending emails and practising their writing skill. Finally, they all get their E- twinning certificate and we celebrate it with a party