LC Virtual Exchange Document - Flipbook - Page 12
6.
Showcases
Presentation De La Salle, Co Carlow.
Virtual Exchanges in P.D.L.S.
The intention was to form a connection with students living in a country where the target language is spoken,
hoping that it would provide our students with perhaps the only direct cultural exposure possible in the current
climate. The obvious impact on the students’ language skills was indeed also a factor.
I chose my fifth-year classes, based on their language level and interest. We made contact with our
Partnerschule in November of 2020 and forged a plan. The initiative was not given a specific timeframe, so as
to allow for freedom to liaise with the class in Germany on an ongoing basis and hopefully beyond fifth and
into sixth year.
Initially, I began corresponding with a teacher of English in a secondary school in the south of Germany. We
developed the idea for our initiative and linked up our students based on interests and levels. We planned to
begin with hand-written letters and to progress to online-contact, once a connection had been established. We
also discussed hosting virtual ‘meet-ups’, sending video messages enquiring about specific aspects of the
culture and sharing work which was completed by the group.
The students were instantly excited by the prospect of having a contact in a foreign country and finding out
about their partners’ lives, interests and experience of learning English etc. There was some apprehension
about the live ‘meet-ups’, however beginning with pre-recorded messages, allowed the students to become more
confident speaking in the target language.
The students asked specific questions about aspects of life in Germany, which they wanted to gain a better
understanding of. Our videos were exchanged through email. Receiving the replies was a highlight and whet
the appetite for future recordings.
There is a notable improvement in the level of confidence the students feel about engaging with others in the
target language. Without doubt, by filming and editing, students have also developed their I.T. skills throughout
the initiative. A ‘real-life’ experience in the classroom has made learning the language more enticing and
without doubt more fun.
Emma Bolger,
German teacher in Presentation De La Salle, Co Carlow
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