XCELING: Towards Excellence in Applied Linguistics. Innovative Second Language Education in Egypt

Scientific Coordinator: Matteo Viale

XCELING logo

 

 

 

 

Sector: Curriculum Development

Sub-action: Modernisation of governance, management and functioning of HEIs

Unibo structure involved: Classical Philology and Italian Studies

Unibo Team: Chiara Gianollo (Dissemination manager), Lara Michelacci (Quality control manager), Laura Morigi (Management). Sono inoltre formalmente coinvolti Giuliana Benvenuti e Nicola Grandi

Website
https://xceling.usal.es/   
https://site.unibo.it/xceling

Project Duration in months: 36
Start Date: 15/10/2017 
End Date: 14/10/2020

Budget:  986.682,00 euro
Unibo Budget: 90.704,00 euro

Coordinator: Universidad de Salamanca – Salamanca (ES)
Partners:

  • Ruprecht-Karls-universitaet – Heidelberg (DE)
  • Université de poitiers – Poitier Cedex (FR)
  • The Provost, Fellows, foundation Scholarship – Dublin (IE)
  • Universidade de Coimbra – Coimbra (PT)
  • Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna – Bologna (IT)
  • Cairo University – Giza (EG)
  • Alessandria University – Alessandria (EG)
  • Helwan University - Helwan (EG)
  • Pharos University – Alessandria (EG)
  • Minia University – El Minia (EG)
  • Al-Azha University – Cairo (EG)

Description

XCELING aims to contribute to a modernization of the FL teaching in Egypt at different levels:

  1. Modernization of FL teaching methodologies (TEACHING), with special emphasis on ICT.
  2. Pre-doctoral training and learning in applied linguistics (LEARNING).
  3. Open access materials orientated to FL learning for Arabic-speakers in social disadvantage (refugees, migrants, etc.) (OUTREACH).

To do this, XCELING will create a Network of 6 Language Innovation Centres (LICs). The LICs will have a threefold structure in line with these dimensions: TEACHING (train the trainers), LEARNING (pre-doctoral education) and OUTREACH (co-creation of open access teaching materials).

The most important results, produced by the LICs, will be a program of both train-the trainer sessions and of a capacity building program for future teachers through applied linguistics research. Besides, the LICs Network will create open access FL instructional material for Arabic speaking migrants and refugees and implement a pilot program with them. A possibility of cotutelle for potential doctoral students and the integration of QA measures are other consequences.

As for the impact envisaged:

  1. On the national level, current and future FL teachers would be exposed to innovative teaching methodologies. PhD students will be introduced to Applied Linguistics research.
  2. At the international level, the beneficiaries will be the Arabic-speaking groups at a social disadvantage (refugees and migrants).

In addition, there will be some indirect beneficiaries, such as the Egyptian and European universities (in both cases their staff will learn important lessons), Egypt’s Ministry of Communications (it will intensify ties with Europe), as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations whose objectives concern groups with problems of integration: they could receive teaching support on existing projects of cultural assimilation and education for the labour market.

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union