ABOUT OUR PROJECT
LANGUAGE GUIDES FOR A GOOD START
Innovation holds the key to addressing the following challenges:
– Boosting the self-esteem of blind and visually impaired individuals, enhancing their employment opportunities, and increasing their social engagement.
– Improving the proficiency of refugees from Ukraine in the Polish language.
LanGuide – OUR JOURNEY
Under the project „Language guides for a good start” (LanGuide), we aim to enhance language teaching for immigrants by involving blind and visually impaired individuals.
This innovative approach fosters mutual support between two marginalized groups, contributing to their social inclusion.
By leveraging their acute phonetic hearing and expertise in audio lingual tools, visually impaired individuals help refugees with language, culture, and social integration.
In return, refugees inspire blind individuals to embark on a new career path and engage more with society.
Both groups develop empathy, adaptability, and the ability to thrive in diverse environments, enriching their skills and social inclusion.
We empower both parties by recognizing their strengths, fostering their potential, and facilitating the social integration of these communities.
„The project team was inspired to expand their activities on a larger scale due to the positive impact of interactions, particularly in the realm of language acquisition and aiding the swift adaptation of individuals who arrived in Poland due to the conflict in Ukraine.„
Aleksandra Wójcik
PROJECT GOALS
With financial support from EU funds, we have established the following objectives to promote social inclusion for two vulnerable groups through:
1. Increasing language guides for blind or visually impaired individuals to serve as language tutors.
– Enhancing and expanding the current model using the design thinking approach, focusing on feedback information and self-assessment-based education.
– Introducing a new professional specialization for visually impaired individuals, outlining description, predisposition, and competencies.
– Training initial instructors for further pedagogical and methodical education of new language guides.
2. Increasing the number of migrants trained in language and culture:
– Providing language and cultural assistance.
– Equipping students with skills for independent language exploration and utilizing language learning strategies in diverse real-life scenarios beyond course completion.
– Establishing an intersectoral ecosystem to effectively support marginalized groups.
PROJECT ACTIONS
Visioning
Methoding
Planning
Marketing
Research
Hiring
Networking
Operations
HOW DO I KNOW IF THE LANGUAGE GUIDING IS RIGHT FOR ME?
WHO IS THE LANGUAGE GUIDE?
A Language Guide serves as a language teacher and socio-cultural mentor, introducing refugees to a new culture. He or she explains cultural phenomena, facilitates understanding of differences, and motivates language learning.
HOW DO I KNOW IF LANGUAGE GUIDING IS RIGHT FOR ME?
If teaching brings you joy, if supporting others in their learning journey is fulfilling, and if witnessing positive feedback and progress in your students brings you satisfaction, then language coaching might be the perfect match for you.
WHAT WAS MOST USEFUL IN TRAINING THE LANGUAGE GUIDES?
Scenarios for lessons and Design Thinking tools can help you empathize and gain a profound understanding of the needs of the other group.
HOW PARTICIPANTS UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF THE LANGUAGE GUIDES?
They see this role as not just about learning the language but also about introducing refugees to the customs and traditions. It’s a chance to bond, share perspectives, and explore both differences and cultural similarities.
WHAT DO THE LANGUAGE GUIDES LIKE MOST ABOUT THE COURSE?
The language guides’ favorite aspect of the course was the atmosphere and the connection they established with the students.