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Don’t Read, Analyze Deeply

(May 2023 – Marseille, France)

From the 24th to the 30th of May 2023, Apprendre L’anglais hosted a Training Course here in Marseille, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, entitled Don't Read, Analyze Deeply. The Training Course was based on the topic of media literacy, and how we can incorporate it into our lives. The project was put forward to create a comfortable, non-formal learning environment, in which participants could learn and exchange valuable information and skills on the benefits of being media literate in today’s world, and how we can effectively analyze the vast sea of media that we consume each day. Participants learned about this topic through various presentations, group activities and discussions.

4 countries participated in the project, with 25 participants in total. The participating countries were France, Lithuania, Greece and Turkey. Throughout the project, it was amazing to see that people from many different cultures and backgrounds could join together to work on such an important societal topic. Each country was able to learn about the culture of each participating culture through a culture night, where each team organised a presentation, activity and treats for participants to learn about their country's culture and traditions. As you can see from the pictures below, the culture nights were a huge success, and a great way to demonstrate how Erasmus+ projects are a great way to encourage cultural inclusion.

Throughout the project, the participants completed numerous group activities that were designed to demonstrate the participant's view of media and how important is in their daily lives. Participants were also given presentations on the work of Erasmus+ programme, and the YouthPass programme, along with an in-depth presentation regarding the history of media and mass media channels, and media literacy. To ensure the participation of all participants, each country was responsible for organising a variety of group activities relating to media and media literacy. All of these group activities successfully completed, and we were able to see how participants put all of the knowledge and skills that we learned throughout the project into effect. It was incredible to see how all participants engaged and bonded with each other, as you can see from the photos!

Throughout the project, participants also took part in a wide variety of brainstorming activities, where they shared their thoughts, opinions and experiences regarding the role of media in their life, and how it affects their lives on a daily basis. We also organised a secret friend activity, which was very enjoyable for all participants. On the first day of the project, each participant was assigned a secret friend, meaning they anonymously chose a name of a different participant. Throughout the week, the participants were assigned the task of performing small, anonymous and positive gestures to their secret friend throughout the week. On the final day of the project, each secret friend was revealed in a special ceremony. It was wonderful to see how the participants interacted with this activity, as we could see how happy participants were when each participant’s secret friend was revealed to them.

By the end of the Training Course, we were very proud to see how the participants engaged and worked with every aspect of the project. It was amazing to see how everyone worked together to learn new skills about a societal topic as important as this one, and not to mention seeing how people from different backgrounds and cultures can come together to learn valuable lessons that can be shared with society. Overall, we are very happy to say that all participants became aware of the importance of being media literate, and how to practice media literacy skills in everyday life, and we are certain that participants will be able to continue to use and develop the skills that they acquired from this project in their personal and professional lives in the future.

From 20th February to 28th February 2023, Apprendre L'anglais hosted a Youth Exchange project in Marseille, France. The project was funded by the Erasmus+ programme, and focused on the importance of effective communication, and how to incorporate it into our lives to fight common communication barriers. The project was put into place to create a comfortable, non-formal learning environment, where participants could learn and exchange information about effective communication, empathy and communication barriers, through a variety of presentations, group activities and discussions.

6 countries participated in the project, with 36 participants in total. The participating countries were France, Turkey, Hungary, Ukraine, Portugal and Romania. Each country had a team of 6 people, including one team leader. Throughout the project, it was amazing to see that people from many different cultures and backgrounds could join together to work on such an important societal topic. Each country was able to learn about the culture of each participating culture through a culture night, where each team organised a presentation, activity and treats for participants to learn about their country's culture and traditions. As you can see from the pictures below, the culture nights were a huge success, and a great way to demonstrate how effective communication can be used to foster friendships with all.

Throughout the project, the participants completed numerous group activities. These activities were designed to demonstrate the importance of effective communication, and how to practice empathy. Participants also were given presentations on the work of Erasmus+ programme, and the YouthPass programme, along with an in depth presentation regarding the importance of effective communication and how to overcome communication barriers.

Each country was responsible for organising a group activity for a specific topic relating to effective communication, which ensured the participation of all participants. The group activities were as follows; "That's Your Turn" creative drama (France), "Wake People Up" group poster (Turkey), "What If It Was You" empathy activity (Portugal), "Communication Barriers" group poster (Romania), "Do Empathy" roleplay (Ukraine) and "Look at Difference, That's Culture" drama (Hungary). All of our group activities were a huge success, and we were able to see how participants put all of our effective communication learning into effect. It was incredible to see how all participants engaged and bonded with each other, as you can see from the photos!

Along with the team's organised activities, Apprendre L'anglais and Old School Green Association were responsible for all other activities throughout the project. These included Q&A sessions, cultural visits in Marseille, simulation roleplays, talking about our fears, contributions and expectations, discovering what our own communication profile and analysing communication videos. Each activity was concluded with a group discussion, where we talked about what we had learned, and how we will continue to incorporate it into our daily lives. We also organised a secret friend activity, which was very enjoyable for all participants. On the first day of the project, each participant was assigned a secret friend, meaning they anonymously chose a name of a different participant. Throughout the week, the participants were assigned the task of performing small, anonymous and positive gestures to their secret friend throughout the week. This could be leaving them a thoughtful note, giving them a small token, or simply making sure they are always included. On the final day of the project, each secret friend was revealed in a special ceremony. It was truly amazing to see how the participants interacted with this activity, as we could see how happy participants were when being greeted with a kind word or token from their secret friend.

The project was a huge success, and we were very proud to see how the participants engaged and worked with every aspect of the project in Marseille. By the end of the project, we saw the friendships that were made, and how the use of effective communication can foster relationships between everyone, regardless of their culture or background. At the end of the project, we asked some participants what their highlights of the project were, and it was a very happy moment for us to see that the participants had truly learned valuable lessons that they would bring to society regarding effective communication. It was also very nice to see the friendships and bonds that had been created by the end of the project.

When all participants returned home to their country after an educational yet fun-filled week, we organised a dissemination online meeting for participants to reflect on the project, and talk about what we had learned. We also had a presentation about effective communication, followed by a Q&A session, and a discussion.

Overall, we are very happy to say that all participants became aware of the importance of effective communication, and how to practice this skill in everyday life. From this project, the participants were informed of communication barriers, why effective communication is necessary, the importance of empathy, and how to identify communication profiles. With this information, the participants will be able to practice and develop their communication skills, and carry them on in their professional and personal lives in the future.

All participants also practiced their communication skills with each other. As participants came from 6 different countries, they were able to break down common communication barriers, such as culture differences, and form friendships throughout the project.

Would like to thank all of our team, all of the participants, and the organisations that allowed this project to take place - Antaly Genclik ve Spor II Mudurlugu (Turkey), NGO Non Formal Education for Youth (Ukraine), Hidak Ifúsági Alapítvány (Hungary), Associatia MasterPeace (Romania), Associação Nó Górdio (Portugal) and Apprendre L'anglais (France).

Of course, we would also like to take this time to also mention the driving force of this project, the Erasmus+ programme. Without this programme, we would not have been able to make this project a reality. Through this programme, we have been able to enrich the lives of our participants, allowing them to learn in a non-formal and comfortable educational environment, where they have successfully practiced and learned about the importance of effective communication.

And remember - listen active, communicate effective!