Applied English Linguistics (Kurt Kohn)

CIP - Communication in International Projects

English and German language learning materials for staff who are active in EU project environments

Leonardo da Vinci programme (European Union) 2004-2007

The overall aim of this project is to develop and evaluate multimedia and web-based language learning modules supporting learner-oriented specialised language training for professionals who participate in international project teams within the EU framework or plan to apply for a project supported by the European Commission.

Emphasis will be on topics that deal with communication within a project team and on project-specific tasks that are embedded in the life-cycle of European projects. In particular, the following learning modules will be developed:

• Setting up a project (formation of a partnership, partner search, first contacts with partners);
• Project meetings and inter-partner communication (presenting one's organisation, chairing a meeting, discussion, formal and informal communication, cross-cultural aspects of communication);
• Project documentation (applications forms, project proposal, legal documents, report writing);
• EU bodies and institutions (brief history, functioning of EU institutions and administrative bodies).

Each module contains authentic materials relevant to the topic (texts, dialogues, videos) as well as exercises, phraseology, grammatical reference, translation support and a multilingual glossary. The contents of the modules will first be developed for English and German and then be adapted to two other languages: Polish, Danish and Slovak (translation support and multilingual glossary).