Socrates-Comenius language project launched

The MCAST Gozo Centre recently launched a Socrates-Comenius language project - "Employ Me: Enhancing languages to enhance mobility". The project partner is the German vocational college Berufskölleg für Technik des Markishen Kreises of Lüdenscheid.

The project aims to produce a technical glossary of equipment and machinery, ranging from electrical and mechanical equipment and machinery to consumer equipment. It will be presented in three languages - German, English and Maltese. The glossary will be in Power Point-presentation format and will be available for download from the Internet. It will also be printed.

The class involved in this project is the EET3 leading to the City & Guilds Diploma 8030. The work on this project started last October when Harald Dörner, director of studies at the German college, visited the Gozo Centre.

In the second week of November, the German students were in Gozo and started the actual work on the project with their Gozitan peers. The students were accompanied by Mr Dörner and by English teachers Allan Dickenson and Silke Bartmeier.

The German students were taken on a few industrial visits during their stay. These included a visit to the water polishing plant in Ta' Çenç, Gozo, and the Playmobil factory in Hal Far, where a tour with detailed explanations of the various automated sections was given to them.

The Germans also visited the MCAST Institutes of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Corradino.

Between January 16 and 23, Godwin Grech, manager of the MCAST Gozo Centre, was in Ludenscheid for the second partner preparation visit, prior to the second project meeting.

After taking stock of the work undertaken so far by the German and Maltese students with Mr Dörner, the overall progress achieved and the work that still needed to be done according to the original project application, a detailed schedule was planned for the Gozitan students' stay in Lüdenscheid.

During this week, Mr Grech also observed the training facilities available at the Berufskölleg für Technik. Although this is a relatively small college for Germany (3,500 day students), it has extensively equipped workshops for various vocational disciplines - Mechanical Engineering, Vehicular and Auto Engineering, Fabrication, Building and Construction, Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Information Technology.

Mr Grech also spoke at length with Werner Lemmert, the principal. They discussed the courses offered by the two institutions. Mr Grech explained the MCAST courses framework enabling the students to enrol at different levels, depending on their level of qualification, highlighting MCAST's aim to provide students with the opportunity of obtaining tertiary level qualifications through an alternative vocational path.

Mr Lemmert was particularly impressed by the quality of vocational education in Malta.

They also spoke of the ties that both institutions had with the local industry and collaboration with other partners at an international level.

The Berufskölleg für Technik has various agreements and participates in student/staff exchanges not only with European countries but also with institutions in Asia and America (particularly Shanghai, China, and Canada).

The work on the technical glossary was continued during the second project meeting in Lüdenscheid between March 2 and 16. The group was accompanied by Mr Grech, Joseph Attard and Maureen Buttigieg. The Maltese students saw the extensive training facilities available at the German college. During their stay in Germany, they were also taken on a number of industrial visits.

These included a visit to a dam used for hydro-electric power generation, a massive water-treatment plant of the largest indoor pool centre of North-Rhine Westphalia, and a car repair centre, both in Plettenberg. Other interesting visits were made outside of the official school hours. These included a visit to the Phänomena Science Museum.

Throughout the project, English was the bridging language. This was one of the positive outcomes of the project as some students initially found it difficult to speak English fluently.

Perhaps the main language difficulties exposed by this project were an inadequate knowledge of technical English in some of the German students and the considerable difficulties when it comes to presentting technical and scientific material in Maltese.

The choice of topics for this project was shared by the two partners. Topics chosen by the German students were originally produced in German and subsequently translated to English (by the German students) and finally to Maltese.

Nevertheless, the task of translating this type of content into Maltese was not an easy one. While the thematic aspect of the project was fundamental, the languages component was crucial to the success of the project. Both the spoken and written aspects of the students' mother language and the bridging English language were well enhanced through the project work.

Apart from the project aspect, the two project meetings also had a social and cultural aspect. An excellent relationship developed between the two partner institutions and this applies to staff and students alike.

In Gozo, the students were taken to main historical sites, including the Citadel in Victoria and Ggantija Temples in Xaghra. November was quite warm and being accustomed to cooler temperatures, most of the German students even dared a swim at Ramla Bay.

The students got on very well together. The warm hospitality given by the Gozitans to the German students was reciprocated in Germany. There, the main social activity was a visit to Cologne to see the famous Cathedral and the Roman-German Museum. The students interacted very well together and spent many pleasant evenings.

At the end of the visit, it was quite hard for some of them to say goodbye. Friendships were established and most of the students are still in contact through e-mail. The visit was also very satisfying for the staff, both from a professional and a personal perspective.

The final product will be launched towards the end of June.

The group of Gozitans and Germans involved in the Socrates-Comenius language project in Lüdenscheid