HOW TIMELY is an Erasmus+ project addressing the challenge of the decline in the usage of Minority and Endangered Languages (MELs) among young people, particularly within secondary education. It also tackles their underrepresentation in media accessible to teenagers. The project proposes an innovative pedagogical approach based on Intermedial/Audio-visual Accessibility & Translation (AVAT) techniques, such as subtitling, revoicing (voice-over and dubbing), and audio description, as a tool for teaching and revitalizing MELs.
The general objectives (GO) include promoting linguistic diversity and the transmission and revitalization of MELs, dynamizing MEL teaching in secondary schools within an inclusive education framework, promoting innovative teaching methods and communication among MEL teachers across Europe, and using digital tools to create and share pedagogical activities.
The project involves a consortium of 7 partners from 3 member states: Italy, Spain, and Ireland. The partners are three universities (Università degli Studi Roma Tre as the applicant, Fundació Universitària Balmes - UVIC, and Dublin City University - DCU), three secondary schools (Convitto Nazionale Canopoleno Sassari, Instituto Alexandre de Riquer, and Coláiste Ghlór na Mara), and one NGO (Associació Linguapax International). Initially, the project focuses on Catalan, Irish, and Sardinian languages, with plans to expand to other MELs after piloting.
The core methodology involves students translating copyright-free video content from English or the dominant language into their regional MEL, fostering linguistic and transversal skills such as critical analysis, digital competence, and awareness of sensory disabilities.
The project is structured into five Work Packages (WPs): Project Management (WP1, led by Roma Tre), Teacher Survey and Training (WP2, led by UVIC), Pedagogical Framework and Activities (WP3, led by DCU), Implementation and Assessment (WP4, led by Convitto Nazionale Canopoleno Sassari and supervised by Roma Tre), and Communication and Dissemination (WP5, led by Linguapax).
Key expected results (Outputs) include:
• HOW TIMELY teaching/training portal (Moodle-based) integrating a training portal for teachers and a virtual classroom with ready-to-use AVAT activities for MELs.
• Good Practices Guide on using AVAT in MEL teaching.
• Suite of pedagogical materials, tasks, and assessment measures adaptable for various MELs.
• Assessment toolkit for metacognitive reflection.
• Collaborative open-access volume on AVAT in MEL teaching and revitalization.
The pedagogical activities and platform will be piloted in partner schools through an eTwinning project. The project aims for sustainability by providing open-access digital resources hosted on existing infrastructure (part of the Rise-Up Horizon project and integrated into the project website, which will remain active).
The project's total duration is 36 months, starting on 18/12/2024 and ending on 17/12/2027.
HOW TIMELY promotes inclusion and digitalization by supporting MELs, fostering awareness of sensory disabilities through AVAT, and providing innovative open-source digital tools for education. The dissemination strategy involves targeting teachers, students, academic communities, institutions, and the general public through various channels to ensure broad reach and impact beyond the project's lifespan.
