DiLanEdu-WB - Digital Transformation in Language Study and Education of the Western Balkans

In the Digital Age, as children spend increasingly more time in the digital world at the expense of time spent in physical interaction with other children, digitalization of language instruction is imperative to improve oral communication, language skills and to reduce anxiety in speaking tasks. The necessity to integrate digital methods and tools in language education and study has been felt in the West Balkans, where strategies have been developed for digital transformation setting digital competencies as a primary aim in the transformation of their educational systems. Common issues identified therein include the inadequate qualification of teachers, including language teachers, to integrate digital tools and methods in the teaching and learning process, as well as the absence of adequate digital content in WB languages.Hereupon, this project aims to improve the quality of language education in the WB Higher Education Area by strengthening the participating HEI language teacher-training curricula with ICTs. The project will also establish and operationalize specialized laboratories. The particular objectives of the project are as follows:A.Updating & enhancing existing curricula to incorporate digital methods & tools in language teaching & research, i.e., new & innovative transformations in older disciplines (e.g., computational linguistics) & developing a limited range of a micro-credential.B.The establishment or enhancement of specialized laboratories of digital methods and tools in language teaching.C.The establishment of a network of institutions and individuals sharing similar interests in using and promoting digital tools in language teaching and learning, as well as in linguistic scientific research.The project will thus develop capacities in the following three directions: 1. Digital Language Education. 2. Instruction of language skills & intercultural skills in a digital environment. 3. Digital transformation in discourse & linguistic analysis.