Language subjects under pressure: New digital tools to spark interest among more young people to learn foreign language

11.11.2024

In a time where fewer young people choose foreign language subjects, the EU project DIGI-LINGO now presents new models and digital tools to promote foreign language teaching.

There will be a shortage of foreign language teachers in the future.

The same tendency is seen across Europe and in Central Denmark Region there is a shortage of teachers in French and German in particular.

Central Denmark Region is lead in the EU project DIGI-LINGO. The purpose of the project is to strengthen foreign language teaching and turn around the tendency with less interest in language subjects.

At the conference in Bruxelles, marking the end of the DIG-LINGO project, solutions from the project were presented to teachers and language institutions from all over Europe. The solutions present access to different types of digital language teaching and a model for virtual exchanges between students across country borders.  

Experiences from the DIGI-LINGO project are positive and it is expected that the tools can contribute to strengthening language skills and intercultural understanding.

- For some time, we have seen this worrying tendency with fewer upper secondary students choosing foreign language subjects. The new methods and tools from the DIGI-LINGO project are going to be spread to make language teaching more attractive and meaningful to young people. It is decisive to strengthen language subjects and at the same time ensure that young people have the language competencies we need at the global labour market, says Bent B. Graversen from the Danish Liberal Party and Chairman of Regional Development in Central Denmark Region.

At the four participating schools in Central Denmark Region the teachers have had the opportunity to meet foreign colleagues, exchange experiences and test the digital tools and models.

The purpose of the virtual exchanges is to give the students valuable insights in foreign cultures and at the same time strengthen their foreign language skills.

The interactive approach in the project shows that digital and virtual learning models can make language teaching more engaging and relevant in combination with traditional classroom teaching.

This has already been the experience at Tradium in Randers. Rune Helland Nielsen teaches Chinese and sales and has been a part of DIGI-LINGO:

- I sense a new type of dynamics in the classroom where students are not only learning about grammar and vocabulary but also get an insight into culture and everyday life of the language they study. It has given us a stronger foundation for engaging students and support their enthusiasm to learn a new language. And the students see language subjects as a part of something bigger where language skills have a real importance, says Rune Helland Nielsen.

The positive experiences from DIGI-LINGO show that when traditional and digital methods are integrated, teachers can offer a variety of activities from interactive language exercises and online discussions to access to international resources, which give the students a better understanding of other cultures and the value of learning foreign languages.

Read more about the teaching materials and tools developed by DIGI-LINGO.