Aims

From the very beginning, the aim of the project is the pro-educational activation of the University's senior community, in particular as regards foreign language learning (English, according to current demand), as well as broadening knowledge of the culture of the United Kingdom, the United States of America and other countries.

With our activities we want to be a part of the process of lifelong learning, but we also want to respond to the broader needs of our seniors, especially in the area of activation and counteracting exclusion.

Programme

The programme includes the organisation of lectures and thematic meetings in various areas.

However, its core and main idea remains a regular and comprehensive foreign language (English) course.

The course programme is tailored to the needs and abilities of seniors, so that it can bring its participants as much linguistic benefit as possible, as well as enjoyment.

The activities were enriched with cultural elements, common singing of songs, "trips" to interesting places.

Implementation

From the very beginning, the "Senior Citizen" project has been implemented with one group of participants, whose core remains the same, with the addition of new participants.

Classes are run on a voluntary basis by the same lecturers, including the project author.

After years of learning together, the group has become close and even friends.

For obvious reasons, as foreseen in the project, it is a mixed group in terms of the level and language skills of the participants.

This is one of the reasons, but not the only one, why the originator of the project thought of each lesson being run in one group by two teachers at the same time.

This original and innovative approach to teaching a foreign language to a diverse group of seniors works very well.

Such a form of classes makes it possible to adapt the teaching to the individual needs and abilities of students, to focus the attention of one of the teachers on those who need help at a given moment, e.g. explaining a problem which is not fully understood during the lesson.

Such personal attention gives the students a chance to better assimilate, broaden and consolidate their language skills.

An added value is a greater sense of group togetherness and security of its participants in the process of learning a foreign language, and thus faith in their own success.

This is important in the case of a demanding group of seniors - university employees. It is important for less advanced learners, and in this particular "mixed" group it was especially important for those who started learning English from the very beginning and had to catch up quickly, as well as for participants who joined our group at a later stage.

Four and a half years (9 semesters) of classes, currently in the 10th semester of the course, the achieved and still achieved results, really good, fully confirm the validity of this solution.

In their questionnaires, the course participants spoke enthusiastically about the classes, emphasising the good learning results and the pleasant atmosphere of the classes. They wrote that they learned a lot and enjoyed spending time together. They thanked us for "interesting and motivating" classes, for "finally starting to speak", and even for "the opportunity to meet interesting people" and "asked for more", for continuation.

For us, the teachers of this course in the senior group, it is particularly satisfying to see that both the advanced and the beginners in the group can benefit from each other, learn new skills and consolidate those already acquired, while having fun together. It is gratifying to see the visible effects - when our students, helpless at first, become more skilful in communicating as the language learning progresses.

Another important value is the visible consolidation and solidarity of the group, whose members, knowing their own limitations and abilities, help each other when necessary.

Under the guidance of the teachers the linguistically stronger students willingly and effectively help their weaker, less advanced colleagues.

Terms of implementation to date

Summer semester 2014/2015

Winter semester 2015/2016

Summer semester 2015/2016

Winter semester 2016/2017

Summer semester 2016/2017

Winter semester 2017/2018

Summer semester 2017/2018

Winter semester 2018/2019

Summer semester 2018/2019

From the beginning, the classes are completely free of charge for course participants and are not financed by the University. The course is conducted voluntarily and free of charge by two lecturers, Grażyna Gwizdała, MA and Maria Zwiefka, PhD, in the mode:

1 meeting of 2 hours per week for the entire duration of the project.

New elements and perspectives

The possibility of individual holiday consultations has been introduced, mainly with a view to those weaker language learners who need additional support, but also open to all course participants and their different needs.

There are plans to extend the offer of the "Senior" project, also with other workshops and pro-educational activities, including those preventing exclusion, dedicated to the seniors of our University.

We are preparing a draft of a new offer.

The report was prepared by Dr Maria Zwiefka, author and project coordinator.