CFI-Expressions-Balkaniques 2

Northern Macedonia: how to teach French while supporting media education?

Related project

Balkan Voices 2

Under the leadership of the French Institute of Skopje, a large number of French teachers met in Struga (Northern Macedonia) for the 25th edition of the Summer University, supported by CFI as part of the Balkan Expressions 2 project. The programme includes an exploration of innovative educational methods, in particular media education, to help young people in the Balkans to better discern the truth in a world saturated with information.

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Sharpening the critical faculties of young people in the Balkans

From 24 to 28 June, the participants took part in three days of training modules exploring a wide range of educational topics linked to the new tools for Balkan youth: teaching techniques for young learners, creating podcasts and bilingual education practices. The media and information education module, led by expert and journalist Jean-Marc Pitte, focused on the fight against disinformation. He states:

"The most important thing is to understand the difference between communication and information. It is crucial that teachers teach pupils to distinguish between these differences, particularly with media such as TikTok where communication and information are all too often mixed up. By helping them to sharpen their critical faculties, they will be better able to navigate the vast amount of information available.”
Jean-Marc Pitte

 

Strengthening cultural and professional exchanges

In addition to training, the university offered participants cultural activities, publisher presentations and professional exchanges, enhancing the learning experience. One session focused on the use of social media to promote educational activities, underlining the event's commitment to contemporary educational trends.

This year's event succeeded in raising the profile of the French language and promoting innovative teaching approaches throughout South-East Europe.

What the participants have to say

Ljupka Dimova, Linguistic Assistant and Director of French courses, emphasised the importance of partnerships: "Our collaboration with CFI is crucial, particularly in providing training in media literacy, which is vital in the current climate. This partnership has allowed us to increase the educational impact of French in the region.”

Lindita Trashani, a French teacher from Albania, expressed her appreciation: "It's not just about learning new teaching methods, but also about exchanging ideas with colleagues from all over the Balkans, establishing links and creating joint projects.”
 

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