Online Language Support (OLS)

Dear Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps national agencies and beneficiary institutions/organisations,

From 14-19 October celebrate #ErasmusDays with us and the projects and opportunities the Erasmus+ programme offers to all EU citizens. OLS is a great Erasmus+ companion, helping its participants master the language of their host country.

ErasmusDays events will be held worldwide – in person and/or virtual. OLS has events of its own this month too – see our Community managers and forums section for speaking sessions, mini contests and an exciting new game to help students reinforce the vocabulary they’ve learnt.

Happy reading,

The OLS team

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features on OLS by using or adapting a sample email and social media posts, visuals and videos we have created for you to share on your social media networks.

Kindly note that to download the toolbox for October, you must first login to the EU Academy and then enrol in this course.

Learning should be fun! That’s why we’ve introduced a 1980s arcade-style game for each level: A1 and A2 for all 29 languages, and B1 and B2 for English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. 

By correctly writing words and phrases using clues provided, you will help the Yeti – the mythical Himalayan creature – reach its goals, while reinforcing the vocabulary and phrases you’ve learnt in previous modules.

You can find the Yeti game in the module ‘I’ve got a headache’ (A1), ‘My beautiful garden’ (A2), ‘What an event!’ (B1) and ‘Games night!’ (B2). Try the English and Spanish versions.

Before starting the game, you’ll be prompted to choose a topic and difficulty level and whether to guide the Yeti through the snow or the jungle. Select the options that best match your current skill level for the most enjoyable experience.

This month we focus on the Latvian Community. We’ll let the community manager, Vita, introduce herself:

Dear OLS users, 

I'm excited to be your support person on your Latvian learning journey. As a native Latvian speaker, seeing someone learning my language brings me great joy.

In the OLS Latvian community, you’ll find content about Latvian culture, language and the experiences you’ll encounter during your mobility. We learn together and discuss everything – from everyday topics like visiting a local farmers' market in Latvia and buying farm-fresh products to exploring historical art by studying Latvian painters.

Of course, we aim to have fun while learning, often playing language games. I’m also a passionate long-distance runner, so we’ll frequently talk about sports and, naturally, you can expect sprinkles of Latvian grammar along the way.

Check out my community, comment and say hi!

October events

This month, mobility participants can join online speaking sessions with the community managers in these languages:

• English: Tuesday 22 October; 
• French: Tuesday 29 October;
• German: Wednesday 30 October:
• Italian: Thursday 24 October;
• Spanish: Wednesday 23 October;
• Portuguese: Thursday 31 October. 

For a chance to win a EUR 50 book voucher, learners can take part in fun mini contests in the Irish, Bulgarian, Macedonian and Croatian communities. They will run from 7 to 28 October. Stay tuned to these communities for more details!

The Get Involved forum is for newcomers to OLS, or for anyone who wants a shortcut to the 5 main community topics: the OLS video contest, Open Days, the help desk, finding a language-learning buddy, and a shortcut to each OLS language. 

It’s accessible via this link, or with these steps:

•    on the OLS landing page, click Resume/Join Community (1);

•    in the Interactions section on the right, click on Get Involved (2).