"ONLINE LANGUAGE SUPPORT (OLS) Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

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.

New features and content (28/10/2022)

New features and content

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

This selection of discussion topics and blog posts in the OLS communities is linked to our special days this month.

FL - mobility (28/10/2022)

Mobility participants going to the European Rural Youth Summit in Hălăucești, Romania, this month, should watch Romanian Basics with OLS: Lesson 5. They will learn how to express likes and dislikes and talk about family. They will learn vocabulary to make friends by paying compliments, expressing gratitude and saying ‘păstrăm legătura’ (let’s keep in touch).

FL - French (28/10/2022)

French Basics with OLS: Lesson 3 has everything mobility participants need to hit the ground running in France to attend the Olympic Games in Paris. There is vocabulary to book accommodation and ask for and understand directions. They will make friends by talking about their favourite sports and leisure activities.

FL - Croatian (28/10/2022)

For International Day of Friendship, Croatian Basics with OLS: Lesson 4 is the perfect learning activity. Mobility participants will learn vocabulary to call a friend, ask them what they are doing and plan an outing. They’ll also discover why Karlovac is a great place to visit.

Tips (28/10/2022)

Advanced students of English, French, German, Italian and Spanish can learn language through the news on OLS.

June 2024 (21/10/2022)

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

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for June from the toolbox.

New features and content (28/10/2022)

See our new ‘language basics’ videos.

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

Community managers and forums

Tips (28/10/2022)

Tips

FL - Bulgarian (28/10/2022)

Learners will need to enjoy working with their hands and be familiar with the Cyrillic alphabet to tackle the VET course Bulgarian for mechanics and electromechanics. There are eight sections, including ‘Да започваме работа!’ (Let’s get to work!), where they will learn to answer questions like: what tool do you need to remove a wheel from a car?

FL - Serbian (28/10/2022)

VET learners who want to help visitors to Serbia enjoy the sights of Belgrade, a boat cruise on the Danube, or the art nouveau treasures of Subotica, can try Serbian for tourism. There are exercises on how to ask a colleague for help, or to make hotel guests feel welcome, so that they’ll tell you ‘Заиста ми је драго што сам овде’ (I’m really glad to be here).

FL - German (28/10/2022)

German for construction (Deutsch für das Bauwesen) is a VET course to help learners learn essential vocabulary like Balken, Kran and Lochziegel (beam, crane and perforated brick). They’ll be challenged by listening and reading exercises to master emails and informal conversations with colleagues. They’ll also learn how to say: ‘Ich wünsche Dir einen schönen Tag’ (Have a nice day). Suitable for levels A2 to B1.

May 2024 (21/10/2022)

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

New features and content (28/10/2022)

The Welcome to OLS video introduces mobility participants to the platform and invite them to join the communities for an immersive learning experience.

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

The OLS Communities are constantly updated with brand new content for practising a language and diving into its culture.

FL - Portugal (28/10/2022)

Portugal is famous for its azulejos, glazed tiles with geometric patterns or pictures, used for decoration or to depict historical events. Vocational education and training students learning Portuguese and who have an eye for aesthetics can get an introduction to terminology used in graphic design with the course ‘Português para design gráfico’ (Portuguese for graphic design).

FL - Romanian (28/10/2022)

Engineer and physicist Victor Toma invented and built the first Romanian computer, the CIFA-1 in 1957, at the country’s institute of atomic physics. The VET course ‘Româna pentru informatică’ (Romanian for IT) gives learners the language basics to follow in his footsteps. They will discover how to set and achieve language learning goals and exercises for writing workplace emails.

FL - Macedonian (28/10/2022)

Macedonian farmers produce thousands of tonnes of bell peppers every year. They’re the main ingredient of ‘ajvar’, also known as the caviar of the Balkans. Vocational education and training students with a passion for farming can try ‘Macedonian for agriculture’ to learn the basics of the language and sow the seeds of success in their careers.

Tips (28/10/2022)

OLS has 4 hours of vocational education and training (VET) content per language, for 10 different subject areas, for levels A2-B1.

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for May.

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

Well done to our community managers for keeping learners motivated!

April 2024 (21/10/2022)

Dear Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps national agencies and beneficiary organisations

New features and content (28/10/2022)

A bar graph showing how many hours of language content are available for each of the 29 languages on OLS, and at each level: A1, A2, B1 and B2.

FL - Spanish (28/10/2022)

This month we celebrate Día del Idioma Español, Spanish language day, to commemorate the death of great storyteller Miguel de Cervantes in 1616. Mastery of Spanish will open doors to working in one of the many countries where Spanish is spoken. OLS students following a vocational education and training (VET) path and who have a passion for travelling can try the course ‘Soy agente de viajes’ (I’m a travel agent).

FL - English (28/10/2022)

We celebrate the UN’s English language day on 23 April. English is third, behind Mandarin and Chinese, in the number of native speakers worldwide (about 400 million). Being able to speak English is an advantage in any field of work, from agriculture to logistics and catering. VET students with a hunger for learning can try the OLS course ‘English for catering’ to discover more about the industry and learn how to ask questions and understand instructions.

FL - Italian (28/10/2022)

Italian VET students who enjoy working in sales need to know how to be clear and polite when addressing customers and colleagues. With the OLS course ‘Faccio il commesso/la commessa in un negozio di abbigliamento’ (I’m a shop assistant/saleswoman in a clothing shop), they can learn how to ask the right questions to understand what customers want and how to successfully conclude a sale.

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for April from the toolbox.

Tips (28/10/2022)

Each OLS course has several sections, up to 5 and a boost (or bonus) section.

March 2024 (21/10/2022)

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

New features and content (28/10/2022)

Advanced students of English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish will enjoy the B2-level course.

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

The OLS blog can be found in the “Interactions” section on the right side of each language learning community.

FL - Finnish (28/10/2022)

Finnish beginners can learn to talk about their experiences with the A2 course ‘I spent the weekend at an amusement park’. They will find activities and videos to learn to describe what they did, whether it was going on a rollercoaster ride, or couch surfing at home, using adjectives like ‘mahtva’ (awesome) or ‘mukava’ (nice). They can see all the A2 Finnish courses using the link below.

FL - Estonian (28/10/2022)

Estonian Mother Tongue Day on 14 March marks the birthday of Kristjan Jaak Peterson in 1801. Although he only lived to the age of 21, the polyglot and champion of the language is considered the founder of modern Estonian poetry. Students can join in the language celebrations with the A2 course ‘I’m throwing a party’. See the A2 Estonian courses on OLS.

FL - Lithuanian (28/10/2022)

Lithuanian day of the book smugglers is celebrated on 16 March, the birthday of Jurgis Bielinis, who ran the country’s largest book smuggling operation during a Russian ban on Lithuanian language publications between 1864 and 1904. Students can show their support for the importance of reading in their mother language by learning Lithuanian phrases for finding someone a present (a book maybe?) – try the OLS A2 course ‘I’m going to give her the latest comic book’. Browse all the A2 Lithuanian lessons on OLS.

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for March from the toolbox.

Tips (28/10/2022)

In the discovery and learning videos, and the videos in all the A1, A2, B1 and B2 courses, mobility participants can change the language of the subtitles and see the transcript in various languages.

February 2024 (21/10/2022)

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

New features and content (28/10/2022)

OLS regularly publishes new language learning modules for all levels that learners can use to navigate everyday situations.

Community managers & forums (28/10/2022)

OLS forums and discussion topics encourage students to hone their language skills with their peers, under the guidance of a community manager who is a native speaker.

FL - Greek (28/10/2022)

Learning a language is a marathon and not a sprint. We have the Greek messenger Pheidippides to thank for the 42 km endurance race that is so popular today. At 34 centuries old and still going strong, Greek is one of the world’s oldest living languages. Celebrate Greek Language Day by encouraging mobility participants to watch the Greek discovery video and letting poet Sappho entice them into embarking on the Odyssey of learning this beautiful language.

FL - Slovene (28/10/2022)

Vsaka vas ima svoj glas (every village has its voice) is a popular Slovenian expression that refers to the 50 or so Slovene dialects. Slovene is one of the few European languages that uses the dual to talk about things that come in pairs: socks, eyes, etc. Watch the Slovene discovery video to learn who France Prešeren, Svetlana Makarovič and Barbe de Cilley were, which little insect has been creating a buzz in Slovenia for centuries, and to hear the pronounciation of Žganci, a popular Slovenian dish.

FL - Hungarian (28/10/2022)

Anyone who enjoys playing with word combinations using prefixes and suffixes, an alphabet of 44 letters with 14 vowels and up to 3 sounds for some letters, will find Hungarian a fascinating language. Its speakers include Mária ‘Sun Queen’ Telkes, Katinka ‘Iron Lady’ Hosszú and Ignác Fülöp ’Wash your Hands’ Semmelweis. To discover their claim to fame, and the importance of water in Hungary, watch the Hungarian discovery video.

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for February from the toolbox below.

Tips (28/10/2022)

It’s important that mobility participants find a language learning method that they enjoy and that best suits their learning style – sometimes finding it is a matter of trial and error.

January 2024 (21/10/2022)

Dear Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps national agencies

New features and content (28/10/2022)

What an event’ will help B1 students of English, French, German, Italian and Spanish learn about annual celebrations in countries where these languages are spoken.

FL - German (28/10/2022)

We have German composer Ludwig van Beethoven to thank for Symphony No. 9, or Ode to Joy, which was inspired by a poem of the same name about peaceful coexistence, written by his contemporary and fellow German speaker Friedrich Schiller. To discover the sounds of German, like the Umlaute (ä, ö, ü), and the ‘sharp s’, or ß, which is only found in German, encourage mobility participants to see the OLS discovery video.

FL - French (28/10/2022)

French is considered to be among the world’s most beautiful-sounding languages. And it’s a great language for those who love puns and homophones – words with the same pronunciation, but different meanings – like ‘mon tonton tond ton tonton’ (my uncle shaves your uncle) and ‘l'avocat de l'avocat donne une amende à l'amande’ (the avocado’s lawyer gives the almond a fine). Discover more about the ‘language of Molière’ and how ratatouille got its name in the French discovery video.

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for January from the toolbox below.

Tips (28/10/2022)

To add an audio reply to a post in one of the forums of an OLS learning community is easy.

FL - Czech (28/10/2022)

Some words in Czech are written without vowels, making this a great language for tongue twisters, like ‘strčit prst skrz krk’ which means ‘to stick a finger through the throat’. Although that might grate on the ears, Czech speakers have distinguished themselves by giving the world some of its most beautiful music, like opera singer Ema Destinnová and Czech composer Antonín Dvořák, who both had careers in Europe and the US.

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

Learning language is easier when combined with an activity like cooking or listening to the lyrics of a song.

December 2023 (21/10/2022)

Dear Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps national agencies

New features and content (28/10/2022)

The new OLS is all about participating in communities of learners!

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

For the past year, OLS community managers have been going all out to engage mobility participants in discussions on the forums.

FL - Dutch (28/10/2022)

The Dutch A1 level course ‘I go to the cinema all the time’ is perfect to help mobility participants start socialising. Bart and Kasia show how it’s done in the video in the first section of this 4-part module, with the vocabulary and phrases to find a day and time for doing something together. For a fun glimpse into the language and Dutch way of life, how many bicycles there are in the Netherlands, and the unusual sports of paalzitten and fierljeppen, watch the Dutch discovery video.

FL - Denmark (28/10/2022)

For those going on mobility to Denmark and who never know what to pack when they travel, the A2-level module ‘What do I need to take on mobility?’ is a must. Watch the video in which Kasia helps Rasmus decide what to pack for his trip to Canada, read a text message exchange between Lene and Jonas, and listen to an audio recording, to learn how to talk about the clothes or documents to take. Students who enjoy travelling will love discovering the history and adventurous epics of the Danish language.

FL - Sweden (28/10/2022)

Mobility participants going to Sweden need to know how to talk about their bror, syster and vän (brother, sister, friend). The A1 course ‘This is my brother’ will get mobility participants describing the important people in their lives and use numbers to say how old they are. In the additional, or Boost exercise, they will read a short comic and answer questions about age, height and family. Family and friends are an important part of lagom, the meaning of which students can discover in the Swedish discovery video.

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for December from the toolbox.

Tips (28/10/2022)

An easy way for students to navigate to a course on the OLS platform is to use the search function at the top of the screen.

November 2023 (21/10/2022)

Dear Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps national agencies

New features and content (28/10/2022)

We are happy to announce that the new OLS video contest has been launched under the motto: “The OLS video contest is back – get ready to participate!”

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

Here’s a fresh reminder about the OLS forums, where mobility participants can join discussions with their peers about topics like the language they are learning or about the country they are visiting.

FL - Lithuanian (28/10/2022)

Lithuanian is one of the two Baltic languages, along with Latvian. On 16 March every year, Lithuania celebrates “Day of Knygnešys” – Day of the Book Smuggler. This is the birthday of Jurgis Bielinis, the man behind the country’s largest book smuggling operation, which helped to keep the Lithuanian language alive after a ban was imposed on written forms of Lithuanian in 1864. It was lifted in 1904. See the Lithuanian discovery video.

FL - Slovak (28/10/2022)

Slovak has been influenced by Czech and several other languages, such as Polish, Hungarian, Latin and German. The German word for coins, “münzen” became “mince” in Slovak. When Slovaks borrow words from other languages, such as English and Italian, the spelling is modified to help Slovak speakers pronounce them: “weekend” became "víkend", and Italian for quality, “qualita”, became “kvalita”. See our Slovak discovery video.

FL - Macedonian (28/10/2022)

Macedonian is part of the South Slavic language family that has been influenced by Greek, Turkish and Serbian. It uses the Cyrillic alphabet, based on the alphabet invented by Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century. Watch the Macedonian discovery video.

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for November from the toolbox.

Tips (28/10/2022)

Mobility participants can add photos to their posts and replies in the forums.

October 2023 (21/10/2022)

Dear Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps national agencies

Community managers and forums (28/10/2022)

OLS community managers are looking forward to meeting and greeting new mobility participants in the OLS forums.

New features and content (28/10/2022)

French and Spanish each have a new B1 level course to help students learn the vocabulary and grammar structures to talk about an application.

FL - Czech (28/10/2022)

In Czech, words are written the way they are pronounced. But the accents have to be learned, as they indicate vowel length. Do the Czech words “googlovat”, “mailovat”, and “esemeskovat” look familiar? They were formed from English verbs by adding “ovat”: googling, emailing, and texting. Students can have a lookovat our Czech discovery video to learn more.

FL - Finnish (28/10/2022)

Finnish is often described as a musical language because of the importance of vowel harmony and the use of intonation and rhythm in making meaning. Students can start to develop their ear for Finnish with the OLS discovery video.

FL - Irish (28/10/2022)

Irish is one of the rare languages in the world that uses a verb-subject-object order, “saw I a movie”, for example. There’s also no word for yes or no. Instead, a different verb form is used to express negation. The Irish A1 course “I go to the movies every Tuesday” will help students make plans with someone to spend time together. Follow this link for the Irish discovery video.

Communication toolbox (28/10/2022)

Help us to keep mobility participants aware of new features and developments on the platform by downloading the communication materials for September from the toolbox below.

Tips (28/10/2022)

When you scroll down the Learning Community and Resources page for your language, you will see a list of courses and events.