In recent years, TANDEM Hamburg has been involved in a number of projects that dealt with different forms of language learning and teaching at the European level and were particularly geared to special target groups. This work has been rewarded with a number of prizes; above all, however, with an immense increase in competence in the field of didactics, methodology and curriculum development. We are proud of this work, which will be continued and which has found its way into our language courses, among other things in the form of our Teacher Training programme. We were able to successfully contribute to the following EU-funded projects:

VET4VIP (Vocational English Teaching for Visually Impaired People)

European Transversal LINGUA Project

December 2009 - May 2012

Development of a teacher training seminar for language teachers in relation to working with visually impaired people and how to create and use teaching materials for this target group. Development of adaptable accessible PC-based business English training modules specifically for blind and visually impaired adult learners. Partnership: 10 partners from 5 countries.

16 November 2012: The Vet4Vip project is awarded the European Language Label.

Vet4Vip was awarded the European Language Label in the field of vocational education and training. On 8.11. 2012 Antonio Quatraro from the Italian Association of the Visually Impaired and Blind, Mario Paiano from the language school Centro Machiavelli/TANDEM Firenze and Thomas Deharde from the Deutsche Angestellten-Akademie Bereich accepted on behalf of the Vet4Vip partnership from the Italian National Agency in Rome.

www.vet4vip.org

AllVip - Accessible Language Learning

The Socrates project "Accessible Language Learning" (225780-CP-1-200, 2005 to 2007) opened up new possibilities for language learning for blind and visually impaired people. Using a combination of force feedback devices and 3D sound navigation, we created an alternative user interface for a self-learning software that does not require a screen reader and enables interactive interaction with the PC. This technology was used for a language course "English for German-speaking learners" and "German for English-speaking learners", which focuses on communicative listening and speaking skills.

www.allvip.org

ELLVIS - English Language Course for People with Visual Impairments

In the ELLVIS project (502249-LLP-1-IT-COMENIUS, 2009 to 2011) in cooperation with partner institutions from Italy, France, Romania and Germany, we have also produced learning materials for people with visual impairments or multiple handicaps, here especially for children.

WoCoCom - Works Council Communication

Participation as a partner in the linguistic and didactic planning and implementation of the WoCoCom project "English for Works Councillors" (1997 to 1999) with the participation of institutions in Great Britain, Germany, Austria and Denmark. This project was awarded the European Language Label in 2000 for innovative initiatives in language teaching and learning.