Global links are a great way of getting children to communicate with other children around the world. Through this contact they can develop communication skills and an interest and awareness of other languages and cultures. However school linking projects don't have to focus just on language, there are numerous exciting and motivating learning projects that pupls can undertake together. Below are just some of the resources available for connecting around the world to learn about other cultures, languages, heritages and ideas.
Links provide a perfect forum for using language skills, whether they are newly acquired foreign language skills or maintaining the home language. This allows pupils to see the real and immediate value of their language skills for real communication. If your children speak another language themselves then this can be a good way to support them in maintaining their language skills and showing them that knowing a language is indeed an asset that can open doors to other worlds. For children who don't speak another language this can be a good way to stimulating their interest in other languages which may develop into them learning another language in the future.
Problem-solving together is a good way of building rapport between children of diccerent schools. Collaborating on a activities such as solving a maths problem, astrology star-gazing project or recipe exchange, can enable children to recognize the similarities of their friends in other places and broaden their views on particular subjects as well.
School links enable you to build up a network of people around the world that can deepen the childrens understanding of topics they are covering, for example in a study on rivers they could communicate with chidlren in different countries who live near a river and compare experiences or environmental issues. Rather than just having one link you might decide to have several links related to particular projects. Your network may consist of experts on various topics such as consulting a shark expert on the environmental impact of climate change or an Amazon Indian expert on the impact of deforestation.
Links allow for two-way knowledge sharing. As your pupils explain what they are learning they also learn about other ways of learning and other subject matter.
What better way to communicate face to face than with skype. bringing your children face to face can be a great way of developing confidence in oral communication and can bring to life any global links project.
100 words - British council
Chatterbooks - link with children in other parts of the UK to discuss books you are reading
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