OBJECTIVES

The main project objectives are:

• To create a smart virtual space for language learning as a distributed system (Virtual Private Network), comprising of educational Language Nodes (LN), delivering learning services for mobile users through WAN or GPRS wireless interface of their handheld computer (PDA).
• To improve the Quality of Service at "guest contact points", by motivating and aiding professionals in the Tourism sector to learn the language of the country of their customers through their PDA, Smartphone or wireless Laptop.

The innovative aspects of the proposal are:

• studying the foreign language competency of the employees in the field of tourism;
• developing comparable teaching documentation for mobile Foreign Language Education;
• creating a mobile Learning Management System, allowing the creation of foreign language training courses and the access to them at any time and at any place through mobile device;
• developing teaching materials using ICT in accordance with the e-Learning Action Plan of the European Commission;
• developing teaching materials for mobile foreign language training for the field of tourist industry.

The main target groups are:

• personnel in the hotel and tourism industry such as company managers, tourism promoters, informers, animators, transfer agents, lobby managers, and reservationists;
• hotel guests and travelers such as European tourists and businessmen;
• language trainers, young college/ university graduates.

The target sectors are:

• Tourism industry;
• Initial and further vocational education for Tourism Management and other related courses.

The specific aims are:

• to collect data from target pilot tourist organizations (Language Portfolio) which enables language trainers to develop a customized course for individual employees and/or for specified group of employees;
• to specify learners' and teachers' needs and design content structure so that the learning environment (tutors, learning language content, assessment, tracking, communication infrastructure) could be easily modified;
• to validate and test SCORM compatible Learning Content Management System for mobile language learning;
• to create re-usable and sharable language content for Bulgarian, English, German, Greek, Spanish, French and Portuguese;
• to provide a cost-effective way for spoken interaction between learners and tutors, who may be geographically dispersed (e.g. a learner from Bulgaria can talk with his tutor in the France and Germany for the price of Internet connection);
• to build a network between SME's in tourist regions, (acting as language service providers), educational institutes and other actors in the field of tourism.