Project-based language learning through folk and fairy tales:

The story of a tale project before and during the pandemic

Abstract

Project-based learning is one of the most effective ways to help students acquire the four key competencies of twenty-first-century education: creativity, critical thinking, effective communication, and collaboration. Launched by Apor Vilmos Catholic College in 2015 in cooperation with the University of Winchester, The Tale Project is based on a ‘four Cs’ foundation. The project method inspires our students’ creativity and develops their critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills while encouraging them to learn and work effectively as part of a group. Developing foreign language competencies, pedagogical, and art competencies also belongs to the emphasised objectives for cooperation between the two institutions. The project covers the content area of Intercultural Dialogue through Folktale Traditions, and in each academic year, English and Hungarian students work on different stories and tale- cycles. The 2019/20 academic year was a turning point in the history of the project. Since the Covid-19 lockdown in March, 2020, we have been obliged to explore and apply the new innovative methods offered by online education, virtual exchange, and alternative ways of communication.