World Student Christian Federation

Europe Region

Lingua Franca

The Lingua Franca programme of WSCF Europe was started in the early nineties to facilitate ecumenical exchange and to break down barriers of language and culture between the east and the west. Today, Lingua Franca offers both leadership trainings and language courses.

In order to widen participation and to build a new generation of ecumenical leadership, the Lingua Franca training seminars offer opportunities for further skill development related to various aspects of youth empowerment.

In language courses, voluntary teachers from Europe and beyond teach teach local students a widely used language (English, German, Spanish and French). These courses serve as an interactive means of understanding, and they facilitate cultural and ecumenical exchanges throughout their duration and after their completion, allowing participants to become involved in future interactive events in a common lingua franca.

What are some examples of the leadership training courses?

The Lingua Franca programme is currently in the 3rd year of its three year project: Stop Being Silent! Identifying, Overcoming and Preventing Domestic Violence . The first seminar on this project was held in Nitra, Slovakia, in August 2008 (read the report here). The second seminar was held in Novi Sad, Serbia from 28 July to 2 August 2009, the report can be found here.

The third instalment of the program will be held in Minsk, Belarus, August 25-30, please stayed tuned to the website for more information.

Though we are no longer accepting applications for participants we are looking forward to the next Lingua Franca training that will be a Consultation on the Eucharist in Kiev, Ukraine, 11-16 June 2010.

Who are the language courses for for?

-VOLUNTARY TEACHERS who are willing to TRAVEL and TEACH a language for 2-3 weeks, as well as to LEARN and EXPERIENCE the history, religion and everyday life of their hosting country.

-COURSE ORGANISERS who desire to SHARE the history, cultural background, and religious traditions of their country, as well as to LEARN a language and the way to organise an event, and who are willing to HOST voluntary teachers in their congregation or student Christian movement.

-STUDENTS, who are willing to SHARE their different ways of thinking and living, LEARN language in an unusual way, and PARTICIPATE in future international conferences using the language learned.

The essence of Lingua Franca is that teachers, course organisers, and students mutually benefit from the language courses. Teachers from different countries teach a language to students in Eastern Europe during the summer, and to select areas in Western Europe during the winter. In an ecumenical context, all participants share the histories and habits of their countries. As "payment," teachers are fully hosted and receive a unique insight in the everyday life, cultural and religious traditions of the hosting country.

The programme was developed to help youth and students from throughout the region learn with and from each other, in order to break down cultural, linguistic and historical barriers and to help empower young people to work together.

...For an Experience of a Different Kind...