The ELSTI project

European Languages for Secretaries Transfer of Innovation

ELSTI stands for European Languages for Secretaries - Transfer of Innovation, which is a Leonardo da Vinci - Transfer of Innovation project (ref. no. LLP/LdV/ToI/2007/RO/008). The project is coordinated by EuroEd Foundation - Romania, and it is implemented between 2008 - 2010 in partnership with Connectis - Italy, Kaunas University of Technology - Lithuania, no limits education and training ltd. - UK, PIXEL Association - Italy and PROSPER - ASE Language Centre - Romania.

The project continues a previous Leonardo da Vinci project (Eurobusiness Language Skills, coordinated by PIXEL Association) and it is aimed at developing the linguistic, cultural and business communication skills in English, Italian, French and Spanish. It addresses the difficulties that recent EU member countries meet in international business relations as a result of office workers’ insufficient command of relevant language skills. Such countries are Romania and Lithuania, both represented in this project. This is all the more complex in light of work mobility freedom within the EU. Office employees from the above mentioned countries lack the language, IT, intercultural and soft skills necessary to allow them to make the most of their work qualifications anywhere in Europe.

Consequently, the aims of the ELSTI project are: a) to transfer innovation both from more to less experienced countries, as well as from previous project results towards future applications, and b) to provide opportunities for office workers to develop the skills mentioned above. The project objectives are: a) to provide opportunities for partners to share useful lessons and best practices, b) to transfer and deliver the project products to identified target groups, and c) to make the results of the project known and available to at least another 200 recipients from various European countries and institutions which were not involved in the original ELS project.

The partnership is made up of institutions with experience in the field of content development for both online and offline use. Having taken part in previous European projects, all the partners boast expertise in managing the transfer of innovation, best practices and valorisation. Many of them belong to national or trans-national networks active in the training sector, which helps to ensure the successful implementation of the project aims and objectives.

The project is expected to provide administrative and secretarial staff working in SMEs, as well as students and pupils enrolled in a related field of study (business, administration), with a viable and comprehensive alternative in the field of language acquisition, a package that is both flexible and informative and that will help them improve their language skills in a challenging yet consistent manner. Progress is monitored by a tutor from the partner institutions.

For further information about the project and its products, please visit the web page of the project (http://www.elsti.eu/) or the online learning platform ( http://www.eurobusinesslanguageskills.net/) or contact us.

The ELSTI project has been carried out with the support of the European community. The content of the project does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Community or the Romanian National Agency for Community Programmes in the Field of Education and Vocational Training, nor does it involve any responsibility on their part.