We’re really excited to tell you that we’ve been shortlisted as a finalist in the Education Resource Awards (ERA) 2019. The news comes hot on the heels of our ‘EdWard’ – an accolade from the UCL’s pioneering EDUCATE programme.

It’s great to be recognised for what we do! Across Cultures provides resources and whole-school frameworks in EAL (English as an Additional Language). We take children newly arrived in this country on a fantastic English-language journey, through our effective (and fun!) Learning Village programme. Children who don’t speak any English – and who can’t read in any language – learn vocabulary, phonics and grammar, make friends, enter the school community and join the mainstream classroom. The programme has had amazing success (see our Case study here) and we’re delighted with our achievements.

We’re now a finalist in the ‘Primary Resource or Equipment’ category of the ERA. These prestigious awards are organised by The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) and Brilliant Marketing Solutions, to celebrate the successes of suppliers and professionals in the UK’s education sector. Our nomination recognises the great impact the Learning Village has on pupils and teachers, as well as the tools we provide for leading, managing and assessing EAL across the school. It rewards all the hard work of Across Culture’s developers, teachers and pupils.

“There are lots of good EAL ‘games’ available, but [the Learning Village] is a comprehensive programme” (Laura Haines, EAL Co-ordinator, International School of Milan, Italy)

ERA encourages the very best in the industry: it’s recognised throughout the sector as the ‘accolade of excellence’.

We’ve got an EdWard too!

This good news comes just weeks after we accepted our ‘EdWard’ – an award from UCL’s EDUCATE programme for ‘innovators in educational technology’.

EDUCATE is all about ‘evidence-based research’:

“Research underpins the whole premise of the EDUCATE programme, with participants expected to design and develop their products and services using evidence of what works and is effective. They are also expected to carry out their own research, testing the impact of their work.”

We’re particularly pleased to be recognised for our success in this area: research underpins and supports the entire Across Cultures programme. We’re constantly seeking out new ideas, new theories and new ways of delivering best practice. Like EDUCATE, we believe that ‘effective learning remains at the heart of educational technology’; through our programme, we bring together analysis and learning from innovators and academics, tested by the real-life experience of educators, to deliver a service that really works.

Across Cultures is a member of BESA, ECIS and COBIS and NALDIC. We’ve got a world-class learning programme: with the support of these organisations, and the recognition granted by these awards, we can continue to build on our success, reaching every child who needs us.

More about Across Cultures and the Learning Village

Across Cultures and its Learning Village programme provide EAL blended learning for 6-14-year-old English language learners in schools where English is the language of instruction. We provide a growing number of UK and international schools with a flexible, image-based programme that can align to any curriculum.

The Learning Village is designed to help learners understand everyday language, from the basics of classroom and real-world interaction to curriculum content and phonics. It’s based on the books ‘Teaching English as an Additional Language’ and ‘Teaching Children English as an Additional Language’ by company director Caroline Scott.

The programme:

• includes 9000+ words and phrases
• incorporates speaking, listening, reading and writing
• offers tools that help learners unable to read in their mother tongue
• saves significant time preparing lessons
• assesses and tracks learner progress
• provides support for blended classrooms or for self-study
• offers excellent support for Special Educational Needs students
• allows learners to support themselves
• fosters friendships, raises esteem and supports learner integration into the school.

Most importantly, the Learning Village is fun! It’s a huge interactive world where learners visit places, make virtual friends, and learn English.

Learn more about the Learning Village: www.learningvillage.net
Contact us: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0) 118 335 0035 to book your free Learning Village introduction