MULTILINGUAL DICTIONARY

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One of the resulting products of this project was the creation of a multilingual dictionary in French, German, Spanish, Galician and English including basic expressions for everyday's communication. This dictionary was handed out to the participants in booklet format and is now released on the blog as you can see below.
Multilingual Dictionary

Teenagers’ leisures (Belgians' survey)

Teenagers’ leisures (Belgians' survey)

Children usually choose their leisure activities according to their parents’ schedule and to the cultural values they inherited from their family. But what about teenagers?

A survey carried out among 300 teenage (from 14 to 18) students of our school enables us to set up the following table. The students were asked to choose from a list ten activities they regularly practice and to classify them in order of preference.

Teenagers 14-15 ans
1. meeting friends 2. going to parties 3. going online 4.watching TV 5. listening to music 6. doing sport 7. going shopping 8. going to the cinema 9. playing computer games 10. going for a drink.

Teenagers 16-17 ans
1. going for a drink 2. playing sport 3. meeting friends 4. playing computer 5. going online 6. watching TV 7. listening to music 8. going shopping 9. going to the cinema 10. reading magazines

Teenagers 17-18 ans
1. going for a drink 2. going to parties 3. playing sport 4. meeting friends 5. going to the cinema 6. listening to music 7. going online 8. watching TV 9. playing computer games 10. playing instruments

It’s obvious that their need to socialise and to have fun grows according to their age. Teenagers not only go to pubs or clubs, but also to sports halls (basketball, volleyball, dance…) and sports fields (football.).

Conversely, as they acquire autonomy, they tend to turn away from passive activities. Watching TV, for example, which comes 4th among the 14-15 year-old, gets the 6th place among the 16-17 year-old and only the 8th place among the 17-18.

The CRIOC - « Centre de Recherche et d’Information des Organisations de Consommateurs » (Centre for the research and information of consumers’ organisation) – interviewed 2642 French-speaking Belgian teenagers and observed that one teen out of four answers ‘sport’ when asked about what he/she likes doing. 54% of the girls and 80% of the boys from 9 to 18 say they do some sport in their free time. 80% of the 10-year-old children do sport against 45% of the 15 year-old. At 16-17, the percentage rises to 60%.
According to our survey, boys are more fond of sports but also more painstaking than girls. They like doing sport until they get exhausted and aren’t afraid of danger.
15-year-old girls seem the least interested in doing regularly sport. Sports teachers often complain about their lack of motivation!

Modern dance is the most practiced sport (among girls!) in our area. It can undoubtedly convey a positive image to others. It is at the same time an individual and collective activity, combining sport with culture. What’s more, it makes them feel free.
Horse-riding and basketball come next, which is no surprise as we live in a semi-rural area, teeming with basketball clubs.
We also notice that the interest for group activities lasts longer than for individual activities, as dancing.

The survey by the CRIOC, which was published in September 2008, also points out a difference between leisure activities for ‘the rich’ and activities for the other social classes.
75% of the teenagers from the so-called ‘higher social classes’ do some sport (and, to a lesser extent, play a music instrument) against 51% in the ‘lower social classes’.
As far as computer is concerned, it seems to attract younger teenagers (14-15 year-old) who classify it in the 3rd place, more than the 16-17 year-old and the 17-18 year-old who place it respectively in the 4th and 9th position.

The teenagers’ media world (TV, video games, radio, MP3, computers, cell phones…) is of course very rich. Through chats and exchanges, computer has become a good means for self-assertion and socialisation. The youth rules aver the ‘computer world’, which explains why parents often give up controlling its content.

Most of the young people interviewed reckon they get headaches and sometimes feel dizzy, they also complain about smarting eyes after having played (worked?) too long on the computer. Some of them ‘play’ for three or four hours running. Others admit they spend the night playing and even dream about it during the day, which makes it impossible for them to concentrate in class. All the teenagers claim they feel aggressiveness towards the one who interrupts the computer game.

Another means for self-assertion and socialisation is the cell phone, called ‘GSM’ in Belgium.
Four young out of five owe one. At school teachers have to punish teenagers so that they keep their phone in their bag, away from any temptation!

Survey from the CRIOC, among 2642 teenagers
Percentage of teenagers (9 -18 year-old) who do this activity:
1. Watching TV (96 %), 2. Listening to music (92%), 3. Watching DVD’s (88%: girls 92%, boys 84%), 4. Playing sport (67%: girls 54%, boys 80%), 5. Visiting an amusement park (64%: girls 45%, boys 83%), 6. Playing video games (63%: girls 44%, boys 82%), 7. Having a drink (62%), 8. Clubbing, going to parties (46%: girls 51%, boys 41%), 9. Visiting museums, exhibitions (29%), 10. Joining a youth movement (28%: girls 24%, boys 32%),
11. Playing music, an instrument (24%).

The young people’s nights out
We live in a mostly rural region: consequently, our young people have different types of going outs than young people in cities: neither clubs nor discotheques.
Every year, our school organises a party for our last year’s students and all the young people join in. As a result, young people essentially meet at those parties, or private events on Friday or Saturday nights. They usually dance alone or in until 3 or 4 in the morning.
Except for some private parties which require smart clothes, the young people don’t need to dress up. Yet, girls wear more and more sexy clothes.
At those parties, where young people from the age of 13, 14 usually go, alcohol is a must-have. And sometimes, it goes too far: the aim is to be drunk as fast as possible! It’s the English “Binge drinking”: the young drink a mix of alcohol and energizers in order to “hold” as long as possible … the adults try to supervise those parties with consciousness-raising campaigns against drugs and alcohol. Moreover, policemen surround those events, where hundreds of young people go.
The young people’s favourite music is still techno and RNB, which is not very favourable to communication: it allows them to be united in trances which sometimes go too far.
Some young people from this region also go out in town: they go to the centre of Liège in “Le Carré”, where they can find a lot of cafés which are open all night long, they go back home in the morning… there’s an important animation in that neighbourhood, especially during the Saint Nicolas’ student party, at the saint Toré, another student party which takes place at the end of the exams. By the Pupils from the “Social Sciences” option - Belgium

Putting our leisures into words and images (Belgium)

Putting our leisures into words and images (Belgium)
Every pupil of the “Social Sciences” option answered to a questionnaire. The aim was to describe their feelings, to explain what they did during their leisure and what they thought about it. We illustrated the results of this survey with pictures and drawings then we created small books. Here are the texts published in our albums.

When I drink too much…
At first, I feel light, free. I laugh, I cry. Then I feel dizzy and fuzzy. I talk no sense and I see the others laughing. I tell everybody that I love them. I go to everybody’s arms. Sometimes as well, I have red eyes and I want to map people. In the washroom, I sit next to the loo and I feel horrible. I am afraid to fall on the floor or to be raped. At the end of the party, I can’t walk anymore and I vomit. When I am thinking, I tell myself I shouldn’t drink.

When I watch TV too much…
Sometimes, I watch TV all day long. I sit comfortably in the couch or in my bed.
I eat pizzas, crisps in a plate. I argue with my brothers if they disturb me. I have a headache, my eyes are aching. I feel tired, I yawn. I think we are living in a crazy world. I mistrust other people. I find myself ugly and pointless. When I am thinking, I am ashamed of having done nothing else all day.
When I play too much computer…
I play 3-4 hours without stopping, sometimes during the day or at night. I am hypnotized and I can’t stop playing. If someone interrupts me I get angry. I am excited. My eyes blink, they are aching. I have a headache and sometimes I feel dizzy. I can’t sleep well, I have nightmares. In the classroom, I feel weak and tired, I think again about the game pictures. When I am thinking I tell myself that I should meet people. I am afraid of becoming addicted.

The Basketball, it’s my life !
I like the team spirit. I train like an NBA player. I like the atmosphere created by the supporters. I feel proud when we win. I feel good. My brain creates endorphines. I forget my failures when I play. I commited 5 fouls. I have to stay on the bench. I respect the players, the coaches and the referee. I’m afraid when there is a free throw. I’d like to play like Mickael Jordan.

The theatre and me
I like making people laugh and clowning around. I can exploit my comedian talent. I have sereval personalities when I play.I strengthen my self-confidence. I forget my worries. I have to memorise my lines sometimes, it’s hard !!! The faces, the expression and the articulation are important.It’s a very good listening exercise when you play with a lot of people.
I have to take the others’play into account to adapt mine. I want it to become my job.

The dance, it’s fun!
I do some streching to avoid having cramps. I have to assert my style, be creative. I always have to check the beauty of the position. When I dance, I feel like carried by the group’s energy. I don’t see the time. I forget everything when I dance. I wear casual clothes. When I don’t manage to do the steps, I ask myself questions.
I am afraid of hurting myself and having to stop dancing. I really would like to make it my job.

The horse-riding
When I’m on my pone , I feel free and confident. I’m happy when I ride. I use my body to guide my horse. I develop the muscle of my back and my stomach when I ride.
I go over difficulties. I like competition. I respect the animal’s rythme, I learn patience. I have a friendly relationship with my poney. I also have to take care of the stables.
I would like to look like Eric Lamaze, the Olympic champion.
by the pupils from the 3 rd“Social Sciences” option