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http://www.shoplang.eu/
The idea of the project "The shopping language game" is to provoke and encourage the interest of the audience in the unpopular European languages. The aim of the project is to give basic knowledge of the target languages and thus to facilitate the everyday activities of the European citizens, who have become more and more mobile, engaged in the preservation of the environment, and the healthy way of life. In the informal environment of the local shop, people can be easily motivated to learn foreign languages and to recognize that as an advantage. The project will be realised in supermarket chains through free of charge newspapers and magazines distributed on their territory. The initiators of the project will conduct a survey for determining the profile of the target audience in order to choose the most suitable type of activities during the language promotion. The age range of the customers in the supermarkets varies from children to senior citizens. The survey aims to identify which groups are most interested in the learning of foreign European languages. On the basis of the results from the survey, the project’s partners will launch promotion campaigns for the native languages of the partners - Bulgarian, Dutch, and Swedish. The results of the survey will be published in the newspapers participating in the project. Every promotion campaigns will have the same duration and will include: 1. Publications of information about the language, country, history, customs, etc. Each week there will be a minimum of information about the language, which will include the correspondent alphabet, separate words and their pronunciation as well as educational games with prizes. 2. At the end of every second week there will be happenings organised at the supermarkets, appropriate for the target audience, which will include learning of words, expressions and frequently used phases as well as popular songs. 3. At the end of every campaign there will be prizes for active and regular participants. 4. The project foresees to attract sponsors from the supermarkets’ suppliers to provide prizes for the participants. The language campaigns will be carried out simultaneusly in the partners countries according to a planned schedule.
In 2008 The Socrates Lingua 1 project "THE SHOPPING LANGUAGE GAME" was granted the European Label award in Bulgaria. |
Project final product-a booklet-guide 
Project final product-a booklet-guide with some info about the languages promoted during the campaigns in supermarkets in 6 partner countries (Lithuanian, Greek, Maltese, Bulgarian, Swedish and Dutch), some useful shopping phrases and useful tips while shopping in one or the other of the promoted countries.
The Eighth and the Last Project Partners Meeting in Sofia, 2008 The 8th project partners' meeting was organized on the 27-30th August 2008. Project partners and coordinators from Sofia hosted it. As it was the last project meeting, partners summed up all the project results, which later were presented during the conference with the participation of representatives from embassies, adult educators, representatives from supermarkets and most active campaign participants. The event was highlighted in local mass media. The campaigns in supermarkets were a great success. People were provided with an opportunity to pick up several phrases in 6 languages, learn something about the culture and history of the promoted country. But the most important thing was that a perfect partners' team had been formed. On Saturday all the meeting participants went on an excursion to Rila monastery in the mountains.
The Seventh Project Partners Meeting in Rotterdam, 2008 The 7th project partners meeting was organized on the 8th-10th May 2008. Project partners from Rotterdam, Holland, hosted it. During the meeting project partners summed up the Lithuanian campaign results in the supermarkets and shared experience. In Malta it was not only the promotion of the Lithuanian language, but of the country as well. There were some people who knew nothing about Lithuania and got really interested in it. Then the discussion on the preparation for the Dutch campaign took place. Saturday was an excursion day. All the partners were taken on a boat trip to wind mills museum. 
RIMI Hypermarket (Savanorių pr.16, Vilnius) - May 17th, 2008 The last Shoplang campaign for promoting Dutch language and culture was quite successful.We were honoured with the participation of Mrs.Annemieke Ruigrok, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lithuania. She was present during the whole campaign and awarded the prize to the most active campaign participant. Two girls from the embassy looked great in national costumes and were a great help during the event. Everybody enjoyed them speaking in authentic Dutch.
The 6th Project Partners Meeting in Vilnius, 2008 The 6th project partners meeting was organized on 12-15th March, 2008. It was hosted by project partners from Vilnius, Lithuania. During the meeting project partners summed up the Swedish campaign results in the supermarkets and shared experience. All the partners were very happy that the campaign went very smoothly and shoppers showed great interest in the event. The campaigns were sponsored by Swedish companies operating in partner countries. Then the discussion on the preparation for the Lithuanian campaign took place. Meeting participants were taken on a sightseeing tour in Old Town of Vilnius, former capital-Trakai. They had a chance to listen to folk music, taste local food and get acquainted with some Lithuanian traditions and customs.
Promotion Campaign of the Swedish Language in Vilnius RIMI Hypermarket (Savanorių pr.16, Vilnius) - February 2, 2008 The fourth project campaign was organised in one of the biggest supermarkets in Vilnius for promoting Swedish language and culture.The activities related to the campaign started at the beginning of January by printing different tasks in Swedish in a daily newspaper "Lietuvos rytas" Friday edition "Sostinė" and there were a lot of people who sent their answers and were eager to come to the event. This time we managed to attract more social partners. It was not only the Swedish embassy, which provided us with materials about Sweden, but Lithuanian-Swedish company ASSA that provided us with prizes for the winners (Swedish dictionary, grammar book and Swedish - Lithuanian conversational booklet). Representatives from Lithuanian-Swedish association and Chamber of commerce took part in the event.
During the event supermarket customers were provided with a possibility to pick up some survival words and phrases in Swedish, which are very useful while shopping in the country, could listen to authentic language , participated in a competition about Sweden , it‘s culture and history and won different prizes. They could taste national Swedish dishes too.The most active campaign participant was awarded the best campaign prize-free language course at Soros International House language centre.
Promotion Campaign of the Greek Language in Vilnius RIMI Hypermarket (Savanorių pr.16, Vilnius) - September 29th, 2007 The second project campaign was organised in one of the biggest supermarkets in Vilnius for promoting Greek language and culture.During the event supermarket customers were provided with a possibility to pick up some survival words and phrases in Greek, which are very useful while shopping in the country, could listen to folk music and join in folk dance „Sirtakis", participated in a competition about Greece, it‘s culture and history and won different prizes. They could taste national Greek dishes too.The most active campaign participant was awarded the best campaign prize-free language course at Soros International House language centre. The event was supported by the Greek embasy in Lithuania and Greek cultural centre.
The 5th Project Partners Meeting in Koping, Sweden, 2008 The 5th project partners meeting was organized on the 17-19th January, 2008. It was hosted by project partners from Koping, Sweden. During the meeting project partners summed up the Maltese campaign results in the supermarkets and shared experience. All the partners had difficulties in finding the native speakers, therefore Maltese partners provided them with the recordings of survival phrases to be taught and used during the campaigns in each partner country and it was a great help. Then together with the Swedish partners the discussion on the Swedish campaign which is going to take place at the beginning of February took place . The second day partners had a wonderful opportunity to sightsee in Stockholm.
The 4th Project Partners Meeting in Valleta, Malta, 2007 The 4th project partners meeting took place in Valletta, Malta. And though it was mid November, the weather was very nice and made everybody excited. During the meeting which was hosted by Maltese partners, project partners summed up the Greek campaign results in the supermarkets and shared experience. Lithuanian partners showed a DVD about the campaign in Vilnius. The next item on the agenda was the discussion on forthcoming Maltese campaign. Partners not only worked but went on a sightseeing tour visiting old Medina city.
The 3rd Project Partners Meeting in Athens, 2007 
The second project partners meeting was organised on the 7-8th of September, 2007. It was hosted by project partners from Athens, Greece. The main item on the meeting‘s agenda was the summing-up of the first campaign in a supermarket in all partner countries , which promoted Bulgarian language and culture. All the partners presented the results of their campaigs and shared experience.Then together with the greek partners the preparation for the Greek campaign at the end of September was discussed, materials shared. The second day hosts of the meeting organised a sightseeing boat trip visiting three islands, which are famous for its beauty and historical monuments.
The 2rd Project Partners Meeting in Sofia, 2007 
The second project partners meeting was organised on the 3-5th of May, 2007. It was hosted by project coordinators from Sofia, Bulgaria. The main item on the meeting‘s agenda was the summing-up of the preparation work for the first campaign of the Bulgarian language in supermarkets in each partner country. Project partners from Bulgaria presented the results of their piloting campaign on promoting Dutch language, shared their ideas and experience.Then the suggested plan and campaign scenario by Bulgarian team was discussed. Having in mind different cultures and traditions partners came to the conclusion that the scenario will have to be adapted to local needs of each partner country. Project partners not only worked, but had some time for sightseeing. Hosts of the meeting organised an exciting excursion to Koprivshtitsa, which is one of the characteristic Bulgarian towns, still preserving the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period of the 19th century. The town is huddled in the mountain folds 111km east of Sofia. The town boasts a large number of architectural monuments trom the period, 383 in all, most of which have been restored to their original appearance.
Initial Project Meeting in Sofia, 2006 
10th-11th November the initial Socrates/Lingua 1 project „SHOPLANG-THE SHOPPING LANGUAGE GAME" meeting was held in Sofia, Bulgaria. As well as project coordinators KU TU Ltd and Znanie Association from Bulgaria there were partners from Lithuania (Soros International House), Sweden, Greece, France Netherlands. The meeting started with the presentation of the partners and their institutions. They represent language centres, media and design companies. Then the project coordinator from KU TU Ltd presented the main ideas, aims and objectives of the project. She embhasized that the first period of the project will be the longest one, because during this period everything must be prepared for the first campaign in supermarkets. The campaign will be about Bulgarian language and will be held in May in all partner countries. In the supermarkets chosen by the partners, the Bulgarian language will be promoted using the language games and the labels of some products which will be written in Bulgarian. Then an active discussion took place reading the questionnaire forms, campaign materials, running of the campaign. It was agred that French and Language centre from Sofia will prepare the methodology for the language activities in supermarkets, Swedish partners will make a proposal for a new logo which will be voted on-line.  During the second intensive working day partners discussed the necessity of creating the website of the project, creation and printing of campaign posters and flyers which will be used to announce the campaign and publication about the campaign in local newspapers of the chosen by partners supermarkets. Then the financial issues were discussed and the importance of preparing interim reports and meeting deadlines stressed.
Project partners not only worked, but also had some time for visiting sights, taste local food and listen to folk music. Everybody was impressed by the gold -domed Alexander Nevski memorial church, the finest piece of architecture in Balkans Project sponsors in Lithuania:
     
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