How Students Explore the European Approach to Language Learning Through the Globetrotters Project. As part of the international Globetrotters project, students of Savremena Primary School have begun a new chapter in learning foreign languages — exploring the concept of language awareness, one of the key pillars of modern European methodology. Inspired by the article “Language Awareness: A European Approach to Language Learning”, students discovered how a deeper understanding of language structure, origins and logic can help them learn multiple languages more confidently and efficiently.
Savremena has long nurtured a multilingual environment supported by innovative teaching practices. This project further strengthened what already exists in our classrooms: the understanding that language is not simply a collection of rules — it is a bridge to people, cultures and the world.
Globetrotters – Language Awareness at Savremena
Violeta Nincetovic / / Blog, Erasmus+ / December 2, 2025
Globetrotters - Language Awareness at Savremena
Partnership with the European project Globetrotters
Learning Through Comparison — How Students Discover Connections Between Languages
During project activities, classrooms turned into small “language laboratories.” Through games, discussions and hands-on tasks, students explored how languages influence each other and where similarities lie that make language learning easier and more intuitive.
With the guidance of their teachers, students explored:
- why certain English, German and French words resemble Serbian
- how the same concept can be expressed differently across cultures
- why certain sounds exist in one language but not in another
- how to guess the meaning of a new word without using a dictionary
Through activities such as “language detective,” “guess the language,” “find a cognate,” and “mapping the languages of the world,” students developed comparison skills, logical reasoning and linguistic intuition — all essential for long-term language mastery.
This method encouraged curiosity and eliminated the fear of making mistakes. Students discovered that mistakes are not obstacles — they are clues that lead to deeper understanding. One of the central goals of the Globetrotters project is building intercultural awareness. Through guided discussions, students explored how cultural differences shape communication and why understanding the speaker matters just as much as using correct grammar.
Through interactive simulations, short dialogues and real-life examples, students examined:
- how people greet each other around the world
- why certain phrases exist in one culture but not in another
- how emotions influence communication
- why cultural perspective is key to understanding meaning
These conversations strengthened empathy, active listening and adaptability. Students began to understand that learning a language is, above all, learning about people — their habits, values and ways of seeing the world.
Language Awareness as a Path to Deeper Learning
Throughout the project, students discovered that language awareness is not just about memorising vocabulary. It means understanding how we learn, why certain patterns feel familiar and what happens behind the scenes of language.
This experience-based and comparison-driven learning approach helps students develop:
- critical thinking
- metacognitive skills (awareness of their own learning process)
- flexible and adaptive reasoning
- confidence in speaking
- a deeper, long-lasting understanding of language
The Globetrotters project at Savremena once again proved that the true power of learning lies in understanding and experience. Students didn’t just expand their vocabulary — they learned how to think in the language they study, how to recognise connections between languages and how to become open-minded, empathetic and confident communicators.
Savremena Primary School proudly continues to create an educational environment that prepares children for a world in which multilingualism is a strength and understanding others is one of the most essential life skills.
