The aim of an intercultural youth exchange in sport is to facilitate the two national groups to grow together into a binational team. But how can this be achieved? How can young people overcome their natural inhibitions? How can two groups who do not speak the same language get to know each other? How can group dynamics be encouraged and intercultural learning supported? Language animation is a playful method that makes this possible.
The German Sports Youth has developed the brochure “Bewegte Sprachanimation” (Sporty language animation), a collection of methods that combine the potentials of language animation with those of sport and movement. In addition to international youth work, the methods are also suitable for other contexts in which young people from different backgrounds and with different language skills play sport together – for example in integrative sports programmes with young migrants.
The Franco-German publication was developed in cooperation with the Comité National Olympique Sportif Français and supported by the Franco-German Youth Office.
