Newsletter December 2006 < Previous

Eggietalk - a project to improve communication between European primary schoolpupils

Wil Boxman and Ariël Meeusen, the initiators of the European Eggiedoll website, acknowledged the same fact: having 23 different languages within the European Union is a barrier to foster communication between the 60 million schoolchildren in primary schools. That is why they decided to create Eggietalk, an online programme aimed at activating and promoting communication by translating words into icons.

The e-mail programme is based on a simple “drag and drop” system. It operates with approximately 480 ‘wordsigns’, where words and signs (images) fit logically together. Adapted to children, the ‘wordsigns’ are chosen very carefully and stored into different sections such as: School, Home, Outdoors, Key Words, Fun & No-Fun, Sports & Hobby, and a specific category on Europe and the EU.
In accordance with DG Press of the European Commission, the basic version of the Eggietalk programme is since 6 November 2006 used by schools in various European countries.
Eggietalk evaluates the programme on the number of users, the frequency of their visit, the new items and the technology used.
This creative and user-friendly programme has the advantage of encouraging active communication between pupils. It promotes the learning of foreign languages while making friends all over Europe.
Go to www.eggietalk.com to view the Eggietalk website.
The same website can be used to register your school or get more information about the Eggietalk project.