The main aim of Bazaar is to promote language learning and at the same time the exchange experiences, knowledge and ideas amongst adult learners with a migrant background. Bazaar stands for ‘Learn and Exchange at the Market Place’ and is co-funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission.
The educational approach is based on the key concepts of learner centricity; informal learning; learning embedded in everyday contexts; social inclusion, community and citizenship. By these means Bazaar tries:
- To empower individuals, to promote social interaction and enhance intercultural dialogue at community level;
- To relate to societal needs, to promote social dialogue and social inclusion of migrants and to encourage their civic engagement;
- To trigger the motivation to learn amongst the migrant population in the partner countries, especially those often excluded from education e.g. older men and women;
- To design and to test learning activities, methods and materials that are sustainable and replicable.
The concepts of Bazaar have been tested in diverse learning environments in Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The results are reported in this Transferability Tool Kit.
Bazaar uses the term ‘Market Place’ in both ways, literally and metaphorically:
- As a concrete space where people naturally meet and interact;
- As a place used to facilitate communication, cooperation, intercultural awareness and a ground of mediation to resolve possible resolve conflicts;
- As a concrete learning environment that sustains the integrity of all learners as they attain relevant educational success;
- As a place of ideas and as a place to apply creative thinking;
- As a learning facilitator.
The Transferability Tool Kit presents in detail, the experience of the Bazaar piloting communities:
- Sofia in Bulgaria;
- Erlangen in Germany;
- Perugia in Italy;
- Lisbon in Portugal;
- Heckmondwike and Batley in the West Yorkshire region of the United Kingdom.
The Transferability Tool Kit and the so-called Book of the Wor(l)d also contains tips and tricks – lessons learnt and recommendations from the project partners as well as examples and suggestions in order to inspire the application of the Bazaar approach to language learning in other migrant communities across Europe.
Learn more at (Bazaar on Facebook).