Evidence of the positive and continuing impact of VIVACE on the thinking and practice of individual organisations can be seen in the sample feedback from the Czech Republic, Romania and the UK below.

Dear Mrs Betakova,

This is brief feedback on the project concentrating on teaching languages to people with disabilities.  Among our clients (people with learning disabilities), the response to the project was very positive. They always looked forward to the next session and after it they talked about it spontaneously and they showed other people which words they have learned. We find the link between English language teaching and cooking very helpful. The approach of the teachers - university students - was also evaluated as very positive. 
Thank you.

Regards
DP
CSS Empatie, CZ
P.S. Would you consider a follow up to the project, if possible with a wider scope?

In August, some of the beneficiaries of the services offered by the Bethany Foundation for Social Services participated in two activities organised by EuroEd Foundation as part of the “VIVACE” project. From our point of view, the two events were very useful for the beneficiaries of our services, especially for the young people from orphanages. They had the opportunity to learn a little Italian language and culture. The information was presented in an interesting, interactive manner and this helped the young people learn. They really enjoyed the two activities.

GF,  Social worker, Bethany Foundation, RO 

At Southgate Education Centre for Boys, the college has decided that in the next academic year they will introduce an “international week” with different activities along the lines of the ones we did for VIVACE

AMD, teacher, UK

One of the main aims of the VIVACE/ALLEGRO project was to collaborate with organisations working in social and community care to convince them of the value of language learning for their clients.  We hope that ultimately they will take on responsibility themselves for teaching languages within their organisations.  There is some evidence that this happened in the ALLEGRO project (2002-2005) and that it will happen as a result of VIVACE (2006-2009).

In some countries we have increased capacity for making change possible. In Slovenia, for example, where the language learning was done through Study Circles, a total of 25 mentors were trained to support languages study circles during the six years of VIVACE/ALLEGRO.  In ALLEGRO, languages study circles were initiated in every prison in Slovenia (with one exception) and some of these continued after the project ended.  In VIVACE, several of the Slovenian organisations involved have reported that they expect to continue their study circles, either in the same language or a new one, once the project ended. 

With very few exceptions, all the organisations we have worked with have been open to the idea of teaching languages to their clients and have found the results positive.  There are still preconceptions in some organisations, however. In the UK one major national charity for those with learning and other mental disabilities would not take part, believing that their clients had better things to do with their time than learn languages – a reflection of the ethos of the organisation rather than the ability of their beneficiaries.