Quality management and internationalization of Obudai Gimnazium through developing foreign language educationThe aim of Obudai Gimnazium is to prepare its students to become European citizens in the 21st century and to enable them to acquire the European values and multi-cultural aspects during their secondary studies. Our teachers actively participate in deepening the Hungarian identity of their students as well as teaching many western and eastern cultures through their languages and values.The aim of the projectBy implementing the quality management and internationalization of Obudai Gimnazium we intend to develop our teachers’ competences firstly from a language use point of view, in addition to cultural knowledge and teaching methodology. As an institution we demand high standards of our teaching staff, but our partners - students and parents alike – expect the same. A foreign language educator has the highest ability to develop in a target language and culture course in the target community.Our aim is to have colleagues come home with up-to-date and versatile knowledge of communication theories and mental revitalization from which not only they and their own students benefit, but by sharing “good practices” also those colleagues who at present do not participate in the project. It is of utmost importance to revitalize our methodological and subject matter knowledge and skills on subject, communications and institutional levels. Our revitalization in thinking and our educating students to openness, mindfulness and acceptance may materialize successfully in cultural and linguistic differentiation methods. In addition we intend to promote identity teaching. Our objective is to make “foreign” languages other languages and cultures with differences, similarities and acceptance through our teaching practices. Apart from the aforementioned areas we expect to grow in coaching and group management expertise. Finally, in order to successfully internationalize our networking, we plan on establishing and maintaining cross-national partnerships and starting long-term school or interdisciplinary research projects.The participants and their backgroundThis year five colleagues participate in the project who, apart from being foreign language teachers, are also expert of teaching and learning methodologies, linguistics and intercultural communication theories, having acquired extensive research and innovative experience in the field. Based on their subject matter careers so far, their participation in achieving the institution’s pedagogical objectives, their qualitative and quantitative cooperation, and their individual competence development needs they are excellent candidates for development from a professional, personal and institutional point of view.Main steps of the projectAfter having chosen a course from the recommended lists based on the participants’ needs assessment, the following step is to get to know the target country and community. The participants prepare short summaries on the Hungarian teaching practices and context to be able to represent it to the other participants in the courses. It is most important that they participate in as many out-of-school events as possible to immerse themselves in local culture and values and build future cooperative networks. The courses will be followed by self-evaluation, presentations, open lessons and other options of dissemination methods within and without the local community and professional groups as well.Expected outcomeOur expectations towards the participants are proactive participation in preparing and wrapping-up the project, disseminating the acquired skills and knowledge to other teachers within the institution and in other professional communities. We also expect the participants’ teaching, language and communication skills to develop alongside their emotional intelligence, methodological expertise international values and cooperation skills. It is expected that their behaviour will reflect the change in their attitude towards teaching and they will serve as models to the students and fellow teaching staff. All these will lead to a change in quality of subject matter and institutional levels.Short-term and long-term effectsThe fresh, newly acquired cultural knowledge, the experience of intercultural communicative situations and the immersion in European values will enhance the participants’ language competences on the one hand, and it will provide ample opportunity to expand their teaching skills by sharing teaching experience with other international participants. Thus they will be able to help students back home to develop their intercultural competence and to integrate different level students more efficiently. Exchanging teaching experience with teachers from other nations and cultures will allow us to create and maintain our standards of internal quality assurance, the establishment of international co-operations for the future.