Best of 2014 #5 Interactive/Integrated: Language School Teaches English by Connecting Brazilians to U.S. Seniors in Retirement Homes

Through this week, we continue our countdown of the best work of the year in TV/Film, Print/Outdoor/Design and Interactive (IX)/Integrated/Social. See all the Best of 2014 so far here.

At #5 in Interactive/Integrated, FCB Brazil conceived this innovative education program for the students at its client CNA Language school. The agency created a special digital tool that connected the students to Americans in retirement homes so they could work on their language skills. Not only did the initiative help improve the students' English; it also provided the retirees with opportunities to converse with new people and learn about another culture.

Original Post:

Brazilian language school CNA came up wtih an innovative way of teaching its students English; connecting them to Americans in retirement homes who wanted someone to talk to. Agency FCB Brazil facilitated the project, using a digital tool developed exclusively for the purpose. The tool allows students to choose a registered institution and a topic suggested by the system. The conversation is recorded and a video is uploaded to a private YouTube channel so that teachers can evaluate the students' development; they benefit by improving their English, while the retirees enjoyed talking, and (judging by this video) both ends clearly enjoy hearing about another country and culture. The pilot project was implemented in the CNA unit in Liberdade and the Windsor Park Retirement Community in Chicago, USA.