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    Professional Network Forum

The ECML and the Professional Network Forum

The Professional Network Forum is formed of international associations and institutions that share common values and have overlapping expertise in the field of language education and assessment. Under the auspices of the ECML, the members of the Forum have agreed to share their know-how and have committed themselves to work together on areas of common interest in the service of language education.

Overview
Latest meeting

Overview - What is the goal of the Professional Network Forum?

The members of the Professional Network Forum on Language Education undertake to work together on various key initiatives, including:

  1. An overview of European and international reference sources on which to base national, regional, and local language education policies, strategies, and practices.
  2. Closer international and regional cooperation in sharing and applying relevant research, and ensuring that relevant research projects are properly designed to address new challenges
  3. New approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment in multilingual and multicultural classrooms, including among recently arrived migrants
  4. Improved mutual recognition of language qualifications, specifically in less widely taught languages and languages for specific purposes
  5. The development of a common approach to the assurance and enhancement of the quality of support for language learning across all sectors, and of schemes for promoting quality and outstanding achievement in language education
  6. Ways of identifying the professional competences needed by language teaching professionals working in different contexts, including more effective use of new technologies in (language) education, innovative pre-service language teacher education, and mobility programmes for teachers.
  7. An open forum for discussion of language education policies and their implementation leading to more integrated approaches to language education at national, regional, and local levels.
  8. A common language to discuss and develop ways of assessing linguistic and plurilingual competences, and a redefinition of the concept of literacy in multilingual communities
  9. Further development and implementation of Council of Europe tools, such as: the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP); the development of reference standards for competences in the languages of schooling, academic education and language courses for migrants, as well as for the most widely used non-European languages; the wider use of ‘personal language profiles’ (e.g. in language portfolios).
  10. Implementation of relevant Council of Europe recommendations, such as Recommendation (2008)7 on the use of the CEFR and the promotion of plurilingualism.

Information and documents

The Graz Declaration on Language Education 2010:
 summary full text

 

 Download the flyer

Bernd Rüschoff (AILA) 

 

Meg Malone (ACTFL)

Terry Lamb (FIPLV) 

Arja Krauchenberg (EPA) 

Bessie Dendrinos

Peter Brown (EAQUALS) 

Latest news items

19.12.2023
Professional Network Forum (PNF) meets at the ECML

17.05.2023
New ECML publication available: Rethinking language education after the experience of Covid – Final report

11.05.2023
From Australia to Austria – Visit from Denis Cunningham


Initiative “The future of language education in the light of Covid – lessons learned and ways forward"

Organised jointly with the Professional Network Forum and the European Commission

The initiative explores how the ongoing Covid pandemic has affected language education, and at ways in which the skills and insights gained may bring about beneficial lasting changes in the teaching and learning of languages.
More about the initiative

Host

Logo ECMLECML, the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe, functions as a catalyst for reform in the teaching and learning of languages. It assists its stakeholders in its 35 member states in bringing language education policies and practices together.
www.ecml.at

Members

Logo AilaACTFL, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, is dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction. ACTFL is an individual membership organization of more than 12,000 language educators, students, and administrators from elementary through graduate education, as well as government and industry. 
www.actfl.org


Logo Aila

AILA, the International Association of Applied Linguistics, is the international federation of national or regional associations of Applied Linguistics, contributing to the development of all subject areas of applied linguistics.
network presentation
www.aila.info

Logo AlteALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe, is an association of providers of foreign language examinations and includes many of the world‘s leading assessment bodies. Through its activities ALTE provides leadership in addressing issues of test quality and fairness and in raising awareness of language testing issues.
network presentation
www.alte.org

Logo CerclesCercleS, the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education, is a confederation of independent associations and brings together some 290 institutions whose main responsibility is the teaching of language.
Position statement on Language Policy (pdf file)
network presentation 
www.cercles.org

Logo EaltaEALTA, the European Association for Language Testing and Assessment, is a professional association for language testers in Europe, aiming to promote the understanding and the sharing of testing and assessment practices throughout Europe.
network presentation
www.ealta.eu.org

Logo EaqualsEAQUALS, the Evaluation and Accreditation of Quality in Language Services, is an international association which aims to foster excellence in language education across the world by providing guidance and support to teaching institutions and individuals. These aims are achieved by improving the experience of language learners by developing quality standards for the teaching of modern languages, delivering accreditation against these standards for providers of language education and through the development of practical resources which offer training and support for those working in the field of modern languages.
network presentation
www.eaquals.org

Logo EaqualsECSPM, the European Civil Society platform for multilingualism is a forum for the exchange of best practices for the media, cultural organisations and those involved in non-formal and informal education. Its main objective is to promote a permanent dialogue between the Commission and civil society on the different aspects of the multilingualism policy.
www.ecspm.org/

EDiLiC  (Education, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity) is an international association that brings together researchers, teacher trainers, teachers, innovators, parents as well as citizens who are concerned with the state of education. It aims to promote an innovative pedagogical approach, called Awakening to languages/ Language Awareness, along with other pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures.
www.edilic.org

EFNIL, the European Federation of National Institutions for Language, provides a forum for institutions - whose role includes monitoring the official language or languages of their country, advising on language use, or developing language policy - to exchange information about their work and to gather and publish information about language use and language policy within the European Union.
www.efnil.org

Logo Cel/ElcCEL/ELC, the Conseil Européen pour les Langues/ European Language Council is an association whose main aim is the quantitative and qualitative improvement of knowledge of the languages and cultures of the European Union and beyond.
network presentation
www.celelc.org

EPA, the European Parents' Association, gathers the parents associations in Europe and works in partnership both to represent and give to parents a powerful voice in the development of education policies and decisions at European level.
network presentation
https://europarents.eu/

EUNIC, the European Union National Institutes for Culture, is a network of the international cultural relations institutes from the member states of the European Union.
network presentation
eunicglobal.eu


Logo FIPLV

FIPLV, the Fédération Internationale des Professeurs de Langues Vivantes, is the only international multilingual association of teachers of languages.
network presentation
www.fiplv.com

IAM, the International Association of Multilingualism is is an international network of scholars who share an interest in multilingualism.
iam.wildapricot.org

Logo ICCICC, the International Certificate Conference e.V., is a non-government organisation and sets standards for a transnational network of language learners. The ICC is an international association with local impact representing the field of language learning and teaching.
network presentation
www.icc-languages.eu

Logo OlbiOLBI, the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of Ottawa, strengthens and promotes education and research in the fields of teaching, evaluation and language-policy design in Canada.
network presentation
www.uottawa.ca/about-us/official-languages-bilingualism-institute