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    Colloquium: Regional and Minority Languages

ECML-EC Colloquium, Graz 4 December 2025
‘Multiple voices in the classroom: Harnessing the power of regional and minority languages in secondary education’

The colloquium will explore the impact of demographic changes on the vitality of Regional and Minority Languages (RMLs) and their role in secondary education in contexts where Regional and minority languages (RMLs) are prevalent. It will also examine how evolving policy frameworks are expected to shape RML instruction and investigate the factors likely to motivate newcomers to learn these languages. Focusing on secondary education, the event will address the challenges RMLs are facing in increasingly multilingual classrooms, highlighting promising pedagogical practices. Innovative teaching models to support RML learning which are potentially transferable/adaptable to other contexts will be showcased. Additionally, video testimonies will be presented to illustrate the potential benefits students may gain from learning an RML at the secondary level.

The colloquium takes place against the backdrop of the 2022 Council of Europe Recommendation on the importance of plurilingual and intercultural education for democratic culture and will draw upon the Council’s expertise on RMLs. The event will take full account of the work already conducted both by the Council and the European Commission in this area, as well as the concerns expressed within the Minority Safepack initiative with regard to the sharing of good practice among European educational systems.

The event will seek to build upon the experience of the 2023 colloquium “Regional and minority languages within a plurilingual context” and will involve nominated representatives from the 38 member states of the ECML and the European Union, as well as key networks and associations active in this area.

www.ecml.at/RML2025colloquium

Colloquium objectives

  • To explore how immigration impacts regional and minority languages in secondary education.
  • To discuss policies, pedagogical strategies, and best practices/case studies which allow RMLs to flourish within multilingual classrooms and are transferable to different contexts.
  • To raise awareness of promotional approaches used for RMLs ‘competing for space’ in the classroom – as an example to other foreign languages.
  • To examine the role of minority languages in fostering cultural identity and social cohesion.

Target audience

  • Educators and school administrators (secondary level)
  • Language policy makers
  • Linguists and researchers
  • Community leaders and NGOs
  • National and Regional Government representatives
     

Format

  • Keynote speeches by experts in linguistics, education, and migration
  • Case study presentations showcasing successful initiatives
  • Group discussions of participants sharing their own experiences
  • Panel discussions featuring educators, researchers, policymakers and associations
  • Networking opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing

The one-day event will also

  • bring together expertise on the topic of the colloquium from a wide range of European contexts;
  • highlight current actions related to RMLs at the level of secondary education and share particular examples of interesting educational practice which are potentially transferable/adaptable to other contexts;
  • promote cooperation and synergies where possible among stakeholders;
  • showcase existing research and materials related to RMLs;
  • strengthen RML networks among stakeholders;
  • identify pedagogical needs of the RML professional community at secondary level, with a view to developing further action at an international level in the form of a project and/or research on issues of key concern.