Latest articles
30.10.2024
Relating language curricula, tests and examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference (RELANG): ECML national training workshop (2 – 4 October 2024, Nicosia, Cyprus)
Local organiser: Maria Iacovidou, Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth
ECML experts: José Noijons, the Netherlands; Jana Beresova, Slovak Republic
Participants: 27 (teachers and teacher trainers, language testers and examiners, item writers, curriculum developers, language inspectors, policymakers)
“The Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth, in collaboration with the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML), successfully organised a training workshop on alternative, continuous methods of assessment in line with the CEFR and its Companion Volume and on exploring ways to test mediation and pluricultural/plurilingual skills in the classroom.
The workshop, which included hands-on sessions, took place from 2 to 4 October 2024 at the OELMEK (Organization of Greek Cypriot Secondary Education Officers) building in Nicosia. Participants included language teachers, inspectors, and specialists in the field of second or foreign language teaching and learning.
The training aimed to promote alternative continuous assessment practices in line with the standards of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Specifically, the workshop emphasized the use of CEFR descriptors, which ensure quality and validity in language education and provide a common framework for recognizing language proficiency levels across Europe and internationally.
Additionally, strategies were presented for assessing linguistic, communicative, plurilingual, and pluricultural skills, which involve reception, production, interaction, and mediation. The participants developed exercises, scales, and assessment methods for the aforementioned skills in working groups, presenting to the plenary how these are aligned with the CEFR’s assessment recommendations.
This workshop provided foreign language teachers with a significant opportunity for professional development and for promoting excellence in language education. Over the course of three days, participants enriched their knowledge, exchanged views and reflections, and shared experiences and ideas with the experts and their teams. At the end of the workshop, they expressed their satisfaction and the desire for similar future initiatives aimed at strengthening authentic learning and assessment.”
Maria Iacovidou, local coordinator, 21 October 2024
ECML project website: RELANG, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2024 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"
24.10.2024
ECML-funded training and consultancy: new offers in 2025
The ECML offers its member states European expertise in language education adapted to the concrete needs and specific contexts within individual countries. This bilateral support in a range of key areas helps strengthen the cooperation between member states and the ECML by taking the expertise gained from ECML projects directly into member states. ECML experts work with national authorities and local experts to devise and implement in-country activities, tailored to the particular context and target audience. For 2025 a number of new areas are on offer which build on the results of projects run within the Inspiring innovation in language education programme (2020-23). Please note that activities offered in cooperation with the European Commission are subject to a separate Call for requests which will be issued in late November.
The following ECML training and consultancy activities are on offer for 2025:
- Plurilingual and intercultural education: teacher and learner competences
- Steps towards implementing plurilingual and intercultural education
- Plurilingual and intercultural education in early language learning
- The CEFR Companion Volume: Mediation and other key concepts – Focus: teacher and learner competences
- The CEFR Companion Volume: Mediation and other key concepts – Focus: curriculum and evaluation
- Learning environments where languages flourish – Focus: Plurilingual and intercultural education
- Learning environments where languages flourish – Focus: Early language learning
- Action research communities for language teachers
- Fostering digital citizenship through language education
- Language for work – Work-related second language learning for adult migrants and ethnic minorities
- Beyond CLIL – Pluriliteracies teaching for deeper learning
- A roadmap for schools to support the language(s) of schooling
Details of the proposed activities, practical information and the application form can be found here: www.ecml.at/Trainingandconsultancy.
Requests for a Training and consultancy activity must be submitted via the national ECML representative in the Governing Board. Educational professionals interested in a particular activity should therefore contact their national representative.
The application deadline for 2025 is 15 November 2024.
16.10.2024
National Training Workshop “Using ICT in support of language teaching and learning (ICT-REV)” (26-27 September 2024, Corfu, Greece)
The specific workshop-program (ICT-REV) provides training in the application of pedagogical principles for language teaching through technology and promotes the effective use of digital tools and open resources to improve the quality of language teaching and learning. It was implemented for the 1st time in Greece, and specifically at the 4th Senior High School of Corfu on September 26-27, 2024 (8.30am-2.30pm) with 28 participants (Education Consultants, School Principals and teachers of foreign languages, kindergarten/primary and Greek working in areas with intercultural schools and/or primary & secondary schools with reception classes), and three trainers from ECML specializing in training language teachers to use ICT in the classroom.
The two-day workshop in line with European and national education policy priorities contributed to the development of digital skills and literacy in the education community with results such as improving teachers' skills and expertise, fostering interaction between colleagues and instructors and participation in a learning and collaborative community practice. The preparation of the workshop and the shared Moodle platform for various activities created the appropriate supportive environment for learning and collaboration. The results captured through an anonymous online questionnaire demonstrated the impact of the specific approach and the need of leveraging tools and resources already developed by ECML. Finally, the participants are already preparing actions to disseminate the workshop and the lesson plan ideas they delivered, thus promoting the exchange of opinions and good practices in their immediate and wider professional environment.
Marianthi Alexandropoulou, coordinatrice locale
Greek version:
Το Ευρωπαϊκό Κέντρο Σύγχρονων Γλωσσών (ECML) του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης εδρεύει στο Γκρατς της Αυστρίας και έχει ως αποστολή να προάγει την αριστεία και την καινοτομία στη διδασκαλία γλωσσών και να υποστηρίζει τα κράτη μέλη του στην εφαρμογή αποτελεσματικών πολιτικών γλωσσικής εκπαίδευσης. Συνεργάζεται με φορείς χάραξης πολιτικής στα κράτη μέλη για την ανάπτυξη καινοτόμων λύσεων στη γλωσσική εκπαίδευση μέσα από προγράμματα και δράσεις που υλοποιεί.
Το συγκεκριμένο πρόγραμμα-εργαστήριο ( ICT-REV) παρέχει εκπαίδευση στην εφαρμογή παιδαγωγικών αρχών για τη διδασκαλία γλωσσών μέσω της τεχνολογίας και προωθεί την αποτελεσματική χρήση ψηφιακών εργαλείων και ανοιχτών πόρων για τη βελτίωση της ποιότητας της διδασκαλίας και εκμάθησης γλωσσών. Υλοποιήθηκε για 1η φορά στην Ελλάδα, και συγκεκριμένα στο 4ο ΓΕΛ Κέρκυρας στις 26-27 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 (8.30π.μ.-2.30μ.μ.) με 28 συμμετοχές από Συμβούλους Εκπαίδευσης, Δ/ντές-τριες σχολικών μονάδων και εκπ/κούς κλάδων ξένων γλωσσών αλλά και νηπιαγωγών, δασκάλων και φιλολόγων που εργάζονται σε περιοχές με διαπολιτισμικά σχολεία και/ή σχολεία Α/θμιας & Β/θμιας Εκπ/σης με τάξεις υποδοχής, και τρεις επιμορφώτριες από το ECML με εξειδίκευση στην εκπαίδευση καθηγητών γλωσσών στη χρήση ΤΠΕ στη τάξη.
Το διήμερο εργαστήριο σύμφωνα με τις προτεραιότητες της ευρωπαϊκής και εθνικής εκπ/κής πολιτικής συνέβαλε στην ανάπτυξη ψηφιακών δεξιοτήτων και γραμματισμού στην εκπ/κή κοινότητα με αποτελέσματα όπως βελτίωση δεξιοτήτων και τεχνογνωσίας των εκπαιδευτικών, αλληλεπίδραση με συναδέλφους και εκπαιδευτές, συμμετοχή σε μια μαθησιακή και συνεργατική κοινότητα πρακτικής. Η προετοιμασία του εργαστηρίου και η κοινή χρήση πλατφόρμας moodle για διάφορες δραστηριότητες δημιούργησαν το κατάλληλο υποστηρικτικό περιβάλλον μάθησης και συνεργασίας. Τα αποτελέσματα που αποτυπώθηκαν μέσω ενός ανώνυμου ηλεκτρονικού ρωτηματολογίου κατέδειξαν τη χρησιμότητα της συγκεκριμένης εκπ/κής προσέγγισης και τη δυνατότητα αξιοποίησης εργαλείων και πόρων που έχει ήδη αναπτύξει το ECML. Τέλος προωθώντας την ανταλλαγή απόψεων και πρακτικών οι συμετέχοντες-ουσες προετοιμάζουν δράσεις διάχυσης του εργαστηρίου και των εργασιών που εκπόνησαν, στο άμεσο και ευρύτερο εκπ/κό τους περιβάλλον.
Marianthi Alexandropoulou, local coordinator