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    Colloquia and other initiatives

ECML colloquia and other initiatives in cooperation with the European Commission

Colloquium 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.

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ECML-EC Colloquium 2023: Regional and minority languages within a plurilingual context

The  “Strengthening support for regional and minority languages within a plurilingual context” colloquium took place at the European Centre for Modern Languages in Graz on 7 November within the context of the ECML’s cooperation action with the European Commission.

Against the background of more than half of the member states of the Council of Europe officially recognising regional or minority languages (RMLs) within their borders for legal or administrative purposes and an estimated number of over 50 million speakers of RMLs,  the declared aims of the colloquium were to:

  • strengthen awareness of the importance of regional and minority languages  (RMLs) - promoting diversity at all level
  • take stock of current actions in this wide area and highlight examples of interesting educational practice which are potentially transferable/adaptable to other context
  • promote cooperation and synergies where possible among stakeholders;
  • identify pedagogical needs of the RML professional community, with a view to developing further action at an international level. 

View details and videos from the event

Regional and minority languages: case studies

ECML-EC Colloquium 2022: Innovative Methodologies and Assessment in Language Learning 10 years on - moving forward together

The overall aim of the colloquium was to mark ten years of the highly productive partnership between the ECML and the European Commission and to use the occasion to take a critical look at the range of activities undertaken, to consider their relevance and the impact achieved. This critical review was then used as the basis for discussing next steps in the light of current challenges.

View details and videos from the event

ECML-EC Colloquium 2021: The future of language education in the light of Covid – lessons learned and ways forward

The colloquium “The future of language education in the light of Covid – lessons learned and ways forward” (14 December 2021), which attracted over 1 000 viewers, was part of an initiative, led by the ECML’s Professional Network Forum and co-funded as part of the ECML-EC Cooperation Agreement, which focuses on the impact of the pandemic on language education.

The colloquium looked back in order to move forward: it reported on the results of a Europe-wide survey which attracted over 1 750 responses and on the activities which have followed it. These include two online think tanks, case studies by teachers, and a leaflet summarising the challenges. The initiative continued in 2022 with plans for further think tanks as well as two guides: one for language teachers and one for decision-makers. 

View details and videos from the event



This initiative is carried out within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the European Centre for Modern Languages and the European Commission, entitled
Innovative Methodologies and Assessment in language learning
www.ecml.at/ec-cooperation