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Multilingual glossary of key terms in language education

This page presents an overview of key terms, definitions and references used in ECML projects since 2012. The aim of this compilation is:

to offer easy access to ECML terminology;

to promote the establishment of multilingual terminology through bilingual or trilingual glossaries;

to highlight the role of glossaries in ensuring solid theoretical underpinnings to ECML practice-oriented projects and resources.

Terms in English

Termes en français

Begriffe auf Deutsch

Terms in
international sign

Please note: The terms and their definitions have been established for specific project purposes. Therefore, some terms are listed more than once and offer different definitions and different approaches, e.g. scientific and theory-based definitions, policy-oriented definitions or definitions for communication purposes in practical contexts.

For each entry there is a link to the resource website which presents the context and the scope of the relevant term for which it has been defined.

Term

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y

Items found: 6

national language(s)/official language(s)

"A linguistic variety which has the role, sanctioned by the Constitution or other legal instruments, of language of communication between state and citizens (government departments, the judicial system, schools, etc). (…) In national states (...), the official language may become a factor of identity, i.e. of belonging to a national community. (…) The term national language is, therefore, far more emotionally charged than official language“ (Beacco & Byram 2003, 52). UNDEFINED

Receiving newly arrived migrants involves setting up language education structures for them and their children, in the absence of which the acquisition of the national or official language will take place spontaneously only with respect to oral forms. This would lead to later handicaps as a result of an inability to write the language. (…) The need to maintain the stability of official languages leads dominant social groups and the state apparatus to set norms which are disseminated by education systems, in particular by the teaching of the so-called mother tongue and the teaching of other subjects in that language“ ( Language Policy Division (2007), Guide for the development of language education policies in Europe - from linguistic diversity to plurilingual education. Main Version. Council of Europe. Strasbourg, 21. Download here. (Access date: March 30, 2009).

Term in German:

Source: ECML resource website Majority language in multilingual settings (2008-2011)

Also used by project(s) Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education (2020-2023)

natural stages of language acquisition

needs analysis

network

networking

non-territorial language

“A language used by nationals of the state which differs from the language or languages used by the rest of the state’s population, but which, although traditionally used within the territory of the state, cannot be identified with a particular area thereof. (Definition based on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, (Council of Europe, 1992)). For example, Romany is a non-territorial language.”

European Education and Culture Executive Agency, Eurydice (2017), Key data on teaching languages at school in Europe – 2017 Edition, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, p. 143, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2797/04255.

Term in French:

Term in German:

Source: ECML resource website CLIL in languages other than English – Successful transitions across educational stages (2020-2022)

Shortcut: www.ecml.at/glossaries

Cite this resource

Other relevant terminology resources

	Council of Europe \| Glossary "Language support for adult refugees": Dutch – English – French – German – Greek – Italian – Spanish – Turkish

Agency of the European Union	Cedefop – European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training \| Terminology of European education and training policy: English – French – Italian – Portuguese – Spanish

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