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    ECML webinars

ECML webinars

TUESDAY 14th JUNE 16h (CET)

Webinar “A new Council of Europe Recommendation on language education”

In February this year, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the first comprehensive Recommendation in the field of languages - Recommendation R(2022)1 on the importance of plurilingual and intercultural education for democratic culture.

This webinar will explain the background to this Recommendation - where it came from, how it is structured, and why it was adopted.  It will focus on key messages and what these mean for decision-makers, drawing on the seven principles that underpin the Recommendation's conception of plurilingual and intercultural education. It will conclude by outlining the series of follow-up events planned for the academic year 2022-2023 that will explore specific aspects of the Recommendation and their implications for different target groups. 

Target group: education decision-makers at national/regional or institutional levels

Please sign up

TUESDAY 17th MAY 16h (CET)

Webinar “Language learners’ voices – lessons learned from Covid”

Would you like to find out more about our initiative - "The future of language education in the light of Covid"?  Would you be interested in helping us understand how learners’ experienced language learning and teaching during the pandemic so that together we can build a more promising future for language education? 

This webinar will provide an overview of the initiative, present the initial findings from a pilot project based on classroom activities to elicit learners’ voices and invite participating teachers to take part in the next stage.

Target group: language teachers (all levels)

The initiative is coordinated by the ECML’s Professional Network Forum and takes place in cooperation with the European Commission.

Please sign up below

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Please note: The ECML does not provide proof of participation for its webinars.

Webinar “Supporting the linguistic integration of young refugees from Ukraine”

Has your school opened its doors to refugees from Ukraine? What impact has this had on learning and teaching?  Do you feel confident in supporting learners who struggle to understand you or to make themselves understood?  Do you have access to appropriate resources?  

This webinar will provide you with guidance and teaching resources to address these new challenges and ensure a welcoming atmosphere, conducive to learning. You will discover how best to value this linguistic diversity in your classroom in ways that also foster the development of the language of schooling. 

Target group: pre-primary, primary and secondary teachers (of languages and other subjects)

Recorded 12 May 2022

Webinar in English: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Wa1lU2PWY
Download: powerpoint presentation


Webinar “Action research communities for language teachers”

moderated by Angela-Gallagher-Brett, Larisa Kasumagic-Kafedzic and Christine Lechner

  • How can Action Research support language education?
  • What have your experiences with Action Research been?
  • What are the tools developed by the Action Research Communities project and how can you use them in your context?

We will address these questions, based on the experiences of the European Centre for Modern Languages’ ARC project with action research - also taking into account the effects of the pandemic.

During the webinar we will introduce the ARC project, which was based upon the conviction that teachers are at the heart of the quality process in the language learning classroom. We set out to support teachers in European classrooms using action research as an essential tool for the development of reflective classroom practice highlighting ways in which teachers can enhance their self-confidence and professionalism.

We will then dip into the ARC Spiral as a basis for discussions, as well as showing tools that the ARC-Community has built for teacher education and telling you about some of the amazing action research projects that participants of the original project and the ECML training and consultancy workshops from 2020 and 2021 have been engaged in and how you can get involved in the future.

Target audience:  all language teachers from primary to university level and also to action researchers from other fields who would like to learn more about language education.

Recorded 8 March 2022

Webinar in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH1qAN_xeUI 
Webinar in German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFRM1NuCUTI 


Webinar "The future of language education – learning lessons from the pandemic"

The Covid pandemic has presented challenges for all sectors of education and has led to widespread changes in educational practices. These have greatly affected language teaching and learning across Europe.

In February 2021 a month-long survey developed under the auspices of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) and its Professional Network Forum was launched to find out how institutions and teachers and learners of languages have responded to the challenges presented by successive lockdowns and social distancing. It also explored how language teaching and assessment methodologies have evolved, and what the impact has been on language learning and motivation. There were over 1700 responses from professionals in 40 countries working at different educational levels. 

These responses painted a clear and rich picture of the variety of ways in which teachers and learners have coped with the situation. They also provided insights into some of the positive changes in language teaching that the pandemic has generated, as well as challenges that teachers and learners have confronted. 

This webinar, which continued the series of  ECML webinars on Covid 19 and language education, focused on preliminary findings from this Europe-wide survey, including key statistical data and a  review of the major themes, challenges and lessons learnt. 

Recorded 27 April 2021

Webinar in English: https://youtu.be/V8iAxTYBlAw
Initiative website:  www.ecml.at/future-of-language-education
Download: powerpoint presentation
  


Webinar "Covid-19 and language education: Two challenges, one response"

ECML WEBINAR FOR LANGUAGE EDUCATION DECISION MAKERS 

No one knows when the world will find a solution to the Covid-19 problem, and no one knows whether we shall ever return to what we think of as normality. In these circumstances, it seems appropriate to start looking for effective responses to the educational challenges posed by Covid-19. Members of the Council of Europe’s Standing Committee for Education Policy and Practice and the ECML’s Governing Board have identified public examinations and distance learning as areas of particular concern in language education. This webinar will briefly discuss these concerns and outline a possible response based on the CEFR and its Companion Volume.

Target group: The webinar is intended for language education decision makers – e.g. those responsible for policy and/or for curricula and assessment who are interested in the issues raised and would like to explore the possibility of working towards a solution in collaboration with other countries under the aegis of the ECML.

With David Little, Trinity College Dublin

Recorded 3 December 2020

Webinar in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qq4lWCJB8E
Download: powerpoint presentation


Webinar "PALINGUI – Language learning pathways of young children: How to make language learning visible"

Language learning pathways are becoming more and more diverse as a result of linguistic and cultural diversity. This diversity means that young people can grow up with multiple languages and cultures, different practices and customs, as well as different ways of speaking and writing.

The new PALINGUI project of the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML) will be looking at these diverse linguistic journeys of young learners and how to make these visible.

  • How can we show young children’s daily language learning? What are the key stages of their development? How can we evaluate language learning and ensure that it is appreciated and valued?
  • How can we support young children’s understanding of their own learning and help them describe their next steps in their own language learning journey? 
  • How can we document learning and progress in a well-founded and understandable way?
  • How can we do this in the face of our demanding daily school life, without losing sight of the curriculum and without creating extra work

Recorded 5 March 2020.

Webinar in English and French: https://youtu.be/ugoFpSJOaCY
PDFs for download: powerpoint presentation


Webinar “Roadmap for supporting the language(s) of schooling”

We know that language lies at the heart of all learning; we know that highly developed competences in the language of schooling are key to learner achievement. But do we understand the importance of adopting a whole-school approach for identifying and addressing learners’ linguistic needs?

If you would like to find out about the benefits of a whole-school approach when it comes to the language of schooling, as well as tips on how to engage all stakeholders in your school community, then this webinar is for you. 

Roadmap is a web-based, user-friendly resource for creating a strategic whole-school development plan which will foster inclusion by raising awareness of all languages present in the school community and provide concrete guidance on how to advance learners’ competences in the language(s) of schooling. 

It offers an interactive self-assessment tool, practical materials and a large database of promising practices and can be adapted to specific national contexts. One such adaptation has already taken place in Ireland- why and how this was done will be presented at the webinar. 

The webinar is intended for all those working in language education and on language-related themes within school development - teachers, teacher educators, school leaders and administrators.

Recorded 21 October 2021

Webinar in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGqMab9rdMM 


Webinar “Fostering digital citizenship through language education”

  • What is a digital citizen?
  • How does digital citizenship education link up with language education? 
  • What type of digital language tasks can support learners to become digital citizens?

If you have ever asked or tried to answer any of these questions, this webinar, which took place within the activities of the current European Centre for Modern Languages’ project “Digital citizenship through language education” (e-lang citizen), will be of interest to you.

Primarily targeted at language teachers and teacher trainers, the webinar proposes a profile of a digital citizen as a user of languages and digital technology, based on the analysis of around one hundred recently published texts containing a definition of the “digital citizen” or identifying elements constituting digital citizenship.

The links between digital citizenship education and language education – social interaction and communication skills, plurilingual competences and mediation– have been explored during the event.

Within the project, the coordinating team, from 5 different countries, aims to establish a database, providing concrete and practical learning activities and tasks for developing digital citizenship in the language classroom. The webinar offers a look into the initial materials created. Interested experts will also find out how they can further engage with the project.

Recorded 22 June 2021

Webinar in English and French: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxlN4n4fmTQ


Webinar "Covid-19 and language education: Making home schooling motivating and fun” 

ECML webinar for parents/carers, teachers and others involved in supporting the home learning of children and young people, especially those whose first language is not necessarily the language of schooling 

The Covid pandemic continues to dominate our lives and although schools in some countries are open again, there are still many young people who are learning from home, on a full or part-time basis. Linking to the theme of learner autonomy from the previous ECML webinar, Covid-19 and language education: Two challenges, one response, this latest webinar will focus on resources for the home-schooling of children and young people and how these can be successfully adapted to meet the needs of learners whose first language is not the language of schooling.

Déirdre Kirwan, ECML expert within the project Inspiring Language Learning – why it matters and what it looks like for children age 3 to 12 years and co-author of Engaging with Linguistic Diversity: A Study of Educational Inclusion in an Irish Primary School (2019), will present a range of practical ideas, many of them from the ECML’s Treasure Chest of Resources for learners, parents and teachers, which help ensure that home learning:

  • is learner-centred, motivating and fun for everyone involved
  • develops learners’ plurilingual repertoires - not only the language of schooling, but foreign languages and children’s home languages
  • supports young people’s wellbeing despite social isolation
  • gives parents/carers confidence in supporting their children’s learning
  • includes self-management tools to develop learner autonomy and track progress

Recorded 11 March 2021

Webinar in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAEZO_zPQVc
Download: powerpoint presentation


Webinar "Take your language teaching online!"

Recorded 6, 8 and 11 May 2020.

Webinar in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lt1gqzMBv0

Webinar in French: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrM13-eqonE

Webinar in German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCDi4Uh9MFE


Webinar "How to ensure that languages flourish in your school"

Would you describe your school as language-sensitive? Were teachers able to address the different linguistic needs of learners during lockdown? How well is your school adapting to hybrid ways of working? Are you looking for inspiring ideas for launching whole-school language projects? 

If you are a headteacher, inspector or in a role that supports teacher development in relation to language education, this webinar is for you. By showing you a range of easy-to-use resources developed through the ECML project EOL – learning environments where foreign languages flourish – and adapted to hybrid learning, it will help you see how much your school can benefit from taking a holistic approach to language education which supports all learners reach their potential. It also offers an excellent opportunity to promote collective reflection around the challenges that schools are facing as the pandemic continues.

Recorded 12 Oct 2020.

Webinar in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QW_RT2W2fc
PDFs for downloads: powerpoint presentation - participants’ answers on Menti - Padlet

Webinar in French: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QZod3OLyz4
PDFs for downloads: powerpoint presentation - participants’ answers on Menti - Padlet