ECML webinars

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 explains the background to this Recommendation - where it came from, how it is structured, and why it was adopted.  It begins by focusing on key messages and on what these mean for decision-makers, before drawing on elements of the official text and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum which can be used for awareness-raising and as first steps towards implementation.  It concludes 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

Recorded 14 June 2022

Webinar in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7b_e4h6ps0
Webinar in French: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trfiauFQA5g
Download: powerpoint presentation

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 “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 "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