ECML webinars

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 have 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 continues the series of  ECML webinars on Covid 19 and language education, will focus on preliminary findings from this Europe-wide survey, including key statistical data and a  review of the major themes, challenges and lessons learnt. It will also outline next steps. 

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: 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 "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 "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

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