Language acquisition is the most relevant aspect of school-based learning. It is the task of every school with diverse language backgrounds to get the most  from their educational setting for their students. Not only the individual teachers' efforts but also a systemic, well-planned whole-school strategy is necessary. During the event, school-teams (head teacher and one or two teachers) from the provinces of Oberösterreich, Salzburg and Burgenland with the help of professional support reflected on the possibilities to further develop their schools. They were introduced to the data-based school development tool, Roadmap. They planned the next steps and could network with each other and also with school consultants from their region.
 

Selin Öndül, team member of the ECML Training and consultancy activity “A roadmap for schools to support the language(s) of schooling“
 

• Roadmap - Self-assessment tool: available in English, Finnish, French, German and Swedish

The ECML offers its member states European expertise in language education adapted to the concrete needs and specific contexts within individual countries. This bilateral support in a range of key areas helps strengthen the cooperation between member states and the ECML by taking the expertise gained from ECML projects directly into member states. ECML experts work with national authorities and local experts to devise and implement in-country activities, tailored to the particular context and target audience.  For 2025 a number of new areas are on offer which  build on the results of projects run within the Inspiring innovation in language education programme (2020-23). Please note that activities offered in cooperation with the European Commission are subject to a separate Call for requests which will be issued in late November.

The  following  ECML training and consultancy activities are on offer for 2025:

• Plurilingual and intercultural education: teacher and learner competences
• Steps towards implementing plurilingual and intercultural education
• Plurilingual and intercultural education in early language learning
• The CEFR Companion Volume: Mediation and other key concepts – Focus: teacher and learner competences  
• The CEFR Companion Volume: Mediation and other key concepts – Focus: curriculum and evaluation
• Learning environments where languages flourish – Focus: Plurilingual and intercultural education
• Learning environments where languages flourish – Focus: Early language learning
• Action research communities for language teachers
• Fostering digital citizenship through language education
• Language for work – Work-related second language learning for adult migrants and ethnic minorities
• Beyond CLIL – Pluriliteracies teaching for deeper learning
• A roadmap for schools to support the language(s) of schooling

Details of the proposed activities, practical information and the application form can be found here: www.ecml.at/Trainingandconsultancy.

Requests for a Training and consultancy activity must be submitted via the national ECML representative in the Governing Board. Educational professionals interested in a particular activity should therefore contact their national representative.

The application deadline for 2025 is 15 November 2024.

Date: 16 and 17 November 2023
Venue: Lycée Hôtelier International de Lille
Local organiser: Emmanuel HAUCHARD, CASNAV coordinator, Académie de Lille
ECML moderators: Nermina Wikström (Sweden) and Sophie Babault (France)
Participants: 23 teachers of various subjects (literature, English, physical and sports education, German, earth and life sciences), senior education advisers, teachers of French as a language of schooling, CASNAV academic advisers (trainers)

The inclusion of newly arrived allophone pupils in school is now a principle affirmed by academic directives and accepted by all members of the educational community. However, the objective of acquiring the French language – the language of schooling – sometimes means that other languages present in schools are overlooked. Yet knowledge and use of many languages designated as 'foreign' are not restricted to the minority of children from families that have recently arrived in France.

Thanks to ROADMAP/FEUILLE DE ROUTE, we can initiate a collective process of reflection involving all staff, as well as parents and pupils themselves. The self-assessment tool is easy to use, and invites the various players to consider all the languages involved as potential levers for learning, while strengthening the cohesion of the educational community. The practices proposed at the end of the diagnosis are inspiring and adaptable to different local contexts. With the support of ECML experts, the approach is easy to adopt and is showing promising results.

Emmanuel Hauchard, coordinator of the CASNAV of the Académie de Lille

• More information about this ECML training and consultancy offer for member states: "Supporting the language(s) of schooling – The ROADMAP – a web-based, user-friendly and customised self-assessment tool to foster school development"