Setting up learning environments where modern languages flourish (EOL)

The European Centre for Modern Languages is launching a series of 48 national training and consultancy workshops . The workshops which are hosted in member states offer a wide range of European expertise in language education and are adapted to the concrete needs and specific contexts within individual countries. This year represents the highest ever number of events organised according to this format by the ECML and reflects the increasing popularity of the Centre’s training and consultancy activities.

25 of the events will take place within the framework of the “Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning” cooperation action between the ECML and the European Commission. These activities, covering member states of the ECML and the European Union, focus on Relating language curricula, tests and examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference (RELANG), Supporting Multilingual Classrooms and Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning

The other 23 events targeting the member states of the ECML focus on the following areas: Action research communities, CLIL and beyond – pluriliteracies, Language for work, Language of schooling in subject learning, Plurilingual and intercultural approaches (CARAP/FREPA), The ROADMAP – a self-assessment tool to foster school development, Setting up learning environments where modern languages flourish.

The events combine professional input from the ECML and expertise in the member state to initiate quality developments – the workshops can assist in change processes in language education at local, regional and national levels. The first of the events, a RELANG workshop, will take place at the Lithuanian National Agency for Education in Vilnius on 7-9 March.

The ECML offers its member states European expertise in language education adapted to the concrete needs and specific contexts within individual countries.

On 26 January 2023, seven training and consultancy (TaC) teams exchanged their experience in the field of:

• Action research communities,
• CLIL and beyond – pluriliteracies,
• Language for work,
• Language of schooling in subject learning,
• Plurilingual and intercultural approaches (CARAP/FREPA),
• The ROADMAP - a self-assessment tool to foster school development,
• Setting up learning environments where modern languages flourish (online presentation),

focusing on highlights, challenges and learning opportunities, and conclusions for 2023 activities.

The network meeting with the local organisers from Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Slovak Republic and Slovenia took place on 27 January. The participants got an overview of the TaC offers and their benefits from previous experience, national contexts and needs, and the ECML support provided. Individual meetings took place for local organisers with the TaC teams to discuss the organisation and arrangements of their national events planned this year.

In 2023 the ECML will conduct 23 training events in 17 member states:

In addition, up to 25 workshops will be organised in ECML and EU member states through the Centre’s cooperation action with the European Commission – these will be announced shortly.

• More information on the ECML training and consultancy offer

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Date and venue of the event: 8-9 September 2022, Acropolis Lyceum, Nicosia, Cyprus
Local organiser: Maria Iakovidou, English Language Inspector, Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth
Participants: 24 language testers and examiners, item writers; primary, secondary school teachers of foreign languages, secondary technical, vocational education and training teachers and language inspectors; teacher trainers; curriculum developers; policymakers, decision-takers

The Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth and the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) jointly organised a 2-day workshop entitled “Learning environments where modern languages flourish” at the Acropolis High School in Nicosia, Cyprus. The seminar was held between 8 and 9 September 2022 and was attended by 24 teachers who teach languages in primary, secondary general and secondary technical, vocational education and training. The aim was to inform teachers about the challenges and opportunities of taking a strategic approach to language teaching and learning with the aim of creating a language friendly learning environment in schools.

During the workshop the participants had the opportunity to discuss the importance and enrichment of the pedagogical practice with activities that promote multilingualism and multiculturalism. They also worked closely to create research projects with the aim of developing a learning environment at their school where modern languages can flourish. Then, a series of specific actions were discussed, in the context of modern methodological approaches, which contribute to the effectiveness of the foreign language education provided in the public school. These include setting up discussion groups for proposed collaborative research projects, connecting with the school community and family, as well as involving all stakeholders in multilingual and multicultural activities.

All teachers were also asked to finalise their ‘action plan’ which will be uploaded on the European Centre for Modern Languages website.

This two-day seminar received favorable comments from the participants, who enriched their knowledge, exchanged opinions with experts, and shared ideas and experiences.

Maria Iakovidou

• More information about the training and consultancy offer of the ECML for member states “Setting up learning environments where modern languages flourish (EOL)”

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Σεμινάριο εργαστηριακού τύπου που διοργανώθηκε από το ΥΠΑΝ και το Ευρωπαϊκό Κέντρο Σύγχρονων Γλωσσών

Εκπαιδευτικό σεμινάριο εργαστηριακού τύπου με θέμα «Learning Environments where Modern Languages Flourish» συνδιοργάνωσαν με μεγάλη επιτυχία το Υπουργείο Παιδείας, Αθλητισμού και Νεολαίας (ΥΠΑΝ) και το Ευρωπαϊκό Κέντρο Σύγχρονων Γλωσσών (European Centre for Modern Languages-ECML) στο Λύκειο Ακροπόλεως στη Λευκωσία. Το σεμινάριο διεξήχθη στις 8 και 9 Σεπτεμβρίου 2022 και παρακολούθησαν 24 εκπαιδευτικοί που διδάσκουν γλώσσες στη Δημοτική, Μέση Γενική και Μέση Τεχνική και Επαγγελματική Εκπαίδευση και Κατάρτιση.

Στόχος ήταν η ενημέρωση των εκπαιδευτικών για τις προκλήσεις και ευκαιρίες της αξιοποίησης της πολυγλωσσίας και της πολυπολιτισμικότητας στο δημόσιο σχολείο. Κατά τη διάρκεια του εργαστηρίου οι συμμετέχοντες είχαν την ευκαιρία να συζητήσουν για την σπουδαιότητα και εμπλουτισμό της παιδαγωγικής πράξης με δραστηριότητες που προωθούν την πολυγλωσσία και την πολυπολιτισμικότητα. Εργάστηκαν, επίσης, στη δημιουργία ερευνητικών σχεδίων εργασίας (projects) με στόχο να αναπτύξουν ένα περιβάλλον μάθησης όπου μπορούν να ανθίσουν οι σύγχρονες γλώσσες. Στη συνέχεια, συζητήθηκαν σειρά συγκεκριμένων δράσεων, στο πλαίσιο των σύγχρονων μεθοδολογικών προσεγγίσεων, οι οποίες συμβάλλουν στην αποτελεσματικότητα της παρεχόμενης ξενόγλωσσης εκπαίδευσης στο δημόσιο σχολείο. Σε αυτές συμπεριλαμβάνονται η σύσταση ομάδων συζητήσεων για τα προτεινόμενα σχέδια συνεργατικής έρευνας, η σύνδεση με τη σχολική κοινότητα και την οικογένεια, όπως επίσης και η εμπλοκή όλων των άµεσα ενδιαφερόµενων φορέων σε πολυγλωσσικές και πολυπολιτισμικές δραστηριότητες.

Ζητήθηκε, επίσης, από όλους τους εκπαιδευτικούς να οριστικοποιήσουν το «σχέδιο δράσης» τους προς κοινοποίηση στον ιστότοπο του Ευρωπαϊκού Κέντρου Σύγχρονων Γλωσσών.

Το διήμερο αυτό σεμινάριο απέσπασε τα ευμενή σχόλια των συμμετεχόντων, οι οποίοι εμπλούτισαν τις γνώσεις τους, αντάλλαξαν απόψεις με τους ειδικούς, και μοιράστηκαν ιδέες και εμπειρίες με τις ομάδες τους και την ολομέλεια.

Maria Iakovidou

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Local organiser: Kati Bakradze, Estonian Foreign Language Teachers Association
ECML experts: Jonas Erin (France) and SIlvia Minardi (Italy)
Participants: 46 foreign language teachers, language experts from the Ministry of Education and Research in Estonia, headmasters, head teachers, experts from universities

“EOL – Learning environments where modern languages flourish” is a perfect workshop for schools and school teams who are working to tailor inspiring and inclusive language learning programs and settings for the learners. The workshop takes a holistic approach to the learner and a diversifying approach to the school’s linguistic landscape. During the two-day workshop in Tallinn, Estonia, participants from schools and other language experts discussed how to make schools more language friendly in a systematic manner, taking into account the learner, the class, the school and the system. This approach helps identify gaps in current offers as well as to distribute responsibilities and tasks to different stakeholders in a practical and actionable manner. The experts conducting the training event link the content to the specific setting and proceed from the participants’ contexts and the challenges that they have identified. Together with great examples from across Europe, this makes for an excellent event that can inspire and motivate teachers and school teams to improve language learning and teaching for their students.

Authors: Kati Bakradze, Pille Põikli

• More information about the training and consultancy offer of the ECML for member states “Setting up learning environments where modern languages flourish (EOL)”

Estonian version

Koolitus „EOL – learning enivornments where modern languages flourish“ on suurepärane koolitus koolidele ja koolimeeskondadele, kes soovivad arendada enda konteksti sobivaid inspireerivaid ja kaasavaid keeleõppekeskkondi. Koolitusel vaadatakse keeleõppele kui tervikule ja arutletakse selle üle, kuidas mitmekesistada koolide keelelist maastikku. Tallinnas toimunud kahepäevasel koolitusel osalesid nii koolide esindajad kui ka teised keelevaldkonna eksperdid. Koos arutati, kuidas muuta koole keelesõbralikumaks, arvestades nii õppija, klassi, kooli kui ka kogu süsteemi tasandit. Süsteemse lähenemise abil saab tuvastada olemasoleva korralduse kitsaskohad ja jagada vastutuse ja ülesanded, et astuda konkreetseid samme eesmärkide saavutamiseks. Euroopa Nüüdiskeelte Keskuse koolitajad sidusid koolituse sisu oskuslikult kohaliku konteksti ja osalejate vajadustega, toetudes neilt eelnevalt kogutud infole. Lisaks tõid nad endaga kaasa laia teadmise teistest Euroopa riikidest, luues nii motiveeriva sündmuse, mis aitab koolimeeskondadel arendada õppijatele pakutavat keeleõpet.

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Local organiser: Milena Kostić, Tempus Foundation, Serbia.
ECML experts: Lea Štiberc (Slovenia) and Kristin Brogan (Ireland)
Number of participants: 24.

The European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe and the Tempus Foundation organised an online workshop entitled “Learning environments where modern languages flourish” on 4 November and 9 December 2021. Between these two events the participants worked in smaller teams while guided by the workshop trainers. Experts in the field of teaching and learning languages from primary and general and vocational secondary schools participated in the workshop, i.e. two or three member teams which represented these schools. 

The goal of the workshop was to help teams create action plans that will be implemented in schools after the workshop to establish a language-friendly environment where foreign languages are taught in a comprehensive way, either as separate subjects or through integration into subjects.

During the workshop the participants had an opportunity to learn about the elements of learning environments where modern languages flourish, to learn how to use the matrix for defining challenges in the context of language teaching and learning and to use the ‘TrEOL’ tool to identify their challenges in terms of strengths and priorities in a specific language context – with the aim to create more easily and more successfully an action plan taking a whole-school approach in learning languages.

The workshop enabled the participants to discuss topics relevant to their work both with the ECML experts and with their colleagues from other schools in Serbia. They recognised the applicability of the tools presented in their own professional practice and appreciated the opportunity to listen to new ideas and exchange experience.

The more detailed information about the project “Learning environments where modern languages flourish”, which inspired this workshop, is available on the European Centre for Modern Languages website where one can also find all the resources and tools related to the topic.

Milena Kostić, local organiser 

• More information about the training and consultancy offer of the ECML for member states “Setting up learning environments where modern languages flourish (EOL)”

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 4 November 2021

  9 December 2021

News item in Serbian

Одржана радионица: Окружења која подстичу учење живих језика

Европски центар за живе језике Савета Европе и Фондација Темпус организовали су 4. новембра и 9. децембра 2021. године онлајн радионицу под називом „Окружења која подстичу учење живих језика“. У периоду између ова два догађаја учесници су радили у мањим тимовима уз консултације са водитељима радионице. Догађај је био намењен стручњацима у области наставе и учења страних језика из основних школа и средњих школа општег и стручног усмерења, односно двочланим или трочланим тимовима који су представљали ове школе. 

Циљ радионице био је да помогне тимовима да развију акционе планове које ће након радионице имплементирати у својим школама како би развијали окружење у којем се страни језици уче на свеобухватан начин, самостално и кроз друге предмете. 

Током радионице учесници су имали прилике да се упознају са елементима окружења које је подстицајно за учење језика, да науче да користе матрицу за дефинисање изазова у контексту наставе и учења језика, као и алат TrEOL за дефинисање јаких страна и приоритета специфичног језичког контекста, све са циљем лакшег и успешнијег састављања акционог плана за свеобухватно учење језика на нивоу школе.

Радионица је учесницима обезбедила простор за дискусију о темама важним за њихов рад, како са стручњацима Европског центра за живе језике тако и са колегама из других установа у Србији. Учесници су препознали могућности примене представљених алата у сопственој пракси, а нарочито вредним су сматрали пружену прилику за стицање нових идеја и размену искустава.

Детаљније информације о пројекту „Окружења која подстичу учење живих језика“, из којег је потекла ова радионица, доступне су на веб-сајту Европског центра за живе језике, где се налазе и ресурси везани за ову тему који могу користити стручњацима у области наставе и учења страних језика.

Milena Kostić

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.

The webinar will take place at the following times:

• in English: Monday, 12 October: 14:00-15:30 CET
• in French: Monday, 12 October: 16:00-17:30 CET

If you wish to participate, please register here by 9 October indicating which session (English or French) you would like to attend. Registered participants will receive an e-mail notification by 9 October including the link to join the webinar on 12 October.

For any questions regarding registration please contact: catherine.seewald@ecml.at indicating in the subject line of your message “How to ensure that languages flourish in your school” webinar.