Latest articles
28.08.2023
Joint national training workshop "Supporting Multilingual Classrooms" (20 – 21 June 2023, Tatranská Lomnica, Slovak Republic)
Local organisers: Denisa Ďuranová (National Institute of Education and Youth, Slovak Republic) and Jitka Tůmová (National Pedagogical Institute, Czech Republic)
ECML experts: Terry Lamb, United Kingdom; Catherine Carré-Karlinger, Austria
Participants: 9 participants from the Slovak Republic, 10 participants from the Czech Republic (foreign language teachers/teachers of other subjects, teachers of the language of schooling, teachers of the language of schooling as a second language, school administrators, school advisers, policymakers)
“On 20 – 21 June 2023 the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML) in cooperation with the National Institute of Education and Youth in the Slovak Republic and the National Pedagogical Institute in the Czech Republic carried out a two-day workshop on Supporting Multilingual Classrooms. The workshop, resulting from a joint initiative of the ECML and European Commission, was organised in the Slovak Republic for the fourth year, and in 2023 it was the first international workshop involving two countries - bringing together both Slovak and Czech experts.
One of the main reasons behind this joint event is that curriculum reform for primary and lower secondary education is underway in both the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, with a priority on the educational standards for Slovak/Czech as a second language. This is due to the increasing numbers of pupils with migrant backgrounds, with many coming in particular from Ukraine as a result of the ongoing war.
The primary aims of the two-day workshop were to: promote access to quality education for migrant children; bridge the gap between foreign pupils and other pupils; strengthen teachers' professional competences in the field of assessment and evaluation of pupils' language competences; improve the quality of language teaching and to support the development of plurilingual competences of all pupils in multilingual classrooms, based on the linguistic and cultural diversity of pupils. The workshop was also devoted to international networking among participants and experts of the international initiative.
The workshop focused on: experiences and practices in the field of language education of migrant children; reflection on attitudes towards linguistic and cultural diversity; plurilingual activities and classroom management; development of the plurilingual dimension in all subjects; issues of assessment in multilingual schools/classrooms; building relationships and collaboration between schools and the community.
The workshop facilitators explained how to work with parents, plan activities, promote inclusion and collaboration with other actors, such as school organizations. Participants identified priorities that will enrich their own practice.
The video developed during the event provides a flavour of the atmosphere and collaborative spirit during this very successful Supporting Multilingual Classrooms workshop.
More information about the Supporting Multilingual Classrooms workshop in the Slovak Republic is available at https://www.statpedu.sk/sk/vyskum/vzdelavacie-aktivity/podpora-multilingvalnych-tried-iv/"
Denisa Ďuranová in collaboration with Jitka Maříková Tůmová
ECML project website: Supporting multilingual classrooms – EU-ECML cooperation agreement 2023 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"
26.07.2023
CLIL and beyond: the Czech teachers shared their experience in a unique international education activity (10-11 May 2023, Prague)
Date and venue: 10-11 May 2023 (a 2-day face-to-face activity), Prague – National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic.
Local organiser: Martina Duničková, National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic – System for Supporting Professional Development of Teachers and Principals.
ECML experts: Dunja Chamberlain and Fréderic Taveau, International School of Geneva, Switzerland.
Participants: 31 participants: primary school teachers (10), secondary school teachers (18), university teachers (3). Among the participants there were teachers from 2 schools that will implement the CLIL method in their teaching. The participants of the workshop were members of the SYPO project (System for Supporting Professional Development of Teachers and Principals).
A unique international education activity led by experienced experts introduced the inspiring CLIL method and beyond to English and French language teachers as well as to subject teachers in the Czech Republic. The two-days face-to-face workshop proved very practical and full of elements of modern pedagogy that lead to the important theme of pluriliteracies approach to teaching for learning. The participants received booklets with diverse ideas and innovative methods to help them change the traditional way their pupils and students think about learning to a more effective one without rote learning. The teachers went through all the processes of planning/preparation involved for teaching, including its implementation and evaluation.
This innovative format of educational activity is unparalleled in similar courses. The teachers who want to use the CLIL method or its elements in their teaching can implement it directly with the support of the ECML experts who kindly communicate with them.
The organisers believe the workshop was beneficial for the participants who will use the knowledge they have gained in their lessons and at their own schools. We trust there will be another opportunity to organise a follow-up activity in cooperation with the ECML.
Martina Duničková, local organiser
*****
CZECH VERSION
CLIL a něco navíc: čeští učitelé sdíleli své zkušenosti v ojedinělé mezinárodní vzdělávací aktivitě
Jedinečná mezinárodní aktivita vedená zkušenými lektory představila učitelům jak anglického a francouzského jazyka, tak vyučujícím nejazykových předmětů inspirující metodu CLIL a „něco navíc“. Dvoudenní prezenční workshop byl uchopen velmi prakticky a zahrnoval spoustu prvků moderní pedagogiky, z níž vycházejí změny vedoucí k přirozenému rozvoji gramotnosti ve více než jednom jazyce. Účastníci získali materiály, které jim nadále poslouží jako zásobníky rozmanitých nápadů a inovativních metod ke zefektivnění učení žáků a studentů. V průběhu workshopu si účastníci vyzkoušeli všechny fáze vyučování od plánování po reflexi.
Tento inovativní formát vzdělávací aktivity nemá obdobu. Učitelé, kteří chtějí metodu nebo její prvky implementovat přímo ve výuce, mohou požádat o konzultaci experty z Evropského centra pro moderní jazyky v Grazu, kteří s nimi laskavě zůstávají ve spojení.
Organizátoři pevně věří v přínos workshopu a využití osvojeného vědění ve vyučovacích hodinách zúčastněných pedagogů. Současně věří v možnost uspořádání další navazující aktivity ve spolupráci s Evropským centrem pro moderní jazyky v Grazu.
Martina Duničková, NPI ČR – Projekt SYPO
17.07.2023
ECML x SenBJF – A ROADMAP for schools to self-assess and experience the implementation of individual multilingual projects as an essential part of a whole-school and teaching development
Date and venue of the event: 28-29 June 2023, Zentrum für Sprachbildung, Berlin, Germany
Local organiser: Mr Mehmet Fatih Özcan (Senate Department for Education, Youth and Families, II D 5.2, Advisor for multilingualism / Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie Berlin, II D 5.2, Referent für Mehrsprachigkeit
ECML experts: Sophie Babault (France) and Selin Öndül (Switzerland)
Participants: 25 headmasters, (heritage & foreign language) teachers, language development coordinators, subject unit managers, senate administration’s project and programme coordinators and support
The two-day ROADMAP Training and Consultancy workshop, together with the development teams within the framework of the quality label project "Multilingual School" and the expert group II D 5 of the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family, highlighted areas with high potential for implementing multilingual projects.
The participants discussed and visualised the overlaps between multilingual and intercultural education in terms of content and subject matter, in particular in ensuring awareness and equality of the languages of the students and the school. In this context, the participants developed methods to reflect on the promotion of multilingualism in school development processes and lesson development. The varied application possibilities offered by the ROADMAP self-evaluation tool and database clearly demonstrated that the ambitious quality label project "Multilingual School" can draw on already established and freely accessible resources of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) as a sold basis for a piloting exercise in the 2023/2024 school year at 7 participating schools
Participants emphasized that the tools provided by the ECML would both simplify processes to determine potential developmental areas and provide abundant data and examples of reporting and evaluation.They also mentioned that it was necessary to include both Berlin-specific school structures and, in particular, multilingual questionnaires in the self-evaluation tool.
In summary, the participants received extensive training and became fully acquainted in the use of the ECML tools - in particular in the self-assessment tool, as well as in conceptualization of a customised roadmap to implement development modules within the framework of the “Multilingual School” quality seal.
Mehmet Fatih Özcan
*****
(Deutsch)
Der zweitägige Training and Consultancy ROADMAP Workshop hat gemeinsam mit den Entwicklungsteams im Rahmen des Gütesiegel-Vorhabens „Mehrsprachige Schule“ und der Fachgruppe II D 5 der Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie potenzielle Schwerpunkte in der Einrichtung von mehrsprachigen Angeboten sichtbar gemacht.
Die Teilnehmer:innen diskutierten und visualisierten die inhaltlichen und fachlichen Überschneidungen zwischen mehrsprachiger und interkultureller Bildung, insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund des Bewusstseins über, der Gleichwertigkeit von und der Haltung gegenüber der sprachlichen Vielfalt in der Berliner Schule und in der Lebenswelt der Berliner Schülerinnen und Schüler.
Die Teilnehmer:innen entwickelten in diesem Zusammenhang Methoden, um die Förderung der Mehrsprachigkeit in Schulentwicklungsprozessen und zur Unterrichtsentwicklung zu reflektieren. Das vielfältigen Anwendungsmöglichkeiten des Selbstevaluationstools und der Projektdatenbank des Wegweiser-Programms verdeutlichten, dass das ambitionierte Gütesiegel-Vorhaben „Mehrsprachige Schule“ auf bereits gefestigte und freizugängliche Angebote des Europäischen Fremdsprachenzentrums (EFSZ) zurückgreifen kann, um im Schuljahr 2023/2024 an 7 teilnehmenden Schulen pilotiert werden zu können.
Die Teilnehmenden bestätigten, dass die bereitgestellten Tools des EFSZ und die damit zur Verfügung stehenden Daten sowohl die Ermittlung der Weiterentwicklungspotenziale der schulischen Mehrsprachigkeitsförderung als auch die Berichtserstellung und Evaluation deutlich vereinfachen würden. Die Teilnehmer:innen fügten an, dass es notwendig sei, sowohl die berlinspezifischen Schulstrukturen und insbesondere mehrsprachige Fragebögen im Selbstevaluationstool einzubeziehen.
Zusammenfassend kann gesagt werden, dass die Teilnehmer:innen im Umgang mit den EFSZ-Tools und ihre Einbindung in das Gütesiegel-Vorhaben umfangreich geschult und weiterqualifiziert werden konnten.
Mehmet Fatih Özcan
21.06.2023
ECML training and consultancy event “CLIL and beyond: pluriliteracies teaching for deeper learning” (Sulejówek, Poland, 5-6 June 2023)
Date: 5-6 June 2023
Venue: Training Centre in Sulejówek, Poland
Local organisation: Elżbieta Witkowska, Centre for Education Development / Ośrodek Rozwoju Edukacji
ECML experts: Susanne Staschen-Dielmann (Germany) and Dunja Chamberlain (Switzerland)
Participants: 24 teachers of English (primary and secondary schools), teachers of subjects other that a foreign language
The opportunity to host a workshop run by ECML experts is always a great advantage for participants – allowing them to enhance their knowledge in the area, to develop teaching skills, as well as serving to motivate them in their work. The workshop on “A pluriliteracies approach to teaching for learning” with Susanne Staschen-Dielmann and Dunja Chamberlain as moderators proved to be of a great value to the participants.
The content of the workshop is very relevant and up to date. Schools are no longer groups of homogeneous learners. Skills on how to modify teaching in order to address students’ needs is a pressing need. Although the target group represented various educational backgrounds (such as in-service teacher education institutions, primary and secondary school teachers of English and other non-language subjects) they all benefitted from the content presented and the activities carried out during the workshop. The ECML experts conducted a pre-workshop survey to learn about the participants’ teaching background and then prepared the materials that corresponded to the participants’ teaching contexts. This helped to set the ground work for the tasks effectively with out losing time during the event.Thanks to the trainers’ expertise, many years of practice and their dedication to their work, the participants returned home and went back to work inspired with new ideas and were encouraged to implement them in their own teaching.
The workshops led by ECML are always of the highest standard and provide great value, so do not hesitate to apply for one!
Elżbieta Witkowska, local organiser
(Polish version)
A Pluriliteracies Approach to Teaching for Learning – Centrum Szkoleniowe ORE, Sulejówek, Polska 5-6 czerwca, 2023
Warsztaty organizowane we współpracy Europejskiego Centrum Języków Nowożytnych (ECML) z Ośrodkiem Rozwoju Edukacji w Warszawie są zawsze doskonałą okazją dla uczestników do poszerzenia wiedzy i doskonalenia warsztatu pracy. Szkolenie A Pluriliteracies Approach to Teaching for Learning prowadziły dwie ekspertki ECML: dr Susanne Staschen-Dielmann and Dunja Chamberlain, które zadbały o perfekcyjne przygotowanie materiałów dedykowanych do potrzeb uczestników spotkania.
W szkoleniu wzięli udział przedstawiciele różnych środowisk związanych z edukacją: doradcy metodyczni, nauczyciele konsultanci oraz nauczyciele języka obcego oraz przedmiotów niejęzykowych szkół podstawowych i ponadpodstawowych. Sesje zostały zaplanowane tak, aby umożliwić jak najpełniejsze zapoznanie się z wiedzą na temat integracji edukacji przedmiotowej i językowej, zgodnie z potrzebami uczniów, jak również zaplanowano przestrzeń na dzielenie się doświadczeniem i dobrą praktyką. Ekspertki, przygotowały dla uczestników materiały, które wykorzystywane były w trakcje wykonywania ćwiczeń, ale będą również pomocne w przygotowywaniu materiałów na własne lekcje. Eksperci zaprezentowali tematykę w sposób przystępny, łącząc materiały teoretyczne z treściami praktycznymi. Uczestnicy mieli okazję pracować w grupach, dzielić się swoimi doświadczeniami i dobrą praktyką oraz poznać techniki i strategie pracy wspomagające nauczania treści przedmiotowych poprzez język angielski. Dzięki doświadczeniu ekspertek, uczestnicy poczuli się zainspirowani nowymi pomysłami i zachęceni do wdrażania ich we własnym nauczaniu.
Warsztaty prowadzone przez ECML mają zawsze najwyższy standard i wartość, dlatego zawsze warto się o nie ubiegać!
Elżbieta Witkowska, organizator wydarzenia ze strony Ośrodka Rozwoju Edukacji
21.06.2023
Learning environments where modern languages flourish – Why EOL is that important?
Date and venue of the event: 30-31 March 2023, Brusov State University, Yerevan, Armenia
Local organiser: Lusine Arakelyan, Brusov State University
ECML experts: Jonas Erin (France) and Silvia Minardi (Italy)
Participants: 22 English teachers (Secondary and High schools), BSU lecturers of foreign languages
If you are a school teacher, teacher trainer, school principal and inspector and you are seeking any of the following :
- to improve your social skills,
- raise your awareness of plurilingual and intercultural education,
- understand how complex the language environment can be as a result of the interplay between people/structures and culture,
- why various stakeholders need to be included when changing attitudes to language / intercultural teaching and learning and that a single teacher on their own cannot change the environment,
... then these trainings are exactly for you.
The EOL activities present a vision of a language friendly environment, encourage a strategic approach to language teaching and learning and provide tools and resources to all those who want to turn their school into a place where languages can flourish.
These activities offer special tools for the development of whole-school language projects to support and strengthen cooperation and professional development of all actors involved. The approach suggested combines cultural aspects structural conditions and personal factors which help reveal what learning environments are all about. This holistic perspective embraces all fields of education (learning, teaching, schools and education systems) and all levels of education (primary, secondary and tertiary).
Furthermore, it enables key actors in schools to develop sustainable connections across all learning environments. Schools are guided towards creative thinking in order to find new solutions for language learning and teaching adapted to the needs of learners.
Lusine Arakelyan, local organiser
*****
(Armenian version)
Եթե դուք դպրոցի ուսուցիչ եք, ուսուցիչների վերապատրաստող, դպրոցի տնօրեն և ձգտում եք լավագույնս բարելավել ձեր սոցիալական հմտությունները, բարձրացնել ձեր իրազեկությունը բազմալեզու և միջմշակութային կրթության մասին, հասկանաք, թե որքան բարդ կարող է լինել լեզվական միջավայրը փոխազդեցության պատճառով, ապա այս դասընթացները հենց ձեզ համար են:
Այս դասընթացներն իրենցից ներկայացնում են լեզվական միջավայրի տեսլականը, խրախուսում է լեզուների ուսուցման և ուսուցման ռազմավարական մոտեցումը և գործիքներ և ռեսուրսներ են տրամադրում բոլոր նրանց, ովքեր ցանկանում են իրենց դպրոցը վերածել լեզուների ծաղկման վայրի:
Դասընթացներն ապահովում են հատուկ գործիքներ ամբողջ դպրոցական լեզվական նախագծերի մշակման համար՝ աջակցելու և ամրապնդելու համագործակցությունը և ներգրավված բոլոր դերակատարների մասնագիտական զարգացումը: Առաջարկվող մոտեցումը համատեղում է մշակութային ասպեկտները, կառուցվածքային պայմանները և անձնական գործոնները, որոնք օգնում են բացահայտել, թե ինչ ուսուցման միջավայրի մասին է խոսքը:
Այն ընդգրկում է կրթության բոլոր ոլորտները (ուսուցում, ուսուցում, դպրոցներ և կրթական համակարգեր) և կրթության բոլոր մակարդակները (նախնական, միջնակարգ և երրորդական):
Ավելին, այն դպրոցներում հիմնական դերակատարներին հնարավորություն է տալիս զարգացնել կայուն կապեր բոլոր ուսումնական միջավայրերում: Դպրոցներն ուղղորդվում են դեպի ստեղծագործական մտածողություն՝ սովորողների կարիքներին հարմարեցված լեզուների ուսուցման և ուսուցման նոր լուծումներ գտնելու համար:
Lusine Arakelyan
15.06.2023
Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning (Sulejówek, Poland, 23-24 May 2023)
In a two-day workshop organised by the European Centre for Modern Languages and the Centre for Education Development (ORE) Polish teachers of English and educators representing in-service teacher training centres had an opportunity to develop their teaching skills in the field of ICT.
The workshop was moderated by a team of three ECML experts: Pauline Ernest, Jackie Robbins and Joseph Hopkins.
During the workshop, the ECML experts shared their expertise and experience presenting the ECML Inventory of ICT tools and open educational resources. They showed both the opportunity and challenges and explained that in language education it is important to remember not only how to use digital tools but also why. The participants gained insights into various teaching activities based on the use of digital tools to assess them and reflect on their usefulness.
The event gave the participants space for self-reflection in this matter and some practical tips on how to develop their teaching skills using new technology.
Elżbieta Witkowska, Ośrodek Rozwoju Edukacji (Centre for Education Development), local organiser
*****
Polish version
Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning – Centrum Szkoleniowe w Sulejówku, ORE, 23-24.05.2023 r.
W ramach współpracy ORE z Europejskim Centrum Języków Nowożytnych w Grazu w dniach 23-24 maja 2023 r. w Centrum Szkoleniowym ORE w Sulejówku odbyły się warsztaty poświęcone wykorzystywaniu nowoczesnych technologii w nauczaniu i uczeniu się języków obcych. Uczestnikami spotkania byli edukatorzy związani z edukacją językową: nauczyciele konsultanci, doradcy metodyczni oraz nauczyciele języka angielskiego.
Warsztaty prowadził trzyosobowy zespół ekspertów ECML: Pauline Ernest, Jackie Robbins and Joseph Hopkins, którzy gościli w naszym Ośrodku już po raz drugi.
Głównym celem spotkania była refleksja nad tym jak mądrze i efektywnie korzystać z nowoczesnych technologii w procesie uczenia się i nauczania. W części praktycznej spotkania uczestnicy, wspierani przez ekspertów ECML przygotowywali materiały do zajęć z wykorzystaniem wybranych narzędzi ICT opisanych w repozytorium (ICT-REV Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning). Uczestnicy spotkania wysoko ocenili merytoryczną wartość warsztatów, wskazując na praktyczny aspekt przedstawionych treści, materiałów dydaktycznych oraz narzędzi. Podkreślano jednocześnie chęć wdrażania we własnej pracy dydaktycznej rozwiązań zaproponowanych przez trenerów oraz tych wypracowanych wspólnie w trakcie warsztatów. Wartością dodaną była również możliwość dzielenia się doświadczeniem i dobrą praktyką.
Elżbieta Witkowska, organizator ze strony Ośrodka Rozwoju Edukacji
