ECML training and consultancy for member states

Local organiser: Ingrida Strazdaitė, Lithuanian National Agency for Education    

ECML experts: Karine Dekeukelaere, Belgium; Gábor Szabó, Hungary;

Participants: 27 (item writers, curriculum developers, language testers and examiners, policy-makers and teachers)

“In March 2023, a RELANG workshop was organised at the National Agency for Education in Vilnius for item writers, curriculum developers, exam raters, policymakers, and teachers with a view to discussing principles of valid and reliable language testing based on the CEFR and its Companion Volume. Module 5 was selected in relation to the updated curriculum of foreign languages in Lithuania, which involves both a new language proficiency level (B2+) and new test items in the school-leaving exam, namely, audio-visual comprehension, mediation, and a few new written production items. Thus it is important to ensure that future tests are in line with the CEFR.

During the three-day workshop, 27 participants received in-depth training in the CEFR level descriptors, they were introduced to a number of issues to be addressed in order to ensure valid and reliable item development and accurate assessment, discussed the importance of designing and use of reliable assessment criteria, and had an opportunity to develop specific exam items based on the principles learned. The workshop was also an excellent opportunity to exchange professional knowledge and practices in the field of language teaching and testing among the colleagues as well as to receive expertise and valuable guidance from the ECML experts. Despite the sometimes heated discussion, which was always moderated by the experts in a most constructive and sensible manner, all participants had one common goal – to gain a thorough and uniform understanding of the underlying requirements for each test item in line with the CEFR and the Companion Volume as a must for quality assurance in the assessment of school-leavers under the updated curriculum.

All RELANG workshops in Lithuania - and we had quite a few of them so far - were very successful and have always had a very positive impact on the Lithuanian school-leaving exam system. The workshop in March 2023 was no exception. We are very grateful for the ECML experts’ insights, practical tips, competent advice, efficiency and patience.”

Ingrida Strazdaitė, local organiser, 21 March 2023

ECML project website: RELANG – EU-ECML cooperation agreement 2023 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

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.

A series of national workshops will take place within the “Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning” cooperation action between the ECML and the European Commission. The RELANG, Supporting Multilingual Classrooms and ICT-REV workshops will be hosted in the following countries:

RELANG: Albania, Armenia, Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal and Romania. For more details on workshop dates and venues, please visit the RELANG event page. RELANG focuses on relating foreign/second language curricula, tests and examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Supporting Multilingual Classrooms: Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Slovak Republic and Sweden. For more details on workshop dates and venues, please visit the Supporting Multilingual Classrooms event page. Supporting Multilingual Classrooms focuses on the linguistic integration of migrant learners in schools across Europe.

ICT-REV: Armenia, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany and Poland. For more details on workshop dates and venues, please visit the ICT-REV event page. ICT-REV promotes a pedagogically-based use of ICT tools and open resources in support of quality language teaching and learning, including online and blended learning settings.

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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Local organiser: Alice Micallef, Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programmes

ECML experts: Karine Dekeukelaere, Belgium; Jana Beresova, Slovakia

Participants: 25 (language testers and examiners, item writers, teachers and teacher trainers, curriculum developers, language inspectors, policymakers)

"Alternative forms of assessment are key in current teaching, learning and assessment programmes in the language education area. They provide possibility for teachers and learners to work together in the language learning journey as learners become more aware of ways of how to evaluate the process of language learning. School-based assessment has been recently introduced in the Maltese secondary school assessment system and forms part of the final assessment grade. Validity and reliability of school-based assessment is an area that continues to raise a lot of discussion.

The RELANG workshop introduced a new module in its new programme on the area of alternative assessment and specifically addresses the theme of validity and reliability of such assessment. The workshop organised in Malta in October 2023 addressed a number of salient areas related to validity and reliability of alternative forms of assessment and proposed ways of how to organise and plan such practice at classroom level.

A group of 25 stakeholders from the state and non-state sectors were invited to participate in the ECML workshop. Item writers, examiners, teacher trainers and teachers were introduced to various aspects related to alternative forms of assessment practices to be able to critically analyse current assessment practices. The workshop also served to strengthen the area of professional development related to assessment practices in the FL/ L2 classroom at secondary school level."

Alice Micallef, local organiser, January 2023

ECML project website: RELANG – EU-ECML cooperation agreement 2022 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

The European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe together with the European Commission are launching a new round of workshops within the joint action on Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning focusing on the following initiatives:

• RELANG – Relating language curricula, tests and examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference

• Supporting Multilingual Classrooms

• ICT-REV – Using ICT in support of language teaching and learning

The activities are scheduled to take place between end of February and mid-December 2023, the three initiatives offering up to 23 national workshops during this period.

The call is open to current European Union member states and the additional member states of the ECML until 6 January 2023.

For further information, please contact Adelina Rosca (adelina.rosca@ecml.at), the ECML-EU cooperation agreement coordinator.