Co-operation with the European Commission
Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning

Six months after the 4th ECML-EC Summer Academy, eight transnational projects are now underway, initiated by the international networks formed during the Academy. In a follow-up online meeting on 6 February 2026, 23 of the 30 participants from different countries across Europe, together with 5 experts, presented these projects and discussed their ongoing development.

The ECML-EC Summer Academy is an annual professional development initiative for teacher educators in foreign languages, organised within the framework of the ongoing cooperation between the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) and the European Commission. The 2025 edition, entitled “Inspiring Innovation in European Language Teacher Education”, was held at the ECML in Graz, Austria, from 30 June to 4 July, bringing together participants from 28 countries. The intensive programme enabled them to network internationally, share best practices, and develop sustainable follow-up projects.

The 2025 programme addressed key developments in language teacher education, including plurilingual education, digital literacy, AI in language-friendly environments, innovative methods in teacher education research, and teacher competences. Participants engaged through presentations, workshops, and discussions, and developed projects for sustainable follow-up. An additional session at the University of Graz on digital storytelling proved particularly noteworthy and inspired a number of collaborative projects.

The eight projects cover diverse topics, reflecting the themes explored at the Summer Academy. Notable examples include:

• Using AI tools to generate curriculum-linked post-primary materials to support the language learning of newly-arrived migrants, with teachers jointly testing, refining, and disseminating AI-based learning materials.
• Digital storytelling on the use of AI, collecting teachers’ experiences and turning them into evolving online narratives (see an example).
• Plurilingualism and pluriculturalism as a teaching resource, an international training initiative integrating pluralistic approaches, collaborative strategies, and digital tools.

These projects demonstrate how networks formed during the Academy are translating into initiatives that continue to support innovation in language teacher education across Europe.

The call for the ECML-EC Summer Academy 2026 is now open (deadline: 20 April 2026). One nomination per country is accepted. Interested teacher educators are invited to contact their national nominating authority.

For more information, visit: www.ecml.at/summeracademy

ECML-EC training workshop for Belgium

Local organiser: Fauve Van den Berghe, Department of Education & Training (Flemish Government)

ECML experts: José Noijons (the Netherlands), Gabor Szabo (Hungary)

Participants: 29 teachers and teacher trainers

During the RELANG training workshop on 20-21 November 2025, participants learned how to link descriptors for different skills to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The workshop also covered how to create valid tasks for receptive and productive skills for different CEFR levels. The workshop may be useful for teachers, language coordinators, educational supervisors, teacher trainers, test developers, etc.

More information about RELANG can be found here, along with a number of interesting ECML materials. Subscribe to the ECML's European Language Gazette for fascinating facts and activities related to language teaching.

Fauve Van den Berghe, local coordinator, 16 December 2025

ECML project website: RELANG, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

Local organiser: Lília Maria Vicente, Ministry of Education, Directorate-General for School Administration

ECML experts: Catherine Carré-Karlinger (Austria), Katja Schnitzer (Switzerland)

Participants: 27 school leaders, teachers of the language of schooling, researchers

The Supporting Multilingual Classrooms training workshop, which aims to help member states ensure access to quality education for migrant learners and bridge the attainment gap between these learners and non-migrant pupils, was organised on 13-14 November 2025 in Lisbon by the Portuguese Directorate-General for School Administration of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation. This entity is responsible for the school principals’ Continuing Professional Development, (CPD) on the theme of "Inclusive approaches in language education” within the module on "Developing language-aware schools".  

School principals and other educational actors from school clusters that show a diversified cultural and linguistic reality were invited, in order to provide them with moments of sharing and reflection on their contexts and practices, and, above all, to show that multilingualism and cultural diversity are added values in the life of schools, contributing to promote inclusion.

In fact, the responsibility that falls to school principals to manage school clusters that incorporate pupils from many different nationalities requires the development of strategies that ensure that all members of their community have opportunities to develop awareness of the value of multilingualism for all and integrate these opportunities into their practices, which does not always seem easy. It is therefore very important to give school principals the opportunity to share their reality with others and to get to know new ways of addressing their problems in a more effective and rewarding way and to give them access to other strategies and approaches that enable them to meet the challenges posed by these new educational contexts.

Lília Maria Vicente, local organiser, 19 December 2025

ECML project website: Supporting multilingual classrooms, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "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:

• ICT-REV – Using ICT in support of language teaching and learning
• RELANG – Relating language curricula, tests and examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference
• Supporting Multilingual Classrooms

The activities are scheduled to take place between March and mid-December 2026, the three initiatives offering a total of 20 national workshops during this period.

The call is open to current European Union member states and the additional member states of the ECML until 9 January 2026.

For further information, please contact Adelina Rosca-Birnstingl ([email protected]), the ECML-EC cooperation agreement coordinator.

Local organiser: Maria Arapopoulou, Centre for the Greek Language

ECML experts: Rita Jukneviciene (Lithuania), Gabor Szabo (Hungary)

Participants: 24 language testers and examiners, item writers, teachers and teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers

The RELANG training workshop held in Thessaloniki on 11 - 13 November 2025 brought together language testers, examiners, and educators from key national and international institutions involved in the Certification of Attainment in Greek. Organised by the Centre for the Greek Language in cooperation with the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML) and the Hellenic Ministry of Education, the workshop focused on strengthening the connection between curricula, teaching, and assessment through the CEFR and its Companion Volume.

Participants engaged with practical approaches to designing and evaluating CEFR-aligned test tasks, with particular emphasis on valid, reliable, and inclusive assessment practices for learners of Greek as a second or additional language. The event also showcased ECML resources and developments , such as RELANG guidelines, CEFR-based tools, and examples of successful implementation, which help ensure high-quality language education across Europe.

The workshop provided a comprehensive, systematic, and coherent training programme that covered all stages of the assessment and examination process, offering highly valuable insights for teaching practice too. Participants highlighted its clarity, practical orientation, and strong relevance to real testing contexts. Their active engagement reflects a growing commitment to high-quality, CEFR-informed language education, taking into account the local context. By benefitting from the RELANG national training workshops, ECML and EU member states gain access to advanced expertise, practical tools, and a vibrant European network dedicated to promoting shared standards, strengthening assessment literacy, and supporting fair, transparent, and reliable language certification for all learners.

Maria Arapopoulou, local coordinator, 26 November 2025

ECML project website: RELANG, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"