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    Colloquia and other initiatives

ECML colloquia and other initiatives in cooperation with the European Commission

ECML-EC Colloquium 2023: Regional and minority languages within a plurilingual context

The  “Strengthening support for regional and minority languages within a plurilingual context” colloquium took place at the European Centre for Modern Languages in Graz on 7 November within the context of the ECML’s cooperation action with the European Commission.

Against the background of more than half of the member states of the Council of Europe officially recognising regional or minority languages (RMLs) within their borders for legal or administrative purposes and an estimated number of over 50 million speakers of RMLs,  the declared aims of the colloquium were to:

  • strengthen awareness of the importance of regional and minority languages  (RMLs) - promoting diversity at all level
  • take stock of current actions in this wide area and highlight examples of interesting educational practice which are potentially transferable/adaptable to other context
  • promote cooperation and synergies where possible among stakeholders;
  • identify pedagogical needs of the RML professional community, with a view to developing further action at an international level. 

View details and videos from the event

ECML-EC Colloquium 2022: Innovative Methodologies and Assessment in Language Learning 10 years on - moving forward together

The overall aim of the colloquium was to mark ten years of the highly productive partnership between the ECML and the European Commission and to use the occasion to take a critical look at the range of activities undertaken, to consider their relevance and the impact achieved. This critical review was then used as the basis for discussing next steps in the light of current challenges.

View details and videos from the event

ECML-EC Colloquium 2021: The future of language education in the light of Covid – lessons learned and ways forward

The colloquium “The future of language education in the light of Covid – lessons learned and ways forward” (14 December 2021), which attracted over 1 000 viewers, was part of an initiative, led by the ECML’s Professional Network Forum and co-funded as part of the ECML-EC Cooperation Agreement, which focuses on the impact of the pandemic on language education.

The colloquium looked back in order to move forward: it reported on the results of a Europe-wide survey which attracted over 1 750 responses and on the activities which have followed it. These include two online think tanks, case studies by teachers, and a leaflet summarising the challenges. The initiative continued in 2022 with plans for further think tanks as well as two guides: one for language teachers and one for decision-makers. 

View details and videos from the event

European Day of Languages

At the Council of Europe’s initiative, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated every year since 2001 on 26 September - together with the European Commission.

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Former initiative “The future of language education in the light of Covid – lessons learned and ways forward"

Organised jointly with the Professional Network Forum and the European Commission

The initiative explores how the ongoing Covid pandemic has affected language education, and at ways in which the skills and insights gained may bring about beneficial lasting changes in the teaching and learning of languages.
More about the initiative


This initiative is carried out within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the European Centre for Modern Languages and the European Commission, entitled
Innovative Methodologies and Assessment in language learning
www.ecml.at/ec-cooperation