8.30 - 9.00
Registration
9.00 - 10.15
Panel: Sign Languages in Europe
Chair: Michael REMMERT, Head of Education Policy Division, Council of Europe
Sign Language is Basic Human Right
Markku JOKINEN, President of the European Union of the Deaf
Sign languages as part of multilingual Europe
Eeva TUPI, Human Rights Adviser at the Finnish League for Human Rights
The development in the status of sign languages under the resolutions of the European Parliament, with special regard to the past 10 years
Ádám KÓSA, Member of the European Parliament, EPP Group
Sign languages from the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (ECRML) perspective
Sixto MOLINA, Head of Secretariat, European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, Council of Europe
Sign languages as minority languages: the route to acceptance
Joseph MURRAY, President of the World Federation of the Deaf
Questions from the floor
10.15-10.45
Coffee break
10.45 - 11.45
Council of Europe’s engagement in the field of sign languages
Chair: Sarah BRESLIN, Executive Director, European Centre for Modern Languages, Council of Europe
CEFR Companion Volume: A modality-inclusive reference framework for languages
What is new? What is the rational?
Brian NORTH, Eurocentres Foundation
The notion of modality-inclusive descriptors in the CEFR
Christian RATHMANN, Professor, Humboldt University, Berlin
Modality-specific descriptors for sign language competences
Jörg KELLER, Zurich University of Applied Sciences
ProSIGN 2 - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction
Sign language teacher competences
Tobias HAUG, Leiter Bachelorstudiengang Gebärdensprachdolmetschen, Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik Zürich
European Language Portfolio (ELP) for sign language learners
Lorraine LEESON, Professor in Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin
Christian RATHMANN, Professor, Humboldt University, Berlin
Questions from the floor
11.45 - 12.15
Debate I: Learning, teaching and assessment of sign languages
Moderator: Thomas GEISSLER, Humboldt University
- How can we exploit the CEFR Companion Volume for curriculum development and assessment in secondary and higher education?
- How can plurilingual education help?
- What would be our next steps?
- What kind of institutional support is needed?
12.15 - 12.45
Debate II: I have a dream! Sign languages are recognised in Europe
Moderator: Lorraine LEESON, Trinity College Dublin
- How can we contribute to the promotion and recognition of sign languages?
- How can we influence policy making?
- How can Council of Europe help?
12.45 - 13.00
Closing
Concluding remarks by the general rapporteur of the session
General rapporteur: David LITTLE (to be confirmed)
Final statements
Sarah BRESLIN, Executive Director of the ECML, Council of Europe
Michael REMMERT, Head of Education Policy Division, Council of Europe
13.00 - 14.00
Buffet lunch (offered by the Council of Europe)
14.00
Departure for ECML premises (CDPPE members and experts)