1. On 17 June 2019 a meeting took place in Strasbourg (following from an initial meeting in January 2019 in Graz, and significant work in the interim) to ensure that the current Companion Volume of the CEFR (Council of Europe, 2018) is modality inclusive – that is, phrasing the terminology such that both spoken and signed languages are addressed. Participants were Beppie van den BOGAERDE, Jörg KELLER, Lorraine LEESON, Brian NORTH, Christian RATHMANN as experts, together with the Council of Europe Secretariat. The final texts were approved by all. The presentation of the updated version will be at the celebration conference of ECML’s 25^th anniversary in Graz, Austria in December 2019. All relevant information will also be translated into International Sign and be available to the public in due course.

2. Lorraine Leeson and Beppie van den Bogaerde are currently working on a chapter for a special edition of Sociolinguistica 34 (De Gruyter, editors: Jeroen Darquennes and Theo du Plessis, provisional title : "Language diversity management in higher education"). Their focus will be on the use of sign languages in educational settings and what the prerequisites are for sound and successful sign language pedagogy.

3. Currently members of the expert team of ProSign 2 are working on a paper for the occasion of the 25^th Anniversary of the ECML (5-6 December 2019, Conference) on sign language and the ProSign2 project.

4. European Language Portfolio (ELP) – progress. At this point in time we are finalizing the work on the ELP for sign languages. The website and further information will be made available at the ECML December conference; the aim is to provide a ready model of the ELP for learners of a sign language as a foreign language.

The Pro-Sign2 project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

• ECML project website "Promoting excellence in sign language instruction (Pro-Sign2)" (available in English, French and sign language)

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has recently adopted a report on Promoting and protection sign languages in Europe, as well as a recommendation to which the Committee of Ministers in May 2019. In addition, an expert report on the use of sign languages in the Organisation's member States has been prepared at the request of the Finnish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers.

The Committee of Ministers underlines the importance of sign languages as natural languages of deaf persons and recognises that it would be of importance to improve the understanding of how sign languages are protected and promoted in all member states.

• Eeva Tupi (2019), "Sign language rights in the framework of the Council of Europe and its member states": PDF version in English
• Consult the expert report, the PACE report, resolution and recommendation and the Committee of Ministers' reply  
• Read the statement by Timo Soini, Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, on the use of sign languages in Europe

ECML projects and resources related to sign languages

• "Pro-Sign2 - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" (2012-2016)
• "Pro-Sign - Sign languages and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages – Descriptors and approaches to assessment" (2011-2015)
• Thematic collection on sign languages

Tobias Haug was presenting on methodological issues developing sign language tests as part of a webinar on 4 May 2019, organised by the European Association of Language Testing and Assessment (EALTA). The webinar was interpreted into International Sign. The webinar will be made available at the EALTA’s website.

Representatives of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), the ProSign 2 project, the Council of Europe, the University of Applied Sciences Zurich, and Brian North are meeting in Strasbourg in June to discuss the inclusion of sign languages in the CEFR Companion Volume.

The Pro-Sign team is currently working on a paper for the ECML’s 25th Anniversary Volume and preparing the final documents and products for the website "Promoting excellence in sign language instruction".

The Pro-Sign2 project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

• ECML project website "Promoting excellence in sign language instruction (Pro-Sign2)“ (available in English, French and sign language)

Professor Rathmann in Brazil: CEFR- and Libras-related activities in Brazil

Currently, being a visiting professor at UFSC (funded by CNPq, the Brazil National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) in Florianopolis, Brazil Professor Rathmann has been in an active dialogue with Libras(*) teachers, administrators, researchers, sign language users and other shareholders. Many universities and institutions offering Libras classes are starting on standardization of learning, teaching and assessment of Libras. He gave workshops on CEFR on Sign Languages at UFSC, at UF do Ceará (in Fortaleza) and at the National Institute for the Education of the Deaf (INES) in Rio de Janeiro. Moreover, he visited the Deaf/Bilingual Education Department at the Brazil Ministry of Education, MEC, in Brasilia.

CEFR-Companion Volume at the Council of Europe

The ProSign team is actively participating in revisions of CEFR-CV. Their main contribution is the introduction of modality-inclusive terminology in the new document. This ensures the full inclusion of signed and spoken languages in the CEFR framework on an equal footing.

*Libras: Brazilian Sign Language, also known as "Libras" (from "Língua Brasileira de Sinais").

The Pro-Sign2 project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

• ECML project website "Promoting excellence in sign language instruction (Pro-Sign2)" (available in English, French and sign language)

In October 2018, the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the Council of Europe unanimously adopted a draft resolution calling for official recognition of sign languages with a view to enabling deaf persons to exercise their fundamental rights, such as the right to employment, education, access to health services and participation in political life.

Recognising sign languages as official languages would also contribute to promoting their use in public institutions, including national parliaments, to preventing discrimination and to further promoting the richness of deaf culture, and would send a powerful message of inclusion to the deaf community.

This issue will be debated during the next meeting of the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) which will be held in Helsinki, on 23 November 2018.

Related links:

• Adopted draft report “Protecting and promoting sign languages in Europe” by the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination - Rapporteur: Ms Miren Edurne Gorrotxategui, Spain
• Recognising sign languages as official languages (news item, PACE, 9 October 2018)
• Standing Committee to meet in Helsinki (news item, PACE)

• International Day of Sign Languages and International Week of the Deaf 2018 (23 September)
• European Day of languages (26 September)

• Projects of the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe:
  -- "Pro-Sign2 - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" (2012-2016)
  -- "Pro-Sign - Sign languages and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages – Descriptors and approaches to assessment" (2011-2015)

The Pro-Sign pre-conference workshop was held on the 18 October at the University of Belgrade and led by Thomas Geissler (Humboldt-Universität, Berlin) and Dr. Christopher Stone (University of Wolverhampton). The aims of the workshop were two-folds: (a) to develop effective strategies in the field of sign language teaching and interpreters' training in the Balkan countries and (b) to introduce goals of the third Pro-Sign conference in the following days.

The Pro-Sign2/efsli conference in Belgrade (19-20 October 2018) was attended by approx. 150 people from 39 countries. Themes were the European Language Portfolio (ELP), Assessment, sign language pedagogy and technology, plans to develop a (generic) sign language teacher training curriculum and of course, sign language teacher competencies – based on work by ECML project Towards a Common European Framework of Reference for Language Teachers.  The presentations were innovative, inspiring and challenging, both for established programs and experienced teachers as for new players in the field.

The keynote by Prof. Dr. Jelena Filipovic and Prof. Dr. Julijana Vuco (University of Belgrade) titled Sign language in academic contexts from the perspective of language and human rights was impressive in that it painted a painful picture of the status of sign language in Serbia and elsewhere, but finished on an optimistic note about new developments in the deaf community about visibility and participation in the larger communities.

Actually, we learned that the rector of University of Belgrade, Prof. Dr. Ivanka Popović and the colleagues in the Faculty of Philology at University of Belgrade plan to include Serbian Sign Language in their program. It is an important step of language planning with the goal to enhance awareness of Serbian SL and human rights of sign language users in the Balkan region. We wish them good luck and all the best for the implementation.

In this light, the presentation of a study on Serbian Sign Language by Dragana Raičević, Mihailo Gordić, Gordana Nikolić and Mieke Van Herreweghe (University of Ghent, Belgium) was especially welcomed by the audience. It is an important study for the Serbian Deaf community.

Ivana Bucko (efsli) who coordinated and organised the conference, supported by the expert team of ProSign, had inspired about 60 volunteers, students of the University of Belgrade and members from the Belgrade Deaf Community to assist in all kinds of matters, and to provide the participant with coffee, tea and lunches during the breaks. Thank you volunteers!

The team members of Pro-Sign2 like to express their gratitude to all who contributed to make the event such a huge success, last but not least the wonderful people at the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) who supported us on all levels. We were delighted to have representatives from several of our associate partners with us, including ENSLT and Moscow State Linguistics University.

Also thanks to our sponsors: Anéla, Deaf Club Belgrade, ECML, efsli, ENSLT, Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, Humboldt-University zu Berlin, Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik, Serbian Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ATZSJ), Trinity College Dublin.

The Pro-Sign2 project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

• ECML project website "Pro-Sign2 - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" (available in English, French and sign language)

Conference in Belgrade

Preparations for the upcoming Third PROSign conference and pre-conference workshop at the University of Belgrade, Serbia, are underway. We have been enjoying the close collaboration with efsli as one of our associate partner. Efsli, under the leadership of efsli president Ivana Bucko plays a crucial role for the success in Belgrade.

We look forward to discussing our PROSign products with conference participants soon.

CEFR workshop

CEFR workshop ("Minicurso 7: Marco de Referência Europeu para o ensino de Línguas de Sinais: Aprendizagem, Ensino e Avaliação") as a part of TILP conference in Florianopolis, Brazil will be delivered by Christian Rathmann on 1st October 2018.
http://www.congressotils.com.br/programacao/index.php

The Pro-Sign II project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

• ECML project website "Pro-Sign II - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" (available in English, French and sign language)

Belgrade Conference

The final preparations are being done now for the ProSign / efsli  October conference in Belgrade. It is still possible to register, so please do so as soon as possible in order to gain insights into the newest developments of Sign Language Teaching and Pedagogy! The preliminary programme is available also on the website.

Greece embraces CEFR for sign language teaching

More than 25 Deaf GSL teachers and teachers-to-be from all over Greece have actively enrolled in the training program for CEFR levels in the teaching of sign languages. Added to these are 7 hearing staff and interpreters of sign language schools that need to be familiar with these concepts / methodology. Since 23rd July they have been studying the CEFR material made available in GSL and Greek, and have started uploading signed exercises according to CEFR on our platform, to be monitored between Chrissostomos Papaspirou, Galini Sapountzaky, the Association of GSL-tutors and discussed with all of the participants in a workshop between 20-26 August 2018. ECML ProSign 2 Expert Team members Christian Rathmann and Beppie van den Bogaerde are involved in the program.

Dissemination of CEFR for Sign Languages

Christian Rathmann (Coordinator of Pro-Sign 2) gave one of three talks at a conference in Tabriz, Iran in early August which was organised by the Deaf Iranian NGO Cooperation Network. This talk focused on the importance of teaching Sign Language as L2 for the implementation of UNCPRD and introduced the competency levels of CEFR for Sign Languages.

At the upcoming SIGN9 conference at the University of Warsaw on 22-25 August 2018 next (see http://sign9.uw.edu.pl/en/), Thomas Geissler and Christian Rathmann are going to share current work on "CEFR-based Sign Language Assessment: A Multistage Procedure and Error Analysis".

 The Pro-Sign 2 project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

• ECML project website "Pro-Sign 2 - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" (available in English, French and sign language)

In June, Carmel Grehan presented on work undertaken at the Centre for Deaf Studies around piloting the European Language Portfolio (ELP) with a group of second language learners of Irish Sign Language at Trinity College Dublin. Working in partnership with the Irish Sign Language Academy, Carmel led a one day workshop on how the ELP can be used in the teaching and learning of Irish Sign Language for a group of ISL teachers at Deaf Village Ireland in Dublin.

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We are proud to announce that we have made available the results of the surveys that were done during the PRO-Sign1 and PRO-Sign2 project of ECML.

• Here is the link to the Survey report from the ECML project PRO-Sign1:
  Sign languages for professional purposes: The implementation of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for sign languages in higher education - Results of an international survey.
  
  
• And here the link to the Survey report from the ECML project PRO-Sign2 on "Promoting excellence in sign language instructions".

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Preparations for the ProSign2 / efsli conference in Belgrade in October 2018 are in full swing. The registration for the third PRO-Sign Conference is now open and the preliminary programme has been released; the final programme will be available in August. Information can be accessed on the efsli website or ProSign page.

In preparation for the conference, we would like to draw your attention to another ECML project, in which Language Teacher Competencies have been drafted. We invite you to have a look at this information in preparation for our Belgrade conference.

The PRO-Sign2 project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

• ECML project website "PRO-Sign2 - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" (available in English, French and sign language)

Update on the Pro-Sign II conference in Belgrade, Serbia
Abstracts have been submitted. Further information (programme, registration, location etc.) will be released in early June. A meeting with Ivana Bucko, president of the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (efsli) was held end of May.

e-ELP
The third Focus Group of e-ELP at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin was held on Monday, 28 May. The final results will be presented at the conference in Belgrade. e-ELP is one of our goals in Pro-Sign II.

Meeting with Swiss stakeholders
Thanks to the initiatives of the Swiss Deaf Association (SGB-FSS), the meeting of Swiss Institutions of Higher Education, Pro-Sign II representatives and SGB-FSS will be held on 10 July 2018. The Pro-Sign team looks forward to a very fruitful exchange.

CEFR training in Greece
ECML member state Greece will host a training workshop on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Greek sign language teachers in late August 2018. Pro-Sign representation will be involved at some point.

Council of Europe and ECML information
Mid-June, the Dutch Pro-Sign II expert team member will present an update on Council of Europe and ECML policies to all teachers of the Institute for Sign, Language & Deaf Studies (Utrecht) in preparation of a pilot study to implement the e-ELP (see above). The pilot study will involve researchers, management, teachers and students.

• ECML project website "Pro-Sign II - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" (available in English, French and sign language)

The Pro-Sign II project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

On 4 April, the Expert Team of the ECML project ‘Pro-Sign II - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction’ met to discuss the further development of the products of our project, and prepare for the Network Meeting. 

The Network meeting took place on 5-6 April, and was attended in total by 23 people from 17 countries. Main topics were working towards a profile for sign language teachers’ competencies, towards a European Language Portfolio (ELP) fit for sign language learners, and assessment literacy and training. After very useful presentations by Lukas Bleichenbacher (ECML project: ‘Towards a common European framework of reference for language teachers’) and Ulrike Szigeti from ECML project ‘Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages­­­’ (E-LANG), and other innovative contributions from many, we worked in small groups discussing possibilities and restrictions. ­­­

The workshop was very useful and constructive, and the Expert Team members are very grateful to all participants  for their enthusiasm and their input. Please have a look at some video reports that are on the Pro-Sign II website. A special thank you to the ECML team who once again made us very welcome and supported us in every possible way, to the representatives of ENSLT and EFSLI, and Moscow State University. The interpreters too contributed hugely to a successful meeting.

In the coming months we will work out all the contributions and prepare for the ProSign2 / EFSLI conference in Belgrade in October 2018 (see elsewhere on our website). The Call for papers has been released and we very much welcome any paper and poster presentations.

The Pro-Sign II project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

Tobias Haug reports that the University of Applied Science of Special Needs Education (HfH, Zurich, Switzerland) has set up a CEFR¹ working group to align the existing Swiss German Sign Language curricular to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The outputs of the ECML "Pro-Sign project - Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" are a very important resource for this process. The working group, led by Tobias Haug, is also in close cooperation with other stakeholders, mostly with the Swiss Deaf Federation.

In Ireland, Lorraine Leeson and Carmel Grehan, along with student ISL² teachers Anita Nolan and Eimear Mowlds, have been working on the European Language Portfolio (ELP) piloting with students at Trinity College Dublin. They have talked with students at three points over the course of this academic year about their experiences of using the pilot ELP and explored their thoughts on its usefulness.

At Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, Christian Rathmann and Thomas Geissler have been working on the implementation of ELP with the students enrolled in BA Deaf Studies. Two focus groups have been arranged, and the experiences were shared. Moreover, the team at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin has been working on sign language assessment in three areas: production, reception and interaction. Another focus group has been arranged as well.

Colleagues at both institutions are analysing the data to prepare for the Pro-Sign II network meeting in Graz (Austria, 5-6 April 2018). The project team is very much looking forward to telling you about our progress at the network meeting!

The Sign Language Curriculum in Deaf Studies at Humboldt University, Germany, was revamped and is now aligned with the CEFR.

Third, the preparations of the Pro-Sign Conference in Belgrade, Serbia, include the release of a "Save the date" announcement, and the call for papers will be distributed soon.

In Toronto, Canada, a CEFR workshop has been delivered by Christian Rathmann (21-24 February 2018). 

Beppie van den Bogaerde represented the Pro-Sign II expert team at an EALTA organised event, VIth EALTA CEFR SIG in Dublin, Ireland, on 27 January 2018, “The CEFR Companion Volume with new descriptors: uses and implications for language testing and assessment”. A report will be published soon, drafted by Prof. Dr. David Little.

The Pro-Sign II project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

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1 CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment
2 ISL: Irish Sign Language
3 ELP: European Language Portfolio

Save the date!
The 3rd PRO-Sign Conference will be held at the School of Philology, University of Belgrade, Serbia, on 19-20 October 2018. A call for proposals and further details will be announced in March 2018.

The project is developing a professionally-oriented competency framework for sign language teachers and will provide B2 level materials and learning activities from different European sign languages. They will also create a European Language Portfolio (ELP) that takes account of any modality specific requirements for sign languages.

• Conference announcement
• Pro-Sign II project website available in sign language, English and French
• Related ECML publication available in Czech, English, Estonian, German and Icelandic (2015): Sign languages and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Common reference level descriptors

The 2-day meeting (6-7 February 2018) at the ECML in Graz, Austria, was an excellent opportunity for the ECML project experts to discuss ongoing project developments with their fellow project coordinators.

They explored synergies between the different projects and exchanged good practice in project methodology. They discussed ongoing work on the development of their products and how to best disseminate the wide range of final results which will be achieved by the end of 2018 and 2019. They reflected on critical success factors to promote the achievements across and at the end of their respective project life cycles, to implement, to mediate, to possibly further develop them and to maximise impact in the various national and individual contexts. Finally they shared initial ideas for both the contents and the structure of the next ECML programme (2020-2023). They also highlighted the added value, both professional and personal, of coordinating ECML projects, seeing this as an opportunity to bridge policy, research and practice and contribute to making a real difference to quality language education in Europe.

Impressions of the meeting (photo gallery on Facebook)

Current ECML programme of activities 2016-2019: "Languages at the heart of learning"

In December 2017 the Expert Team suggested names to the ECML for the PRO-Sign 2 Network meeting, which is planned on 5-6 April 2018, in Graz, Austria. Ten people will be funded to attend, but more are welcome at their own costs. The preliminary program will follow soon, so keep an eye on this website! The first announcements and invitations will be sent out by us and ECML in January 2018.

Beppie van den Bogaerde (PRO-Sign 2 Expert Team member) attended the ECML Think Tank in Graz, Austria, on 18 and 19 January 2018. The topic of the Think Tank was Language Learning Pathways. More information to follow next month.

Data on how student learners of a sign language reflect on SL learning is currently being collected in Germany and Ireland, where the PRO-Sign 2 team are piloting the European Language Portfolio. Watch out for more information on what students think later this Spring!

The project team
Christian Rathmann (project coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie Van Den Bogaerde

• Pro-Sign 2 project website "Promoting excellence in sign language instruction" (available in sign language, English and French)
• More information about the ECML Think tank "Language learning pathways" (Graz, 18-19 January 2018)

Tobias Haug obtained a master’s degree in Language Testing (distance). His dissertation is titled Development and Evaluation of Two Vocabulary Tests for Swiss German Sign Language (2017). By the way, he passed "with distinction"! Congratulations from all of us! We are very proud to have him in the Expert Team of PRO-Sign2.

Christian Rathmann delivered two talks in Budapest, Hungary, on 9 November at the 3rd International Conference of the World Federation of the Deaf with the theme Full Inclusion with Sign Languages, and he talked about ‘Language Choices in Deaf Infants: Advice for (Hearing) Parents’ (a joint talk with colleagues). He also presented in London, UK, on 10 November 2017, at the ESCR event at City University, Go See: Learning British Sign Language: Bridging Research and Practice. The title of his presentation was ‘Current Issues in Second Sign Language Research’. ProSign and CEFR for Sign Languages have been mentioned and discussed.

The Expert team members are involved in the Implementation of European Language Portfolio (ELP) for Sign Languages as a pilot project at Trinity College (Leeson) and Humboldt-Universität (Rathmann), which have already started. Zürich (Haug) and Utrecht (van den Bogaerde) will follow soon. Preliminary pilot results will be presented in our Network meeting in April 2018.

Maria de Monte (ISSR, Italy), Felipe Venancio Barbosa (Brazil), Tobias Haug (Switzerland) and Beppie van den Bogaerde (Netherlands) organised an EALTA subsidized event titled ‘Assessing Sign Language in Clinical and Classroom Environment: Learning from Experience Exchange’, in Rome, 9-11 November 2017.  About 30 people attended the event, sign language teachers, language policy makers, students and (clinical) linguists. The focus was on assessing atypical sign language (e.g. patients with psychiatric problems) and on testing sign language in L1 and L2 users. The following issues were discussed during the workshop: Target group delineation and adapting SL testing to their needs, Task development, Test content, Post-test (what do we do with the results of the tests?), and Provide a bridge between Theory and Practice with access to resources. We evaluated the discussed issues during the workshop (WS) and prioritized them as follows (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Evaluation of discussion in the workshop and priorities in addressing issues

PRO-Sign 2 project website (available in English, French and sign language)

The project team: 
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

We are focusing at the moment on gathering information from stakeholders, and are trying to disseminate the current knowledge. We are also analyzing the results from the PRO-Sign2 survey (which was closed in August 2017). These will be presented at the Network meeting in April 2018 in Graz.

Beppie van den Bogaerde and Tobias Haug are preparing, with Maria De Monte from Istituto Statale per Sordi di Roma, a workshop on Sign Language Assessment. This workshop will take place in Rome, Italy, on 9-11 November. More information will follow later.

Christian Rathmann had a meeting with efsli President Ivana Bucko in Berlin, Germany on 25 August 2017. Main focus was on preparations for the ProSign Conference in Belgrade, Serbia (which is to be held in October 2018).

In Ireland, Lorraine Leeson and Carmel Grehan have secured Research Ethics approval to undertake a study that explores how use of the European Language Portfolio helps L2 sign language learners as they progress on their journey to B level competence. They will report back at the ProSign conference in 2018. We also hope that this protocol will be replicated in a number of other countries in the coming year.

Lorraine Leeson will be heading to New Zealand in November to present a keynote address at the “Signs of Professionalism Conference”, reflecting on 25 years of New Zealand Sign Language interpreting, teaching and development. ProSign will feature here!

The Council of Europe proudly presented the (provisional) updated version of the CEFR. Have a look at the Companion Volume with new descriptors. Our project PRO-Sign2 is mentioned on pp. 22 and 45.

• PRO-Sign2 project website (available in English and in sign language)

The project team:
Christian Rathmann (coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde

Before the summer recess, the expert team met via skype and decided to share the following information:

• Our PRO-Sign2 Network meeting (invited participants) is to take place in Graz, Austria, at the ECML offices on 5-6 April 2018, preceded by an expert team-only meeting on the 4 April.
  We are currently considering participants and the programme.
  
  
• The PRO-Sign2 Conference is definitely to be held in Belgrade (Serbia), dates yet to be determined in the fall of 2018. We are busy working on the organisation and content.
  
  
• The expert team members will be quite actively promoting our PRO-Sign2 project at conferences and other gatherings. There will a session on the CEFR for Sign Languages as Second/Foreign Language at the International Conference for German Teachers (IDT conference), in Fribourg, Switzerland, in early August. Both Christian Rathmann and Tobias Haug will report at the conference from the PRO-Sign 2 project.
  
  
• Our team is also busy planning a pilot to introduce the European Language Portfolio into a number of sign language classes across Europe this coming year. Stay tuned for updates!
  
  
• People engaged in sign language instruction who are willing to fill out our Survey PRO-Sign2 are more than welcome: please follow the link below. The survey is open until July 30^th next.

http://survey.cefr4sl.eu/index.php?sid=57936&lang=en

In August we won’t be reporting on any progress, since we will either be on holidays or attending conferences.

The expert team members wish you all a very good summer !

• PRO-Sign2 project website

The ProSign2 expert team:
Christian Rathmann (project coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie Van Den Bogaerde

The ProSign2 expert team:
Christian Rathmann (project coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie Van Den Bogaerde

In April and May, we have been working on the glossary, which will be posted on the project’s website real soon. Furthermore, we are trying to find more respondents for our Survey: if you have not filled it out yet, there is still the opportunity to do so. Please go to http://survey.cefr4sl.eu/index.php?sid=57936&lang=en and help us get an overview on sign language teaching curricula and competencies as per now across Europe.

From 3-5 May, Tobias Haug has attended the ALTE International Conference in Bologna and also presented the PRO-Sign 2 project within a panel on sign language assessment research.

Christian Rathmann has shared information on PRO-Sign I (publication of CEFR for Sign Languages) and PRO-Sign II (focus on the development of teaching and assessment materials and ELP for Sign Languages) with participants at the last Erasmus+-funded Sign Teach project meeting in Siena, Italy, on 5 May 2017. He also met with the representative of the European Network of Sign Language Teachers (ENSLT) in Siena. Additionally, he delivered a presentation on CEFR-based sign language certification procedure at the national Swiss Deaf Association General Meeting in Lugano, Switzerland on 15 May 2017.

Beppie van den Bogaerde presented a keynote at the Symposium on Signed Language Interpretation and Translation Research at Gallaudet University, Washington DC, in March/April last. She talked about how research is interwoven with the implementation of the CEFR aligned new curriculum in her institute, which was driven by her work in ProSign I. 

• PRO-SIGN2 project website

 The ProSign2 expert team:
Christian Rathmann (project coordinator), Tobias Haug, Lorraine Leeson, Beppie Van Den Bogaerde

The European Language Gazette, the ECML's e-newsletter, provides up-to-date news about the ECML (events, projects, resources), the Language Policy Unit and other relevant sectors of the Council of Europe, as well as our partners. It focuses on national developments in the field of language education in the member states and beyond.

Read the latest issue: English - French

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Issue no. 36 – Contents

Focus on ECML programme developments – "Languages at the heart of learning" (2016-2019)

Latest project developments

"Language awareness in subject classes": participate in an online survey

"Towards a Common European Framework for Language Teachers": latest news

e-lang project in 2016: laying the foundations for a digital literacy in the language teaching and learning context

"Promoting excellence in sign language instruction (PRO-Sign2)": ECML workshop (Graz, Austria, 1-2 March 2017) – cooperation partnership with Moscow State Linguistic University

"A quality matrix for CEFR use": ECML workshop (Graz, Austria, 15-16 November 2016) – Interview with Denis Vigneron, French participant

ECML training and consultancy for member states

Network meeting of local organisers and ECML consultants (Graz, Austria, 7-8 March 2017) and upcoming national training workshops

National training workshop "Supporting multilingual classes" in Slovenia (Koper, 2-3 March 2017)

National workshops "A pluriliteracies approach to teaching for learning" in Malta (Floriana, 2-3 March 2017) and Latvia (Riga, 6-7 March 2017) 

Forthcoming events

Recent ECML publication: Language skills for successful subject learning – CEFR linked descriptors for mathematics and history/civics

European Day of Languages

National developments in Armenia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland

Professional Network Forum of the ECML: upcoming events

Council of Europe developments

The linguistic integration of adult migrants: some lessons from research

Council of Europe Ad hoc Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues (CAHROM) (ECML, Graz, Austria, 29-31 March 2017)

International Roma Day – 8 April

Pestalozzi programme: creating an online community of action researchers – summer school 2017

Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities: developments in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Kosovo*, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"

Urban policies for inclusive integration and diversity advantage: join the Intercultural Cities 2017 Milestone Event (Lisbon, Portugal, 28-29 November 2017)

Cyprus Chairmanship Conference in Nicosia: "Securing Democracy through Education"

Recent publication

Editorial news from other organisations: Eurostat, Eurydice, OECD, Unesco, Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning, Babylonia

Quick links

The European Centre for Modern languages  signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU). The Memorandum  focuses in particular on  cooperation in the area of the ECML project  “Promoting excellence in sign language instruction” (PRO-Sign 2) which represents a priority area of interest for MSLU . The agreement formally renews cooperation  between the ECML and MSLU for the duration of the Centre’s “Languages at the heart of learning”  programme (2016-2019)  and is a way of increasing expert contacts between the ECML and MSLU.

Kira Iriskhanova and  Alina Guseva, representing Moscow State Linguistic University on the "Promoting excellence in sign language instruction” project, presented the Memorandum signed by Irina Kraeva, Acting Rector of Moscow State Linguistic University, to Sarah Breslin, Executive Director of the ECML, at the PRO-Sign workshop on 1-2 March 2017.

Link: Moscow State Linguistic University

Promoting excellence in sign language instruction (PRO-Sign)

The PRO-Sign project will develop a professionally-oriented competency framework for sign language teachers and provide B2 level materials and learning activities from different European sign languages. The project will also create a European Language Portfolio that takes account of any modality specific requirements for sign languages

This workshop brings together 34 teachers of a national or regional signed language on a university or tertiary level programme from 28 countries (member states of the ECML and Russia, Canada) and is moderated by the PRO-Sign team.

The professional development workshop also focuses on the elaboration of concepts and materials and provides a great opportunity for the participants to improve their knowledge of CEFR-based development of instructional materials; to work with the European Language Portfolio (ELP) in Sign Language teaching and learning; to use a variety of teaching and learning strategies; and to explore innovative ways to offer materials and exercises.

The ProSign 2 project, which is  a follow-up to the 2012-15 project “Sign languages and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Descriptors and approaches to assessment”, will develop a professionally-oriented competency framework for sign language teachers and provide B2 level materials and learning activities from different European sign languages. The project will also create a European language portfolio (ELP) that takes account of any modality specific requirements for sign languages.

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Follow the project developments on Facebook (ProSign 2: Promoting excellence in sign language instruction) and Twitter (using the hashtag #ProSign2).

PRO-Sign 2 website: //www.ecml.at/pro-sign2

See also: Sign languages and the CEFR for languages - Common reference level descriptors

In preparation for the workshop, the national representatives from the 33 ECML member states are currently selecting potential participants. Experts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, and Montenegro, with a special interest and relevant professional background in this topic, are still warmly invited to make contact with the ECML National Nominating Authority in their country so that they can be considered for participation in this project workshop.

The expert team of the project is currently busy preparing the workshop and putting together a challenging programme for the event. Please don’t hesitate to contact them if you have questions or suggestions for input to the workshop. The expert team is very excited about the event and greatly looking forward to working with colleagues from all around Europe !

• Project website
• Become a fan of the PRO-Sign2 project on Facebook !

The ECML's e-newsletter provides up-to-date news about the ECML (events, projects, resources), its partners and other relevant sectors of the Council of Europe. It focuses on language education and national developments in the member states and beyond.

Enjoy the latest issue (December 2016) : English - French

The ProSign 2 project Promoting Excellence in Sign Language Instruction aims to raise the profile of sign language (SL) teachers in Europe and to support them in their efforts to achieve excellence in their teaching, both content-wise and didactically.

PRO-Sign 2's goal is to disseminate high quality materials aligned to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and to facilitate the exchange and strengthening of expertise amongst Europe's sign language teachers to support them in their work and to raise the quality of sign language teaching and learning.

We will draw on the work successfully completed in the PRO-Sign project (www.ecml.at/pro-sign, 2012-15) and use this as the basis for enshrining European standards in sign language instruction and learning.

The project was launched with the kick-off meeting in Graz, 23-24 March 2016.

Our first activity is to conduct a survey - for the first time – to benchmark sign language education pathways for teachers of SLs in Europe and identify barriers to accessing language teacher education for deaf teachers. We will also compile a professionally-oriented competency framework (instruction component). Furthermore we will link the European Language Portfolio (ELP) to the competency framework (learning component) and develop and disseminate CEFR B2 level materials and learning activities for sign languages as an exemplar that brings us beyond A1-B1 level work that is now more widely in place. This work contributes to the understanding that European sign languages are part of the plurilingual tradition of Europe.

We will also document competencies required at various educational and/or professional levels for SL teachers, including trainee teachers,  , drawing in part on previous ECML projects like EPOSTL & EPOSTL 2, with modality-specific matters also addressed.

Take steps to come and join us by getting in touch with the ECML National Nominating Authority in your country and applying to be the national delegate at the project workshop, planned in March 2017.