Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education

“Inspiring innovation in language education: changing contexts, evolving competences” – Join the livestream!

The conference represents the culmination of the four years of work of the ECML’s “Inspiring innovation in language education: changing contexts, evolving competences”  programme, involving, among others, 9projects, 1think tank, 12offers of training and consultancy (TaC) and a series of initiatives developed with the support of the European Commission.

The conference is aimed at all language education professionals and in particular at ECML stakeholders, policy makers and persons with a professional focus on the practice of language education (curriculum development, teacher education, material design…).

The programme involves plenary presentations, speeches, a round table, a series of smaller workshops for the presentation and discussion of programme outputs and outcomes as well as envisaged links to activities in the 2024-2027 programme.

The workshops on the second day of the conference will be organised thematically:

• Language teacher and learner competences,
• Transversal dimension of language education / Competences for life and work,
• Plurilingual and intercultural education,
• Languages of schooling; language in subjects.

Within each given theme there will be a focus on the completed project resources and related TaC activities from the current programme. Presenters will focus on the inspiring and innovative aspects of their TaC activity/new resources and will consider how the different approaches and materials presented in their thematic session complement one other.

This will also be an excellent opportunity to get a preview of the new ECML programme “Language education at the heart of democracy” (2024-2027).

In order to ensure access to a wider audience, the event will be streamed in both working languages (English and French) and the recordings made available on the ECML website.

Conference web page: English – French

Conference programme: English – French

Join the live streaming here – no registration required: English – French

#ECMLCELVconf2023

The Plurensa-2023 international conference organised at the Université Paul Valéry Montpellier France (7-10 June 2023) provided an opportunity for experts to meet and exchange views on the themes of "Multilingualism/plurilingualism, teaching and learning, complexity and integrity: epistemological, pedagogical and political perspectives". This exceptional event brought together many ECML experts from past and present projects and many researchers from all over the world, including Nathalie AUGER, Jean-Paul BRONCKART, Marisa CAVALLI, Jasone CENOZ, Jean-Louis CHISS, Daniel COSTE, Jim CUMMINS, Sabine EHRHART, Laurent GAJO, Fred GENESSEE, Ingrid GOGOLIN, Nancy HORNBERGER, Wei LI, Jeff MACSWAN, Georges Daniel VERONIQUE.

From left to right
Nathalie Auger, ECML project "Teaching the language of schooling in the context of diversity – Study materials for teacher development" (MALEDIVE) (2012-2015)
Sabine Erhart, ECML project "Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education" (2020-2023)
Jonas Erin, "Learning environments where modern languages flourish - EOL" (2016-2019)
Marisa Cavalli, Consultant to the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe
Jérôme Beliard, ECML project "Developing language awareness in subject classes" (2016-2019)

From left to right
Guillaume Gentil, Professor, Carleston Carleston
Marisa Cavalli, Consultant to the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe
Jérémie Séror, Director of the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa
Sabine Erhart, ECML project "Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education" (2020-2023)
Jérôme Beliard, ECML project "Developing language awareness in subject classes" (2016-2019)

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

Enjoy the latest issue: English – French

European Language Gazette no. 63 (January – March 2023)

Table of contents:

“A new Council of Europe Recommendation on language education: the importance of teacher education”

ECML programme developments 2020-2023 – “Inspiring innovation in language education: changing contexts, evolving competences”

• Save the dates!
  - Launch event of the ECML Call for proposals for the 2024-27 programme, 15 May 2023
  - ECML Summer Academy, Graz, 3-7 July 2023
• “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education education (initial/in-service)”: a critical topic all over Europe

ECML national support event

• “Diving into deep learning” – Vlaamse CLIL-studiedag (Brussels, Belgium, 6 March 2023)

Recent ECML resources

• Selected ECML flyers in German
• Selection of ECML resources and projects in German
• Publication translations
• Inventory of ICT tools and OERs: discover the latest resources!

Publications quoting the work of the ECML

• Related ECML work on language awareness, the language of schooling, subject classes, mediation, learning environments

European Day of Languages: EDL t-shirt contest

• EDL t-shirt 2023
• EDL t-shirt contest 2024

Training and consultancy activities

• Launch of a series of 48 language education workshops in member states

National developments

• Austria: competition for the European Language Label in Austria 2023
• France
  - LISEO highlights the work and resources of the ECML and national language policies in Europe
  - World Language Barometer 2022 – launch of the 4th edition
• Germany: MitSprache Deutsch4U - a programme for non-profit organisations to foster learning environments where diversity flourishes
• Ireland
  - Erasmus+ School Education: The impact of mobility projects on the professional development of staff
  - #ThinkLanguages Week 2023 (27 November – 1 December 2023)
• Canada: 2020-2021 Annual Report of the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI)

Professional Network Forum of the ECML

• Forthcoming events of the Forum members
• Eaquals webinar series 2023
• ECSPM: International Symposium “The social role of higher education: Developing the civil society’s awareness and impacting policies on the role of multilingualism in education” (Strasbourg, France, 22-24 March 2023)
• 10th EDiLiC conference (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 28-30 June 2023)
• ICC – the International Language Association: conference, articles, new YouTube channel
• “Future of languages”: FIPLV Nordic-Baltic Region Conference (Reykjavik, Iceland, 8-9 June 2023)

In memoriam – Evangelia Moussouri and Tony Fitzpatrick

Council of Europe developments

• Towards the 26th session of the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education: a series of consultations
• CEFR online workshop series
• The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
  - The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is celebrating its 25th anniversary
  - Recent reports: Netherlands, Sweden
• Council of Europe online bookshop: recent publications

News from other organisations

• International Colloquium “Plurensa-2023: Multilingualism/plurilingualism, teaching and learning, complexity and integrity: epistemological, pedagogical and political perspectives” (7-10 June 2023, Montpellier, France)
• EU: European Year of Skills 2023, recent EU resources
• OECD: recent resources
• International Mother Language Day – UNESCO event “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education” (21 February 2023)
• Global Citizenship and Multilingual Competences: new teaching module
• The European Wergeland Centre: recent resources
  - New handbook “31 basic activities”
  - “How does Artificial Intelligence influence the way teachers teach and students learn to live in a democracy?” – Webinar recorded on 7 February 2023
• Journal of International Mobility: special issue on Interculturality, intercultural skills and mobility in adult education – Call for paper until 28 April 2023
• Journal Education Sciences: special issue on Multiculturalism in higher education: current trends, challenges, and practices – Call for papers until 31 July 2023
• Babylonia, the Swiss Journal of Language Education: latest issue

Quick links

On 7 and 8 February 2023, the project team held a workshop which brought together 27 participants from ECML member States and even one from Canada, mainly in Graz, but also online. The main ideas of the project and its first results were presented, in particular the chapters of the planned Manual for teachers, teacher educators, instructors and decision makers. The workshop provided participants with an opportunity to discuss the chapters in detail and also to suggest contributions themselves. The participants appreciated the exchange with colleagues from different countries within a like-minded community, with many of them planning to integrate ideas from the event into their work practice. During the discussions, the importance of languages and plurilingual/intercultural competences in vocational training and cross-border working environments was once again unanimously stressed. For the team and the associate partners, the workshop confirmed the relevance of its work and the decisions taken so far. The team is now highly motivated to complete the planned Manual, in dialogue with the different target groups.

Claudia Polzin-Haumann, project coordinator

• ECML project website “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education education (initial/in-service)” (2020-2023)
• Voices from workshop participants from Armenia, Denmark, Montenegro and Norway (Graz, Austria, 7-8 February 2023)
  

Throughout 2022, the project was presented and discussed in a variety of contexts. The feedback received helped the project team, coordinated by Claudia Polzin-Haumann, not only to improve the work  being carried out, but also demonstrated  how much interest there is in the topic of languages of cross-border vocational education. The highlight of the year was without doubt the network meeting in October 2022 which offered the opportunity for exchange with a wide range of professionals – from practitioners to researchers, teacher educators and administrators. The momentum generated by these discussions has provided impulses for the further elaboration of the planned Manual – and more than anything else, it has shown once again that the product is very much needed and awaited. The team can look back at a successful year and start the last phase of the project with energy and confidence in order to finalise the resources.

• ECML project website “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education education (initiale/in-service)” (2020-2023) (available in English and French)
• Voices from the network meeting (videos in Czech, German, French and Lithuanian)

A network meeting full of fruitful discussions and collaborative work

On 11-12 October 2022, the core team members of the project invited experts for the network meeting to Graz. Nine experts – from practitioners to researchers to administrators with different decision-making abilities and needs – joined us for two days and we had the chance to see the project from new perspectives. The exchange and the discussions with the experts were extremely fruitful.

It became clear that despite the differences and individual needs, all neighbouring regions have similar problems. This became a key realisation for the Guide which is being prepared – it is not possible to address all the needs, but instead to focus on the ones we have in common. Similarities bind people together– our common vision has been confirmed. The great variety of perspectives aided not only with sharpening our understanding of needs, but also contributed to the production of valuable materials, giving a clearer vision of how to proceed with the creation of the Guide.

The meeting deepened the knowledge of the key team members, but more importantly acted as an energy boost, by showing how much the product is needed and awaited. What was most important: the participants discovered not only similarities in their perspectives and expectations but also made friends both on an academic and on a personal level.

Authors: Barbara Morcinek-Abramczyk, Vaida Misevičiūtė, Claudia Polzin-Haumann

Voices from the network meeting: video in Czech, German, French and Lithuanian

ECML project website “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education education (initiale/in-service)” (2020-2023): www.ecml.at/crossbordervocationaleducation (available in English and French)

The ECML project “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” (2020-2023) was presented within the framework of the international conference “Cross-border work in Europe: Regional practices and realities – Le travail transfrontalier en Europe: pratiques et réalités régionales” (5-6 May 2022) in the Grand-Duché of Luxemburg.

Christina Reissner (Universität des Saarlandes / Center for Border Studies. Germany), one of the associate partners of the project, presented a contribution “La formation professionnelle transfrontalière dans différentes régions – « same but different » ?”.

The project focuses on innovative processes which facilitate the crossing of linguistic and cultural borders as well as on the development of CLIL methodology in professional settings, connecting research to real needs on the ground. The outputs expected for 2023 include a manual for educators in cross-border environments, working with younger learners in vocational education or with adults in professional education. The manual will include guidelines and training modules, as well as a teacher portfolio based on the European Language Portfolio.

• LISER news item (available in French)
• Conference programme
• ECML project website (English-French)
• ECML project flyer (English-French)

Many thanks to all those who completed the survey!

The analysis shows the extremely complex situation of languages in cross-border education. All participants strongly agreed that language skills and language learning in general are advantageous for professional success. The vast majority of participants also agreed that language proficiency in neighbouring language(s) is important to improve chances of finding work. Knowledge of the culture(s) was considered almost as important when cooperating with neighbouring countries. However, despite this acknowledgment, neighbouring languages are not always used equally. With regard to teaching programmes, participants stated that cross-border cooperation was included, but the majority was not satisfied with its implementation. Accordingly, language barriers still impede cross-border cooperation; language teaching and learning is not integrated sufficiently into the programmes. Another challenge seems to exist in the imbalance and different status that is connected to languages, e.g. one language may dominate another or language knowledge is not symmetrically developed on both sides of the border. The findings reveal that English is often preferred in language education, while neighbouring languages are of lesser importance. Thus, fostering language skills and inter- and multicultural competences are at the same time the most important benefits and challenges of cross-border vocational education programmes.

Claudia Polzin-Haumann, Sabine Ehrhart

• ECML project website “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” (2020-2023) (available in English and French)

What do teachers, teacher educators, learners, political and economic stakeholders think about languages, plurilingualism and intercultural proficiency in cross-border working environments? What are their experiences? What are the main difficulties? In order to learn more about these questions, the members of the project “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” launched a survey focused on the different stakeholders in the fields of education, the economy and politics in different border regions. The first instructive insights were discussed during a project team meeting on 15^th and 16^th November. Although there is a wide range of answers to certain questions, not surprisingly, in view of the specificity of each border region, there is great unanimity on certain issues, first and foremost: knowing languages is an asset for professional success. The detailed analysis of all the responses will be helpful for developing concepts and pedagogical materials.

Claudia Polzin-Haumann, project coordinator

• The survey is open until 31 December 2021. 
• ECML project website “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” (2020-2023) (available in English and French)

This survey is directed at people engaged in language education and who live and/or work in a border region: teachers, teacher educators, students, researchers and others involved in professional and vocational training. 

The aim of the survey is to help prepare a manual for teacher educators, teachers and their students with an interest in promoting language learning in cross-border vocational education and training.

In border regions, where different languages and cultures come into close contact, language learning and teaching can be considered as decisive when it comes to creating a successful cross-border labour market. However, practice and research show that specific concepts for language learning and teaching in vocational education contexts in border regions are still lacking. The project is pooling expertise from different border regions in an attempt to address this gap.

This survey is available in English, French, German, Czech, Lithuanian, and Polish.

You can access the survey here until 31 December 2021: https://crossbordervocationaleducation.questionpro.com

The project team

• More information on the project website

What makes border regions so special? Border regions are special areas from different points of view, and the “border character” can be quite different. Borders may be visible (e.g. national borders) or invisible (e.g. territories that today belong to one state, but belonged to different states or other political unities during past periods). Some borders are quite stable, others arise from recent developments.

The experts involved in the project “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” have identified special conditions and requirements that are characteristic for the border regions involved in the project. Their reflections concern various levels: institutional teaching, individual learning, language policies, permeability of structures, not to forget attitudes and perceptions of learners and trainers…

The closing of the borders between many countries during the first wave of the Covid 19-pandemic has underlined the importance of overcoming borders. Languages and language teaching and learning prove to be more important than ever in this process. Europe is particularly created at the interfaces of border regions. Thus, the potential of border regions lies in the fact that they can be conceived as model regions for a Europe that is growing together.

Dr. Claudia Polzin-Haumann (project coordinator)

• For more information about the ECML project “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” (2020-2023), please visit the dedicated website: www.ecml.at/crossbordervocationaleducation (available in English and French)

In order to learn more about the situation concerning these questions in the different geographical, political, economic and social contexts, the members of the project “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” will soon start a survey to get in touch with the different stakeholders in the fields of education, economy and politics. Their answers will help to understand the specific needs in the different (border) regions for plurilingual and intercultural education and to develop, in a next step, tailor-made concepts and pedagogical materials.

Based on their experience in their respective fields and the intense exchange during the last months, the experts from Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Lithuania, France, Romania and Denmark are convinced that solutions to improve plurilingual and intercultural education in cross-border vocational training are possible.

Claudia Polzin-Haumann, Sabine Ehrhart

This news item results from the expert meeting of the ECML project "Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education education" (26-27 November 2020). The virtual meeting brought together the project team and associate partners: Dr. Claudia Polzin-Haumann (project coordinator), Prof. Dr. Sabine Ehrhart, Dr. Barbara Morcinek-Abramczyk, Dr. Vaida Misevičiūtė;  Dr. Christina Reissner (GRETI), Fabienne Korb (ISM), Annette Falk (Goethe-Institut), Dr. Camilla Hansen (UC SYD).

All over Europe, cross-border training is an increasingly important topic. However, specific concepts for language learning and teaching in these contexts are still lacking. How can we create solutions for cross-border vocational training (initial/in-service) between politics, education and the non-academic field? In their first ECML project meeting, experts from Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, and Lithuania discussed the state of the art in their different border regions. They exchanged with partners from France, Denmark and Romania about specific needs for different geographical, political, economic and social contexts.  The project “Grenzgänger” (www.goethe.de/france/grenzgaenger) shows interesting ideas for the French-German context.

The ECML project website “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” will be available soon in English and French at www.ecml.at/crossbordervocationaleducation.

The ECML project team

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In border regions, promoting language learning plays a specifically important role, especially in professional and vocational education. Within the project “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education”, a context-adapted manual will be developed and piloted in border regions, including guidelines, plurilingual and intercultural training modules and a respective teacher portfolio.
This is one of the nine new development projects encompassed within the ECML programme of activities “Inspiring innovation in language education: changing contexts, evolving competences (2020-2023).