Gazette 35 - December 2016
Contents
Focus on
European Day of Languages 2016: photo gallery now online
Resources on the ECML
"Languages at the heart of learning" (2016-2019: Current ECML programme developments
National developments
Professional Network Forum of the ECML: forthcoming events
Council of Europe developments
Other language news: Babylonia, European Commission, OECD, UNESCO resources
Focus on
Colloquium "Ensuring quality in language testing and assessment: the contribution of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)" (7 December 2016): videos, presentations, photos
On 7 December 2016 the European Centre for Modern Languages, in cooperation with the European Commission, brought together 66 prominent specialists in the area of language testing and assessment to showcase the progress that has been made since the publication of the Manual for Relating language examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), to share experiences from different European contexts as well as to address the challenges that remain when it comes to aligning language curricula and examinations to the Framework.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the great success of this event and participated in the discussions – onsite and online! The debates were webcasted. You may now watch or review them:
Recent ECML resources: Empowering language networks – Tools for mediating ECML resources (LACS)
The LACS network mediates between ECML projects and language teacher associations and other networks at regional and national levels. Its purpose is to raise awareness of existing ECML projects and resources, and to motivate teachers and others involved in language education to adapt these to their local environment, in order to facilitate widespread impact on learning and teaching.
- Resources: online directory of language associations/organisations; guidelines and practical examples of how to use ECML resources in different contexts.
- Target users: teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum planners, language teacher associations, in-service training providers.
- Authors: Terry Lamb, Sigurborg Jónsdóttir, Nadezhda Doychinova, Daniel Xerri.
- Languages: English, German.
Go to the publication website
European Day of Languages 2016: photo gallery now online
A huge variety of events celebrating the Day were organised across Europe. Around 1 300 events were registered in the calendar of EDL activities: enjoy the photo gallery 2016 (244 images from all over the world)!
Resources on the ECML
Heyworth Frank, "Plurilingual education in the classroom – the contribution of the European Centre for Modern Languages", in Annika Westerholm och Gun Oker-Blom (red.), Språk i rörelse – skolspråk, flerspråkighet och lärande, Guider och handböcker 2016:4, Utbildningsstyrelsen. www.oph.fi/publikationer
Martyniuk Waldemar, Research for CULT Committee – Language teaching and learning within EU member states. In-depth analysis, Brussels: European Union, 2016.
Saville Nick, Esther Gutierrez Eugenio, Research for CULT Committee – European strategy on multilingualism – Policy and implementation at the EU level. Study, European Union, 2016.
Video of Pauline Ernest (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya), representing the ECML at the Conference "Open Education: promoting diversity for European Languages" (Brussels, 26-27 September 2016): her comments on open educational resources in general and on the ICT-REV project of the ECML.
"Languages at the heart of learning" (2016-2019: Current ECML programme developments
ECML programme of activities 2017: now online
The programme of activities 2017 is now available online and will continually be updated.
English – French
Preview of the ECML workshops in 2017
Workshop 1/2017 "Promoting excellence in sign language instruction"
(1-2 March 2017, ECML, Graz, Austria)
Profile of participants | Project website: www.ecml.at/Pro-Sign2
Workshop 2/2017 for the ECML National contact points and National nominating authorities
(4-5 May 2017 ECML, Graz, Austria)
Websites : link and link
Workshop 3/2017 "Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages"
(10-11 October 2017 ECML, Graz, Austria)
Participants' profile | Project website: www.ecml.at/e-lang
Workshop 4/2017 "Developing language awareness in subject classes"
(16-17 November 2017 ECML, Graz, Austria)
Participants' profile | Project website: www.ecml.at/languageinsubjects
If you wish to participate please contact your National Nominating Authority.
First ECML think tank on early language learning (Graz, Austria, 1-2 December 2016)
Language experts from ECML member states, from other European countries and from Canada pooled their ideas and expertise on the issue of early language learning. A number of very interesting proposals emerged with the main focus on initial and in-service teacher education. There was unanimous agreement that any training needed to begin with attitudes and values – with a commitment to plurilingual and intercultural education; to recognising and valuing all of the languages in both the learner and the teacher’s repertoire. Moreover, experts recommended to build on existing ECML tools such as PEPELINO, CARAP, Conbat+ and EPOSTL to ensure continuous support for teachers from pre-primary through to secondary and beyond. The recommendations on the types of activities the ECML could undertake in this area within its current programme 2016-2019 will be further explored in 2017.
Full news item: English – French
Action Research Communities for Language Teachers: workshop news (Graz, 10-11 November 2016)
The aim of the workshop was to open the project to participants from the ECML member states. Discussions on action research as a way to enhance quality in education were opened through activities such as an analytic discourse, a dialogue sheet to initiate debates about quality in education, and an action-research city walk. Inputs were also given on action research in national contexts and on distance learning. The workshop developed mini-action research projects that are currently trialled across the ECML member states. Final reports are expected for spring 2017. Interesting completed projects will be published on the project website and the most successful ones will be showcased at the forthcoming project network meeting (3- 4 May 2018).
Project website: English – German
National developments
Austria: latest news of the Austrian Centre for Language Competence (ÖSZ)
Latest newsletter of ÖSZ, the national contact point for the ECML in Austria: ÖSZ Sprachbox 3/2016
ÖSZ Annual report 2015
Follow ÖSZ on Facebook
(Resources available in German)
France: latest newsletters and forthcoming events
(Information and resources in French)
Latest newsletters edited by CIEP, the national contact point for the ECML in France:
- Courriel européen des langues (November issue): To help pre-primary teachers to encourage students' language and cultural development, experts and trainers worked together within the framework of the ECML project "PEPELINO – European portfolio for pre-primary educators: The plurilingual and intercultural dimension". Francis Goullier, project coordinator, presents the challenges of this training and self-assessment tool. In addition, the latest news from European institutions is featured, as well as a selection of events and resources.
Major events
- Annual Seminar on the work of the ECML "European language policies and national priorities (Sèvres, France, 9-10 March 2017)
This event will be organised by the Delegation for European and International Relations and Cooperation / DREIC (Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research), the General Delegation to the French language and the languages of France / DGLFLF and the International Centre for Pedagogical Studies / CIEP. This seminar is open to national officials responsible for education, to the French experts involved in the ECML network and to anyone interested in the ECML.
Registration and programme: early 2017.
- Professional fair "Expolangues" (Paris, 20-21 January 2017): website
- Week of the French language and the Francophonie (18-26 March 2017): website – Facebook – Twitter (use #SLFF17)
Switzerand: recent publications
IRDP latest publications
Canada: recent publications of the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI)
OLBI's annual report 2015-2016, see p. 26-31:
English – French
L’immersion française à l’université : politiques et pédagogies sous a direction de Hélène Knoerr, Alysse Weinberg et Aline Gohard-Radenkovic, Les Presses de l'Univesité d'Ottawa, 2016
Professional Network Forum of the ECML: forthcoming events
The Professional Network Forum of the ECML is formed of international associations and institutions that share common values and expertise in the field of language education and assessment.
Current members: ACTFL, AILA, ALTE, CEL/ELC, CercleS, EALTA, EAQUALS, ECSPM, ECML/Council of Europe, EFNIL, EPA, EUNIC, FIPLV, IAM, ICC, OLBI.
ACTFL: ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo (17-19 November 2017, Nashville, Tenn., USA): call for proposals (deadline: 13 January 2017)
AILA: AILA World Congress (23-28 July 2017, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
ALTE:
EALTA: 14th EALTA Conference "Language testing and assessment – Its role in mobility and social integration" (1-3 June 2017, Sèvres, France)
EAQUALS: Conference (27-29 April 2017, Riga, Latvia) https://www.eaquals.org/events/
ECSPM: new website
OLBI: WEFLA 2017 International conference on foreign languages, communication and culture and International seminar on Canadian studies (26-28 April 2017, Holguín, Cuba). Call for papers deadline: 15 February 2017.
Council of Europe developments
Pestalozzi programme for the professional development of teachers and education actors
Latest publication:
- Intercultural competence for all Preparation for living in a heterogeneous world, Pestalozzi series No. 2.
- La compétence interculturelle pour tous Apprendre à vivre dans un monde pluriel, Série Pestalozzi no 2.
The calendar of 2017 activities will be available by the end of the year and the online registration system will be open in January.
Follow Pestalozzi on Twitter: ;@pestalozziprog
Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities: Latvia
Developments in Latvia
Other language news
Babylonia, a Journal of Language Teaching and Learning
Latest issue on evaluation
Topic of issue Babylonia 1/2017(Spring 2017): Language challenges of the current refugees’ afflux
European Commission
Mobility Scoreboard : The purpose of the Mobility Scoreboard is to provide a framework for monitoring progress made by European countries in promoting, and removing obstacles to, learning mobility. A common online platform features dynamic maps that allow the user to understand at a glance the policy environment for learning mobility in Europe. The Mobility Scoreboard has been jointly developed by Eurydice (EACEA), for higher education, and CEDEFOP, for initial vocational education and training (IVET).
OECD
Getting skills right: Sweden
English
OECD Reviews of School Resources: Czech Republic 2016
English
OECD skills studies
English – French
PISA 2015 results (Volume I). Excellence and equity in education
English – French – German
PISA 2015 Results (Volume II). Policies and practices for successful schools
English – French – German
The skills of Polish emigrants. Evicence from PIAAC (OECD Working Papers)
English
UNESCO
Global citizenship education: topics and learning objectives
English – French
Quick links
Council of Europe
Council of Europe news
Directorate of Democratic Citizenship and Participation
European Day of Languages
European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML)
Language Policy Unit
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
Pestalozzi Programme
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European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe
Promoting excellence in language education
Centre européen pour les langues vivantes du Conseil de l´Europe
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