European Day of Languages
26 September - European Day of Languages 2017: a very special day to remember!
Promote the events in your country in the online calendar!
Preparations are in full flow for the European Day of Languages! With only a few days left before the 2017 edition of the Day, we are very pleased to inform you that over 700 events are already in the Calendar of activities. If you have not already done so, you are still very welcome to promote any events and activities you are involved with in the online calendar!
World record attempt: “I love [a language] because…”
To add a little extra spice to the European Day of Languages this year, we are aiming to establish a ‘world record’. We would like to encourage as many people as possible to create a short video clip based on the phrase “I love [a language] because…”. The video, using the above phrase, can be recorded in any language and can be about any language(s) and uploaded to the dedicated web page: http://edl.ecml.at/record. The clips may involve an individual, a group or a class and should be no longer than 10-20 seconds in length and filmed in landscape format. The more creative the video, the better! By the closing date on 30 September we hope to compile the largest number of videos ever assembled on the theme of languages. We are using the hashtag #EDLrecord to promote the initiative. Further details can be found in the flyer and on the EDL web pages which are available in over 20 languages thanks to the support of many of the National Relays. Some examples of video clips are also included on the webpage.
Other new features and competitions in 2017
New features
Competitions
2017 Council of Europe EDL statement
To mark the 2017 European Day of Languages, a statement has been issued by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland. The statement on the occasion of the Day focuses on the role of innovation in language learning and teaching. In addition, a more detailed Council of Europe declaration will be published on the EDL site closer to the Day.
Council of Europe and European Commission events taking place around the Day
Language Festival in Graz This year the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe is again involved in organising a language festival on 28 September from 09:00-18.00. All age groups are invited to the festival which offers a wide range of activities highlighting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the city of Graz. The event features a lively mix of language workshops, games, quizzes and international theatre, music and dance. We hope to attract over 2000 participants this year.
European Commission’s activities The European Commission’s translation field offices are involved in the organisation of over 50 events taking place in cities around Europe – you can find details of all these events in the online calendar.
Think tank "Language learning pathways": Participate in the online survey until Sunday 1st October 2017 (midnight CET)!
In January 2018 the ECML will be hosting the third think tank within its 2016-19 Programme, Languages at the heart of learning. The topic is Language learning pathways – how can language education empower the learner as a person and as a citizen? How can it respond to the diverse learner needs and goals? To find out more and to share your views and experiences, please follow the link to the online survey and you might be selected to come to Graz and participate in the think tank meeting itself.
Launch of the ECML project "A roadmap for schools to support language(s) of schooling"
The project aims at supporting schools to develop their own strategy regarding languages of schooling, which assures the efficiency in enhancing students’ academic language skills and developing a language-aware school culture. A roadmap for schools to support language(s) of schooling will offer a user-friendly self-assessment tool – the Roadmap - to investigate the school’s strengths and areas to be developed regarding language dimension across all subjects and settings. It will also enable schools to deepen their understanding of the national/regional curricular aims to academic language and literacy skills and assist them in affirming and improving language-sensitive teaching across all subjects.
Read the full news item: English - French - German
Project website: English - French - German
Training and consultancy activities
Forthcoming events
This strand of ECML activities responds in a targeted and bilateral way to specific national priorities in ECML member states. Twelve training and consultancy events and national support events are still about to be held until December 2017. Consult the calendar
A pluriliteracies approach to teaching for learning
A pluriliteracies approach builds on CLIL approaches to help learners become better meaning-makers, who can draw on content knowledge to communicate successfully across languages, disciplines and cultures. In this way it promotes deep learning and helps develop responsible, global citizens.
Web resources for teachers, teacher trainers, educational authorities responsible for CLIL programmes, teacher associations:
Authors: Oliver Meyer, Do Coyle, Ana Halbach, Kevin Schuck,Teresa Ting.
Website: English - German Flyer: English - German
New tools added in the Inventory of ICT tools and open educational resources
The inventory of free online tools and open educational resources for language teaching and learning has been developed by the ICT-REV project of the ECML for language teachers, teacher trainers, language policy makers and multipliers. It currently contains 92 tools that have been evaluated with specific criteria in mind. Suggestions for new tools are welcome at any time! Discover the latest resources below:
ECML related publication
Professional development and collaboration with the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) in Graz, Austria
Laura Ambrosio, FSL Professor at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI), University of Ottawa, Canada, spent part of her university professional leave as a guest researcher with the team of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) from 5 to 23 May 2017.
Laura began her fellowship at the ECML immediately after presenting at the ALTE 6th International Conference: “Learning and Assessment: Making the Connections”, where she spoke about FREPA, the ECML Framework of references for pluralistic approaches, and how these can be used to help integrate students from different linguistic backgrounds. She provided the ECML with detailed feedback on this conference, suggesting ways in which the findings could feed into the work of the centre. Moreover, she contributed to the preparation for the ECML Think tank "Language learning pathways". Her preparatory work served as the basis for developing an online survey which was launched in early September and which will remain online until 1st October 2017. The ECML would like to express its deepest gratitude to Laura for her valuable contribution to the ECML.
Laura describes her enriching journey at the ECML in the following article: English - French.
National developments
France: new resources and national contact point
Latest resources
Notes edited by the DEPP-Directorate for Evaluation, Foresight and Performance of the Ministry of National Education, following the 4th edition of the report "Key data on language teaching at school in Europe ":
Migrants : les échecs de l'apprentissage du français et des valeurs civiques" (Migrants: the failures of learning French and civic values), report written by Roger Karoutchi [available in French only]
New National Contact Point for the ECML in France
The ECML is pleased to welcome Ms Marion Latour from the International Centre for Pedagogical Studies (CIEP), as its new National Contact Point in France. The ECML would like to express its deepest gratitude to Ms Bernadette Plumelle for her continuous support and wholehearted involvement in this role during the last years.
Web pages dedicated to France (official contacts, ECML experts, language education resources): English - French
Slovenia: new certificate of language proficiency
The National Examinations Centre of Slovenia concluded the project on relating national foreign language examinations to the CEFR. The main aims of the project were to ensure the comparability of different examinations and to facilitate the mobility of candidates who pass the Matura foreign language examinations. Students who reach the CEFR level cut score now receive a certificate indicating their CEFR level of proficiency. With the certificate they will be able to prove that they possess adequate language skills for studying or working abroad. In the process of linking the examinations to the CEFR the Centre adopted the methodology described in the Manual for Relating Language Examinations to the CEFR.
More information (in Slovene)
In this process two training and consultancy workshops within the framework of the RELANG initiative were organised in Slovenia.
Switzerland: Recent publications
Institute for Pedagogical Research and Documentation (IRDP / Intercantonal Conference of Public Education of French-Speaking Switzerland and of Ticino) – Latest documentary monitoring: 8-21 September 2017 23 August - 7 September 2017 7 July - 22 August 2017 23 June - 6 July 2017 9-22 June 2017 19 May - 8 June 2017 All issues
Professional Network Forum of the ECML
The Professional Network Forum of the ECML is comprised of international associations and institutions that share common values and have overlapping expertise in the field of language education and assessment. Under the auspices of the ECML, the members of the Forum share their know-how and work together on areas of common interest in the service of language education.
Members of the Forum: ACTFL, AILA, ALTE, CEL/ELC, CercleS, EALTA, EAQUALS, ECSPM, ECML/Council of Europe, EDiLiC, EFNIL, EPA, EUNIC, FIPLV, IAM, ICC, OLBI.
Council of Europe developments
Migration and refugees
Launch of the new website of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees on 15 September. The website provides including country reports, thematic work, and migration news: English - French
Subscribe to the Council of Europe Migration Newsletter: English - French
School segregation still deprives many children of quality education
The position paper of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights first provides an overview of school segregation in Council of Europe member states, as well as its main causes. It then reviews the risks that separate education entails and outlines the key principles that should underpin any policy to eradicate segregation and promote inclusive education. Finally, the report sets forth twelve recommendations to develop more inclusive education policies, in particular through improved anti-discrimination legislation, school desegregation strategies and better regulation of school admissions.
Read the news: English - French
North-South Centre (NSC): Global Education eLearning courses
Launching of the new cycle of the NSC Global Education eLearning courses and of its first course on the intercultural dimension of global education Website: English - French
Forthcoming courses on the Citizenship dimension of Global Education and on the Human Rights dimension of Global Education:
Pestalozzi Programme for the professional development of teachers and education actors: recent resources
Report of the European Workshop "Pedagogy for Democracy and Human Rights" (Fuerteventura, Spain, 2-5 April 2017)
Report of the National Dissemination and training event "Helping Teachers align their values and behaviors, so that their students can learn how to prevent future atrocities" (Georgia, 11 February 2017)
Report of the European Workshop "Multiperspectivity in history teaching" (Bacau, Romania, 27-31 March 2017)
Report of the European Workshop "Career advancement of teachers based on school activities" (Chișinău, Moldova, 28 September 2016)
Online library
Launch of a new Digital Citizenship Education website
This website is being developed in the framework of a new project of the Education Policy Division and provides information and knowledge about the basics of Digital Citizenship Education. The project will contribute to reshaping the role that education plays in enabling all children to acquire the competences they need as digital citizens to participate actively and responsibly in democratic society, whether offline or online. Discover the website: English - French
Recent publications
Handleiding voor de ontwikkeling van taaltoetse. Te gebruiken met het ERK. Samengesteld door ALTE, in opdracht van de Language Policy Division, Raad van Europa Dutch translation of the original version: Manual for Language Test Development and Examining. For use with the CEFR. Produced by ALTE on behalf of the Language Policy Division, Council of Europe (2011)
ETINED - Plate-forme du Conseil de l’Europe sur l’éthique, la transparence et l’intégrité dans l’éducation - Volume 1 - 7e session du Forum de Prague Version in English published in 2016: ETINED - Council of Europe Platform on Ethics, Transparency and Integrity in Education - Volume 1 – 7th Session of the Prague Forum
European Commission
EPALE’s thematic focus workplace learning promotes the role of workplace learning as an important tool for developing employees and maintaining their effectiveness. EPALE’s national teams and the community published a number of inspiring case studies, articles, reports and other resources on the topic.
Erasmus+: new education and training website where you can find out about the EU's policies and initiatives all across Europe
The organisation of school time in Europe. Primary and general secondary education – 2017/18
The organisation of the academic year in Europe – 2017/18
OECD
Education at a glance 2017 - OECD indicators
Regards sur l'éducation 2017 - Les indicateurs de l'OCDE
The funding of school education: Connecting resources and learning
UNESCO
Fostering a culture of reading and writing: examples of dynamic literate environments; selected case studies
Quick links
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