The colloquium “The future of language education in the light of Covid – lessons learned and ways forward” (14 December 2021), which attracted over 1 000 viewers, is part of an ongoing initiative, led by the ECML’s Professional Network Forum and co-funded as part of the ECML-EC Cooperation Agreement, which focuses on the impact of the pandemic on language education.

Through presentations and group discussions, the following questions were addressed:

• What insights have been gained from using radically different modes of language education during the Covid pandemic – remote, hybrid, socially distanced?
• How can the challenges of examinations and assessment be overcome?
• What innovative kinds of support for learners and teachers have been developed?
• What specific challenges have arisen in relation to ensuring inclusive language education for all?
• Do we need a new kind of “educational literacy”?

The colloquium looked back in order to move forward: it reported on the results of a Europe-wide survey which attracted over 1 750 responses and on the activities which have followed it. These include two online think tanks, case studies by teachers, and a leaflet summarising the challenges. The initiative will continue in 2022 with plans for further think tanks as well as two guides: one for language teachers and one for decision-makers. You can find out more about this initiative here.