Local organiser: Kati Bakradze, Tallinn Co-Educational School

ECML experts: Brigitte Gerber, Switzerland; Terry Lamb, United Kingdom

Participants: 35 (Foreign language teachers/teachers of other subjects/teacher educators, policymakers, school administrators / leaders / school advisers)

"Supporting Multilingual Classrooms is an excellent workshop for countries where foreign language teachers face the need to become more efficient in teaching and supporting multiple foreign languages throughout the school curricula and across different subjects. The main aims for the teachers were met while compiling support materials and methods for students’ linguistic development in their classes not only teaching English or other foreign languages. 

Moreover, examples and guidance of various aspects of how to be aware of valuing and supporting the students’ home languages were shared. The workshop gave insights and practical input for teachers valuing and considering the full range of students’ linguistic repertoires; being aware of students’ linguistic needs in order to be successful in their studies. 

The workshop included activities which raised teachers' confidence in their ability to support students' linguistic development and their ability to also be considerate of home languages. The acute need in schools and for teachers of all subjects was the need for tools and skills to support these and all other students who have entered the Estonian educational system. All the aspects were covered including students' own cultural and linguistic backgrounds being respected and supported in the process. The participants benefitted from high level of input in making the issue of language learning a joint effort on the whole school level."

Kati Bakradze, local organiser, 18 October 2022

ECML project website: RELANG – EU-ECML cooperation agreement 2022 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"