Local organiser: Lourdes Ballesteros Martín and Ana Isabel Díaz García, Ministry of Education

ECML experts: Katja Schnitzer (Germany), Mercè Bernaus (Spain)

Participants: 21 (administrators, school heads, educational advisers)

On 22-23 October 2024, the External Educational Action Unit (UAEE) hosted an enriching workshop on Multilingual Classrooms, given by experts from the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), Katja Schnitzer and Mercè Bernaus. This event brought together educators and education professionals from various autonomous communities interested in promoting inclusion and learning in multilingual contexts.

The workshop, part of the cooperation between the ECML and the European Commission, focused on the development of learning environments that value and use linguistic diversity as a pedagogical resource. During the sessions, Mrs Schnitzer and Mrs Bernaus presented practical approaches to designing activities that encourage the active participation of learners, regardless of their mother tongue.

Among the topics discussed were the importance of inclusive methodologies, the role of language in students' cultural identity and the need to create a climate of respect and appreciation for all languages. Participants also explored teaching tools and resources that facilitate teaching in multilingual contexts, as well as strategies for involving families and the community in the educational process.

This workshop not only served to analyse and provide materials to the participants, but also to foster a space for dialogue and reflection on the challenges and opportunities presented by multilingual classrooms in the current educational context.

With this event, the UAEE reaffirms its commitment to the training of professionals who advocate for inclusive education and who recognise linguistic diversity as a fundamental pillar for the learning and integral development of students.

Lourdes Ballesteros Martín and Ana Isabel Díaz García, local coordinators, 5 November 2024

ECML project website: Supporting multilingual classrooms, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2024 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"