All over Europe, cross-border training is an increasingly important topic. However, specific concepts for language learning and teaching in these contexts are still lacking. How can we create solutions for cross-border vocational training (initial/in-service) between politics, education and the non-academic field? In their first ECML project meeting, experts from Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, and Lithuania discussed the state of the art in their different border regions. They exchanged with partners from France, Denmark and Romania about specific needs for different geographical, political, economic and social contexts.  The project “Grenzgänger” (www.goethe.de/france/grenzgaenger) shows interesting ideas for the French-German context.

The ECML project website “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education” will be available soon in English and French at www.ecml.at/crossbordervocationaleducation.

The ECML project team

*****

In border regions, promoting language learning plays a specifically important role, especially in professional and vocational education. Within the project “Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education”, a context-adapted manual will be developed and piloted in border regions, including guidelines, plurilingual and intercultural training modules and a respective teacher portfolio.
This is one of the nine new development projects encompassed within the ECML programme of activities “Inspiring innovation in language education: changing contexts, evolving competences (2020-2023).