It is with great sadness that we heard of the death of our dear friend, greatly respected colleague and co-author of the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL), Barry Jones, who passed away on 1st April 2015. Barry has played a central role in the professional lives of teacher educators in many countries and has, through his wisdom, warmth and wit, made working and being with him a joyous and enriching experience. 

Barry’s work was always characterised by his unique combination of deep professional insights, which have left their mark on language teaching across Europe and beyond, and his constant sense of humour and conviviality, for which he will be long remembered and celebrated. 

For many years Barry has been a frequent visitor to the ECML as coordinator of both the EPOSTL and the follow-up ‘Using the EPOSTL’ projects. His very practical ideas of implementing innovative approaches and his ability to share new ideas with teachers and students was always greatly valued.
In 2013 he was invited to travel to Japan to hold a series of lectures on the EPOSTL and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), his creative insights and rich experience made a crucial contribution to the implementation of the Japanese J-EPOSTL.
Barry strongly identified with the work and rationale of the Council of Europe and played an important role in disseminating the Common European Framework in a variety of countries.
Last year Barry bravely put aside his illness to attend the ‘EPOSTL around the World’ conference at the ECML, at which he was able to experience first-hand the influence of his work. 

We express our deepest sympathy to his wife Gwenneth, who often accompanied Barry to EPOSTL meetings in Graz and who has become very much part of the EPOSTL family.

Author: David Newby

Photo credit: ECML

"Barry Jones – a life of distinction", in Speak To The Future, published on 7 April 2015