The workshop of the project “A roadmap for schools to support the language(s) of schooling” takes place at the ECML on 15-16 November  to finalise the project outputs which will be made available in the course of next year.

During the next two days, the project team, the project partner and the project consultant are working together with 36 experts coming from 29 countries.

The programme includes the following main elements:

• working sessions on the language dimension in subjects – placing the theory in local contexts of the participants and on an analysis of the Roadmap according to the different stakeholders;
• collecting and discussing promising practices in the participants contexts, and working on the promising practices database;
• discussing the planned Guide.

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This project (2016-2019) focuses specifically on the language(s) of schooling and is intended for schools (primary or secondary) wishing to help all their students to succeed. Within this group the project team takes particular consideration of the students who depend on the school to develop the language of schooling, that is to say the language used for  teaching  the various school subjects and for the functioning of the schools. The lack of access to this language in a family context, whatever the reasons (a poor socio-economic context, newly arrived children or children from a sign-language environment, etc.), does not enable these students to access knowledge in the same way as the others. Therefore, it is necessary for everybody working in the school to be aware of the situation and to find ways.

The project therefore proposes a “roadmap” which is a digital tool that supports the schools in their reflection on the language(s) of schooling and in the implementation of a strategy they themselves have determined. To achieve this, a self-assessment tool will enable each stakeholder (head teacher, teachers, non-teaching staff, students and parents) to start reflecting upon the situation in their school, by assessing different thematic areas.

Project website (English - French - German): www.ecml.at/roadmapforschools

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Key terms

Language(s) of schooling
The language(s) used in teaching the subject. It is the dominant language of instruction in school which is normally the main national or regional language.
Based upon Beacco, J.-C., Fleming, M., Goullier, F., Thürmann, E., & Vollmer, H. (2016). The language dimension in all subjects: a handbook for curriculum development and teacher training. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Language dimension of subjects
Language  is  as  much  a  tool  for  conceptualizing  content  and  knowledge  as  it  is  for  expressing  oneself accordingly in a rational, “academic” style, based on subject-specific conventions and registers.
Based upon Vollmer, H. J. (2006). Language across the curriculum. Strasbourg : Council of Europe.