In the last six months, the team members of the Towards a Common European Framework for Language Teachers project have been engaged in an intensive final round of review and consultation.

The online Guide to instruments and frameworks describing teacher competences for language education will be finalised in English by early summer, with a French version to follow soon after. The analysis of forty competence frameworks has inspired the team to propose a model of teacher competences which, while related to learners’ language and intercultural competences, are common to all teachers.

This novel perspective received support from the 160 respondents to an international online survey conducted in early 2019. The responses indicated a high level of approval for potential future instruments suitable for use by, but are not restricted to, teachers of foreign languages. In a bilingual webinar in February, we explained our rationale for such a common approach, which we believe would contribute, for instance, to greater coherence in teacher education curricula, and improved cooperation between teachers of different subjects, especially as regards language(s) in education.

The rationale for such an approach, as well as detailed recommendations on the target groups for and uses of future instruments, have been summarised in a brief report on the need for and feasibility of further common instruments. After review and translation, this report and the draft model of teacher competences will also be published on the project website.

The project team: Lukas Bleichenbacher (coordinator), Michel Candelier,
Francis Goullier, Richard Rossner, Anna Schröder-Sura