The ECML offers its member states European expertise in language education adapted to the concrete needs and specific contexts within individual countries. This bilateral support in a range of key areas helps strengthen the cooperation between member states and the ECML by taking the expertise gained from ECML projects directly into member states. ECML experts work with national authorities and local experts to devise and implement in-country activities, tailored to the particular context and target audience.  For 2025 a number of new areas are on offer which  build on the results of projects run within the Inspiring innovation in language education programme (2020-23). Please note that activities offered in cooperation with the European Commission are subject to a separate Call for requests which will be issued in late November.

The  following  ECML training and consultancy activities are on offer for 2025:

• Plurilingual and intercultural education: teacher and learner competences
• Steps towards implementing plurilingual and intercultural education
• Plurilingual and intercultural education in early language learning
• The CEFR Companion Volume: Mediation and other key concepts – Focus: teacher and learner competences  
• The CEFR Companion Volume: Mediation and other key concepts – Focus: curriculum and evaluation
• Learning environments where languages flourish – Focus: Plurilingual and intercultural education
• Learning environments where languages flourish – Focus: Early language learning
• Action research communities for language teachers
• Fostering digital citizenship through language education
• Language for work – Work-related second language learning for adult migrants and ethnic minorities
• Beyond CLIL – Pluriliteracies teaching for deeper learning
• A roadmap for schools to support the language(s) of schooling

Details of the proposed activities, practical information and the application form can be found here: www.ecml.at/Trainingandconsultancy.

Requests for a Training and consultancy activity must be submitted via the national ECML representative in the Governing Board. Educational professionals interested in a particular activity should therefore contact their national representative.

The application deadline for 2025 is 15 November 2024.

ECML training and consultancy: Action Research Communities online workshop
Date: pre-workshop on 23 May 2024; workshop: 31 May – 1st June 2024
Venue: Brusov State University, Yerevan
Local organiser: Arpine Hovhannisyan, Brusov State University
ECML moderators: Christine Lechner, Austria, and Renata Zanin, Italy
Participants: 22 language teachers working at the university, schools, language centres

As a local organiser and recent participant in the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) online Workshop on Action Research Communities (ARC), I am excited to share the incredible training and consultancy opportunities offered by ECML! These events are designed to empower language educators with cutting-edge methodologies and innovative practices, ensuring that we – Armenian language teachers – stay at the forefront of language teaching.

The ARC workshop was a transformative experience. You engage with educators from different Institutions, exploring innovative research methods, collaborative strategies, and effective practices in language education. The insights and practical tools develop the participants’ knowledge and creative impulses to enhance the effectiveness of their teaching.

ECML’s training and consultancy events cover a wide range of language education themes, including digital literacy, plurilingual education, and inclusive teaching strategies. These events are tailored to meet our diverse needs, offering engaging workshops and collaborative learning experiences.

By participating in ECML events, we benefit from the expertise of leading professionals in the field and join a supportive community of educators committed to excellence in language education. These programmes provide unparalleled opportunities to advance our skills, network with peers, and contribute to the evolution of language teaching.

I encourage all language educators to take advantage of these exceptional opportunities. Elevate your teaching and make a meaningful impact on your students’ language learning journeys.

Visit the ECML website to learn more and register for upcoming events. Together, we can transform language education and evolve further!

Arpine Hovhannisyan

• More information about the ECML training and consultancy offer for member states on Enhancing language learning and teaching through Action Research Communities for language teachers
• Facebook group of the Action Research Community for Language teachers

ECML training and consultancy event: “Action research and language pedagogy: Infusing action learning in language teaching processes”
Date and venue: 20-21 October 2023, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
Local organiser: University of Agder, Department of Foreign Languages and Translation in collaboration with Sørlandsk Lærerstevne
ECML experts: Angela Gallagher-Brett (United Kingdom) and Larisa Kasumagić-Kafedžić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Participants: 22 teachers from lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools in the region of Agder, student teachers and teacher trainers from the university

The workshop by the Action Research for Language Teachers (ARC) team is a good starting point for developing your language teaching community. In the workshop, the ARC team offers a hands-on introduction to how to use different tools and leads participants through all the necessary steps in an action research process. Working together with other in-service and pre-service language teachers during the workshop creates an inspiring atmosphere with critical friends which leads you to develop shared ideas. As part of the workshop, participants are inspired to plan a small project for their own classroom and form a peer group with teachers with similar projects. In these peer groups you are strongly encouraged to plan a schedule for meetings to ensure progress in the projects. Before you leave the workshop, a date is set for a virtual follow-up-meeting with all the participants to present an update on each other’s projects.

To help you on your way, the ARC toolkit on the ECML website offers many tools that you can use to carry out the project. In addition, the follow-up meeting where you share the ups and downs in your projects is very fruitful and you see that small steps can make big differences for the quality of teaching languages in the classroom.

Eli-Marie Drange

• More information about the ECML training and consultancy offer for member states on Enhancing language learning and teaching through Action Research Communities for language teachers
• Facebook group of the Action Research Community for Language teachers

Norwegian version

Ønsker du inspirasjon til å utvikle din egen språkundervisning og samarbeide med andre lærere?

En workshop om aksjonsforskning for språklærere i regi av ARC-teamet fra ECML (Det europeiske språksenteret) kan være et sted å begynne for å utvikle egen språkundervisning i samarbeid med andre lærere. I workshopen gir ARC-teamet deg en steg-for steg introduksjon til hvordan du kan bruke ulike verktøy for å utvikle et aksjonsforskningsprosjekt i klasserommet. Gjennom å samarbeide med andre lærere og lærerstudenter i løpet av workshopen, skapes det en god atmosfære der en støtter og utfordrer hverandre til å utvikle nye ideer. Som en del av programmet, blir du utfordret  til å definere et lite prosjekt du kan gjennomføre i ditt eget klasserom, og etablere mindre samarbeidsgrupper med andre lærere som har lignende prosjekter. I samarbeidsgruppene blir du oppfordret til å avtale møtepunkter for å sikre en gjennomføring av de planlagte prosjektene. Ved avslutningen av workshopen, fastsettes det en dato for et virtuelt oppfølgingsmøte med alle deltakerne for å gi en oppdatering av de ulike prosjektene.

Som en støtte i prosessen videre, finnes det mange nyttige verktøy tilgjengelig fra ARC-prosjektet på ECMLs nettsider. Oppfølgingsmøtet der du kan dele erfaringene med prosjektet ditt er nyttig for å se at selv små steg er viktige i arbeidet med å forbedre kvaliteten på språkundervisningen i klasserommet.

Eli-Marie Drange

“Inspiring innovation in language education: changing contexts, evolving competences” – Join the livestream!

The conference represents the culmination of the four years of work of the ECML’s “Inspiring innovation in language education: changing contexts, evolving competences”  programme, involving, among others, 9projects, 1think tank, 12offers of training and consultancy (TaC) and a series of initiatives developed with the support of the European Commission.

The conference is aimed at all language education professionals and in particular at ECML stakeholders, policy makers and persons with a professional focus on the practice of language education (curriculum development, teacher education, material design…).

The programme involves plenary presentations, speeches, a round table, a series of smaller workshops for the presentation and discussion of programme outputs and outcomes as well as envisaged links to activities in the 2024-2027 programme.

The workshops on the second day of the conference will be organised thematically:

• Language teacher and learner competences,
• Transversal dimension of language education / Competences for life and work,
• Plurilingual and intercultural education,
• Languages of schooling; language in subjects.

Within each given theme there will be a focus on the completed project resources and related TaC activities from the current programme. Presenters will focus on the inspiring and innovative aspects of their TaC activity/new resources and will consider how the different approaches and materials presented in their thematic session complement one other.

This will also be an excellent opportunity to get a preview of the new ECML programme “Language education at the heart of democracy” (2024-2027).

In order to ensure access to a wider audience, the event will be streamed in both working languages (English and French) and the recordings made available on the ECML website.

Conference web page: English – French

Conference programme: English – French

Join the live streaming here – no registration required: English – French

#ECMLCELVconf2023

Date and venue: Podgorica, Montenegro, 29-30 September 2023
Experts: Christine Lechner (Austria) and Renata Zanin (Italy)
Local organiser: Nataša Perić, Bureau for Education Services
Participants: 21 class teachers, teachers of Montenegrin-Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian language and literature, foreign language teachers (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian)

Quality in foreign language teaching implies teachers who master teaching methods, approaches and procedures that lead to the best results in learning. Foreign language teachers in Montenegro have a good education in foreign language teaching methodology but certain aspects of teaching require constant reassessment and improvement. The workshop Enhancing language learning and teaching through action research communities for language teachers, held on 29 and 30 September 2023 in the Bureau for Education Services, introduced to the language teachers the potentials of Action research and how it can help them reflect on their practice and refine their teaching skills.

During the two very productive days, the team of outstanding trainers, Christine Lechner and Renata Zanin, presented the main principles of Action research to the teachers of five foreign languages, English, Italian, German, French and Russian, and provided them with practical examples as well as tools and resources for reflecting and improving their teaching practice. The participants have found the sessions on focused classroom observation, collaborative learning and reflective teaching very useful, as well as the instructions for planning the action research project. Five action research projects were planned to be implemented until the end of the first term of the school year 2023/2024.

Nataša Perić

• More information on the ECML training and consultancy offer for member states "Enhancing language learning and teaching through Action Research Communities for language teachers"

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Montenegrin version

Akciono istraživanje u nastavi stranih jezika u Crnoj Gori

Kvalitet u nastavi stranih jezika podrazumijeva nastavnike koji vladaju nastavnim metodama i pristupima koji će dovesti do najboljih rezultata u nastavi i učenju. Nastavnici stranih jezika u Crnoj Gori imaju dobro obrazovanje iz metodike nastave stranih jezika, ali pojedini aspekti nastave zahtijevaju stalno analizaranje i usavršavanje. Radionica Unapređenje učenja i nastave jezika kroz zajednice akciono istraživanje, održana 29. i 30. septembra 2023. godine u Zavodu za školstvo, upoznala je nastavnike jezika sa potencijalima akcionog istraživanja i kako im ono može pomoći da promišljaju o svojoj praksi i unaprijede nastavu.

Tokom dva veoma produktivna dana, tim vrhunskih trenera, koji su činile Christine Lechner i Renata Zanin, je predstavio glavne principe akcionog istraživanja nastavnicima pet stranih jezika - engleskog, italijanskog, njemačkog, francuskog i ruskog, i ponudio praktične primjere i resurse za promišljanje i unapređenje nastavne prakse. Učesnicima su bile veoma korisne sesije o fokusiranom posmatranju u učionici, saradničkom učenju i refleksivnoj nastavi, kao i uputstva za planiranje projekta kojim će primijeniti akciono istraživanju u učionici. Planirano je da se realizuje pet projekata tokom prvog polugodišta školske 2023/2024.

Nataša Perić

Date and venue: 18, 20, 21 September 2023, Luxembourg
Local organiser:  Christiane Klein, National Institute of Languages / National Education Training Institute, Luxembourg
Experts:  Tita Mihaiu, Centrul pentru Formarea Continua in Limba Germana (CFCLG, Romania) and Angela Gallagher-Brett, SOAS University of London
Participants: 23 novice and experienced language teachers in adult education at the INLL

About 20 eager attendants participated in the ARC workshop over three days. At the time of writing, the final concluding meeting has not yet taken place.  Throughout the well-paced workshop, participants were led through practical steps that allowed them to (re-)discover the process of continuous improvement through observation of their professional practice.

The theoretical framework was introduced and explained and the relevant tools, which the ECML provides, were implemented in practice through  varied activities.  The mix of novices as well as experienced teachers led to lively exchanges and allowed colleagues to discover common doubts about their teaching approach.  Thematic  groups allowed teachers to map a plan for a detailed observation of their practice, set a timeline and implement changes according to a detailed framework.

All participants felt invigorated to move forward with a sound theoretical foundation and detailed practical guidelines.  Novice teachers were guided through the process by more experienced teachers and trainers and experienced teachers continued their path of incremental improvement/refinement of their teaching practice.

Throughout the workshop, the moderators addressed questions, gave guidance and assisted participants with targeted questions to query their approach.

Initiatives are ongoing.

Nicolas Maraite

• More information about the ECML training and consultancy offer for member states on Enhancing language learning and teaching through Action Research Communities for language teachers
• Facebook group of the Action Research Community for Language teachers

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German version

Eine Einführung oder ein erneuter Impuls, die Lehrer:Innenpraxis zu hinterfragen

Etwa 20 eifrige Teilnehmende nahmen drei Tage lang am ARC-Workshop teil. Zum Zeitpunkt des Verfassens dieser Zeilen hat das Abschlusseminar noch nicht stattgefunden. Während des Workshops wurden die Teilnehmenden durch praktische Schritte geführt, die es ihnen ermöglichten, den Prozess der kontinuierlichen Verbesserung durch Beobachtung ihrer beruflichen Praxis zu entdecken und/oder weiterzuentwickeln.

Der theoretische Rahmen wurde vorgestellt und erklärt und die relevanten Werkzeuge, die das ECML bereitstellt, wurden in vielfältigen Aktivitäten praktisch umgesetzt. Die Mischung des Erfahrunsgrades der Lehrpersonen führte zu einem regen Austausch und ermöglichte es, Hinterfragungen zu deren persönlichen Lehransatz zu erarbeiten. Themengruppen ermöglichten es, einen Plan für eine detaillierte Beobachtung der eigenen Praxis zu entwerfen, einen Zeitplan festzulegen und Änderungen gemäß einem detaillierten Rahmen umzusetzen.

Alle Teilnehmenden erhielten eine fundierte theoretische Grundlage und detaillierte praktische Richtlinien. Angehende Lehrpersonen wurden von Erfahreneren und Ausbildenden durch den Prozess geführt und konnten so schrittweise eine Verbesserung/Verfeinerung ihrer Unterrichtspraxis erzielen.

Während des gesamten Workshops gingen die Moderierenden auf Fragen ein, gaben Hinweise und unterstützten die Teilnehmenden mit gezielten Fragen bei der Hinterfragung ihres Ansatzes.

Weitere Initiativen sind im Gange.

Nicolas Maraite

The European Centre for Modern Languages is launching a series of 48 national training and consultancy workshops . The workshops which are hosted in member states offer a wide range of European expertise in language education and are adapted to the concrete needs and specific contexts within individual countries. This year represents the highest ever number of events organised according to this format by the ECML and reflects the increasing popularity of the Centre’s training and consultancy activities.

25 of the events will take place within the framework of the “Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning” cooperation action between the ECML and the European Commission. These activities, covering member states of the ECML and the European Union, focus on Relating language curricula, tests and examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference (RELANG), Supporting Multilingual Classrooms and Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning

The other 23 events targeting the member states of the ECML focus on the following areas: Action research communities, CLIL and beyond – pluriliteracies, Language for work, Language of schooling in subject learning, Plurilingual and intercultural approaches (CARAP/FREPA), The ROADMAP – a self-assessment tool to foster school development, Setting up learning environments where modern languages flourish.

The events combine professional input from the ECML and expertise in the member state to initiate quality developments – the workshops can assist in change processes in language education at local, regional and national levels. The first of the events, a RELANG workshop, will take place at the Lithuanian National Agency for Education in Vilnius on 7-9 March.

The ECML offers its member states European expertise in language education adapted to the concrete needs and specific contexts within individual countries.

On 26 January 2023, seven training and consultancy (TaC) teams exchanged their experience in the field of:

• Action research communities,
• CLIL and beyond – pluriliteracies,
• Language for work,
• Language of schooling in subject learning,
• Plurilingual and intercultural approaches (CARAP/FREPA),
• The ROADMAP - a self-assessment tool to foster school development,
• Setting up learning environments where modern languages flourish (online presentation),

focusing on highlights, challenges and learning opportunities, and conclusions for 2023 activities.

The network meeting with the local organisers from Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Slovak Republic and Slovenia took place on 27 January. The participants got an overview of the TaC offers and their benefits from previous experience, national contexts and needs, and the ECML support provided. Individual meetings took place for local organisers with the TaC teams to discuss the organisation and arrangements of their national events planned this year.

In 2023 the ECML will conduct 23 training events in 17 member states:

In addition, up to 25 workshops will be organised in ECML and EU member states through the Centre’s cooperation action with the European Commission – these will be announced shortly.

• More information on the ECML training and consultancy offer

Photo gallery

Local organisation: Brynhildur Anna Ragnarsdóttir
ECML experts: Angela Gallagher-Brett (United Kingdom) and Christine Lechner (Austria)
Participants: 10 teachers of English, German, Danish, Spanish, and Icelandic as FL in upper secondary schools; the president of STÍL

The face to face Training and Consultancy event was organised by STÍL – the Association of Language Teachers in Iceland and the Institute of Continuing Education within the University of Iceland on 11-12 August.

During the event the “Action Research Communities for languages” team presented concepts of action research and the ARC project as well as Intercultural Learning approaches in the language classroom.
The participants were highly engaged during the event and contributed in a very positive way throughout.

Five action research projects were planned during the workshop to be carried out during the autumn. Participants will focus on the following themes:

• Increasing confidence & competence in speaking LOTEs – German & Spanish;
• Reading full literary texts: strategies to motivate learners to read texts rather than synopses;
• Focus on spoken Danish in action;
• Reducing the use of L1 in the language classroom/ Increasing the use of the L2;
• Individual teaching in Mathematics and Icelandic – focus on content related language acquisition.

An online event to share development of the projects will take place at the beginning of November and it is hoped that these will subsequently be published on the ARC website.

Brynhildur Anna Ragnarsdóttir (brynhildurannar@gmail.com)

• More information: 
  ECML training and consultancy offer for member states “Enhancing language learning and teaching through action research communities for language teachers”

Date and venue: 20-21 May 2022, European University of Armenia
Local organiser of the ECML training and consultancy: Sona Hakobyan
ECML experts: Christine Lechner and Renata Zanin
Participants: 25 language teachers, school teachers, university professors, head of studies and departments

In a time of rapid change, it is very important to have well-organised and up to date educational programmes and curricula. The ECML’s Action Research Communities (ARC)  Training and Consultancy activities capitalize on all the benefits and strengths of action research and teacher communities and enhance professionals’ skills and further empower them. The Training and Consultancy events offer a way to help educators everywhere experience a common vision and carry out collaborative analysis and reflective practice.

ARC already has many success stories from previous training events in ECML member states - these were made available to the participants at the event via Padlet. The events focus on the specific needs of a country taking up the ARC offer. In the case of Armenia; an article on Classroom Action Research has been published by Sona Hakobyan (p. 134, see https://www.eiu.am/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/banber-2021-01.pdf). In the article, the questionnaire on teachers’ awareness of action research showed that teachers are not initially completely familiar with classroom action research, but, with the help of ECML training and consultancy event, many teachers were able to develop this knowledge. The ECML experts, Christine Lechner and Renata Zanin, motivated Armenian teachers to develop ARCs and boost their experience. The expert team also  provided very well developed materials and brochures from the ECML.

Sona Hakobyan

• More information:
  ECML training and consultancy offer for member states “Enhancing language learning and teaching through action research communities for language teachers”

Dates and format: online event, 18 October 2021, 1-2 November 2021, 14 December 2021.
Local organiser: Linnaeus University and Karlstad University, Sweden.
ECML moderators: Christine Lechner, Angela Gallagher-Brett and Larisa Kasumagic. 
Number of participants: pre-workshop: 21 participants; main workshop: 11 participants. 
Background of the participants: teacher educators and language teachers (German, Spanish, French, English, Swedish as a second language). 

Action Research Communities offer language teachers and teacher educators excellent opportunities to increase their intercultural awareness and reflect on how to integrate intercultural learning in their teaching practice. In addition, it can serve as a springboard for collaborations between teachers and teacher educators. During the workshops the participants experienced an exchange of ideas on how to implement intercultural and pluralistic approaches in the language classroom. 

The theoretical insights into AR methods and interculturality, practical examples and materials presented by the ECML moderators Christine Lechner, Angela Gallagher-Brett and Larisa Kasumagic inspired the participants to plan their own projects and to discuss them in a group setting. Invited guest lecturers added new perspectives to the topic. 

The moderators had also put together an extensive collection of material, including PowerPoint presentations, examples and checklists, which the participants can use in the future. Collaborative tools such as Padlet enabled the participants to post their ideas and projects and served as a space for reflection. The balance of theoretical input on ARC and interculturality, practical examples and time to exchange ideas was very much appreciated by the participants. 

The participants were encouraged to present their own project ideas of classroom activities where interculturality should be a main part of the activity. In moderated group discussions, the participants were helped to develop their projects further. The atmosphere was constructive and encouraging, which was reflected in the lively discussions. The online format worked very well. 

All in all, the workshop series provided the participants with a multitude of ideas, materials and approaches that they can implement in their lessons. The Action Research Framework is a useful tool for reflecting on and developing teaching practices. 

Corina Löwe, Linnaeus University, and Brita Bodin, Karlstads University 

Contact:  

Corina.Lowe@lnu.se 

Brita.Bodin@kau.se 

More information:

ECML training and consultancy offer for member states “Enhancing language learning and teaching through action research communities for language teachers” 

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News item in Swedish 

Action Research Communities som metod ger både språklärare och lärarutbildare goda möjligheter att stärka sin interkulturella medvetenhet och samtidigt reflektera över hur interkulturellt lärande kan integreras i klassrumspraktiken. Dessutom kan ARC bli en språngbräda för samarbete mellan verksamma lärare och lärarutbildare. Under workshopparna fick deltagarna möjlighet att utbyta tankar och idéer om hur man bäst inkluderar ett interkulturellt perspektiv och mångfaldsfrågor i språkklassrummet. 

ECML:s workshopledare, Christine Lechner, Angela Gallagher-Brett och Larisa Kasumagic, bidrog med en teoretisk inblick i ARC som metod och gjorde även en grundlig presentation av ämnet interkulturalitet. Inbjuda gästföreläsare tillförde nya perspektiv.  Innehållet i workshopparna inspirerade deltagarna att planera egna projekt och att diskutera dem i olika gruppkonstellationer. 

ECML:s samtalsledare har också sammanställd ett användbart material som innehåller PowerPoint-presentationer, exempel och check-listor som workshopdeltagarna har fri tillgång till. Verktyget Padlet användes som samarbetsyta och fungerade mycket väl. Här kunde deltagarna ladda upp sina idéer och projekt och även både ge och få feedback. Det är tydligt att deltagarna uppskattade balansen mellan teorier kring ARC och interkulturalitet och utrymmet för praktiska exempel och erfarenhetsutbyten. 

Workshopen inspirerade alltså deltagarna att utarbeta projekt för klassrumsundervisning där ett interkulturellt perspektiv var fokus.  Alla fick också god hjälp att utveckla sina projektidéer i de ledda samtalsgrupper som ingick i workshopparna. Diskussionerna var livliga i grupperna och konstruktiva tankar och förslag växte fram.  Online formatet fungerade utmärkt väl för workshopen.  

Sammanfattningsvis menar vi att workshopdeltagarna fick med sig mycket matnyttigt material och massor med nya uppslag som lätt kan appliceras på klassrumssituationer. Action Research Communities är ett användbart verktyg för reflektion och för att utveckla sin egen undervisningspraktik. 

Författare:  

Dr. Corina Löwe, Linnaeus University, and Brita Bodin, Karlstad University 

Kontakt: 
Corina.Lowe@lnu.se 
Brita.Bodin@kau.se

ECML Training and Consultancy “Action Research for Language Teachers”
Organisation: Vytautas Magnus University, Education Academy, Institute of Teacher Professional Development, Lithuania
Training period: 28 September 2020 - 12 December 2020
Participants: 21 gymnasium language teachers, university researchers

Research on the improvement of pedagogical activities, by its nature and methodological features, encourages teachers to look for new forms and methods of teaching. Its essence is collaborative learning, which allows participants to systematically take action to solve specific teaching / learning problems that arise in the educational process. It is a team work that emancipates the communication between teachers and students, frees them from certain stereotypical relationships. because not only the teacher but also the student has to identify a problematic area of learning and choose a reasoned solution. The pedagogical improvement research activities and the results encourage teachers and students to reflect on their experiences with other colleagues, a wider circle of specialists. In this way, this research becomes useful not only for the personal development of the teacher and her/ his students, but also for the whole school community, including parents. The research data obtained can also be useful in developing new educational strategies, principles of educational policy.

The moderators of the seminar focused on developing the competence of language teachers. However, all the above-mentioned aspects of pedagogical improvement research were addressed. Taking into account the pandemic situation, the moderators, proposed new IT solutions, providing consultations, discussions and reflections on theoretical material, and involving project presentations from the participants. An excellent rapport was established between the teachers and participants of the workshop, and the teachers received answers to their questions. It proved  a truly theoretically, technologically and practically relevant educational event that meets the needs of the educational community.

Contact: Nijolė Čiučiulkienė, Vice-Head of the Institute of Teacher Professional Development, Education Academy, Vytautas Magnus University, e-mail: Nijole.ciuciulkiene@vdu.lt

• More information about the ECML training and consultancy activity "Enhancing language learning and teaching through action research communities for language teachers"

Lithuanian version

Pedagoginės veiklos tobulinimo tyrimas kalbų mokytojams: seminarai ir konsultacijos

Pedagoginės veiklos tobulinimo tyrimas savo prigimtimi ir metodologinėmis savybėmis skatina mokytojus ieškoti naujų mokymo(si) formų ir metodų. Jo esmė - bendradarbiavimu grįstas mokyma(sis), leidžiantis proceso dalyviams sistemingai imtis veiksmų sprendžiant ugdymo procese kylančias specifines mokymo (si) problemas. Tai - komandinis darbas, kuris emancipuoja mokytojų ir studentų bendravimą, išlaisvina iš tam tikrų stereotipinių mokytojo "visažinio" ir mokio "tuščio stiklainio" santykių, nes ne tik mokytojas, bet ir pats mokinys turi nustatyti probleminę mokymosi sritį ir pasirinkti argumentuotą jos sprendimą. Pedagoginės veiklos tobulinimo tyrimo veikla ir gauti rezultatai skatina mokytojus ir jame dalyvavusius mokinius reflektyviai pasidalinti savo patirtimi su kitais kolegomis, platesniu specialistų ratu. Tokiu būdu šis tyrimas tampa naudingas ne tik mokytojo ir jo mokinių asmeniniam tobulėjimui, bet ir visai mokyklos bendruomenei, įskaitant tėvus. Gauti tyrimo duomenys taip pat gali būti naudingi, kuriant naujas švietimo strategijas, švietimo politikos principus.

Seminaro rengėjai daugiausia dėmesio skyrė kalbos mokytojų kompetencijos ugdymui. Vis dėlto, buvo paliesti visi, aukščiau minėti pedagoginės veiklos tobulinimo tyrimo aspektai. Seminaro organizatoriai, atsižvelgdami į pandemijos situaciją, pasiūlė naujus IT sprendimus, teikiant konsultacijas, diskusijas ir teorinės medžiagos apmąstymus, dalyvių projekto pristatymus. Taigi, seminaro dėstytojų ir dalyvių santykiai buvo glaudūs, ir mokytojai gavo atsakymus į jiems rūpimus klausimus. Tai tikrai teoriškai, technologiškai ir praktiškai aktualus, švietimo bendruomenės poreikius atliepiantis edukacinis renginys.

Doc. dr. Nijolė Čiučiulkienė
VDU Švietimo Akademijos,
Profesinio tobulėjimo Instituto vadovės pavaduotoja
Nijole.ciuciulkiene@vdu.lt

The ARC-Team carried out two official training and activity events organised by Ana Kanareva-Dimitrovska, University of Aarhus in Denmark, and Nijolė Čiučiulkiene, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas in Lithuania. We were also able to run bonus sessions organised by Tita Mihaiu, Institute for CPD for German Teachers, Sibiu/Hermannstadt, Romania.

Despite initial scepticism that online-only would not be possible, in the end, in the situation we managed to run all sessions online.

Denmark

9 November 2020: Pre-workshop session
7-8 December 2020: Main workshop
March/early April 2021: Follow-up session

Lithuania

8 June 2020, 15:15 - 16:45: Taster
28 September 2020, 15:15-16:45: Preparatory workshop
5 November 2020, 15:15-16:00: Q&A session
10-11 December 2020, 16:00-18:00 on both days: Main workshop
28 January 2021, 16:00-16:40: Voluntary Q&A session
4 February 2021, 16:00-17:45: Follow-up session with participant presentations
Contact & support by e-mail throughout the process

Additional ARC-based sessions for German teachers in Romania

2 parallel groups
Session 1, beginning of October: Introduction to action research
Session 2, second week of October: Content pack - Moving in the (online) language classroom
Project phase supported by local organiser Tita Mihaiu
Session 3, mid-November: Reflection
Session 4, end of November: Evaluation of action research process
https://www.zfl.ro/veranstaltungen.php?tip=3&ans=2020_2021

Through the process that required a lot of replanning and rethinking we learnt about adjusting pedagogical approaches that online sessions require trainers to work in a strictly focused way and to be very clear about aims. Very precise planning is extremely important, and it is essential to do everything possible to understand the concerns of participants and to react in a flexible way.

We valued co-operation with local organisers who helped clarify who does what, coordinated with participants and explained expectations and concerns to trainers, taking on responsibility for the group and ensuring that participants received CPD recognition.

And we found out how important it is to exploit all online facilities available not only communicating through a learning platform, but also using resources such as Padlet and Google docs as a back-up for materials.

In the end we were surprised how everything fitted together, for example the way online discussions in breakout rooms were much easier than anticipated.

For the future we will be aiming towards blended approaches. It is very much hoped that 2021 will provide opportunities to hold face-to-face workshops, but these will be backed-up by online pre-workshops and follow-up sessions as online support throughout the process.

Project developments presented at conferences and published from late 2019 to early 2021:

• Presentation at CARN Conference in Split
• CARN Bulletin no. 23 (after the conference in Split in October 2019):

   Christine Lechner (Pädagogische Hochschule Tirol, Austria) and  Angela Gallagher-Brett (University for the Creative Arts, United Kingdom), "

  Action Research Communities for Language Teachers: Starting off"

• CARN DACH Conference FU Bozen (17-18 January 2020), focus on languages and action research: programme (available in German)
• Publication FU Bozen - Title: The challenge of language in pre-school, school and university
  Six points as set out in the article Zanin/Lechner "Das ARC Training und Consultancy-Projekt" by REnata Zanin and Christine Lechner
  1. Setting up a learning platform
  2. Getting to know the group - coordinating with local organiser
  3. Identifying and publishing aims of sessions & local organisers
  4. Provision of materials and links for participants' use
  5. Formulating and communicating tasks clearly
  6. Presentations of participants' work
• CARN Online, October 2020: Angela Gallagher-Brett & Christine Lechner, "Getting teachers' voices heard across language and cultural barriers in an online action research community of practice
• CARN DACH Online Conference, January 2021: presentations and abstracts

Action research workshop for German teachers in Romania organised by the Centrul pentru formarea Continua in Limba Germana (CPD)

Action research carried out by dedicated teachers leads to innovation in classrooms, enhanced teacher efficacy and helps learners to reach their potential.

Until very recently, for many European action researchers, it had always seemed that face-to-face meetings are an absolute necessity to get teachers involved in action research. However, we are currently making new experiences and discoveries.

The CPD Centre for German teachers in Sibiu/Hermannstadt is running a series of training activities on action research based on the ECML project “Action research communities for language teachers” (ARC). The framework for the activities is:

• 90-minute session on action research for German teachers organised by the Centre and held by members of ARC team
• 90-minute session on an innovative didactic approach held by an expert from Germany
• Teachers embark on small action research projects supported by a member of the ARC team at the Centre
• Theme: Moving around in the language classroom - even in times of online learning
• Online presentations of projects by participants

What we are finding out:

• The web-based tools developed by the project www.ecml.at/actionresearch are particularly suitable to be shown online!
• It is necessary to reduce timeslots, which, in turn, means precise preparation.
• Teachers from different parts of the country were surprised by the invitation to participate and grateful for the opportunity.
• It is really important that the communication platform for the events is well-organised and offers the functionality to:
  • chat and record the chat;
  • allow participants to speak;
  • see everyone present during the session;
  • show materials through screenshare moving flexibly from PowerPoint to pictures and websites;
  • allow work in breakout rooms with easy transfer into breakout rooms and back again to plenary.

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German version

Aktionsforschungsworkshop für DeutschlehrerInnen in Rumänien, organisiert vom Centrul pentru Formarea Continua in Limba Germana (CFCLG) / Zentrum für Lehrerfortbildung in deutscher Sprache 

Aktionsforschung, die von engagierten LehrerInnen durchgeführt wird, führt zu Innovationen im Klassenzimmer, erhöht die Effizienz der LehrerInnen und hilft den Lernenden, ihr Potenzial auszuschöpfen.

Bis vor kurzem schien es vielen europäischen AktionsforscherInnen, dass persönliche Treffen eine absolute Notwendigkeit sind, um LehrerInnen in die Aktionsforschung einzubeziehen. Zurzeit machen wir jedoch ganz neue Erfahrungen und Entdeckungen.

Das Fortbildungszentrum für Deutschlehrerinnen und -lehrer in Sibiu/Hermannstadt, führt auf der Grundlage des Projekts „Aktionsforschungsnetzwerke für SprachenlehrerInnen“ Fortbildungen zur Aktionsforschung durch.

Es wurde folgender Ablauf geplant:

• 90-minütige Sitzung zur Aktionsforschung für DeutschlehrerInnen, organisiert vom Zentrum und durchgeführt von Mitgliedern des ARC-Teams
• 90-minütige Sitzung über einen innovativen didaktischen Ansatz, unter der Leitung einer Expertin aus Deutschland
• LehrerInnen beginnen mit kleinen Aktionsforschungsprojekten, die von einem Mitglied des ARC-Teams im Zentrum unterstützt werden
  • Thema: sich im Sprachunterricht bewegen - auch in Zeiten des Online-Lernens
  • Online-Präsentationen von Projekten durch TeilnehmerInnen

Was wir gerade entdecken:

• Die vom Projekt www.ecml.at/actionresearch entwickelten Online-Tools sind für den Online-Einsatz besonders gut geeignet.
• Es ist notwendig, die Zeitfenster zu verkürzen, was wiederum eine präzise Vorbereitung bedeutet.
• Lehrerinnen und Lehrer aus verschiedenen Teilen des Landes waren von der Einladung zur Teilnahme überrascht und dankbar für die Gelegenheit.
• Es ist wichtig,
  • dass die Plattform gut organisiert ist und Funktionen auf dem neuesten Stand der Technik bietet;
  • dass es eine Chatmöglichkeit gibt und dass der Chat aufgezeichnet werden kann;
  • dass man den TeilnehmerInnen das Wort erteilen kann;
  • dass man alle während des Treffens sehen kann;
  • dass man Materialien durch Teilen des Bildschirmes zeigen kann;
  • dass man flexibel von PowerPoint zu Bildern und Webseiten wechseln kann;
  • dass Gespräche in den Breakout-Räumen möglich sind, mit reibungslosem Hin- und Herschalten zwischen den Breakout-Räume und dem Plenum.

The European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) of the Council of Europe is pleased to announce the completion in both English and German of its ARC resource website “Action research communities for language teachers” (www.ecml.at/actionresearch), an output of the ECML programme “Languages at the heart of learning” (2016-2019).

This website offers resources to support language teachers use action research as a tool for the development of reflective classroom practice, taking them step-by-step through the process of engaging in action research in their respective contexts. It also provides materials for teacher educators in initial teacher education.

Given the challenges teachers and learners have faced during lockdown and the challenges ahead as schools across Europe attempt to return to some kind of normality, the need for teachers to reflect on their practice and to benefit from professional learning communities is greater than ever. These new resources can strengthen teacher development and the provision of quality inclusive language education.

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Calling all teachers and teacher educators!

Are you a pre-service teacher who is interested in learning about action research and its benefits for your future teaching practice? Are you a teacher at primary, secondary or tertiary education level who would like to develop reflective classroom practice by linking professional networks, academic expertise and good practice in your language classroom, and thereby to enhance the quality of your teaching? Are you looking for impulses to engage in action research and a step by step reference tool which helps set out on your action research journey? Are you a teacher educator or a training provider looking for ways to develop teachers’ professional skills in this area and for training materials which can be used in a flexible way? If so, this new open-access resource website, developed in English and German through expert cooperation in the field of language education across geographic Europe and beyond, is most definitely for you.

Action research communities for language teachers www.ecml.at/actionresearch

Click on the links below to go directly to the different resources: A step-by-step guide for action research A workshop template promoting action research to teachers A dialogue sheet for initiating action research activities Success stories illustrating how teachers can work on research questions in their specific contexts Publication flyer

A two-day training workshop had been planned to take place at the Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania at the beginning of May. Due to travel restrictions this was impossible.

However, on the 8th of June members of the ARC team were able to run an online session organised by Nijolė Čiučiulkienė to speak about the ARC project on Action research communities for language teachers and to announce the training workshop now planned for the end of the year.

• More information about the ECML training and consultancy activity "Enhancing language learning and teaching through action research communities for language teachers"