Date and venue: 11 April 2024, Grenoble-Alpes University, France
Local organisation: Academic Steering Committee for Modern Languages and Academic School for Continuing Education
ECML experts: Béatrice Leonforte (Switzerland) and Michel Candelier (France)
Participants: 120 - supervisory staff and trainers from primary and secondary schools

In the presence of ECML experts (Michel Candelier and Béatrice Leonforte) and academics from the Lidilem laboratory at Grenoble Alpes University, a seminar on pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures was attended by 120 managers and trainers from the Grenoble education authority. This seminar, which took a resolutely cross-curricular approach, enabled primary and secondary school teachers to become aware of the work already underway in the field of pluralistic approaches to languages, as well as benefiting from high-level scientific contributions, discovering numerous examples of activities and acquiring new resources.

This workshop, organised with the strong support of the ECML, consolidated what already exists and opened up fruitful avenues of work for the future – in particular by outlining prospects for work in nursery schools, CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) classes, mathematics, vocational training or as part of bilanguage continuity classes (classes of 6ème pupils who have benefited from the teaching of two modern languages at primary level). The participants appreciated this time for taking a step back, exchanging ideas and reflecting, which gave them the desire to go further in developing the plurilingual and pluricultural skills promoted by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Frédéric Bablon, Diana-Lee Simon, Jean-Christophe Larbaud

• FREPA: A framework of reference for pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures
• More information about the training and consultancy offer of the ECML for member states: “Plurilingual and intercultural approaches – A didactic tool for integrated plurilingual and intercultural education”

“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

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.