Programme of activities

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Languages for social cohesion

Language education in a multilingual and multicultural Europe

Les langues pour la cohésion sociale

L'éducation aux langues dans une Europe multilingue et multiculturelle

Programme of activities

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I. Foreword

This booklet outlines the contents of the second medium-term programme of the European Centre for Modern Languages. It gives general information on the ECML and on the framework of international co-operation that the Centre organises in the field of language education.

The ECML’s second medium-term programme which runs from 2004 to 2007 has as its general title: “Languages for social cohesion: language education in a multilingual and multicultural Europe”. This focus is inspired by the conviction that language education has a vital role to play in the quest for better under-standing and mutual respect among the citizens of greater Europe.

After an intensive consultation process with its member states in 2002, the Centre published its Call for Proposals for the new programme early in 2003. In response, it received a large number of proposals from language experts, trainers, teachers and researchers who proposed a broad range activities focused on a variety of sub-themes linked to the overall programme theme. At the end of a thorough process of evaluation and selection in which difficult choices had to be made, 22 of these projects were chosen by the Centre’s Governing Board for inclusion in the Centre’s programme. The result is a coherent programme corresponding to the Centre’s vocation and material possibilities and reflecting its strategic priorities:

support for the implementation of language education policies

promotion of innovative approaches to teaching and learning languages development of the professional status of language educators.

The projects presented in this booklet will be developed over the next four years in the ECML’s annual programmes. The details of each of these pro-grammes can be found in the yearly Calendar of Activities included with this booklet. This also gives details of the ECML’s contacts and representatives in its member states.

Further information on these projects as well as updates on the progress of each may be found on the ECML’s website www.ecml.at. As with the Centre’s last programme, the results of the projects will ultimately be published in the form of booklets, CD Roms, teaching materials etc, all of which are freely available from the ECML.

European Centre

for Modern Languages

Programme of activities 2004 – 2007

I. Foreword 3

II. The European Centre for Modern Languages 4

III. The framework of activities 5

a.Scope and orientation 5

b.Projects 6

c.Activities 7

d.Communication and documentation 8

e.How to get involved 9

IV. The second medium-term programme 10

Languages for social cohesion: language education

in a multilingual and multicultural Europe 10 A – Coping with linguistic and social diversity –

provisions, profiles, materials 12 B – Communication in a multicultural society:

the development of intercultural communicative competence 17

C – Professional development and reference tools

for language educators 21 D – Innovative approaches and new technologies

in the teaching and learning of languages 30 V. Information, communication, documentation 35

a) The ECML’s website : www.ecml.at 35

b) Documentation and Resource Centre 36

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III. The framework of activities

a. Scope and orientation

The hallmark of the ECML is the organisation of international projects in the field of language education. These projects are targeted primarily at teacher trainers, researchers and key multipliers in the field. They aim at raising awareness, providing training and facilitating networks of mutual encouragement and support. ECML-supported projects can take a variety of forms, act on different stages of the continuum of change and offer different types of activity for different target groups, but all aim to yield tangible results and give measurable added value. However, the ECML is also involved in activities beyond these central projects: provision of an information infrastructure for the promotion of the European Day of Languages (26 September), in cooperation with the Language Policy Division, and the organisation of one-off conferences on the occa-sion of the Day (awareness raising events for a wide target audience) support for activities designed to respond to specific development and training needs at regional and national level

involvement in international projects funded by other sources, ie “Linguanet” (European Commission)

organisation of activities to improve the ECML’s impact in the member states and ensure optimal dissemination of the results of its work (through the Centre’s Contact Points and National Nominating Authorities) coordination of activities to ensure collaboration and synergy between all the projects included in the programme (meetings of coordinators, etc). In all its undertakings the ECML strives to avoid duplicating work taking place elsewhere or taking up initiatives which are dealt with more effectively by other international or national institutions.

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II. The European Centre for Modern Languages

The European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) in Graz, Austria, is a Council of Europe institution set up in 1994 to promote the learning and teaching of languages in Europe.

It is an "Enlarged Partial Agreement" to which 33 of the Council of Europe's member states have subscribed1_.

The ECML's mission is to support its member states in the implementation of their language education policies based on the recommendations and policy instruments of the Council of Europe. It does this by promoting innovative approaches and disseminating good practice in the learning and teaching of modern languages. The ECML runs a 4-year medium-term programme of projects organised in cooperation with key multipliers in the field of language education in Europe. Its activities are attended by teacher trainers, curriculum experts, materials writers, language teachers, researchers and government officials involved in implemen-ting national language education policy.

Through this programme of international workshops, conferences and research projects, the ECML provides an international platform for gathering and disse-minating information and for stimulating and facilitating discussion as well as the training of multipliers. It also maintains Europe-wide networks for teacher trainers, researchers and educational administrators.

The Graz Centre is part of the Council of Europe’s Department of Language Education and Policy. Its role and activities are thus complementary to those of the other part of this department: the Language Policy Division in Strasbourg. While the Division’s primary responsibilities are the elaboration of policies and guidelines for promoting linguistic diversity and plurilingualism and the develop-ment of policy planning instrudevelop-ments, the ECML focuses on support for the im-plementation of language education policies in its member states, for the use of these instruments and other innovative approaches to the learning and teaching of languages and for the improvement of the professional status of language educators.

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c. Activities

The ECML supports and finances a wide range of different types of activities within the framework of its programme:

Workshops

ECML workshops are for participants from all member states and usually last between 2 and 5 days. They can serve a number of purposes: the setting up of projects or the presentation of project results, as think tanks or awareness raising conferences, or with a clear focus on training for trainers/ multipliers.

Regional events

These are international events for participants from a specified number of member states which take place outside the ECML. They may focus on training, dissemination of project outcomes or awareness raising.

As a rule, regional events last 3 days and aim to promote an exchange of ideas and co-operation in a given region (participants from neighbouring countries). Such events are co-financed by the ECML and various other partners (ie national authorities, bi- or multi-lateral institutions, foundations etc).

Expert meetings

Meetings of the project team at different stages in the course of a project; in exceptional cases a small number of additional experts can also be invited to these meetings.

Network meetings

Meetings of the project team together with either the spokespersons of project networks (established at an earlier workshop) or all the active network members.

Consultations

Expert consultations and missions for preparatory work, studies or training purposes; the ECML can commission studies and finance expert missions or ad hoc consultations linked to topics of interest in its programme of activities; these may also include expert missions to regional, national or international workshops or conferences and meetings of small expert groups.

Fellowships

3-4 fellowships may be awarded each year; they are intended to offer an opportunity to young people from the member states to apply or develop their knowledge and expertise while contributing to the research aspects of one of the Centre's projects. These young researchers are chosen in co-operation with the project coordinators.

b. Projects

The most important aspects of project work in the ECML are:

Project teams

ECML projects are led by project teams under the responsibility of a coordinator. They comprise 3-5 experts, reflecting a balance of expertise, experience, working languages and geopolitical spread.

They work with the ECML as individual experts and not as representatives of an institution and their work is limited in scope and duration to their involvement in the activities related to a given project.

Coordinators and project teams are responsible for the running of the project on the basis of the agreed action plan and for monitoring, reporting and evaluating progress and results.

Participants

Participants in workshops, think tanks, conferences and regional events are nominated through the Centre’s network of National Nominating Authorities2_;

project teams, researchers and developers undertake to work with the partici-pants nominated to the activities in this way.

Working languages

The working languages of the ECML are English and French, the official languages of the Council of Europe. ECML projects are normally conducted in these and interpretation in English and French is provided for central workshops. Final reports and documents for publication are also produced in these languages.

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e. How to get involved

There are various ways of getting involved in the work of the ECML:

Participation at ECML central events

Member states of the Partial Agreement may normally nominate one participant to take part in each central event organised by the ECML. When more places are available, additional participants may attend either at their own cost or at that of their institution/Ministry.

Persons wishing to be considered for nomination should take up contact direct-ly with their National Nominating Authority (for details see relevant sections of our website).

For non-member states of the Partial Agreement, contact should be taken up with the corresponding national Ministry of Education or directly with the ECML.

Other forms of participation

You are welcome to:

visit the ECML’s Documentation and Resource Centre and consult the resources available on the spot

consult the resources available online, particularly the library catalogue submit bibliographical requests to the Documentation and Resource Centre (for project coordinators and team members) suggest the acquisition of resources for your event

publicise events and conferences that you organise in the ECML website’s international calendar of events

take part in the online discussion forums contribute to the collections of data

enter your professional profile into the experts database.

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d. Communication and documentation

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The ECML maintains a platform for the exchange of information, documentation and dissemination of ongoing projects, project results and good practice; this includes:

a website of relevant information, experience and research findings also offering a virtual platform for collaborative working for project teams; a Documentation and Resource Centre offering library services, documentary support for projects and the coordination of the publication of project outcomes (books, brochures, handbooks, models, project web-sites, case studies, model curricula, description of learner and teacher competences, development of teaching procedures, samples of teaching materials, web pages, CDs, recommendations for teacher education, collections of examples of good practice, etc).

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Coping with linguistic and social diversity Communication in a multicultural society Professional development and reference tools Innovative approaches and new technologies

The following pages present an overview of the programme of activities for the years 2004 to 2007 with a brief description of the aims and objectives of each project.

IV. The second medium-term programme

Languages for social cohesion: language education in a multilingual and

multicultural Europe

The programme of activities for the period 2004-2007 addresses the subject of social cohesion, one of the major challenges facing our societies at the beginning of the 21st century.

It aims to highlight the role language education can play in the quest for better understanding and mutual respect between all citizens living in Europe.

Around the general theme, the programme will develop underlying concepts and examine how best to equip people with the communicative and intercultural competences necessary to participate fully in our modern, compound societies as both individuals and citizens.

It will be looking at how an integrated approach to language learning and teaching based on a new educational role for language teachers, can help to develop the communicative potential of individuals living in these societies. The move towards an overall concept of language education, integrating the teaching and learning of all languages in order to make use of potential synergies, represents a major shift of paradigm; it promotes true plurilingualism through a positive attitude to the diversity of languages, competences and speakers.

The projects and activities in the ECML’s second medium-term programme will thus contribute significantly to the dissemination and implementation of the political concepts promoted by the Council of Europe, notably democratic citizenship, social cohesion, mutual understanding and respect.

Several projects also support wide and effective use of the instruments for enhancing the quality of language education developed by the Council of Europe, in particular the European Language Portfolio.

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A.2 Whole-School Language Profiles and Policies (ENSEMBLE)

Coordination:Antoinette Camilleri Grima, Malta

Languages:English, French

Main orientation of project:research and development

Main target groups:school administrators, multipliers

In our society, schools are the main institutions fostering language learning. Can schools provide a more conducive environment to language learning? How can they take a holistic approach to plurilingualism? What role can school administrators, teachers, students, parents, researchers and the community at large play in language education? This project looks at ‘the school’ as an institution within which the aims of plurilingualism and multiculturalism could be developed. It is intended to help school administrators to study, reflect, and develop ideas related to linguistic profiles and policies for their institutions using the Council of Europe’s “Guide for the development of language education policies in Europe” (Language Policy Division) as a source of inspiration and a working tool.

The project seeks to produce a varied account of already existing whole-school language profiles and to discuss central issues in profile description and strategy, and the processes involved in the implementation of innovations.

It aims to stimulate school administrators to look concretely at the possibilities at their disposal for encouraging a plurilinguistic and multicultural approach. A collection of case studies will be produced with the aim of stimulating discus-sion, and highlighting a variety of issues involved in school language profiling and policy making. At a central workshop, school personnel who are already responsible for school language policy making will deepen their knowledge, with the aim of enabling them to undertake further actions within their own institutions. This project will be carried out in collaboration with the Language Policy Divisi-on of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

Set of activities

•2004, expert meeting

•2005, expert meeting, ECML workshop

•2007, publication

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/ENSEMBLE

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A - Coping with linguistic and social diversity –

provisions, profiles, materials

A.1 Valuing All Languages in Europe (VALEUR)

Coordination:Joanna McPake, Teresa Tinsley, United Kingdom

Languages:English, French5

Main orientation of project:awareness raising

Main target groups:educational managers, practitioners

Linguistic diversity is a valuable asset. Europe’s community languages, like the various national languages of Europe, represent a rich resource both for the communities which speak them and for Europe as a whole.

The project aims to raise awareness of the resource represented by the community languages spoken across Europe; and of the potential to capitalise on this resource in intellectual, cultural, economic, social cohesion, citizenship and rights contexts by illustrating good practice in the field.

This will include the mapping of formal and informal provision enabling children of school age in member states to acquire enhanced language skills, most notably literacy skills, in the community languages of significance to them and the identification of some of the characteristics of good practice and areas where further support is needed.

This project is conducted in co-operation with CILT – The National Centre for Languages (UK).

The Language Policy Division of the Council of Europe will be represented at relevant meetings.

Set of activities

•2006, ECML workshop, fellowship, expert meeting, network meeting

•2007, expert meeting, publication

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/VALEUR

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A.4 CHAGAL-Set Up (chagal_setup)

European Curriculum guidelines for Access programmes into higher education for under-represented Adult Learners

Coordination:Grete Kernegger, Austria

Languages:English, German

Main target groups:educational managers at tertiary level

CHAGAL-Set Up is based on CHAGAL, a SOCRATES/Grundtvig 1 project. CHAGAL develops European Curriculum Guidelines for Access programmes into higher education for underrepresented Adult Learners (i.e. members of ethnic minorities, migrants, university applicants from European accession candidate countries and from developing countries). In the context of growing student mobility (“free movers”) the Curriculum Guidelines are designed to improve the effectiveness of preparation/access programmes. Thus the Curriculum Guidelines will facilitate integration into higher education and support social inclusion of the CHAGAL student target group.

CHAGAL–Set Up will start implementing the Curriculum Guidelines at national and at European level, and promote the learner-centred approach for course design and for language teaching methodology. It is designed to enhance the Bologna Process by providing examples of good practice for orientation and integration activities aimed at facilitating access to higher education (and retention) for the CHAGAL student target group.

It will do so by developing implementation measures for the Curriculum Guide-lines with decision makers in the field of higher education, university multipliers and curriculum designers. It will compile examples of good practice of innovative course design for preparation courses and of learner-centred, innovative language teaching methodology and recommend implementation measures to key multi-pliers in member states of the ECML.

Set of activities

•2004, expert meetings

•2005, expert meetings, ECML workshop, publication More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/chagal_setup

A.3 Linguistic diversity and literacy in a global perspective (LDL)

A comparative look at practice in countries of Europe and Africa

Coordination:Brigitta Busch, Austria

Main orientation of project:stocktaking, analysis

Main target groups:material and curriculum developers, multipliers

Establishing effective literacy in the first languages (L1) and bi/multilingual approaches to literacy teaching in early childhood education are now widely accepted as among the most effective ways of ensuring educational achieve-ment for children and of promoting social cohesion in multilingual societies. The promotion of linguistic and cultural diversity is crucial to any serious attempt to realise a truly internationally oriented education, designed to equip children to think and operate globally, to deal effectively with linguistic and cultural diversity. The project seeks to raise critical awareness, stimulate and encourage a reading culture in low-status languages, and carry out research in the field of materials development for L1 and multilingual education in an intercultural dialogue and exchange of experience and developments between European and African countries.

The project is run in cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, the Austrian UNESCO Commission, PRAESA (Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa), AfricAvenir (Cameroon), NACALCO (National Association of Cameroonian Language Committees).

The Language Policy Division of the Council of Europe will be represented at relevant meetings.

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B – Communication in a multicultural society: the

develop-ment of intercultural communicative competence

B.1 Intercultural communication training in teacher education (ICCinTE)

Coordination:Ildikó Lázár, Hungary

Main orientation of project:training

Main target groups:pre- and in-service teacher educators

Although it is obviously of great importance to increase intercultural under-standing in a multilingual and multicultural Europe, intercultural communication training is still not incorporated in the curriculum of most teacher training programmes. Therefore, training teacher educators to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential for successful intercultural communication would have a beneficial multiplying effect in this field.

The main aim of the project is to promote intercultural communication training in teacher education by training key multipliers primarily on the basis of an existing textbook (Mirrors and windows, developed by an ECML project between 2000 and 2003) in order to set off a cascading process.

Teacher educators will be trained to incorporate the theory and practice of intercultural communication training in their teaching and run similar training sessions or courses for other teacher trainers or mentors in their countries The existing textbook (in English) will be complemented by a French version and by a collection of assessment tasks.

This project is also supported by the Hungarian Ministry of Education.

Set of activities

•2004, expert meetings, ECML workshop

•2005, expert missions in support of national/ regional training events, expert meeting, network meeting, publication

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/ICCinTE

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A.5 Languages for People with Special Educational Needs (LangSEN)

Coordination:Zoltan Póor, Hungary

Main orientation of project:stocktaking, analysis, awareness raising

Main target groups:educational managers, researchers

Communication is as much a human need as a right. Consequently even people with physical, cognitive, sensory, speech-and-language and learning difficulties should be given the opportunity to learn languages to open up bridges between their internal ‘world’ and the wider community.

Language acquisition theories and practice have proved that the human capacity for learning languages is not limited. It is possible for a second or a third language to be acquired even by people suffering from serious learning difficulties. Children and young people with special educational needs should be exposed to a number of languages in a pedagogical climate that is both encouraging and enabling. The project aims at raising awareness and disseminating examples of good practice on the issue of languages for people with special educational needs. It will address questions like

What are the concrete learning problems resulting from various physical, sensory and speech-and-language difficulties?

What is common to all and what is particular to each difficulty?

When, where and in what social context can effective language learning for such people be promoted?

What are the most effective resources, tools, approaches, methods and techniques?

What professional competences do teachers need in order to be able to conduct language learning in this context?

Set of activities

•2006, expert meeting, network meeting

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/LangSEN

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B.3 Intercultural competence for professional mobility (ICOPROMO)

Coordination:Evelyne Glaser, Austria

Main target group:graduates and post graduates

While many official documents from European organisations on language teaching emphasise the importance of intercultural communication competencies in enhancing the social and professional performance of learners, very few educational institutions in the field of social sciences have implemented the development of intercultural competence in connection with language/culture education in their programmes.

Building on previous projects carried out under the auspices of the ECML, such as ODYSSEUS and of the European Union, such as COST, INCA and ORACLE, the ICOPROMO project will produce a comprehensive and integrated model designed to develop critical cultural awareness of both native and foreign cultures and intercultural competencies for graduates of the social sciences (Sociology, Economics, Business, Management, International Relations, Tourism and Social Work) focusing on their professional performance. It aims to develop strategies favouring intercultural sensitivity and mediation competencies in the field of language learning.

The ECML project will benefit from and complement a project funded by the European Union in the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci programme.

Set of activities

•2005, expert meeting, ECML workshop, fellowship

•2006, expert meetings, publication

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/ICOPROMO

B.2 Language Educator Awareness (LEA)

Developing plurilingual and pluricultural awareness in language teacher education

Coordination:Mercè Bernaus, Spain

Main target groups:pre- and in-service teacher educators

Language teacher education has traditionally been focused on the didactic procedures for teaching particular languages. However, developments in con-temporary society oblige educational institutions to face up to the challenges of plurilingualism and pluriculturalism. Consequently, it is necessary to enrich language teacher education by including the skills needed to promote linguistic and cultural diversity for the construction of “democratic citizenship, social cohesion, mutual understanding and respect”.

Language and culture awareness help to promote these aims. The recognition and acceptance of diversity leads to the development of positive attitudes, which impel the individual to value diversity and to act in consequence. Such a programme would enable teachers to become key social actors with a major role to play both locally as well as globally.

The materials and activities proposed for the language teacher training kit in this project will take into account the plurilingual approach presented in the Common European Framework for Languages that “emphasises the fact that an individual person’s experience of language in its cultural contexts expands, from the language of the home to that of society at large and then to the langu-ages of other peoples”.

Set of activities

•2005, ECML workshop, network meeting

•2006, network meeting, expert meetings

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C - Professional development and reference tools

for language educators

C.1 – Cohesion of competences, coherence of principles (CoCoCoP)

Exploring theories and designing materials for teacher education

Coordination:Anne-Brit Fenner, Norway

Main target groups:pre-service teacher educators, material developers

In post-communicative language teaching, the overall aim of communicative competence has been extended to incorporate a variety of competences such as socio-cultural competence, intercultural awareness and learning to learn. These additional categories are reflected in the Common European Framework, which has taken on board not only language-based, but also educational and cultural goals and specifications. How can pre- and in-service teacher education help to equip teachers with both the theoretical knowledge and pedagogical skills to integrate such a variety of aims into classroom-based learning? The project will consider how language-based aims can be integrated into social and educational aims to develop critical awareness about theories of language learning by linking theory and practice in teacher education and in classroom practice. Participants from all member states of the ECML will gather theoretical principles found in the curricula of teacher education in their respective countries. Together with materials commonly used in their classrooms, these will feed the discussions on materials, principles and theories of language learning and eventually allow the working out of relevant principles and how they might be implemented. The production of exemplary materials, to be used in teacher education and language classrooms, will illustrate how principles and theories influence language learning tasks and activities.

Set of activities

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/CoCoCop

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B.4 To get to know each other leads to better mutual understanding

(Gulliver)

Interactive learning/teaching of intercultural competence

Coordination: Magdalena Bedyn´ska, Poland

Main target groups:practitioners at secondary level

In Europe today, the mastery of intercultural competence is a key acquisition which is more than ever inseparable from the learning/teaching of communica-tive competence.

Most language learning/teaching manuals and methods include material designed to introduce learners to the culture and civilisation of the country/countries whose language they are learning. These documents often refer to traditional subjects which awaken little interest with learners and restrict the learning of intercultural competence to the comparison of the native language and culture with that of the language studied.

However, intercultural competence should not, in this day and age, be limited to knowing the culture and civilisation of the country/countries of the target language. It should rather be experiencing the language studied as a vehicle for discovering the cultural wealth of a number of other countries and for creating better mutual knowledge and understanding.

The project aims to build a network of language classes (English/French/ German /Spanish) in secondary schools (first and second cycles) in the 33 member states in order to facilitate the acquisition of intercultural competence using modern IT means.

Set of activities

•2005, network meetings, expert meeting

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/Gulliver

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C.3 – From Profile to Portfolio: A Framework for Reflection in Language

Teacher Education (FTE)

Coordination:David Newby, Austria

Main target groups:teacher educators, educational managers

In 2004, a ‘European Profile for Language Teacher Education – A Frame of Refe-rence’ was published, resulting from a project initiated by the European Commission and implemented by a project group based at Southampton University. At a meeting held at the ECML in December 2004 it was decided to carry out a project which would build on the work of the European Profile, the Common European Frame-work and the European Language Portfolio.

The current project aims to compile a core portfolio of competences, knowledge, and values required by language teachers which can be used as a tool for reflection and self-assessment by students during their initial teacher education. It will also serve as a tool to assist curriculum development and course planning and as an awareness-raising instrument for in-service teacher education.

In the course of this project it is planned:

to examine the European Profile, compiled by the EC Southampton-based project; to examine the Common European Framework of Reference for relevant input; to develop a portfolio for student teachers to help them reflect on knowledge, skills, and values;

to evaluate and amend the above and apply this framework to different teacher education contexts.

The outcome of the project will be a publication/CD Rom providing exemplary materials to serve as the basis for a Student Teacher Portfolio for pre-service lan-guage teacher education in individual national contexts.

Set of activities

•2004, expert meeting (Think Tank)

•2006, expert meetings, ECML workshop, publication More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/FTE

C.2 – A Training Guide for Quality Assurance (QualiTraining)

Coordination:Laura Muresan, Romania

Main target groups:teacher educators, educational managers

Addressing quality assurance in a coherent way across fields of language education, across languages and regions, can contribute to better social cohesion, so that all citizens can expect to receive services of equal quality standards, irrespective of the language they are aiming to learn. It is a field still needing more awareness raising among language professionals and language education institutions. Aiming towards achieving better standardisation of approaches to quality assu-rance training would also contribute to creating equal opportunities for trainers representing different languages (including less widely taught languages) to have access to information, to familiarisation with best practice and to training in quality assurance matters.

This project is intended as a follow-up to the ECML project “Quality Assurance and Self-assessment for Schools and Teachers” (project of the first medium-term programme) in that it seeks to provide the necessary training of trainers and multipliers. It will do so by developing a training kit and offering training on the international level to set off a cascading process.

At the same time, it builds on expertise developed within EAQUALS and on the concepts and instruments developed by the Council of Europe in the field of self-assessment and standardisation of evaluation criteria, such as the European Language Portfolio and the Common European Framework of Reference. This project is carried out in cooperation with the European Association for Quality Language Services (EAQUALS) and supported by QUEST Romania and other national associations – Members of EAQUALS, as well as the Inter-national Learning and Research Centre, UK.

Set of activities

•2005, expert meeting, regional events

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Set of activities

•2007, ECML workshop, expert meeting, publication More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/ALC

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C.4 Across Languages and Cultures (ALC)

Establishing a framework of competences to support plurilingual and pluricultural approaches

Coordination:Michel Candelier, France

Languages:French, English

Main target groups:curriculum and materials developers, educational managers A number of “pluralistic” approaches to languages and cultures exist today (awakening to languages/language awareness, mutual comprehension of related languages, integrated approaches to language teaching, the intercultural approach) designed to assist learners in acquiring the transverse knowledge, know-how and attitudes on which the synergies needed for the piecing together of plurilingual repertoires repose.

But there is no common framework of reference for competences able to provide an overview of the competences required or show how each approach can contribute to their development.

The aim of this project is to put together such a framework, for the use of curri-culum designers, textbook writers, researchers, innovating practitioners, teachers and teacher educators. This will facilitate the drawing-up of curricula and the establishing of connexions both between the different approaches and between these approaches and the learning of particular languages.

The work will start from and complement existing resources (theoretical studies, curricula and programmes, teaching materials, innovating practice etc). After defining the characteristics of the final product, a first outline will be submitted to representatives of the target readership for approval.

The completed framework, will be produced in four languages: German, English, Spanish and French, and accompanied by a glossary.

This project benefits from the material and intellectual support of the Institut de Recherche et de Documentation Pédagogique of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) and the international association EDiLiC (Education et Diversité Linguistique et Culturelle).

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C.6 Training teachers to use the European Language Portfolio (ELP_TT)

Training events and training activities for language teacher trainers and teachers

Coordination:David Little, Ireland

Main target group:teacher educators

The European Language Portfolio is one of the most popular recent innovations in language teaching and learning: by the end of 2003 more than 50 models had been validated. Successful implementation will depend on the provision of appropriate teacher training, and this project is an attempt to develop common European approaches to such training.

The ELP, developed and coordinated within the Language Policy Division’s programme, is being implemented in teacher training contexts by the ECML. The project will support the implementation of the ELP in Council of Europe member states by developing materials and activities for ELP-related teacher training,

mediating the materials and activities in a central workshop and by supporting national ELP training events and projects.

The training materials and activities will made available to potential users on CD-Rom and via the ECML website in order to further enhance the cascading process.

Set of activities

•2005, expert missions in support of national training events

•2006, expert missions in support of national training events, expert meeting

More information on: www.coe.int/portfolio or www.ecml.at/mtp2/ELP_TT

C.5 ELP implementation support (impel)

Exchange of experiences, examples of good practice, support tools

Coordination:Hans Ulrich Bosshard, Switzerland

Main target groups:school administrators, educational managers

Since the launching of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) by the Council of Europe in 2001, development, implementation and research work on the ELP is in progress in most member states.

53 ELP models had been validated by October 2003, another 50 are being piloted or planned. The number of learners equipped with an ELP is estimated at 700 000.

However, considerable variety exists in the structure and organisation of ELP implementation and support and a platform for leaders of implementation projects are therefore needed.

The project aims to gather and exchange information on experience of ELP implementation, collect examples of good practice and elaborate sets of planning, monitoring and feedback tools in order to provide support for the day-to-day management of ELP implementation projects on an operational level. This project is carried out in co-operation with the Language Policy Division of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg.

Set of activities

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C.8 – Group Facilitation in Language Teacher Education (GroupLead)

Coordination:Margit Szesztay, Hungary

Main target group:in-service teacher educators

With the coming of new approaches and methodologies in language teaching (e.g. communicative language teaching, student-centered education, teacher as reflective practitioner, intercultural learning) group work and group interaction have come to occupy a central place. In addition, the educational role of language educators has also highlighted the importance of learning in groups. For example, the educational aims set out in the previous ECML Project “Language Educators Facing the Future” such as helping learners become more effective communicators, developing critical thinking skills and developing attitudes and skills required for conflict resolution, can all best be worked on through group work activities.

However, in order to use group work successfully, teachers need a thorough understanding of group dynamics, as well as a number of key skills, in addition to personal qualities such as open-mindedness, tolerance, and respect for others. Experience shows that an understanding of group dynamics and the skills required for leading groups can best be acquired experientially. Teacher education has a key role in equipping future generations of teachers with the experiential knowledge and the skills required for group facilitation. If teachers-in-training get good models, for example of encouraging contributions, dealing with conflict, or summarising the key points of a discussion, they are more likely to take on these roles themselves as future teachers. This is why it is crucial that teacher educators are given opportunities to develop as group facilitators. The project seeks to design and run a module for teacher trainers in group facilitation and to put together a training kit to be adapted by trainers to suit their own contexts.

Set of activities

•2006, ECML workshop, expert meeting

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/GroupLead

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C.7 Training teacher educators (TrainEd)

Coordination:Gabriela S. Matei, Romania

Main target group:pre- and in-service teacher educators

Over the past decade, many language educators have become teacher educators. Many, for instance, started by being involved in in-service teacher education to find that they were then asked to become trainers in their own right, mentoring student teachers or newly-qualified teachers, running staff development work-shops in their schools, running courses locally/regionally/internationally for interested colleagues, or running summer schools.

While such language educators feel familiar and confident about the content areas of the courses they are asked to conduct, they are frequently untrained as trainers and often have to ‘learn the ropes’ and important training skills the hard way.

This project aims to provide a training kit, based on a survey of the needs in diverse contexts, that teacher educators can use in their training practice, to train a number of at least 50 multipliers – ‘trainer trainers’ – with training skills, thus setting off a cascading process.

These training skills and competences, besides being very instrumental and practical in language teachers’ training practices, will also contribute to their greater professionalisation.

Set of activities

•2005, expert missions in support of national/ regional training events, expert meeting

•2006, ECML workshop, expert meeting, publication More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/TrainEd

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D.2 Developing Teachers of Modern Languages to Young Learners

(TEMOLAYOLE)

Coordination:Marianne Nikolov, Hungary

Main target group:in-service teacher educators

Although a lot of effort has been put into actually teaching young learners and training their teachers in Europe, comparable data is not available on either the processes or the results. It is known that in a number of European countries there is a shortage of teachers, or of teachers who are appropriately prepared to deal with the target age group. Also, although learners tend to start earlier, teaching in the long run is often less effective than expected. Presently it is unclear what happens in early start programmes, how good practice - including assessment and self-assessment – is implemented and what young learners can do.

The project aims to develop, pilot and implement an innovative programme for teachers of modern languages to young learners to promote plurilingualism, to encourage systematic collection and analyses of classroom data and reflective practice. It will do so by involving teacher educators and their in-service trainees in the development, piloting and implementation of an innovative pro-gramme over a period of four years, focusing on good practice and assessment in their in-service teachers' professional development in different target languages (English, French, German, Greek, Italian, and Spanish).

The work will result in a flexible syllabus and a number of tools like structured observation schemes. Research data will also be collected on good practice, assessment practice, and what young learners can do along CEF criteria in young learners' classrooms.

Set of activities:

•2004, expert meeting, ECML workshop, network meeting

•2006, network meeting

•2007, expert meeting, conference, publication

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/TEMOLAYOLE

D - Innovative approaches and new technologies

in the teaching and learning of languages

D.1 Web Journals in Language Education (BLOGS)

A peer-to-peer collaborative writing platform for language learning

Coordination:Mario Camilleri, Malta

Main target group:practitioners at secondary level

Web journals (also known as web logs, or blogs) are a combination of personal web page and online diary. Although journal writing has always been a favourite tool of language teachers, the public nature of a blog gives it a social, collaborative and intercultural dimension not otherwise present, with communities of bloggers commenting on each others' postings and other web content. Thus blogs are potentially useful tools in the hands of language teachers seeking to promote collaborative writing.

The aim is to investigate how web journals can be used in the language classroom to promote collaborative writing, to design and implement a web journaling platform suitable for use in the language classroom and to train teachers in the use of web journals.

A preliminary review of both the technology and the theory behind the educational use of web journals will be the basis for the development of a web logging platform.

Teachers of English and French from the member countries will be trained in the use of this platform which will ultimately lead to the publication of a tried and tested open-source language-independent content-management platform which is reusable and requires little technical expertise to install and configure.

Set of activities

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D.4 Language Case Studies (LCaS)

Developing teacher training modules for the use of case studies in language teaching at secondary and university level

Coordination:Johann Fischer, Germany

Main target group:pre- and in-service teacher educators

Communicative language teaching has been a key word for many years, but classroom interaction is very often limited to student-teacher interaction. The use of a problem-based learning approach and task-oriented teaching methods like project work, simulations and authentic case studies have proven to be efficient means enabling learners to improve their linguistic skills in reading comprehension, writing and speaking, and develop problem-solving strategies and teamwork. Such authentic material stimulates the motivation of the learner, increases the learning process and has a positive impact on language compe-tence.

The general aim of the project is to improve language teaching at secondary and university level by introducing a task-oriented approach through the use of case studies in language teaching. This aim is achieved by the development of teacher training modules including piloted teaching material for the use in class. The project team will develop authentic case studies on current issues for use in language teaching in English, French, German and Italian. These case studies will be piloted in classroom and distance-learning situations at upper-secondary and university level. A teacher training module describing the use of case studies in language teaching will complement the outcomes.

Set of activities

•2005, regional event, expert meeting

•2006, regional event, expert meeting

•2007, ECML workshop, expert meeting, publication More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/LCaS

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D.3 The CLIL quality matrix (CLILmatrix)

Achieving good practice in Content and Language Integrated Learning / bilingual education

Coordination:David Marsh, Finland

Main target groups:multipliers, practitioners

There is a broad consensus that a delivery gap exists between what is provided as foreign language education and outcomes in terms of learner performance. Between 1980 and 2000 in particular, the language teaching profession and other stakeholders, sought educational solutions that would provide more young people with better skills in foreign languages.

Some twenty or more teaching ‘types’ surfaced, nearly all of which highlighted the need to focus on meaning alongside form to achieve best practice with a majority of young people. These types have come to be referred to as examples of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). CLIL is an educational approach in which non-language subjects are taught through a foreign, second or other additional language’.

The aim is to produce a Quality Matrix showing how best practice may be achieved when teaching and learning through a foreign language, and potential outcomes in terms of added value.

The CLIL quality matrix will describe the core quality factors required for successful implementation of teaching and learning through a foreign language. Country profiles from the 33 ECML member states outlining current practice and future trends will also be collected.

Set of activities

More information on: www.ecml.at/mtp2/CLILmatrix

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V. Information, communication, documentation

a) The ECML’s website: www.ecml.at

During the first medium-term programme, the ECML’s website developed into a central reference point for all those requiring information on the Centre’s work, as well as a valued communication tool for members of the programme project teams.

Many new functions have been added to the site over the last few years and it has been thoroughly reworked to be as user-friendly as possible, with a clear navigation structure and an integrated search function.

Visitors to the site have quadrupled over the past four years: it currently receives over 14 000 visits a month.

The site offers three main areas:

• information: on the ECML (latest news, structure, mission, staff, etc), its member states (national authorities and contact points, reports on the situation of language teaching and learning, etc), on the programme of activities and the projects, etc

• documentation: ECML publications, workshop reports and articles, commissioned studies, thematic collections, newsletter “European Language Gazette”, related research, collections of annotated links, etc

• interaction: discussion forums and online databases for consultation and inputting (language events around Europe, experts, language teachers, bibliography on distance learning, proverbs, European Day of Languages, etc)

A new feature in the second medium-term programme permits project teams to manage their own project sites. These individual sites will provide comprehen-sive presentations of the projects, discussion forums and updates on results and outcomes. In addition, they will also provide a password-protected working platform reserved for those involved in the projects, where documents may be edited collectively.

D.5 LanguageQuests (LQuest)

Task-based second language acquisition with the help of Internet resources

Coordination:Ton Koenraad, Netherlands

Main target groups:material developers, teacher educators

This project is about the development and use of LanguageQuests.

The LanguageQuest concept is derived form Bernie Dodge’s WebQuest (http://WebQuest.sdsu.edu/materials.htm). According to Dodge, 'A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet…'. It is a task-based, inte-grated approach, drawing heavily on principles of collaborative learning. But performing a WebQuest with the help of internet resources in a foreign language does not automatically result in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). The concept ‘LanguageQuest’ (Dutch:‘TalenQuest’, www.talenquest.nl) is an innovative approach, targeted at adapting this idea to the specific requirements of SLA instruction, based on theoretical insights from SLA research, resulting in improved task design and methodology for realistic, content oriented, functional, task based foreign language learning

The project aims at raising the level of competences and skills, especially in the field of ICT use in FL-education. It regards aspects of methodology as well as ICT, material development and course design, aiming especially at the potential and impact of ICT and new forms of collaborative work on language education. LanguageQuests are designed to promote an integrated approach to communi-cative, lifelike and functional SLA.

Set of activities

•2006, ECML workshop

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VI. The ECML and its member states

Governing Board

The Governing Board is composed of one representative in respect of each member of the Enlarged Partial Agreement (at present there are 33 member states). It meets once a year in order to assure its functions focusing on:

• the adoption of the medium-term programme of activities

• the monitoring of the implementation of the programme of activities and the management of the Centre’s finances

• the adoption of an annual report on the Centre’s activities which is forwarded to the Council of Europe´s Committee of Ministers.

The Governing Board elects from its members a Bureau composed of a Chair, two Vice-Chairs and four other members appointed for a period of two years.

The Bureau

The Bureau is more closely involved in the day-to-day work of the ECML. It meets two to three times a year and:

• monitors the execution of the medium-term programme adopted by the Governing Board

• adopts the annual programme of activities and monitors its implementation;

• prepares the meetings of the Governing Board

• carries out the tasks which the Governing Board entrusts it with.

National Nominating Authorities

The National Nominating Authorities are the official agencies in each member state responsible for selecting and nominating participants to ECML workshops.

Contact Points in the member states

The main objectives of the network of Contact Points are to assure the disse-mination of the ECML’s work in the member states and to create information facilities designed to stimulate exchange between national experts working in the field of language education and the ECML.

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b)

Documentation and Resource Centre

The main functions of the Documentation and Resource Centre (DRC) are to:

• provide support and assistance to projects

• manage and develop the documentation resources of the ECML library

• coordinate the production of the publications and CD-Roms resulting from the ECML projects

• disseminate these resources within the member states

• respond to requests for information and documentation and, if necessary, to redirect enquirers to relevant information points

• maintain the network of national contact points in the member states of the ECML.

The DRC gathers all the outcomes of previous ECML project work, mainly in the form of publications and reports, together with approximately 3 500 other resources focusing on the main questions in the language field today. These resources may be accessed through the ECML online library catalogue.

All ECML publications and CD-Roms may be ordered from the DRC, be it for individual purposes or for dissemination at conferences, fairs, teacher training seminars, etc.

The DRC can offer special support to researchers and students from the member states preparing university research projects (i.e. M.A. or PhD.) focusing on a topic in the Centre’s programme. The ECML may put them in touch with a reference person from its network to help them in their research work.

For the final conference of the first medium-term programme of activities (2000-2003), the ECML put together a project fair at which each project was repre-sented by a display including a folding banner stand, a leaflet giving succinct details on its subject area and the publication and/or CD-Rom resulting from the specific project. Those interested in promoting the Centre’s work are invited to use these materials. Further details may be obtained from the DRC.

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Austrian Association (Verein EFSZ in Österreich)

The Austrian Association acts as the ECML’s local partner in fulfilment of the host country’s commitment to provide it with a seat and a secretariat responsible for the Centre’s local infrastructure.

Since 2001, the ECML has been installed in new premises in the centre of Graz. These fully meet its needs in terms of space and equipment for its secretariat, documentation centre and meeting facilities.

The Association ensures the maintenance and upkeep of these premises and provides assistance in day-to-day logistics. It also takes initiatives such as the organisation at the ECML of external events linked to the Centre’s vocation. These contribute to the Centre’s visibility in Austria and beyond.

The Association facilitates synergies between the international specialists attending ECML activities and local and national language experts.

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Nikolaiplatz 4, A-8020 Graz Tel.:++43-316-32 35 54 Fax:++43-316-32 35 54-4 e-mail: [email protected] Home Page: http://www.ecml.at