The Council of Europe

Strasbourg, founded 1949

Oldest and geographically largest European institution (46 member states)

Intergovernmental cooperation

•Human rights

•Pluralist democracy

•Rule of law

Areas of action

•Human rights (European Court of Human Rights)

•Legal cooperation

•Social cohesion

•Education, Culture & Heritage, Youth & Sport

The Council of Europe

Languages at the Council of Europe

Promotion of:

•Linguistic diversity in member states

•Plurilingualism of citizens

Languages for all, for life, for learners

Aims

•Languages for communication

•Intercultural interaction

•Democratic citizenship

•Social cohesion

•Development of individual responsibility

Language Policy Instruments

Political documents

•European Cultural Convention 1954

•European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages 1992

•Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities 1995

•Recommendations of Committee of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly

Language policy instruments

•Threshold levels / Waystage, etc (communicative approach)

•Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment (CEF)

•European Language Portfolio (ELP)

Department of Language Education and Policy

•Language Policy Division, Strasbourg

•European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz

Language Policy Division, Strasbourg

Plurilingualism, Diversity, Citizenship

• Language education policy profiles

• Quality and standards: Common European Framework of Reference

•Manual for relating language exams to CEF levels•Reference descriptions for national and regional languages

• European Language Portfolio

• Languages of education

•Education policy for minorities, newcomers and bilateral assistance activities

European Day of Languages – 26 September

Celebrating

•linguistic diversity

•plurilingualism

•lifelong language learning

European Day of Languages – 26 September

European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz

                                           

•Founded in Graz, Austria, 1994

•Enlarged Partial Agreement of Council of Europe

•33 member states

European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz

Implementation of language education policies through:

•Dissemination of good practice

•Promotion of innovation

•Training of multipliers

•Development of networks of experts

                         

Structures of the ECML

European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz

•Governing Board

•representatives of 33 member states

•meets once per year minimum

•Bureau

• Chair, 2 Vice Chairs, 4 members

• meets 3 x per year

•National Nominating Authorities

•National Contact Points

•Austrian Association

The ECML’s second medium term programme…

European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz

Programme structure

•22 projects run by international teams

•Workshops, conferences, regional events involving key multipliers in language education from member states

•Research projects, assistance, expertise

•750 participants per year

•Publications, reports, CD-ROMs, websites

4 main focuses

•Coping with linguistic and social diversity – provisions, profiles, materials

• Communication in a multicultural society: the development of intercultural communicative competence

• Professional development and reference tools for language educators

• Innovative approaches and new technologies in the teaching and learning of languages

Topic areas

Examples of ECML publications from first medium-term programme

•Information and Communication Technologies and distance language learning (CD-ROM)

•ICT in vocationally oriented language learning

•ODYSSEUS – Second language at the workplace: language needs of migrant workers

•Neighbouring languages in border regions (CD-ROM)

•The changing roles of language educators

•Mirrors and Windows. An intercultural communication textbook

Topic areas

•The organisation of language education in small states

•Incorporating intercultural communicative competence in language teacher education

•Web literacy (CD-ROM)

•Quality management in language education (CD-ROM)

•The concept of plurilingualism – learning subsequent languages – German after English

•Mediating between theory and pratice in the context of different learning cultures and languages

•ICT and young language learners

•Cultural mediation and language learning and teaching

Websites

Language Policy www.coe.int/lang

European Language Portfolio http://culture.coe.int/portfolio

European Day of Languages www.coe.int.EDL

ECML www.ecml.at