On 29 September – 1 October 2011, the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML) will host a large-scale conference to present the results of the Empowering language professionals programme of activities (2008-2011) and to launch its new programme entitled Learning through languages (2012-2015).
The European Centre for Modern Languages was established in Graz, Austria, in 1994 to provide a practical response to a need clearly expressed by the Council of Europe’s member states: the reinforcement of cooperation in the field of language education and respect of cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe. The swift growth in membership of the Enlarged Partial Agreement creating the ECML (currently 34 countries) reflects this general demand and bears witness to the professionalism of the Centre and the success of its activities.
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 and disseminating innovation and good practice in the learning and teaching of modern languages.
The Centre runs 4-year medium-term programmes of projects organised in cooperation with European experts in the field of language education. These projects – consisting of training, research and development and awareness-raising activities – provide an international framework for gathering and disseminating information, for stimulating and facilitating discussion and for training in new approaches and techniques.
The current (third) programme (2008-2011) has the title “Empowering language professionals: competences – networks – impact – quality”.
The ECML is convinced that the key to the realisation of better language teaching and learning processes and results is to be found in increasing awareness of and confidence in the capacities of professionals in language education.
Specific focuses within the 23 projects selected for the programme relate to four key thematic areas in the field of language education:
- Evaluation;
- Continuity in language learning;
- Content and language education;
- Plurilingual education.
The main audience of the 2011 Conference will be networking partners of the Centre, both at Ministry level and within civil society with the aims of disseminating the results of the Empowering language professionals programme on a wide scale both within the ECML’s member states and beyond and of initiating interest in the new programme.
The ECML Conference 2011 will take stock of current work in the “Empowering Language Professionals” programme based on the results of the 23 projects run within the ECML’s programme.
Objectives
The specific objectives of the conference are to:
- present the publications of the Empowering language professionals programme focusing on good examples of practice which can be shared with others;
- promote initiatives for dissemination and ways of encouraging the take-up of ECML programme work in national contexts;
- discuss the potential impact of the results in the context of language education in Europe;
- raise interest in and officially launch the new medium-term programme (2012-2015);
- attract attention of a large number of language professionals, experts, decision-makers and other stakeholders thereby achieving wide dissemination and promotion of the ECML;
- document conference proceedings online.
Participants will thus have the opportunity to discover the ECML’s project activities at first hand, to interact with the members of the Centre’s networks as well as to contribute to the conference’s conclusions.
Special conference feature: Project Fair
Each project will be the object of a presentation by its coordinator. This presentation will be complemented by a participant of a member state who has been actively involved in the project work. In addition, each project will be represented on an information stand. This will consist of a poster giving brief information about each project, the project publications and a promotional flyer for wider distribution.
Press and information
The fair will be open to the public (especially teachers, teacher trainers, students); the media will be invited to make use of this occasion for interviews with the project coordinators.
On 29 September – 1 October 2011, the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML) will host a large-scale conference to present the results of the Empowering language professionals programme of activities (2008-2011) and to launch its new programme entitled Learning through languages (2012-2015).
The European Centre for Modern Languages was established in Graz, Austria, in 1994 to provide a practical response to a need clearly expressed by the Council of Europe’s member states: the reinforcement of cooperation in the field of language education and respect of cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe. The swift growth in membership of the Enlarged Partial Agreement creating the ECML (currently 34 countries) reflects this general demand and bears witness to the professionalism of the Centre and the success of its activities.
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 and disseminating innovation and good practice in the learning and teaching of modern languages.
The Centre runs 4-year medium-term programmes of projects organised in cooperation with European experts in the field of language education. These projects – consisting of training, research and development and awareness-raising activities – provide an international framework for gathering and disseminating information, for stimulating and facilitating discussion and for training in new approaches and techniques.
The current (third) programme (2008-2011) has the title “Empowering language professionals: competences – networks – impact – quality”.
The ECML is convinced that the key to the realisation of better language teaching and learning processes and results is to be found in increasing awareness of and confidence in the capacities of professionals in language education.
Specific focuses within the 23 projects selected for the programme relate to four key thematic areas in the field of language education:
- Evaluation;
- Continuity in language learning;
- Content and language education;
- Plurilingual education.
The main audience of the 2011 Conference will be networking partners of the Centre, both at Ministry level and within civil society with the aims of disseminating the results of the Empowering language professionals programme on a wide scale both within the ECML’s member states and beyond and of initiating interest in the new programme.
The ECML Conference 2011 will take stock of current work in the “Empowering Language Professionals” programme based on the results of the 23 projects run within the ECML’s programme.
Objectives
The specific objectives of the conference are to:
- present the publications of the Empowering language professionals programme focusing on good examples of practice which can be shared with others;
- promote initiatives for dissemination and ways of encouraging the take-up of ECML programme work in national contexts;
- discuss the potential impact of the results in the context of language education in Europe;
- raise interest in and officially launch the new medium-term programme (2012-2015);
- attract attention of a large number of language professionals, experts, decision-makers and other stakeholders thereby achieving wide dissemination and promotion of the ECML;
- document conference proceedings online.
Participants will thus have the opportunity to discover the ECML’s project activities at first hand, to interact with the members of the Centre’s networks as well as to contribute to the conference’s conclusions.
Special conference feature: Project Fair
Each project will be the object of a presentation by its coordinator. This presentation will be complemented by a participant of a member state who has been actively involved in the project work. In addition, each project will be represented on an information stand. This will consist of a poster giving brief information about each project, the project publications and a promotional flyer for wider distribution.
Press and information
The fair will be open to the public (especially teachers, teacher trainers, students); the media will be invited to make use of this occasion for interviews with the project coordinators.