The Council of Europe

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The Council of Europe
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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

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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

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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)

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Department of Language Education and Policy

• Language Policy Division, Strasbourg

• European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz

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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

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European Day of Languages 26 September

• Celebrating
• linguistic diversity
• plurilingualism
• lifelong language learning

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European Day of Languages 26 September
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European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz
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European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz

• Founded in Graz, Austria, 1994
• Enlarged Partial Agreement of Council of Europe
• 33 member states

• Implementation of language education policies
  through
• Dissemination of good practice
• Promotion of innovation
• Training of multipliers
• Development of networks of experts

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European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz
Structures of the ECML

• 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

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European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz
The ECMLs second medium term programme
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(No Transcript)
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• 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

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• 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

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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

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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

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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