Title
Supporting Multilingual Classrooms V.
Grantová schéma
The initiative is carried within the framework of the Innovative Methodologies and Assessment in Language Learning cooperation agreement between the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe and the European Commission. (https://www.ecml.at/ec-cooperation)
Partner organizations
General objective
To strengthen and develop the professional competencies of in-service teacher educators in supporting multilingual classrooms.
Specific objectives
- To promote access to quality education for children of foreign origin and bridge the gap between these learners and their peers.
- To improve the quality of teaching and support the development of plurilingual competences among all learners in multilingual classrooms, drawing on their linguistic and cultural diversity.
- To raise awareness of the development of plurilingual and intercultural competences.
- To explore strategies and tools to support multilingual classrooms.
- To support the dissemination and implementation of ECML resources in the field of language education.
- To provide a platform for networking and experience sharing.
Summary
Supporting Multilingual Classrooms is a joint initiative of the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML) and the European Commission, aiming to support ECML member states in ensuring access to quality education for children of foreign origin. The initiative is implemented through a series of national and regional workshops focusing on inclusive approaches to plurilingual and intercultural education for democratic culture.
From February 2025 to December 2025, Supporting Multilingual Classrooms will be organized in cooperation with ECML and relevant institutions in selected countries: Armenia, Cyprus, Croatia, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain. The activity in the Slovak republic took place in Bratislava on 29 – 30 May 2025, in the form of an interactive workshop and group discussions focusing on the education of children of foreign origin and their inclusion in the educational system. The event attended by teacher educators, mentors in schools, school inspectors, and other education professionals dealing with this topic. The participants received an ECML certificate after completing the workshop.
Main topics of the workshop programme
- Mission and activities of the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe
- Valuing plurilingual identities and attitudes towards diversity
- Developing teacher competence in drawing on learners’ plurilingualism as a resource in the language classroom
- Supporting teachers to become more aware of multilingualism as a resource across the curriculum
- Developing teachers‘ competences in supporting learners with the language needed for subject learning
- Encouraging collaboration across the whole school to promote learning as well as multilingual and intercultural awareness
- Developing collaborative projects by workshop participants (group work)
Information materials
Expert presentations on the workshop topics
Workshop Coordinator
Workshop Coordinator:
- PhDr. Denisa Ďuranová, Governing Board Member for the Slovak Republic
denisa.duranova@nivam.sk
Workshop Facilitators/ECML Experts:
- prof. Terry Lamb, PhD., profesor, University of Westminster, United Kingdom
- Dr. Mercedes Bernaus, emeritná profesorka, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
Expert and Organizational Team:
PhDr. Janka Píšová, PhD., Mgr. Anna Krnáčová, Mgr. Zuzana Lichá
Supporting Multilingual Classrooms
Initiative carried out within the framework of the Innovative Methodologies and Assessment in Language Learning cooperation agreement between the European Centre for Modern Languages and the European Commission.
www.ecml.at/ec-cooperation