European language

policies and their

implementation in
higher education

Waldemar Martyniuk
Council of Europe
European Centre for Modern
Languages, Graz, Austria
Council of Europe – concepts

• Plurilingualism
• Plurilingual education
• Social cohesion
• Democratic citizenship
• Intercultural dialogue
Council of Europe – instruments
• European Convention on Human Rights
(1950)
• European Cultural Convention (1954)
• European Charter for Minority or Regional
Languages (1992)
• Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities (1995)
• Recommendation 98 (6)
• Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages (2001)
• European Language Portfolio (2001)
• Guide for the Development of Language
Education Policies in Europe (2003/7)
• Language Policy Profiles
 Recommendation (2008)7
of the Committee of Ministers to
member states
on the use of the Council of
Europe’s Common European
Framework of Reference for
Languages (CEFR) and the
promotion of plurilingualism
Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 2 July 2008
at the 1031st meeting of the Ministers’ (Deputies)
 Council of Europe – projects

• Language Polices for Democratic Citizenship

and Social Inclusion (2006-2009)
• Language(s) in, of, and for School Education
(LE)
• Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters
• Language Testing and Migration
• Framework Curriculum for Romani
• Empowering Language Professionals –
European Centre for Modern Languages
 European Union – concepts

• Multilingualism
• Mother tongue + 2
• Intercultural dialogue
• Lifelong learning
• Personal adoptive language
 European Union – instruments

• Action Plan 2004-6

• Education and Training 2010 (Lisbon
Strategy)
• Lifelong Learning Programme (incl.
transversal language projects) + Tempus +
Erasmus Mundus
• Europass (incl. Language Passport)
• European Qualifications Framework
(incl. MT and FL as Key Competences)
• New Strategy for Multilingualism (2005)
• Commissioner for Multilingualism (2007)
 European Union – projects and
tools
• Eurobarometer
• Eurydice
• European Indicator of Language
Competence (European Survey
on Language Competences)
• European Language Label
 Language Education Policies in
Europe AD 2009: Summary
• Respect and support for linguistic diversity
• Language competences as key competences
for personal success
• Intercultural competences as key
competences for social cohesion and
European citizenship
• Promotion of standards and quality
• Common frameworks of reference,
benchmarks, indicators, international
assessment schemes
 Implementing European
language policies in Higher
Education means to:
• Raise awareness of the value of being
plurilingual in a multilingual European
society
• Use strategic planning and adopt a
global, coherent language policy
• Encourage all students and staff to
learn languages
• Encourage students and staff to learn a
variety of languages
 Implementing European
language policies in Higher
Education means to:
• Promote and support intercultural
mobility of students and staff
• Attract and integrate international
students
• Provide good quality CLIL in a variety of
languages
• Encourage and educate both language
teachers and language students to
become plurilingual – not just bi-lingual
 Implementing European
language policies in Higher
Education means to:
• Secure good quality of language
instruction
• Increase the number of languages
on offer
• Support independent learning
• Support co-operative learning
• Make wise use of technology and
media
 Implementing European
language policies in Higher
Education means to:
• Cater for individual needs
• Adopt a „positive”, „added value”
approach
• Integrate out-of-school experience
and proficiency
• Teach how to learn languages
• Support learner autonomy
 Implementing European
language policies in Higher
Education means to:
• Set clear and achievable objectives
• Value all linguistic and intercultural
competences, even at modest level
• Provide valid, reliable, fair and
transparent assessment
• Secure comparability and compatibility
of outcomes
• Use a common framework of reference
in communication with stakeholders
 References

• Further information and

reference available at:
–www.coe.int/lang
–www.coe.int/portfolio
–www.ecml.at
–www.ec.europa.eu/education
–www.pisa.oecd.org