Supporting multilingual classrooms

This initiative provides training workshops to help member states ensure access to quality education for all learners in multilingual classrooms, from newly arrived migrant learners to those whose families migrated generations ago, as well as enhancing the education of children from non-migration backgrounds. In recognising the central role played by highly developed plurilinguistic competences as key transversal competences to support learning, employability, social cohesion and the well-being of all, we address the issue of inclusion as well as the importance of plurilingual and intercultural competences for democratic culture.

#MultilingualClassrooms #ECML

This initiative is carried out within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the European Centre for Modern Languages and the European Commission, entitled
Innovative Methodologies and Assessment in language learning
www.ecml.at/ec-cooperation

What is the initiative about?

This training and consultancy activity helps member states of the European Union and the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) of the Council of Europe to ensure access to quality education for all learners in multilingual classrooms, from newly arrived migrant learners to those whose families migrated generations ago, as well as enhancing the education of children from non-migration backgrounds. The workshops take a holistic approach, focusing on collaborations within and beyond the school, which enhance inclusion and democratic culture. The initiative draws on a wide range of successful ECML projects and resources which focus on inclusive, plurilingual and intercultural approaches, including the possibilities of new technologies, such as AI. The workshops offer tailored support to different educational stakeholders, including teachers, teacher educators, curriculum and assessment developers, administrators and school leaders, on how best to develop all learners’ competences in the language/s of schooling (including academic language and the specialist language of different subjects), whilst valuing all children’s home languages and drawing on these languages as a rich resource for learning for all.

Target groups

The workshops will offer support on how to value children’s home languages as well as on how to draw on these languages as a rich resource for learning for all learners. A focus on the benefits of collaboration between teachers of different languages and subjects is emphasised, as well as opportunities for whole-school approaches.

These workshops will be offered to:

Language teachers
Other subject teachers
Teacher educators
School advisors and inspectors
Curriculum and assessment developers
School administrators
School leaders
Other relevant professionals

Objectives

The long-term objective of the initiative is the educational and linguistic inclusion of all learners into national education systems, leading to better educational achievement regardless of linguistic background and to improved self-esteem and well-being, better employment prospects and a more cohesive society.

As part of the initiative, a series of national workshops in participating states are offered to address such issues as:

whole-school policies and strategies to support the integration of learners from a range of linguistic backgrounds
holistic approaches to language learning, teaching and assessment, including the language of schooling, foreign languages and home languages
challenges facing teachers of other subjects and how to adapt pedagogical approaches to meet the needs of all learners, including those from migration backgrounds

Support materials will be developed and adapted by drawing on key ECML tools and resources, to meet the needs of specific contexts.

Outputs

Training workshops for local and regional multipliers in participating EU and ECML member states offering:

training modules adapted to meet the different needs of language teachers, other subject teachers, teacher educators, school advisors and inspectors, school administrators and school leaders on such topics as: how to develop competences in the language/s of schooling; how to value, celebrate and draw on the rich linguistic and cultural heritage that plurilingual learners bring to the classroom and to the wider school community; and the importance of plurilingual and intercultural education for inclusion of all learners and for democratic culture, as well as the important role of parents and other stakeholders in addressing these topics holistically
a dedicated section on the ECML website outlining key resources for multilingual classrooms

Workshop modules

1. Supporting all language teachers in improving language teaching and developing plurilingual competences for all learners

This module aims to help language teachers:

improve the quality of language teaching and support the development of plurilingual competences for all learners in multilingual classes by building on the linguistic and cultural diversity of their learners and encouraging them to draw on and develop their linguistic and intercultural experience and skills;
support the educational inclusion and well-being of all learners by developing a better understanding of the learners' specific needs and resources, acquiring knowledge and skills in second language teaching (for teachers of the language of schooling), and developing collaboration between teachers of foreign, regional, minority and home languages, and teachers of the language of schooling;
promote a positive attitude to linguistic and cultural diversity by developing an understanding of the principles and values underlying pluralistic and intercultural approaches, and by also developing their own ability to use such approaches in their classrooms in order to contribute to the development of democratic culture and to their own well-being;
explore holistic, collaborative approaches, including valuing formal, non-formal and informal learning, using AI and other digital and online tools/resources, as well as virtual collaboration;
make better links between real life experience and academic learning by valuing project-based learning and real-life scenarios;

These objectives are of particular relevance in these constantly changing times, especially with regard to the inclusion of all learners, support for those groups of learners who are most marginalised and support for all learners who need help. These issues can be addressed in all workshops, and special emphasis can be placed on them upon request.

Workshops can be organised for the following participants:

Foreign language teachers
Teachers of the language of schooling
Teachers of the language of schooling as a second language
Teachers of home languages
Teachers of regional/minority languages
Teacher educators and mentors
Teachers in charge of language support
Representatives of language teacher associations
Curriculum and assessment developers
Local/national government advisors and inspectors

As the purpose of this module is to encourage collaboration between all of the above types of teachers, combinations of these are possible.

The module will draw on ECML resources including the following:

E-lang - Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages
Illey - Inspiring language learning in the early years
ARC - Action-research communities for language teachers
PEPELINO - European portfolio for pre-primary educators. The plurilingual and intercultural dimension
PluriMobil - Plurilingual and intercultural learning through mobility. Practical resources for teachers and teacher trainers
FREPA/CARAP - Plurilingual and intercultural competences: descriptors and teaching materials
Conbat + - Content based teaching and plurilingual/cultural awareness: didactic units, training kit
Maledive - Teaching the language of schooling in the context of diversity: key concepts, examples of good practice, study material
Marille - Majority language instruction as a basis for plurilingual education: practice examples, checklists for teachers or teacher educators
EPLC - Enseignement précoce des langues modernes par des contenus
ICT-REV - Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning
Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages
RECOLANG - Resources for assessing the home language competences of migrant pupils
PALINGUI - Young children's language learning pathways
MEDIATION - Mediation in teaching, learning and assessment

2. Supporting all subject teachers in multilingual classrooms to teach in language-sensitive and democratic ways

This module aims to:

raise teachers' awareness of the value of multilingualism for all and its role in educational inclusion and well-being, helping them integrate this into their practice;
raise teachers' awareness of the language competence required in the language of schooling generally and specifically in different subjects, in order to achieve educational success and contribute to the development of democratic culture and to their own confidence and well-being;
help teachers of all subjects, including vocational subjects, develop their professional competences in supporting second language development and therefore their sense of well-being, by:
- developing their ability to define linguistic objectives in their subject, as well as to plan work on language use and to provide adequate scaffolding and feedback;
- developing their ability to identify, take into account and use students' plurilingual skills and competences for learning and ongoing language development in general or in a specific subject;
- raise awareness of the necessity of specifying language requirements in curricula and taking them into account in teaching materials
develop the ability to draw on CLIL methodology to integrate languages and other subjects;
raise awareness of the necessity of a holistic approach to language development and promote collaboration between language teachers and teachers of other subjects
value formal, non-formal and informal learning, including via digital and online tools/resources, as well as virtual collaboration;
make better links between real life experience and academic learning by valuing project-based learning and real-life scenarios.

These objectives are of particular relevance in these constantly changing times, especially with regard to the inclusion of all learners, support for those groups of learners who are most marginalised and support for all learners who need help. These issues can be addressed in all workshops, but the focus may shift depending on the needs of the participants and their context.

Workshops can be organised for the following participants:

Teachers of all subjects across the curriculum, both in mainstream and vocational education
Teachers of the language of schooling / foreign language teachers / teachers of home languages / teachers of regional or minority languages / teachers of the language of schooling as a second language / teachers in charge of language support
Curriculum and assessment developers, course book authors
Teacher educators and mentors
Representatives of teacher associations
Local/national government advisors and inspectors

As the purpose of this module is to encourage collaboration between all of the above types of teachers, combinations of these are possible.

The module will draw on ECML resources including the following:

Language in subjects - Developing language awareness in subject classes
Language descriptors - Language descriptors for migrant and minority learners' success in compulsory education: to enable teachers to understand language levels
ARC - Action-research communities for language teachers
Pluriliteracies - A pluriliteracies approach to teaching for learning
PluriMobil - Plurilingual and intercultural learning through mobility. Practical resources for teachers and teacher trainers
Maledive - Teaching the language of schooling in the context of diversity: key concepts, examples of good practice, study material
PEPELINO - European portfolio for pre-primary educators. The plurilingual and intercultural dimension
Conbat + - Content based teaching and plurilingual/cultural awareness: didactic units, training kit
ICT-REV - Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning
E-lang - Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages
CLIL in languages other than English - successful transitions across educational stages
RECOLANG - Resources for assessing the home language competences of migrant pupils
PALINGUI - Young children's language learning pathways
MEDIATION - Mediation in teaching, learning and assessment
Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education

3. Developing language-aware schools

This module aims to support the development of whole school language policies, strategies and practices to promote positive attitudes to linguistic/cultural diversity, to value and support multilingualism and plurilingualism and to facilitate the inclusion of learners from all backgrounds, including those newly arrived, thus nurturing a democratic school culture.

This will include the following objectives:

to develop language awareness in schools and vocational education so as to create an inclusive school environment, in which all languages, including all home languages, are valued as part of a learner’s education and as a resource for further learning;
to ensure that all members of the school’s community have the skills and opportunities to develop awareness of the value of multilingualism for all and integrate these opportunities into their various policies, practices and disciplines;
to engage with the wider community, including parents and community groups, businesses and other key partners, in the task of promoting multilingualism in order to support learning and the development of plurilingual and intercultural skills for democratic culture;
to value formal, non-formal and informal learning, including via digital and online tools/resources, as well as virtual collaboration;
to make better links between real life experience and academic learning by valuing project-based learning and real-life scenarios.

These objectives are of particular relevance in these constantly changing times, especially with regard to the inclusion of all learners, support for those groups of learners who are most marginalised and support for all learners who need help. These issues can be addressed in all workshops, and special emphasis can be placed on them upon request.

Workshops can be organised for the following participants:

School administrators/leaders
All teachers
Policymakers
Curriculum and assessment developers
Teacher educators and mentors
Local/national government advisors
Parent groups
Community groups, business partners etc.
Other relevant professionals

As the purpose of this module is to encourage collaboration between all of the above types of participants, combinations of these are possible.

The module will draw on ECML resources including the following:

A Roadmap for schools to support the language(s) of schooling
EOL - Learning environments where modern languages flourish
Parents - Involving parents in plurilingual and intercultural education
PluriMobil - Plurilingual and intercultural learning through mobility. Practical resources for teachers and teacher trainers
PlurCur - Towards whole-school language curricula
Ensemble -Whole-school Language Profiles and Policies: case studies, project tasks
The European Language Portfolio - A guide to the planning, implementation and evaluation of whole- school projects
EduCoMigrant - Collaborative community approach to migrant education
E-lang - Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages
MEDIATION - Mediation in teaching, learning and assessment
RECOLANG - Resources for assessing the home language competences of migrant pupils
PALINGUI - Young children's language learning pathways
TRANSITIONS - CLIL in languages other than English

4. National follow-up workshops in member states

a. National follow-up workshops

The purpose of these follow-up workshops in member states is:

Building on previous experiences in SMC workshops
Further developing specific topics / objectives
Sharing practices
Developing local and/or national networks
Developing action-research
Developing whole-school projects
Developing dissemination strategies

These workshops are organised specifically for participants who have already taken part in an SMC workshop. Participants will be expected to share the work they have done since their workshop. The programme will be developed around the themes, which emerge from work completed and requests for additional topics.

b. Workshops with an online follow-up meeting later in the year

The purpose of the online follow-up meeting is:

Building on previous experiences in SMC workshops
Sharing activity related to the workshop that has been carried out in participants’ own institutions
Developing further collaborations, where appropriate

5. Regional workshops in member states

These workshops are organized for participants working in two or more different countries and would like to develop international networking, share experiences and further develop collaborative projects in supporting multilingual classrooms. The workshops will take place in one of the countries involved (host country).

6. Workshops for in-service and pre-service teacher educators

This module aims to enable teacher educators working in pre-service and/or in-service teacher education, mentors in schools, advisory teachers to achieve a selection of the aims set out in Modules 1-3. This will involve them in raising their own awareness of the issues and to explore strategies and materials that will enable them to support other teachers.

The module will draw on the appropriate ECML resources referred to above, as well as the following focusing on the needs of teacher educators:

Webinar "Supporting multilingual classrooms" (16 Oct. 2025)

Rewatch the webinar

The webinar provides insights into the ‘Supporting Multilingual Classrooms’ workshops with inputs provided by the team as well as national representatives. We explore the motivations for member States to host our workshops and how they have made a key contribution to curriculum and policy development and achieved impact in their various contexts.

Webinar “Supporting the linguistic integration of young refugees from Ukraine” (12 May 2022)

Rewatch the webinar

This webinar provides guidance and teaching resources to address these new challenges and ensure a welcoming atmosphere, conducive to learning. You will discover how best to value this linguistic diversity in your classroom in ways that also foster the development of the language of schooling.

ECML webinars page

Supporting Multilingual Classrooms joint workshop

Slovak Republic and Czech Republic, 20 - 21 June 2023, Tatranská Lomnica

Training and consultancy

Training activites can be conducted in English, French or German.

This offer is targeted at teachers, teacher educators, administrators and school leaders and provides:

Workshops addressing issues such as:
- whole-school policies and strategies to support the integration of migrant learners;
- holistic approaches to language learning and teaching including the language of schooling, foreign languages and home languages;
- challenges facing non-language teachers and how to adapt pedagogical approaches to meet the needs of migrant learners.

How to get involved

Requests for a training and consultancy activity must be submitted via the national ECML representative in the Governing Board. Educational professionals interested in a particular activity should therefore contact their national representative.

For requests coming from an EU member state that is not an ECML member state, please contact the ECML secretariat.

Contact your ECML representative

Latest articles

19 May 2026
Supporting Multilingual Classrooms: national training workshop (28-29 April 2026, Lisbon, Portugal)

Local organisers: Lília Vicente (Agency for the Management of the Education System) and Ana Xavier (Institute for Education, Quality and Assessment)

ECML experts: Catherine Carré-Karlinger (Austria) and Katja Schnitzer (Germany)

Participants: 34 foreign language teachers, teachers of the language of schooling as a second language, teacher educators, school principals, deputy principals, principals’ assessors, pre-primary teachers

“The Agency for the Management of the Education System, IP (AGSE, IP) and the Institute for Education, Quality and Assessment, IP (EduQA, IP) held a workshop on 28-29 April 2026 entitled Developing Language-sensitive Leaders and Teachers for Inclusive Multilingual Schools. This workshop is part of Supporting Multilingual Classrooms, a joint cooperation initiative from the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe and the European Commission.

The event took place at the Seminário Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Alfragide, and brought together head teachers and teachers from thirteen school clusters across different regions of the country, involved in projects and practices related to Portuguese as a Second Language (PLNM) and the integration of migrant learners in multicultural and multilingual contexts.

The workshop is part of the strategy of AGSE, IP, and EduQA, IP, to strengthen policies of inclusion, democratic culture, and the promotion of linguistic and cultural diversity in Portuguese school clusters, in a context marked by the increase and diversification of migratory flows. As such, the workshop aimed to support schools in building more inclusive educational responses, by promoting the educational success and integration of newly arrived migrant learners into the Portuguese education system.

Katja Schnitzer and Catherine Carré-Karlinger were the ECML experts who prioritised collaborative work, debates, sharing of practices and strategies for promoting linguistically inclusive school environments.

At the end of the workshop, participants’ feedback was highly positive. The relevance and timeliness of the topic, the quality of the organisation, the importance of the methodologies used, and the need to disseminate best practices in the field have been particularly highlighted. Several participants have also emphasised the inspiring nature of the workshop, which was perceived as a starting point for future learning across schools.

The implementation of this initiative represents another step in strengthening international cooperation and developing educational policies geared towards inclusion, contributing to empowering Portuguese schools to meet the challenges associated with the growing linguistic and cultural diversity present in the national education system.”

Lília Vicente and Ana Xavier, local organisers, 15 May 2026

ECML project website: Supporting multilingual classrooms, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2026 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

17 Dec 2025
Call for the ECML-EC joint action "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning" 2026 now open until 9 January 2026

16 Dec 2025
Supporting Multilingual Classrooms: national training workshop (13-14 November 2025, Lisbon, Portugal)

Local organiser: Lília Maria Vicente, Ministry of Education, Directorate-General for School Administration

ECML experts: Catherine Carré-Karlinger (Austria), Katja Schnitzer (Switzerland)

Participants: 27 school leaders, teachers of the language of schooling, researchers

The Supporting Multilingual Classrooms training workshop, which aims to help member states ensure access to quality education for migrant learners and bridge the attainment gap between these learners and non-migrant pupils, was organised on 13-14 November 2025 in Lisbon by the Portuguese Directorate-General for School Administration of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation. This entity is responsible for the school principals’ Continuing Professional Development, (CPD) on the theme of "Inclusive approaches in language education” within the module on "Developing language-aware schools".

School principals and other educational actors from school clusters that show a diversified cultural and linguistic reality were invited, in order to provide them with moments of sharing and reflection on their contexts and practices, and, above all, to show that multilingualism and cultural diversity are added values in the life of schools, contributing to promote inclusion.

In fact, the responsibility that falls to school principals to manage school clusters that incorporate pupils from many different nationalities requires the development of strategies that ensure that all members of their community have opportunities to develop awareness of the value of multilingualism for all and integrate these opportunities into their practices, which does not always seem easy. It is therefore very important to give school principals the opportunity to share their reality with others and to get to know new ways of addressing their problems in a more effective and rewarding way and to give them access to other strategies and approaches that enable them to meet the challenges posed by these new educational contexts.

Lília Maria Vicente, local organiser

ECML project website: Supporting multilingual classrooms, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

07 Dec 2025
Supporting Multilingual Classrooms: national training workshop (13-14 November 2025, Yerevan, Armenia)

Local organiser: Meline Galstyan, Brusov State University

ECML experts: Terry Lamb (United Kingdom), Chantal Muller (Belgium)

Participants: 26 foreign language teachers, teachers of other subjects, teacher educators, teachers of the language of schooling as a second language, policymakers, school administrators

The “Supporting Multilingual Classrooms” national training workshop, offered through the ECML-EC cooperation agreement, provides teachers and school communities with practical, research-informed strategies to value and build on the linguistic and cultural diversity in today’s classrooms. This professional development opportunity equips educators with tools to recognise learners’ plurilingual repertoires, support second language development across subjects, and create inclusive learning environments where every student’s linguistic identity is seen as an asset.

The training workshop on 13-14 November corresponded to the national priorities outlined in the request form for the event, particularly in the area of promoting quality education and supporting multilingual classrooms.

Firstly, the workshop strengthened teachers’ capacities to value and integrate learners’ plurilingual repertoires into everyday teaching. This directly supports the national commitment to inclusive and culturally responsive education. For example, through activities focused on recognising and drawing on students’ home languages, participants learned practical strategies for fostering a supportive and diverse learning environment.

Secondly, the workshop addressed the priority of improving the language of schooling for all learners, including those with migrant or minority language backgrounds. By exploring scaffolding techniques and linguistic objectives across subjects, teachers gained tools to better support students’ academic language development. This aligns with national efforts to ensure equal educational opportunities and improved learning outcomes.

Finally, the focus on collaborative intercultural projects helps promote social cohesion, another national priority. Teachers were introduced to practical examples of cross-cultural classroom projects that encourage mutual understanding and respect among students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Overall, the training workshop provided concrete methodologies, classroom strategies, and reflection tools that directly support the national agenda for strengthening multilingual education and ensuring high-quality, inclusive learning for all.

Meline Galstyan, local organiser, 25 November 2025

ECML project website: Supporting multilingual classrooms, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

06 Nov 2025
Supporting Multilingual Classrooms: national training workshop (9-10 October 2025, Nicosia, Cyprus)

Local organiser: Elena Paraskeva, Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth

ECML experts: Chantal Muller (Belgium), Katja Schnitzer (Switzerland)

Participants: 26 foreign language teachers, teachers of other subjects, teacher educators, teachers of the language of schooling, policymakers, course book authors, school administrators

On 9 and 10 October 2025, a two-day workshop on Supporting Multilingual Classrooms was held in Nicosia. The workshop was co-organised by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (English Language Inspectorate) and the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML). Trainers included Ms. Chantal Muller (Haute Ecole de Namur-Liège-Luxembourg, Belgium) and Ms. Katja Schnitzer (Pädagogische Hochschule der Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Switzerland) with Ms Elena Paraskeva, inspector of English, as the local organiser.

The aim of the two-day workshop was to inform teachers about teaching approaches in multilingual classrooms, as well as provide multilingual and intercultural training through activities that can be implemented in school settings.

During the first day, participants discussed the importance of languages and cultures, attitudes toward plurilingualism, and specifically teachers’ attitudes toward languages and cultures, sharing personal experiences and insights. Teaching approaches were then presented, along with examples of good practices already implemented in Cyprus and across Europe. The session concluded with a discussion on the language rights of second-language learners. In a hands-on activity, participants explored their own multiple identities and those of their students. Overall, the importance of implementing democratic and intercultural approaches in the classroom was emphasised.

On the second day, there was an open discussion on the role of languages as a bridge to successful education, as well as the challenges that arise when the language of instruction differs from students’ mother tongues. This was followed by a mini workshop using scaffolding tools, and participants were provided with materials showcasing good practices to support differentiated teaching. The day concluded with presentations from participating teachers implementing the tools introduced and recommendations for developing a holistic approach in schools. At the end of the workshop, participants reported that they would use the materials and methods presented and share the identified good practices within their school communities, aiming to strengthen multilingual education, promote intercultural understanding, and create a more inclusive learning environment.

The workshop was attended by language teachers from both primary and secondary general education.

Elena Paraskeva, local organiser, 6 November 2025

ECML project website: Supporting multilingual classrooms, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

Benefits of Supporting multilingual classrooms in various countries

Malta

Slovak Republic

Portugal

Estonia

This initiative is carried out within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the European Centre for Modern Languages and the European Commission, entitled
Innovative Methodologies and Assessment in language learning
www.ecml.at/ec-cooperation