Supporting Multilingual Classrooms

Modules and resources

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:

Useful ECML resources

  • Action-research communities for language teachers
  • Conbat + – Content based teaching and plurilingual/cultural awareness
  • Descriptors – Language descriptors for migrant and minority learners' success in compulsory education
  • Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages
  • EduCoMigrant – Collaborative community approach to migrant education: a virtual open course for educators
  • E-lang – Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages
  • EOL – Learning environments where modern languages flourish
  • FREPA/CARAP – A framework of reference for pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures
  • Illey – Inspiring language learning in the early years
  • Language in subjects – Developing language awareness in subject classes
  • Maledive – Teaching the language of schooling in the context of diversity: study materials for teacher development
  • Marille – Majority language instruction as a basis for plurilingual education
  • PEPELINO – European portfolio for pre-primary educators: the plurilingual and intercultural dimension
  • PlurCur – Towards whole-school language curricula: examples of practice in schools
  • A Pluriliteracies approach to teaching for learning
  • PluriMobil – Plurilingual and intercultural learning through mobility: practical resources for teachers and teacher trainers
  • Roadmap for schools to support the language(s) of schooling
  • 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 - successful transitions across educational stages
  • MEDIATION - Mediation in teaching, learning and assessment
  • Enhancing language education in cross-border vocational education

Publications

One school, many languages

One school, many languages - Creating an environment where all languages are valued: A toolkit for schools (January 2022) – this attractive brochure has been designed as a practical resource for primary school teachers. It contains links to lesson plans, videos, audio resources that can be used in the classroom and articles following the latest research and best practice.

The toolkit has been designed by Mother Tongues to disseminate some of the key points from the Supporting Multilingual Classrooms national workshop, delivered in Ireland on 27th and 28th September 2021 by the ECML experts, Chantal Muller and Prof. Terry  Lamb. This event was funded by the European Union and the European Centre for Modern Languages.

In February 2022, The Irish Times featured Mother Tongues and the toolkit in an article:
“Speaking in mother tongues shows heritage is a class act – Embracing diverse languages inside the classroom gives all pupils a great advantage”.

 

Follow Mother Tongues on social media :
Facebook: @mothertongues.ie
Twitter: @MotherTonguesIE
Instagram: @mother_tongues_ireland
#MotherTongues

Videos

Supporting Multilingual Classrooms joint workshop

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

 




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