Language in higher education and European collaboration

1
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Language in higher education and European
  collaboration
• Wolfgang Mackiewicz
• Conseil Européen pour les Langues / European
  Language Council
• (CEL/ELC)
• Jyväskylän yliopisto, 15 April 2005

2
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• The starting point of my presentation
• this morning
• __________________
• European co-operation in policy, curriculum, and
  materials development and in
• research is a key to innovations and improvements
  in the area of languages in
• HE and beyond.
• Berlin Declaration June
  2001
• The University will participate in European
  collabotation to promote
• language policy and language programmes in the
  area of higher education.
• Jyväskylä University
  Language Policy, October 2004

3
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Structure of my presentation
• ______________________
• the European dimension in language education
• the history of HE-level collaboration in the area
  of languages from SIGMA to DYLAN
• university language policy
• languages in a European knowledge-based society

4
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• I European dimension in language
• education
• ______________
• traditionally, language education gt mother
  tongue literacy
• - foreign languages part of general education
  not aimed at developing specific skills (cf. the
  primacy of Latin)
• - practical foreign language skills gt
  specific professions (cf. diplomats, people in
  foreign trade etc.)

5
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• foreign-language (FL) learning and teaching,
  especially the learning of European languages,
  assumed a new role through the drive towards
  European collaboration and integration
• Council of Europe
• European Economic Community gt European Union
• considerable overlap different political aims

6
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Council of Europe (CoE)
• _______________
• Milestone European Cultural Convention, Paris,
  19.XII.1954
• - each CoE member state to encourage the study
  of the languages, history and civilisation of the
  other CoE member states
• - each CoE member state to promote the study of
  its language or languages, history and
  civilisation in the territory of the other member
  states

7
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• WHAT?
• overarching aim to achieve plurilingual
  communicative competence in a number of languages
  on a lifelong basis FOR ALL
• WHY?
• gt better personal mobility
• gt improved opportunities for education and
  employment
• gt access to information in a multilingual and
  multicultural Europe
• gt promote intercultural understanding and
  international co-operation

8
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• HOW?
• gt facilitate the pooling of international
  experience and expertise in regard to
• - reforms / innovation in language teaching and
  teacher training
• - developing and promoting a coherent, learner-
• centred methodology, integrating aims, content,
  teaching, learning and assessment
• Two European instruments CEF ELP

9
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Council of Europe
• Summary
• _____________
• language education policy part of a general
  policy aimed at mutual understanding and the
  protection of European heritage
• languages are learnt for use gt plurilingual
  communicative competence in a number of Ls

10
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Common European Framework of Reference and
  European Language Portfolio designed
• gt to provide a common European approach to
• language learning, teaching, and
  assessment
• gt to be valid for all languages
• gt to facilitate the development, and the
  recording of
• individual multilingual profiles
  relevant to life and
• work in Europe

11
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• EU language policy and language education policy
• ________________________
• Unlike the U.S., the EU is being created as a
• multilingual society. (Mackiewicz)
• point of departure languages in the public
  sphere

12
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• official languages of the Member States
  official EU languages
• notion of a lingua franca rejected
• multilingual regime in external communication of
  EU institutions
• languages in the educational sphere
• promotion of the learning of EU languages

13
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Maastricht Treaty (1992) developing the European
  dimension in education, particularly through the
  teaching and dissemination of the languages of
  the Member States
• WHAT?
• COMs White Paper on Teaching and Learning
  everyone gt 1gt2
• WHY?
• - economic considerations the Internal
• Market

14
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• - humanistic considerations
• access to other cultures
• development of a European identity
• in sum multilingualism part of EU citizenship
• HOW?
• - secondary legislation and action
  programmes
• problem education responsibility of the Member
  States

15
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• II The history of HE-level collaboration in
• the area of Languges
• ______________________
• Points of departure
• EU language policy
• 149 of the Treaty
• 1. The Community shall contribute to the
  development of quality education
• 2. Community action shall be aimed at
  cooperation between educational establishments.

16
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council
Council ofCCCouncil of Europe
17
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• SIGMA Scientific Committee on
• Languages (1994-95)
• _________________
• pilot project (precursor of TNs)
• one expert each from EU-15, NO and CH plus reps
  of C.I.U.T.I., ESSE, Lingua Unit SCIC
• driven by conviction that purilingual and
  multi-cultural competence and linguistic and
  cultural diversity are of crucial importance for
  EU

18
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• crucial responsibility of universities
• definition of the HE area of languages
  programmes and portions of programmes devoted to
  transmission of linguistic and cultural knowledge
  and skills and to language mediation
• hence
• - modern language degree programmes, area
  studies programmes, programmes combining language
  study with study of other area(s)

19
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• - teacher education
• - training of translators and interpreters and
  the training of trainers
• - applied linguistics
• - delivery of (portions of) courses in (more
  than) one other language
• - language provision for students of all
  disci-plines, incl. linguistic preparation and
  support for mobility

20
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• new methodology
• - national reports based on common structure
  (i) description and analysis of status quo (ii)
  needs analysis (iii) recommendations directed at
  various levels
• - synthesis report
• a major European conference (Stockholm, June
  1995), generating further recommendations

21
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• SELECTED SIGMA RECOMMENDATIONS
• __________________________________
• Language Teacher Training
• bring education and training into line with
  professional needs
• compulsory language entrance tests
• introduction of intensive pre-study language
  modules
• obligatory study abroad

22
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• agreement on minimum acceptable level of
  linguistic competence to be acquired by end of
  training
• facilitate teaching of all EU languages
• courses combining two languages
• opportunity to learn another language in addition
  to major language(s)
• EU should help set up projects intended to
  develop recommendations regarding content and
  levels of attainment

23
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• programmes to equip teachers with new
  professional skills gt learner to acquire
  competences needed in working life
• preparation for bilingual education
• include new technologies in training curricula
• EU to support development of joint programmes
  (involving training institutions and schools)

24
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Language provision for students of other
  disciplines
• all students should be given opportunity to
  acquire good working knowledge in 2 Ls
• credits for successfully completed language work
• high-level competence in school languages
  partial skills in LWULT languages

25
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• at EU level agreement on and description of
  recognized levels of linguistic performance gt
  development of a language testing system
  recognized both by employers and academic
  institutions
• development of self-access facilities gt
  promotion of independent learning
• European projects for development of language
  modules

26
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• qualitative improvement of provision gt
• European currciulum development for training of
  university language teachers (a Master?)
• to promote the learning of major non-European
  languages (gt development of programmes together
  with institutions in target-language countries)

27
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• a host of further recommendations, most of them
  still relevant
• - training of translators and interpreters
• - intercultural communication
• - modern languages degree programmes
• - postgraduate studies
• - research (call for European research
• projects!)

28
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• SUMMARY
• _________
• SIGMA was a unique experience because
• a group of European experts repesenting the whole
  spectrum of what constitutes the area of
  languages articulated at a European level how
  HEIs should respond to the linguistic and
  cultural challenges posed by European integration
  and, yes, globalisation

29
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• it highlighted the fact that universities had to
  adapt their provision to changing needs in the
  non-university enironments gt consultation with
  employers in the widest sense
• it made the point that people and bodies
  representing different camps in the area of
  languages should collaborate
• reflecting 149 of the Treaty, it stressed the
  fact that the magnitude of the linguistic
  challenge called for European efforts

30
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• STOCKHOLM, 10 JUNE 1995
• _________________________
• SIGMA Committee decided to create a permanent
  European association the European Language
  Council
• the Commission representatives there and then
  signalled their support for the plan
• LANGUAGES an area pervading the whole of higher
  education

31
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• to act as an interface between HEIs AND
  international and European governmental and
  non-governmental organisations and Member State
  authorities
• to promote European integration in the area of
  languages (both in teaching and research)
• to establish links between HE and schools
• to establish links between HE and employers
• to promote co-operation between the EU and third
  countries

32
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Conseil Européen pour les Langues /
• European Language Council (CEL/ELC)
• ___________________________
• founded in Lille in July 1997
• Membership some 160 HEIs and associations
• two main areas of activity
• (i) projects
• (ii) policy development

33
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

Council ofCCCouncil of Europe
34
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Thematic Network Project in the Area of
• Languages (1996-99)
• _______________________
• EU co-operation projects under the
  Socrates-Erasmus Programme
• involve university faculties / departments or
  whole universities from all the partcipating
  countries, prof. and acad. associations more
  recently also other stakeholders

35
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• devoted to a particular theme (discipline,
  interdisciplinary field etc.)
• address the frequently observed disconnection of
  HE programmes from (i) research developments and
  from (ii) changing needs in the social,
  professional, and economic environments
• product-oriented think tanks
• principal aim to work out recommendations for
  innovation and improvements

36
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• principal aim of TNP1 to bring about
  reorientation across Europe
• 115 universities in EU-15, CH, CZ, HU, IS, NO and
  RO 8 academic and professional associations
• complex, Brandenburg Gate-like structure
• 9 subprojects 9 scientific committees
• Transversal issues
• Multilingualism and the LWULT languages

37
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Intercultural communication
• New technologies and language learning
• Postgraduate studies
• Issues linked to specific professions
• Language teacher training
• Translation and interpreting (incl. the training
  of trainers)

38
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• The all-important issue of
• Language studies for students of other
  disciplines
• Issues linked to traditional sub-disciplines
• Dictionaries
• Testing
• Acitivities and outcomes reports and surveys

39
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• a number of European Master-type programmes
• two major spin-offs
• the DIALANG project
• European Master in Conference Interpreting
• perhaps the principal benefit a large number of
  specialists inside outside the TNP were led to
  reflect on teaching research from the point of
  view of demands in environments

40
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Project for the exploitation and disemination of
• the results of the TNP (TNP-D) (1999-2000)
• __________________________________
• TNP1 remained too much inside academia
• with laudible exceptions, failed to reach out to
  policy-makers and decision-makers inside and
  outside academia
• TNP-D
• involved HEIs from all the participating countr.

41
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• gt established contacts with prof. acad.
  associations
• gt involved ACA, CRE, EAIE UNICA
• gt 6 small-size task groups synthesised and
  expanded TNP1 outcomes under the following themes
• Language, Mobility, Citizenship
• European Citizenship
• Mobility and co-operation the needs of

42
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• students and of the labour market
• New learning environments
• Language Studies for Professional Life
• Training in translation and interpreting
• Education of teachers and trainers for a
  multilingual Europe
• Language studies at advanced level for
  non-language professionals

43
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• TNP-D Outcomes
• _______________________
• Dissemination Conference Brussels 23/9/00
• gt call for development and implementation of
  policies for insitution-wide language learning
• gt call for institutional policies for promoting
  mobility
• Six reports to be published belatedly this
  autumn

44
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Thematic Network Project in the Area of Languages
  II (TNP2) (2000-2003)
• _______________________
• Three sub-projects
• Curriculum innovation
• New learning environments
• Quality enhancement in HE language studies

45
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Three transversal themes
• universities as actors in lifelong learning
• the relevance of language studies to professional
  life
• the European dimension

46
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Activities and outcomes
• Year One national reports gt 3 synthesis reports
• Year Two 3 workshops a written consultation
  among TNP2 partners
• Year Three major conference draft major
  document
• Weaknesses
• failed to take on board the Bologna Process,

47
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• the Lisbon Stategy, the Objectives Process and
  the outcomes of the Tuning project
• a new political climate, emphasising diversity
  (different HE agendas in different MSs)
• With hindsight we should not have defined
  curriculum innovation in relative terms. Rather
  we should have measured innovation against common
  reference points
• geographical spread of examples of good practice

48
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Une priorité la qualité
• Chapter III of the draft Major Document
• ________________________________
• Towards a framework for Q enhancement in
• university language education
• learning outcomes identified six main areas of
  language / language-related competences, ranging
  from generic personal competences to
  profession-specific competences

49
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• teaching and learning procedures emphasis on
  the development of independent learning skills
• organisation, monitoring and management of
  teaching and learning
• training and ongoing professional development of
  HE language teachers
• Major document awaiting further revision
• Q chapter to be published separately

50
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Thematic Network Project in the Area of
• Languages III (TNP3) (2003-2006)
• ____________________________________
• Three sub-projeects
• Languages for language-related industries and
  professions
• Languages for enhanced opportunities on the
  European labour market
• Languages as an interface between different
  sectors of education

51
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• TNP3 has adopted a radically new approach
• TNP1, TNP-D and TNP2 driven by official EU
  language policy COM/MSs never said which
  languages to what level, and what skills
• TNP3 the first attempt to find out which
  languages and what skills are relevant to the
  labour market and the language industry
• TNP3 the first major attempt to consider HE
  language / language-related programmes within the
  LLL paradigm

52
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• What do we hope to achieve?
• identification of language-specific and
  job-specific competences
• recommendations regarding specialist degree
  programmes and provision for all students
• proposals for consultation between HEIs and
  educational and non-educational stakeholders
• a new international structure for consultation
  between HEIs and other stakeholders

53
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• How are we going to do this?
• Year One national reports
• Year Two
• - three synthesis reports
• - Europe-wide consultations (1) graduates
• (2) employers (3) other sectors of
• education
• Year Two Closing Conference Copenhagen Business
  School, 30 Sept.-1 Oct. 2005

54
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council
Council ofCCCouncil of Europe
55
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• III University Language Policy
• ___________________________
• Two different meanings
• a comprehensive policy covering teaching,
  research, development, and services
• a languages-for-all policy designed tomote
  language learning among all students at a given
  HEI
• the CEL/ELC has contributed to both

56
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• the CEL/ELC has succeeded in stimulating and
  impacting on policy development at institutional,
  national and European level
• A brief history of CEL/ELC policy development
• 1999-2001 Task Force on University Language
  Policy -gt Reference document Multilingualism and
  new learning environments
• 23/9/2000 TNP-D Conference call for ULP

57
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• 30/6/2001 Berlin Declaration
• Universities are urged to develop and implement
  their own specific and coherent language
  policies, covering the fields of education,
  research, and development. These need to reflect
  the European dimension, the specific needs of the
  non-academic environments, and institutional
  priorities and strengths. Universities should
  give proper weight to the added value to be
  gained from

58
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• co-operation both within the individual
  institution and with other partners, nationally
  and internationally. In addition to
  inter-university co-operation at regional,
  national and European level, universities should
  pursue opportunities offered by co-operation with
  other sectors of education, cultural institutes,
  and other partners in the public, private and
  voluntary sectors.

59
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• European University Language Policy Interest
  Group (2001-2003)
• CEL/ELC and 9 European universities
  representated by their vice rectors / vice
  presidents responsible for education and / or
  international relations focus on languages in
  the Bologna structure
• Commission Staff Working Paper Promoting Language
  Learning and Linguistic Diversity Consultation
  13/11/2002

60
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Section 3 Language Learning in Higher Education
  reflects CEL/ELC Berlin Declaration
• CEL/ELC response, March 2003
• Commissions Action Plan 2004-2006
• Berlin Communiqué, 19 September 2003
• Ministers stress the necessity of proper
  provision for linguistic diversity and language
  learning, so that students my achieve their full
  potential for European identity, citzenship

61
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• and employability.
• 3rd EUA Convention of European Higher Education
  Institutions Glasgow, 31 March 2 April 2005
• Recommendation to HEIs to think seriously about
  language issues and to develop their own
  appropriate policies
• Impact at institutional and national level as
  well HEI language plans national policies

62
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• ENLU European Network for the Promotion of
• Language Learning Among all Undergraduates
• (12/2003 6/2006 ?)
• ____________________________________
• launched under a COM Call for Proposals
• ultimate aim to create a more permament
  structure under CEL/ELC, linked to an action plan
  (HELP)
• three stages

63
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• (i) ascertaining and evaluating the status quo
• (ii) preparation of a consultation document and
• Europe - wide consultation
• (iii) a major European conference for
  launching
• the new network (target groups
  specialists,
• university leaders, other
  stakeholders)
• purpose of the network
• (i) offer services
• (ii) launch projects

64
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• high-level Advisory Board, chaired by EUA
• Benchmarks for a HE Language Policy
• The strategic dimension
• Language teaching vs. a language policy
• Languages for all?
• Enabling conditions
• Consultation and decision-making structures
• The value of skill-oriented teaching of
  languages

65
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• Teacher training
• Pedagogical issues
• Creating a learning continuum
• Integration of LL into students academic
  programme
• Beyond the traditional classroom format
• Towards an integrated model
• Maintaining the L1
• Catering for the teaching of the home language
• Language skills of academic and admin. staff

66
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council
Council ofCCCouncil of Europe
67
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• IV Languages in a European knowledge-
• based society
• ____________________________
• Lisbon Strategy aimed at economic progress and
  social cohesion
• U.S. many cultures one common language
• general recognition of the importance of HE to
  the pursuit of the Lisbon goals

68
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• linguistic implications of the creation of the
  European Higher Education and of the European
  Research Areas
• Europes strength many high-quality
  universities -gt critical mass / networking what
  are the linguistic implications?

69
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• EUs new inclusive language policy
• linguistic implications of increasing
  integration, enlargement, globalisation and
  migration into EU-25
• advance of English, even in Brussels
• decline of traditional modern philologies in
  large parts of Europe
• increasing demand for multilingual communications
  advisors

70
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• These issues must be addressed on three fronts
• ______________________________
• curriculum innovation based on changing and
  anticipated future needs, not on enlightened
  speculation needs identified through
  consultation with stakeholders gt TNP3 only a
  first step

71
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• European research FP6, Priority 7
• 7.3.1.1 Linguistic diversity in a European
  knowledge-based society
• 13 April 2005 Submission of an Integrated
  Project entitled DYLAN - Linguistic Dynamics and
  Management of Diversity
• development of a new language policy for the
  Union

72
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• We, the universities, have a duty to
• become involved in all three otherwise
• we shall never reach the Lisbon goals
• Europes linguistic diversity will go down the
  drain
• HE-level language studies will disappear with all
  that entails

73
Conseil Européen pour les Langues European
Language Council

• THANK YOU FOR YOUR
• ATTENTION
• http//www.fu-berlin.de/elc/
• http//www.fu-berlin.de/tnp3/
• http//www.fu-berlin.de/enlu/