Language Policy Unit - DG II Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France wwww.coe.int The language dimension in all subjects: Equity and quality in education Intergovernmental conference Strasbourg, 14 – 15 October 2015

Aims and objectives – main issues– working methods E. Thürmann

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER 2015 Crucial stage at the end / beginning (?) of a very long journey to make the language dimension in education a viable issue of quality and equity in education.

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER = 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government, Warsaw = … ensuring social cohesion = Preliminary survey among member states 2006 = L. o. S. - Towards a Framework, Strasbourg 2006 = L. o. S. - Towards a Common European Framework of Reference?, Kraków 2007 = L. o. S. - within a European framework for languages of education, Prague 2009 = L. o. S. - the right to plurilingual and intercultural education, Strasbourg 2010 = L. o. S. - the right of learners to quality and equity in education – Geneva 2012 = L. o. S. - in all subjects – Strasbourg 2013 = L. o. S - Quality and inclusion 2014 = Recommendation CM/Rec(2014)5 by the Committee of Ministers 2015 = L. o. S. – the Handbook – language dimension in all subjects

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER 2015 Platform of resources = > 120 content-relevant documents on language(s) in/for schooling a coherent conceptual frame

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER 2015 Coherent conceptual frame for the language(s) of schooling and academic literacy Recommendation CM/Rec(2014)5 on the “importance of competence in language for educational success ” THE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS A Handbook for curriculum development and teacher training

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER 2015 Design of the conference =transnational collaborative attempt to meticulously examine what has already been done and what should be done in a local, regional or national context with its particular systemic constraints and opportunities in order to fight the language bias of educational success and social inclusion.

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER 2015 Objectives Take stock and share experiences of how the language dimension in teaching and learning subjects is taken into account in national contexts around Europe (and other countries) Look forward to future actions in the domain of curriculum and textbook development, teacher education, whole school policy and classroom practice = enactment, implementation

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER 2015 Structure of the programme – working methods P ROPOSALS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WORK Each session: 4 groups, for each group a chair person and a rapporteur

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER 2015 Structure of the programme – working methods P ROPOSALS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WORK

T HE LANGUAGE DIMENSION IN ALL SUBJECTS : S TRASBOURG, 14 – 15 O CTOBER 2015 Structure of the programme – working methods P ROPOSALS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WORK

Concerns: Dispelling myths from the „trenches“ 1.“Academic language is learnt by osmosis. If we just immerse students in the dominant language of schooling all day, and they will learn.” 2. “It´s the responsibility of the person who is a specialist in the teaching of German / English / French as a second language. He/She knows all about the characteristics of the academic register needed for learning. That´s why we hired him/her.” In accordance with Ruslana Westerlund: “RECLAIMING THE LANGUAGE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE”

3. “Students need to develop oral skills before engaging in academic literacy.” 5. “Students need a list of subject-specific vocabulary to master academic language. And I have always made sure that they know the technical terminology of the subject(s) I teach. Nothing new for me.” 4. “Allowing students with a diverse language background to use their first language in school will only confuse them and delay the acquisition of academic literacy in the dominant language of schooling.”