Guide for the Development of Language Education Policies in EuropeLanguage Policy Division

Explains the principles and recommendations of the Council of Europe

Analyses the strengths and weaknesses of current language education policy

Provides a tool for identifying and examining the relevant factors

Describes a range of technical forms of organisation of language education

o Reduce ad hoc decisions

o Promote a ‘global concept’ for languages

o Stimulate a democratic debate

o Ascertain a long-term investment

Plurilingualism

the ability to use several languages to varying levels of proficiency for different purposes

Multilingualism

The presence of languages in a given territory

To make everyone aware of and value the nature of their linguistic and cultural repertoire

For everyone to develop and improve their linguistic repertoire

To do so through autonomous acquisition

Head teachers

Aware of own opinions

Have an understanding of issues

Head teachers

Responsible for language policy

Develop strategiesSeek resourcesTake part in wider decision

making arenas, inc. political

Part OneLanguage Education Policies

1. Outlines general policies in Europe

2. Explains plurilingualism as a fundamental principle

Part TwoData and Methods

3. Social factors in decision-making3. Linguistic factors in

decision-making

Part ThreeOrganisational forms of plurilingual education

5. Creating a culture of plurilingualism

6. Organising plurilingual education

Transversal competence

Linking the teaching of different languages to one another

Vertical

Across the different levels of education

Horizontal

Finding common core language content

Diagonal

Finding new ways of organising language education

e.g. modular

Less a matter of deciding which and how many foreign languages should be taught…than of directing the goals of language education towards the acquisition of a (plurilingual) competence

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