Dit jaar viert de Commissie de Europese Dag van de Talen, 26 september, bijna een week lang. Het belangrijkste onderdeel wordt een conferentie over talen leren op jonge leeftijd. Andere programmapunten zijn de inauguratie van het Bedrijvenplatform voor meertaligheid, de première van de video "Interpréter pour l'Europe" met als thema "Frans, een zeldzame taal?", een conferentie met als onderwerp "Hoe kan de technologie vertalers helpen?" en een paneldiscussie over meertaligheid. Ook worden er meertalige activiteiten georganiseerd die specifiek op kinderen in Brussel zijn gericht.
Leonard Orban, de EU-commissaris voor meertaligheid, zei: "Jonge kinderen zijn bijzonder goed in het leren van talen en zij hebben er plezier in als de omstandigheden goed zijn. Alle wetenschappelijke onderzoeken wijzen erop dat het leren van talen zo vroeg mogelijk moet beginnen ".
Op 24-25 september wordt in Brussel een conferentie gehouden met als thema "Talen leren op jonge leeftijd", met een toespraak van Commissaris Orban. De Europese Commissie start de campagne "Piccolingo", die tot de ouders van kinderen van twee tot zes jaar is gericht. Hierin wordt gewezen op de potentiële voordelen voor kinderen en wordt de ouders verteld waar zij informatie en hulp kunnen vinden. De doelgroep van de conferentie bestaat uit deskundigen, autoriteiten die op dit gebied werkzaam zijn en afgevaardigden van betrokken belangenverenigingen van onderwijzend personeel en ouders. De belangrijkste thema's zijn de stand van zaken in het onderzoek naar taalverwerving bij jonge kinderen, bestaande goede praktijken bij het talen leren op jonge leeftijd en taalleerlingen met bijzondere behoeften.
De festiviteiten omvatten onder meer het volgende:
Dinsdag 22, Brussel: De inauguratie van het Bedrijvenplatform voor Meertaligheid, waar ruimte voor een publiek debat zal worden geboden. Het platform biedt een forum voor de uitwisseling van beste praktijken voor het bedrijfsleven, met deelname van sociale partners, beroepsorganisaties, Kamers van Koophandel, handelsbevorderende organisaties, scholen en onderwijsinstanties.
Woensdag 23, Parijs: Het Directoraat-generaal Tolken van de Commissie verwacht dat er een tekort aan tolken ontstaat en heeft daarom een bewustwordingscampagne gelanceerd, met als titel "Frans, een zeldzame taal?". Het is nu al merkbaar dat relatief weinig kandidaten zich aanmelden en slagen voor de vergelijkende onderzoeken om tolk te worden.
De première van de video "Interpréter pour l'Europe", die jonge Franstaligen moet aanmoedigen om voor tolk te studeren vindt plaats van 11.00u tot 12.30u in de Vertegenwoordiging van DG COMM, 288, boulevard Saint-Germain, 75007 Parijs.
Donderdag 24, Luxemburg: Een conferentie/discussie met als titel "Hoe kan de technologie vertalers helpen" over de vraag hoe verschillende media omgaan met de publicatie van meertalig nieuwsmateriaal, om 11.00u in het Jean Monnetgebouw in Luxemburg (zaal M6).
Vrijdag 25, Brussel: Een persconferentie met Commissaris Orban om 12.30u, gevolgd door een Technische Briefing over Talen leren op jonge leeftijd en een demonstratie van LinguaGo, een computerspel over talen, dat te vinden is op de EuropaGO-website.
Ook vindt er een discussie plaats over meertaligheid in de media, waarbij vertegenwoordigers van internationale tv-kanalen, radionetwerken die heel Europa bestrijken en meertalige websites toelichten hoe zij omgaan met meertalige inhoud en journalistiek in veel talen.
De hele dag op het Jourdanplein in Brussel: activiteiten voor kinderen in aanwezigheid van Commissaris Orban. Het thema is "Verhalen vertellen in verschillende talen" met muziek en dans door de Yehudi Menuhin Foundation en een meertalige workshop voor stripverhalen. Verder worden de bezoeker onthaald op spelen, goochelnummers en muzikaal amusement.
Lidstaten: Er worden taalactiviteiten georganiseerd door de vertegenwoordigingen van de Commissie in diverse EU-lidstaten. Zie http://ec.europa.eu/represent_en.htm
Websites:
Commissaris Orban: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/orban/index_nl.htm
Portaalsite Europa - Talen: http://europa.eu/languages/nl/home
DG Vertaling (DGT): http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm
DG Onderwijs en cultuur (EAC):
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/index_en.html
Dag van de talenactiviteiten:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/news/news3509_en.htm
Raad van Europa: http://www.coe.int/
Website "Talen en commercieel succes":
http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-mean-business/doc1460_nl.htm
EU BookShop - alle EU- publicaties: http://www.bookshop.europa.eu/
Eur-Lex - Toegang tot het recht van de Europese Unie:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/nl/index.htm
TED - Europese openbare aanbestedingen: http://ted.europa.eu/
26/09: The European Day of Languages will be celebrated with a wide variety of activities in Brussels and the Member States. The purpose of this day is to draw the public's attention to the importance of language learning, raise awareness of all the languages spoken in Europe and encourage lifelong language learning.
22/09: Launch of the Platform on languages and business bringing together companies, social partners, and education authorities. The platform will promote multilingualism for competitiveness and employability in Europe.
Funding
Language-learning opportunities – European education and training programmes European programmes offer many opportunities for • improving language skills• improving language learning resources
• developing and/or sharing language learning tools, methods and materials
• raising awareness of the importance of languages.
Funding opportunities
| Students | |||
| Develop job-related language skills through a placement abroad (vocational students) | LEONARDO student placements | ||
| Study or placement period abroad (students in higher education) | ERASMUS and ERASMUS MUNDUS student mobility | ||
| Teaching practice abroad (trainee teachers) | Become a COMENIUS assistant | ||
| Teachers | |||
| Further teacher training abroad | COMENIUS in-service training | ||
| School partnerships with other countries | COMENIUS school partnerships | ||
| Host a trainee teacher from abroad at your school | Host a COMENIUS assistant | ||
| Further training / work placement abroad (vocational education staff) | LEONARDO DA VINCI for professionals | ||
| Work experience abroad (higher education staff) | ERASMUS staff mobility | ||
| Participate in conferences, workshops or further training abroad (adult education staff) | GRUNDTVIG in-service training | ||
| Teaching practice abroad (adult education staff) | GRUNDTVIG assistantships | ||
| Other | |||
| Practice language skills while doing voluntary service for a non-profit organisation abroad (18-30 year olds) | European Voluntary Service | ||
| Improve your professional and linguistic skills | LEONARDO work placements | ||
| Further training abroad (non-teaching staff at school) | COMENIUS in-service training | ||
| Exchange expertise with counterparts abroad (trainers / HR managers / counsellors / language specialists) | LEONARDO DA VINCI for professionals | ||
| Recognition for useful language learning projects | European language label | ||
| Launch a project or a network with language learning - organisations in other countries | Co-operation with other European organisations in the field of languages | ||
| Learn about how language learning is organised in other European countries (education specialists and decision makers) | Study visits for education and vocational training specialists | ||
Become a COMENIUS assistant
A unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience of teaching and learning in another European country and improve your knowledge of foreign languages, other European countries and their education systems. Grants are available for assistantship placements of 3 months – one school year.--> Become a Comenius assistant
Host a COMENIUS Assistant
Host an assistant for your school from another European country to bring a language to life for your pupils. Working with small groups, assistants can help improve students' confidence in speaking and understanding a language, and bring a wealth of resources and ideas, methods, songs and games to teach the language and culture.--> Host a Comenius assistant
COMENIUS in-service training (IST) for teachers and other staff
Teachers and other staff can attend a course or shadow a colleague to learn about language or non-language related jobs in a partner school. Training for foreign language teachers normally takes place in a country where the target language is spoken and taught. The following staff are eligible for a grant for "pure language" training:• school teachers requesting training in a less widely used and less taught language• people teaching another subject in school through the medium of a foreign language (CLIL)
• school teachers retraining as foreign-language teachers
• primary or pre-primary teachers who are (or will be) required to teach foreign languages
• staff participating in a Comenius partnership and requesting training in a partnership language.--> COMENIUS in-service training
--> Find a training activity through the Comenius course catalogue or your own contacts.
COMENIUS school partnerships
Multilateral partnerships
You can partner up with another school in Europe and apply for project funding. You may choose to work on any topic of interest and importance to the participating institutions. Pupils and teachers will have an opportunity to practice foreign languages, learn about school life in another European country and increase their motivation for language learning.--> Comenius multilateral school partnerships
Bilateral partnerships
Children over the age of 12 are eligible for bilateral partnerships focusing on language learning. The aim is to increase their motivation, capacity and confidence to communicate in other languages. Pupils are expected to learn at least the basics of the language used in the partner institution. There is a particular focus on less widely used and less taught languages.--> Comenius bilateral Partnerships
ERASMUS staff mobility
Erasmus is an opportunity for academic and administrative staff to teach or work in another European country. You can get to know the workings of another European education system first-hand, learn new ideas and best practices to take back to your country.You must be teaching at a higher education institution holding an Erasmus University Charter, and applying to work for between 1 day – 6 weeks in another higher education institution which holds an Erasmus University Charter and with which your institution has an inter-institutional agreement.
Non-teaching staff can also apply for short secondments, job-shadowing and study visits in a company or another higher education institution which holds an Erasmus University Charter.
--> Erasmus staff mobility
ERASMUS and ERASMUS MUNDUS student mobility
Erasmus enables higher education students in 31 European countries to do a study or placement period in another country. When and where you can go will depend on the structure of your degree and the arrangements your university has with its partners. If you are going to a country where less widely used languages are spoken you may be eligible for an Erasmus intensive language course before the study period.--> Erasmus student mobility
If you have already obtained your first degree you may be interested in doing an Erasmus Mundus Masters course in partnership with several European higher education institutions, leading to a double, joint or multiple degree.
--> Erasmus Mundus student opportunities
LEONARDO student placements
Vocational education / training organisations can send students on work placements to companies or training institutions in other European countries.--> Initial vocational training scheme
LEONARDO work placements
Companies can send staff to shadow work in other companies or for a work placement in a training institution in another European country.--> People in the labour market scheme
LEONARDO DA VINCI for professionals
Companies or vocational education/training institutions can send staff involved in designing or delivering training, professional development or careers guidance to shadow work in other European countries. A placement will contribute to their professional and linguistic development, and they will be able to learn new skills and ways of working to bring back to their job in their respective countries.--> Leonardo da Vinci VETPRO
GRUNDTVIG assistantships
Grundtvig assistantships funding is open to adult education staff wishing to go on a 12-45 week work placement in another European adult education organisation. This may involve:• helping to teach or manage some aspect of adult education
• supporting adults with special educational needs
• informing people about their country of origin and helping to teach its language
• introducing or reinforcing the European dimension in the host institution
• initiating, developing and assisting with projects. --> Grundtvig assistantships
GRUNDTVIG in-service training
This is an opportunity for adult-education staff to improve their practical skills and gain a broader understanding of adult education across Europe by attending a training course in another European country.--> Grundtvig in-service training
--> Find a training activity through the Grundtvig course catalogue or your own contacts.
Grants for more informal training such as placements or observation periods in adult education institutions or a public/non-governmental organisation involved in adult education (job-shadowing), are available under Grundtvig visits and exchanges for adult education staff.
Co-operation with other European organisations in the field of languages
Transversal multilateral projects
These aim to develop innovative language learning materials or raise awareness of the importance of language learning. You must have at least 3 organisations from 3 different participating countries in your partnership and you can apply for projects of up to 3 years' duration. The amount of funding available is up to €200,000 per year for language projects.--> Multilateral projects
Networks in the field of language learning and linguistic diversity
Large-scale networks can support the sharing of ideas, information and good practice across Europe. You will need at least 5 organisations from 5 different participating countries in your partnership and you can ask for up to €150 000 per year for up to 3 years.--> Networks
European language label
The label recognises creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate students and make the best use of available resources at any level of education and training. If you are involved in an innovative language-learning project which could benefit others, you may be eligible for the label.--> European language label
Study visits for education and vocational training specialists
These are an opportunity to• exchange experiences and expertise on education policy and practices across Europe
• learn about national training systems
• visit organisations involved in education and training
• discuss specific policies and issues with local experts.Each year applicants can choose a course from the catalogue of visits to 31 countries.
--> Study visits
European Voluntary Service
European Voluntary Service (EVS – under the Youth in Action programme) offers young people the opportunity to volunteer in another EU or non-EU country, for two to twelve months, for non-profit, unpaid activities, either individually or in a group. Your EVS project should be devised and carried out as a partnership between you as volunteer, and your sending and host organisations.--> European Voluntary Service
