CASLT and ECML (European Centre for Modern Languages)

CASLT is participating in a multinational project of the European Centre of Modern Languages (ECML) to increase collaborative support among international language teacher associations and to increase awareness and the dissemination of ECML publications through their networks.

This greater collaboration between the associations and with the ECML will better support language professionals across Europe through more effective dissemination of new language pedagogies, including teaching and learning methodologies, as well as language policies and curricular models appropriate to the 21st century.

For 2008-20011, the ECML is coordinating over 20 projects of interest to second language educators, divided into four thematic areas: Evaluation, Continuity in language learning, Content and language education, and Plurilingual education.

In its role as the national contact for the ECML in Canada, the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) University of Ottawa, identified the following six projects that were closely related to priority areas of research in Canada, and proposed the candidacy of Canadian experts as team members or as resource persons:

• Encourage the culture of evaluation among professionals (ECEP):
  Alister Cumming, Modern Language Centre, University of Toronto, resource person.
• The European Language portfolio in whole-school use (ELP-WSU):
  Marnie Beaudoin, Edmonton Public School Board, resource person.
• Developing online teaching skills (DOTS):
  Aline Germain-Rutherford, Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, University of Ottawa, team member.
• Content-based teaching + plurilingual/cultural awareness (ConBaT+):
  Peter MacIntyre, Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, resource person.
• Minority languages, collateral languages and bi-/plurilingual education (EBP-ICI):
  Diane Dagenais, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, resource person.
• Language associations and collaborative support (LACS):
  Nicole Thibault, Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT), resource person.

Canada’s Participation with the ECML

National Contact Points Web Sites