YSULS Center for the Implementation of CoE Language Education Programmes

Council of Europe EDL statement

To mark the 2015 Day, an EDL statement has been issued by the Council of Europe. This year the statement focuses on the importance of the languages of schooling.

European Day of Languages - 26 September 2015

The European Day of Languages 2015 – a time to focus on the languages of schooling, the forgotten languages…
Each year, on 26 September, the European Day of Languages is celebrated by the Council of Europe and thousands of citizens from across Europe and around the world.
It is a day when we celebrate the rich mosaic of different languages that coexist in all our countries, both from Europe and other regions of the world. Languages evolve constantly and are strengthened by borrowing from other languages, which contributes to and enriches our linguistic and cultural heritage.
So, in this year, 2015, why don’t we turn our attention to the languages that are seldom invited to this annual festival? These are the languages used in our schools as the medium of instruction and of learning. Sometimes they can create barriers that result in academic underachievement, as several international surveys illustrate. Educational success depends on a good command of the language of schooling.
The Council of Europe has been working to address this challenge, through its Language Policy Unit, its European Centre for Modern Languages and through cooperation with the European Commission, notably in the area of Multilingual Classrooms. The Council of Europe’s Recommendation on the importance of the languages of schooling for educational success offers its 47 European Member States concrete and innovative support to help them ensure that all pupils can reach their educational potential.
On this European Day of Languages, let us highlight the importance of the languages of schooling for teaching, learning and communication. Every child should be given an equal chance to succeed.
Educational success can determine the future, so let us act now.
www.coe.int/EDL

Background information on the Day

The European Day of Languages (EDL) is a day to encourage language learning across Europe.
At the initiative of the Council of Europe, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated every year, on 26 September, since the European Year of Languages in 2001.
The specific aims of the Day are to:
• alert the public to the importance of language learning in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;
• promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe;
• encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.

The dedicated website for the Day is available in 31 languages and hundreds of activities are registered in the events’ calendar of the site. The EDL activities which take place in Europe and increasingly on other continents are organised mainly by schools, universities, language and cultural institutes and associations.

European Center for Modern Languages and Yerevan State Linguistic University of Languages and Social Sciences held a joint international workshop on March 25-27, 2015 devoted to “Constructing valid tests and examinations based on the CEFR”. ECML experts Jose Noijons and Gilles Breton were invited to Armenia to conduct the three-day workshop. The workshop consisted of plenary sessions during which lectures were delivered to the wider audience and group works for a specific target audience of 28 people. In the three-day workshop teacher-trainers, language testers and examiners, item writers, curriculum developers, university lecturers and student teachers were introduced to the principals of valid and reliable language testing in relation to the CEFR model of language use. Special attention was paid to the identification and production of valid item types to be used in everyday classroom practice.
Երևանի պետական լեզվահասարակագիտական համալսարանը Եվրոպայի խորհրդի Ժամանակակից լեզուների եվրոպական կենտրոնի հետ համատեղ 2015 թ. մարտի 25-ից 27-ը անցկացրեցին միջազգային սեմինար «Լեզվական քննությունների և թեստերի համապատասխանեցումը Լեզուների իմացության համաեվրոպական համակարգի մակարդակներին» թեմայով: Սեմինարը վարեցին ԺԼԵԿ-ի փորձագետներ Ժոզե Նոյժոնը և Ժիլ Բրետոնը: Եռօրյա սեմինարի ընթացքում ՀՀ մայրաքաղաքից և մարզերից հրավիրված ավելի քան 60 մասնակիցներ՝ ուսուցիչներ և դասախոսներ, ուսուցիչ վերապատրաստողներ, կրթակարգ և թեստեր կազմողներ, հնարավորություն ունեցան ծանոթանալու ԼԻՀՀ-ի գաղափարախոսությանը համահունչ արժանահավատ թեստեր կազմելու, վերլուծելու և գնահատելու սկզբունքներին:

Երևանի պետական լեզվահասարակագիտական համալսարանը Եվրոպայի խորհրդի Ժամանակակից լեզուների եվրոպական կենտրոնի հետ համատեղ 2015 թ. մարտի 25-ից 27-ը անցկացրեցին միջազգային սեմինար «Լեզվական քննությունների և թեստերի համապատասխանեցումը Լեզուների իմացության համաեվրոպական համակարգի մակարդակներին» թեմայով: Սեմինարը վարեցին ԺԼԵԿ-ի փորձագետներ Ժոզե Նոյժոնը և Ժիլ Բրետոնը: Եռօրյա սեմինարի ընթացքում ՀՀ մայրաքաղաքից և մարզերից հրավիրված ավելի քան 60 մասնակիցներ՝ ուսուցիչներ և դասախոսներ, ուսուցիչ վերապատրաստողներ, կրթակարգ և թեստեր կազմողներ, հնարավորություն ունեցան ծանոթանալու ԼԻՀՀ-ի գաղափարախոսությանը համահունչ արժանահավատ թեստեր կազմելու, վերլուծելու և գնահատելու սկզբունքներին:
Հուսով ենք, որ սեմինարի ընթացքում մասնակիցների ձեռք բերած գիտելիքն ու հմտությունները կծառայեն ՀՀ լեզվակրթության ոլորտում քննությունների կազմակերպման և թեստերի կազմման գործընթացի կատարելագործմանը:

European Center for Modern Languages and Yerevan State Linguistic University of Languages and Social Sciences held a joint international workshop on March 25-27, 2015 devoted to “Constructing valid tests and examinations based on the CEFR”. ECML experts Jose Noijons and Gilles Breton were invited to Armenia to conduct the three-day workshop. The workshop consisted of plenary sessions during which lectures were delivered to the wider audience and group works for a specific target audience of 28 people. In the three-day workshop teacher-trainers, language testers and examiners, item writers, curriculum developers, university lecturers and student teachers were introduced to the principals of valid and reliable language testing in relation to the CEFR model of language use. Special attention was paid to the identification and production of valid item types to be used in everyday classroom practice. The outcomes of the workshop were as follows:
• the participants learnt the principles and techniques of valid test construction according to the levels of CEFR
• the participants learnt to analyze the test data and test-analysis according to CEFR
• the participants learnt to link tests and examinations to CEFR.
The knowledge and skills acquired by the participants throughout the workshop will be used for developing the country policy in language education and language assessment. The outcomes of the workshop will be monitored by the YSULS and RA Ministry of Education and Science.

Օn September 26, 2011 YSLU Centre for the Implementation of Council of Europe Language Education Programmes, as the EDL National Relay in Armenia, organized a workshop devoted to the European Day of Languages.

On September 26, 2012 the YSLU Centre for the Implementation of Council of Europe Language Education Programmes organized a workshop devoted to the European Day of Languages (EDL). Many foreign language teachers from different schools of Yerevanwere invited to take part in the event. The participants of the workshop were introduced the "Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures”, elaborated by ECML. Later on M. Kharatyan (YSLU Chair of English Phonetics and Grammar) conducted the practical part of the workshop with interactive warm-up and ice-breaking activities.
In the end the participants were given certificates of participation, as well as posters, lanyards and other materials, produced by the Council of Europe.

Traditionally, the Eurpean Day of Languages is celebrated every year on September 26 at YSULS. Two major events were organized to celebrate EDL at our university this year: a student conference by the Chair of Pedagogy and FLT Methodology and a song festival by the Center for the Implementation of CoE Language Education programmes and Student Council.

On September 26, 2013 YSULS Student Council and Center for the Implementation of CoE Language Education Programmes held a joint celebration of the EDL in the Yerevan State Linguistic University.