The European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe together with the European Commission are launching a new round of workshops within the joint action on Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning focusing on the following initiatives:

• ICT-REV – Using ICT in support of language teaching and learning
• RELANG – Relating language curricula, tests and examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference
• Supporting Multilingual Classrooms

The activities are scheduled to take place between March and mid-December 2026, the three initiatives offering a total of 20 national workshops during this period.

The call is open to current European Union member states and the additional member states of the ECML until 9 January 2026.

For further information, please contact Adelina Rosca-Birnstingl ([email protected]), the ECML-EC cooperation agreement coordinator.

Local organiser: Gudrun Smuha, Directorate General for Secondary Education II

ECML experts: José Noijons (the Netherlands), Karine Dekeukelaere (Belgium)

Participants: 24 language testers and examiners, teachers and teacher trainers, curriculum developers

From 7 to 9 October 2025, the canton of Geneva hosted a RELANG workshop, organised jointly by the Council of Europe's European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) and the Directorate General for Secondary Education II. This training workshop brought together professionals involved in language teaching and assessment at all levels of education in Geneva, as well as from the Teacher Training Institute.

This unique event provided an opportunity to explore the ethical and educational foundations of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its Companion Volume. Participants discussed key issues: the cultural approach to other languages and countries, communication as a vehicle for mutual understanding, and the fairness and validity of language assessments.

In practical terms, the three days-workshop provided an opportunity to deepen understanding of the CEFR descriptors, compare current assessment practices and design assessment tasks. The remarkable expertise of the ECML experts makes this training workshop a real lever for new cantonal initiatives.

The workshop reaffirms the central role of language learning in building citizenship and social cohesion, celebrating linguistic diversity as a shared asset.

Gudrun Smuha, local coordinator, 14 November 2025

ECML project website: RELANG, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

Local organiser: Donovan McLean, Department of Education, Government of the Canary Islands

ECML experts: Rita Jukneviciene (Lithuania), Jana Beresova (Slovak Republic)

Participants: 39 teachers and teacher trainers, language testers and examiners, policymakers

The RELANG workshop held in the Canary Islands brought together teachers, trainers and policymakers to explore how to align language curricula, assessments and certification with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Over three days of intensive and highly practical work, participants engaged with real examples, collaborative tasks and expert guidance from the ECML team.

This training provides experts and educational authorities with a unique opportunity to strengthen the quality and coherence of language education. By focusing on concrete assessment practices, transparent proficiency levels and curriculum alignment, RELANG supports systems in ensuring that learners’ achievements are measured fairly and consistently.

The workshop also creates long-term impact. Participants can act later as multipliers in their regions, sharing materials, designing new training initiatives and contributing to improved certification models. The cooperation between the European Commission and the ECML ensures that all materials, tools and expertise are accessible, up-to-date and relevant for diverse educational contexts.

We strongly encourage other countries and regions to take advantage of this opportunity. RELANG offers practical solutions, expert support and a collaborative environment where professionals can deepen their understanding of the CEFR and enhance the quality of language assessment in their educational systems.

Spanish version

El taller RELANG celebrado en las Islas Canarias reunió a docentes, formadores y responsables educativos para explorar cómo alinear los currículos, las evaluaciones y la certificación lingüística con el Marco Común Europeo de Referencia (MCER). Durante tres días de trabajo intensivo y altamente práctico, las personas participantes trabajaron con ejemplos reales, tareas colaborativas y la orientación experta del equipo del ECML.

Esta formación ofrece a especialistas y autoridades educativas una oportunidad única para fortalecer la calidad y la coherencia de la educación lingüística. Al centrarse en prácticas de evaluación concretas, niveles de competencia transparentes y la alineación curricular, RELANG ayuda a garantizar que los logros del alumnado se midan de forma justa y coherente.

El taller también genera un impacto a largo plazo. Las personas participantes pueden actuar posteriormente como multiplicadoras en sus regiones, compartiendo materiales, diseñando nuevas iniciativas formativas y contribuyendo a la mejora de los modelos de certificación. La cooperación entre la Comisión Europea y el ECML asegura que todos los materiales, herramientas y conocimientos especializados sean accesibles, actualizados y pertinentes para diversos contextos educativos.

Animamos firmemente a otros países y regiones a aprovechar esta oportunidad. RELANG ofrece soluciones prácticas, apoyo experto y un entorno colaborativo donde los profesionales pueden profundizar en su comprensión del MCER y mejorar la calidad de la evaluación en lenguas dentro de sus sistemas educativos.

Donovan McLean, local coordinator, 13 November 2025

ECML project website: RELANG, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

Local organiser: Tomas Klinka, Charles University, Faculty of Education

ECML experts: Jana Beresova (Slovak Republic), Gabor Szabo (Hungary)

Participants: language testers and examiners, item writers, teachers and teacher trainers, language inspectors, policymakers, decision-takers

In early September, Charles University’s Faculty of Education hosted a three-day RELANG workshop in collaboration with the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML/CELV). Held in the historic centre of Prague, the event welcomed around 20 participants—including pre-service/in-service teacher educators and language assessment professionals—who explored best practices in aligning language assessment with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its Companion Volume.

Guided by two expert consultants from the ECML/CELV RELANG initiative (Jana Beresova and Gabor Szabo), the workshop offered hands-on activities, collaborative discussions, and practical tools to support coherent action-oriented assessment in language education. Participants deepened their understanding of CEFR descriptors and task design, gaining valuable insights to enhance their teaching and assessment strategies.

This initiative is part of a broader European effort to strengthen language education across member states, ensuring that learners benefit from fair, consistent, and meaningful evaluation. The Prague workshop marked a significant step in empowering educators to reflect on the implementation of CEFR-aligned practices in Czech classrooms.

Tomas Klinka, local coordinator, 14 September 2025

ECML project website: RELANG, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

Local organiser: Andrea Lutz, Levende Talen

ECML experts: José Noijons (Netherlands), Karine Dekeukelaere (Belgium)

Participants: 11 (teachers and teacher trainers, curriculum developers, publishers)

Getting started with RELANG and the updated final attainment levels for modern foreign languages.

“It's an honour to be here” said Wendoline Timmerman from the Ministry of Education, Department of Secondary Education and ECML Governing board member for the Netherlands at the opening of the two-day RELANG training workshop that took place on 18 and 19 March 2025 in Utrecht. This is unique for the Netherlands and has long been a wish of Ms Timmerman’s to bring the importance of the CEFR to the minds of teachers of modern foreign languages. Levende Talen has thus made a first step towards professionalising teachers in CEFR and its relation to the updates of the core objectives and examination programmes for modern foreign languages developed by SLO, national expertise centre for the curriculum.

An enthusiastic group of teachers, a curriculum developer and a teacher trainer took part in this inspiring workshop. Participants were introduced to the principles of the CEFR Companion Volume where the relationship with the attainment targets and core objectives was made clearly visible. By gaining insight into how the alignment with descriptors of the modern foreign language exam programme domains Communication, Language Awareness and Cultural Awareness and CEFR was made, participants were able to produce their own test materials through assignments and grading instruments. All are now looking forward to applying this new knowledge in their own learning environments.

Andrea Lutz, local coordinator, 21 March 2025

ECML project website: RELANG, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"

Local organiser: Doris Moser-Frötscher, University of Teacher Education St. Gallen

ECML experts: Rita Jukneviciene (Lithuania), José Noijons (Netherlands)

Participants: 19 (language testers and examiners, item writers, teachers and teacher trainers)

On 26 and 27 November 2024, a RELANG workshop was held at the St. Gallen University of Teacher Education, focusing on the linking of the PROF-L language exam to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its Companion Volume (CV). The workshop was organised in cooperation with the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML) and the European Commission.

The first day offered group work and discussions on selected CEFR scales for mediation and their application to the professional language competence profiles for teachers of foreign languages, as well as an insight into the standard setting of reading comprehension tasks. On the second day, the focus was on productive skills. The participants carried out benchmarking exercises for oral and written performance and compared the assessment criteria of the PROF-L exam with those of the CEFR/CV.

The workshop provided theoretical foundations and practice-orientated tools for designing CEFR-compliant examinations. It was financially supported by the ECML and the European Commission with the aim of enabling participants to pass on the knowledge gained to their institutions.

Doris Moser-Frötscher, local coordinator, 11 December 2024

ECML project website: RELANG, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2024 "Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning"