British Council and its partners, European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), Bureau for Education Services Montenegro, Pearson and Institut Français du Monténégro are working together on promoting an integrated, pluralistic approach to teaching modern languages, which sees different aspects of “culture” as inseparable ingredients of each person’s cultural and linguistic competences.

The ECML’s FREPA (Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures) project, which this seminar is using as the basis, seeks to enrich the teaching curricula with didactic tools which help develop learners’ plurilingual and intercultural competences in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes. This approach establishes links between languages and language varieties that learners know or are learning.  FREPA is entirely in line with the overall vision of language education promoted by the Council of Europe and is a complement to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Globalization is an unstoppable process which brings increased interaction and adaptation between cultures. We usually learn and grow as we interact, as well as societies and cultures which get enhanced through communication, observation and mutual understanding. Developing and enforcing intercultural education in the school is one step further which can help our society to become much more integrated into the world. It is very important that teachers are familiar with these competencies which are essential to the students because through programmes that encourage dialogue between students of different cultures, beliefs and religions, education can make an important and meaningful contribution to sustainable and tolerant societies.

Also, in the sweeping process of globalization, we want to preserve languages and language varieties from extinction, to teach our children to respect and nurture their own and others’ cultural specificities, while cultivating their social and communication skills such as listening and embracing difference.     

In the context of EU integration, British Council and partners aim to encourage cultural interaction through international school projects and EU mobility programmes

SEMINAR PROGRAMME

Plenary presentations 09.00 – 12.30h

Opening remarks: Ms Vanja Madzgalj, British Council Montenegro and Ms Natasa Peric, Bureau for Education Services.

1. Ildikó Lörincz ,European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz, Austria
   “FREPA - Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures: Tools for plurilingual curricula and its implementation”
2. Draginja Jeftić, PhD, English Department, Faculty of Philosophy Niksic, University of Montenegro
   Culture and languages: The need for the development of intercultural competencies in learners
3. Judy Copage, Pearson Education, UK
   “Intercultural communications: Talking cultures in everyday communication”
4. Bojana Bulatović, Institut Français du Monténégro, Podgorica
   “EU Tune” and other EU programmes for international cooperation of schools and teachers”

WORKSHOPS

13.00 - 18.00h

1. Draginja Jeftic – Activities that promote the development of intercultural competencies in learners
2. Judy Copage – From awareness to production: some classroom activities for intercultural communication
3. Ildikó Lörincz – How teachers can use it

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

For more information on this seminar please contact Vanja Madzgalj at our office in Podgorica.