Council of Europe Resources
What Can You Find?
In this page, you will find a curated repository of essential resources focused on the practical applications of the CEFR Companion volume (2020) and the ECML. These resources offer direct links to tools designed to provide practical pathways for implementing the action-oriented approach and cultivating plurilingualism and pluriculturalism across diverse learning environments. By offering a wide range of materials, from capsule videos and info sheets to comprehensive workshop guides, this collection helps translate complex theoretical frameworks into actionable classroom strategies.
CEFR Resources 📖
Capsule Videos 💊📹
Guides and Infosheets ℹ️
Websites/Webpages 🛜
Ideas for Implementation 🧠📝
Workshops 🛠️
Action-oriented plurilingual mediation in collaborative tasks
The presentation and workshop materials from Brian North (co-author of CEFR and CEFRCV). The workshop focuses on the implications for classroom practice of the concept of mediation, as outlined in the CEFRCV, presenting and discussing examples of action-oriented tasks in which learners mediate texts and concepts, using different languages.
Assessing plurilingualism: An example from practice
The presentation and workshop materials from Belinda Steinhuber (an expert on the CEFR, plurilingualism and mediation). The workshop focuses on the guiding principles, format, task design and assessment criteria for a pioneering high-stakes Austrian “Certificate of Plurilingualism.”
Developing an action-oriented pathway in the classroom
The presentation and workshop materials from Danielle Hunter (an expert on the action-oriented approach). The workshop focuses on the practical application of the action-oriented approach in the classroom, especially on the co-construction of meaning, agency, and the completion of collaborative tasks.
Developing plurilingualism in the classroom: From reflection to action
The presentation and workshop materials from Enrica Piccardo (CEFR expert, co-author of CEFRCV and an expert on plurilingualism). The workshop focuses on plurilingual practices in the classroom, discussing a series of examples of plurilingual activities, and their suitability for different teaching contexts.
Engaging learners’ plurilingual and pluricultural competence: Online and face-to-face practice in secondary and tertiary language classrooms
The presentation and workshop materials from Angelica Galante (an expert on plurilingualism and coordinator of the Plurilingual Lab). The workshop focuses on classroom research concerning English, French, Spanish conducted in Canada and Brazil, on exploring plurilingual tasks and on learning how to use CEFR plurilingual and pluricultural descriptors to design classroom tasks.
Key concepts in the CEFR Companion volume: What might these mean for teaching?
The presentation and workshop materials from Brian North (co-author of CEFR and CEFRCV), explaining the key concepts from the CEFRCV such as the action-oriented approach, the learner as social agent, mediation, plurilingualism, etc. and the way in which these concepts relate to developments in theory.
Mediation in/for the language classroom: Learning situations and formative assessment
The presentation and workshop materials from Adolfo Sánchez Cuadrado (an expert on mediation). The workshop focuses on the rich possibilities mediation offers for designing learning situations and fostering formative assessment, outlining the knowledge, skills and abilities required when mediating and how these can be integrated in learning activities and in self- and peer-assessment rubrics.
Putting plurilingual education into practice in primary and secondary schools
The presentation and workshop materials from Joana Duarte (a professor for global citizenship, bilingualism and multilingualism). The workshop presents a holistic model for plurilingual education and presents examples of concrete classroom activities developed in early, primary, and secondary education.
Putting the action-oriented approach into practice
This bilingual (English/French) workshop was facilitated by Danielle Hunter, Rosanna Margonis-Pasinetti and Evelyne Bérard. The workshop focuses on key concepts in the action-oriented approach, the elements that make up action-oriented scenarios and the links that unite these elements.
The action-oriented approach: From theory to practice
The presentation and workshop materials from Enrica Piccardo (CEFR expert, co-author of CEFRCV and main author of the book The action-oriented approach). The workshop explains the action-oriented approach and theoretical aspects that fed into it, and focuses on action-oriented scenarios and their applications to teaching/learning languages.
The learner as social agent: Implications for curriculum design and classroom practice
The presentation and workshop materials from Bernd Rüschoff, a CEFR expert and former chair of AILA. The workshop focused on the idea that language users are independent “social agents” who use languages to create, negotiate and mediate meaning in the real world.
Using the CEFR Companion volume to enhance teacher agency in school-based language curriculum making
The presentation and workshop materials from Daniela Fasoglio, a CEFR expert responsible for national modern language curriculum reforms in Dutch secondary education. The workshop presents and discusses ways to raise teacher critical awareness and enhance collaborative language curriculum making with the use of the CEFR.
A Guide to Action-oriented, Plurilingual and Intercultural Education
A 2023 guide summarising CoE work in language education (LE), current theoretical influences on LE; common CEFR misrepresentations and how to implement API (action-oriented, plurilingual and intercultural) education.
CEFR – Companion Volume (2020)
CEFR 2.0 (CEFRCV) containing all CEFR descriptors and a clear, short explanation of the CEFR vision (Ch. 2).
CEFR Descriptor webpage
CEFR Descriptors (searchable): Downloadable Excel with descriptors in EN, FR, DE, IT, ES. This searchable Excel is very useful for selecting descriptors. You have to download it from the page.
Enriching 21st century language education: The CEFR Companion volume in practice
A set of some 20 case studies on implementing aspects of the CEFRCV, with an introductory chapter explaining the key concepts in the CEFRCV.
Key Aspects of the CEFR for Teaching and Learning
Chapter 2 of the CEFR Companion Volume, a 25 page illustrated text explaining the vision for pedagogy and how to use the descriptors.
Learners as social agents
Short video in which, after an introduction, three teachers from different countries explain the concept of ‘social agent’ means to them and how they put this into practice in their classes.
Mediation
Short video in which, after an introduction, three teachers from different countries explain the concept of ‘mediation’ means to them and how they put this into practice in their classes.
Plurilingualism
Short video in which, after an introduction, three teachers from different countries explain the concept of ‘plurilingualism’ means to them and how they put this into practice in their classes.
The action-oriented approach
Short video in which, after an introduction, three teachers from different countries explain the concept of ‘action-orientation’ means to them and how they put this into practice in their classes.
Guide for the development and implementation of curricula for plurilingual and intercultural education
A 2016 rather discursive guide on curriculum design and aspects of plurilingual and intercultural education.
Mediation
One page explanation of different aspects of the concept ‘mediation’ and of where it comes from, with references.
Plurilingualism and pluriculturalism
One page explanation of the concept ‘plurilingualism/pluriculturalism’ and where it comes from, with references.
The action-oriented approach
One page explanation of the concept ‘action-orientation/ action-based teaching’ and where it comes from, with references.
The user/learner as social agent
One page explanation of the concept ‘social agent’ and where it comes from, with references.
Action-orientation
Webpage with a very short definition of the action-oriented approach and a wealth of resources: documents, videos, workshop materials and open-access articles. See also Ideas for Implementation: Action-oriented Approach. Materials are different on the English and French pages.
Mediation
Webpage with a very short definition of mediation and a wealth of resources: documents, videos, workshop materials and open-access articles. See also Ideas for Implementation: Mediation. Materials are different on the English and French pages.
Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism
Webpage with a very short definition of plurilingualism/pluriculturalism and a wealth of resources: documents, videos, workshop materials and open-access articles. See also Ideas for Implementation: Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism. Materials are different on the English and French pages.
Action-oriented Approach
Webpage with a wealth of resources: documents, videos, workshop materials, website links and open-access articles. Materials are different on the English and French pages.
Mediation
Webpage with a wealth of resources: documents, videos, workshop materials, website links and open-access articles. Materials are different on the English and French pages.
Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism
Webpage with a wealth of resources: documents, videos, workshop materials, website links and open-access articles. Materials are different on the English and French pages.