European Network for Junior Researchers in the Field of Plurilingualism and Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Network for Junior Researchers in the Field of Plurilingualism and Education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

ENROPE – European Network for Junior Researchers in the Field of Plurilingualism and Education – is an international, cooperative project aiming to provide high-quality qualification and networking opportunities for junior researchers in the field of multi- and plurilingualism and education.

European societies of today are characterized by a growing diversity of languages, cultural preferences and backgrounds, as well as by dynamic shifts regarding socioeconomic opportunities and participation. Education towards plurilingualism, therefore, is at the very heart of European integration, and it is closely linked with the strife for socioeconomic well-being and political and cultural equity. If seen against this scene, it seems rather timely that the field of foreign language education will shed its widely monolingual character: Foreign language education has mostly remained an issue of national cultures, national research traditions and national educational systems. The notion of teaching different languages as single and separate systems is largely unquestioned as are local language teaching policies and practices. Junior researchers who enter the field at the early stages of their careers find it in a paradoxically monolingual state.

The ENROPE project operates at the interface of language education research, language teaching and professional development. Its key objective is to encourage educational researchers and, vice-versa, educators with an interest in research to develop a more plurilingual mind-set as well as a professional habitus that reflects language education research and teaching in the light of societal multilingualism and individual plurilingualism. ENROPE promotes inquiry-based and research-related classroom development that is sensitive to the linguistic ecology of classrooms and their environments as a means of promoting high-quality and innovative language teaching. As an overall result, ENROPE has established a sustainable network for junior researchers in foreign language education and has aimed for strengthening professional identities.

An Intensive Study Programme (ISP), consisting of three annual training weeks, linked to and enhanced by regular online study phases (OSPs), has brought together around 200 junior researchers from various disciplines involved in language education research. The ISP has provided them with opportunities for transborder collaboration and professional qualification at two intersecting levels: 1) specialist thematic exchange and reflection of research practices in the light of multi- and plurilingualism, and 2) reflection on and development of the researchers’ professional identities with regard to multi- and plurilingualism. The project, thus, combines professional qualification through collaboration with a pedagogical agenda through experiential learning and reflection. In order to establish a sustainable inter- and transdisciplinary environment for academic exchange and reflection, ENROPE has produced 1) an Online Platform (IO1) offering versatile spaces and tools for collaboration, e-learning and networking in the context of multi- and plurilingualism. In line with the Online Platform, 2) an embedded e-Portfolio (IO2) has functioned as an empowering tool for researchers in language education and language educators alike to engage in meaningful professional reflection that reaches beyond the instrumental skills of the academic disciplines. ENROPE’s key activities and products have been underpinned by a 3) Qualification Handbook (IO3) and thus be open for adaptation in other educational fields affected directly or indirectly by multi- and plurilingual ecologies. With regards to the Multiplier Events (ME), four events have been organized and hosted by four different partners. The results and outcomes of the products have found a place and have been shared with the wider audience; namely teachers, teacher educators, teacher-researchers, policy-makers and academics from related disciplines.

ENROPE has been recognized by a consortium consisting of nine European universities and research centres representing a wide array of languages and disciplines. The consortium is also complemented by a large network of associated partners from within Europe and beyond, which has focused on facilitating ENROPE’s outreach and sustainability throughout and after the project’s lifetime. Thus, a large number of participants are also expected to participate in future events especially in digital formats. It is clear that the well-established structure of ENROPE to support doctoral and post-doc students at an international level will become a stable and sustainable component of the further work of the LANGSCAPE network group, as the ENROPE consortium consisted mainly of members of LANGSCAPE.

Project Website

http://enrope.eu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 350375,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAET ZU BERLIN & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Universität Siegen
• THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• TALLINN UNIVERSITY
• UNIVERSITAT RAMON LLULL FUNDACIO
• ISTANBUL UNIVERSITESI
• JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITATFRANKFURT AM MAIN
• STICHTING FRYSKE AKADEMY