The Language Policy Programme in brief

It is the European Cultural Convention (1954) ratified by 49 States that forms the framework for the Council of Europe's work to promote plurilingualism, linguistic and cultural diversity, and language learning in the field of education.

Intergovernmental cooperation projects focusing on language teaching and language policies in education have been run for six decades.

The Language Policy Programme is particularly well known for the analyses and reference tools it has produced and made available to the member States so that they can devise and implement their own language policies.

The achievements of these programmes, widely disseminated and used in Europe and elsewhere in the world, have helped to create a European education area in the language field and serve as a common reference, including for bodies such as the European Union.

The programmes relate to all languages – languages spoken in the family, language(s) of schooling, foreign languages, regional or minority languages, making this Platform a major resource for education authorities and practioners.

The initiatives and strategy lines pursued within the framework of the Language Policy Programme take their inspiration from the values and principles promoted by the Council of Europe: Europe's linguistic and cultural diversity seen as a heritage to be safeguarded; the right of any speaker to learn languages as they wish or need; plurilingualism and language learning as tools for mutual understanding, social cohesion and democratic citizenship, equal access to quality education.  These initiatives and strategies also feature in forums and debates on language policy and, more broadly speaking, in education policies.
 

 Language Policy Portal: www.coe.int/lang