Bilingual Education as a driving force for the development of democratic competence

Dra. Lola López Navas – Universidad Internacional de Valencia

In September 2023, the Council of Europe published its Education Strategy 2024-2030, with the motto: “Learners First: Education for today’s and tomorrow’s democratic societies”. There is a common thread underlying the pillars of this strategy: a recognition of the centrality of language in all learning processes alongside the provision of inclusive, lifelong and high-quality language learning. Furthermore, recommendation CM/Rec(2022)1 had already highlighted the importance of the promotion of bilingual and immersion education and content and language integrated learning (CLIL) for democratic culture.

In this session, we will explore how CLIL teachers in bilingual programmes can make use of current frameworks such as the Companion Volume of the CEFR and the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) to nurture cognitive, intercultural, and linguistic skills essential for active participation in democratic life.

 Breaking Boundaries:

Cross-Curricular Innovation in Bilingual Education

Dra. Ana Isabel García Abellán | Universidad Católica de Murcia

The seminar focuses on the design and implementation of innovative educational projects in bilingual schools, using the school garden as a platform for learning across different educational levels. Participants will explore the step-by-step process of creating and executing such projects, emphasizing cross-curricular connections and the integration of content, communication, cognition, and culture through CLIL. Additionally, the principles of community-based learning will be highlighted, demonstrating how projects extend beyond the school environment to involve parents, teachers, students, and local communities. A specific example from a bilingual school in the Region of Murcia will be showcased, illustrating how the school garden facilitated the exploration of various subjects while connecting with the agricultural heritage of the region and engaging with nearby communities. This project's participation in an Erasmus+ initiative further underscores its recognition as a model of innovative educational practice on an international scale.  

Vídeo disponible para miembros en www.ebspain.es