CELEX: 51988PC0841(02)
Language: en
Date: 1989-01-02
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AS PART OF THE LINGUA PROGRAMME

28. 2. 89                                         Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n Communities                              N o C 51/13
                                                                                   D
                    In collaboration with representatives from the economic sector, the Commission will provide support for
                    the setting up of an exchange and mobility scheme for representatives of small and medium sized enter-
                    prises and for those involved in language training in economic life in order to support the learning of
                    foreign languages in companies.
                                                                                   E
                    1. Grants will be made available by the Commission to projects involving at least two Member States
                       which demonstrate the potential of open learning methods for foreign language teaching (including the
                        use of satellites, broadcasting, new methods of multimedia communication, etc.), with particular
                       reference to:
                        (a) the development of materials to accelerate the linguistic induction of visiting students not special-
                            ising in foreign languages into the host country;
                        (b) the development of new approaches to the use of the new information technologies and the media
                            for the teaching and learning of foreign languages so as to facilitate the possibilities for individu-
                            alised instruction on an intensive basis.
                    2. The projects to be supported by the Community, whether they are submitted through the academies or
                       directly by the promoter, will be expected to demonstrate the added value of the cooperation proposed
                        and the innovative potential the achieve higher standards of communication in this field. Preference will
                        also be given to projects that can demonstrate their multiplier potential, not only in their own Member
                        State, but also across national frontiers. Community support will not normally exceed 50 % of the costs
                       of projects approved. In this context account will be taken by the Commission of potential linkages with
                       other programmes, such as Delta, Media and Comett.
                                                                                   F
                    The activities to be supported under this Action will be carried out in collaboration with the academies.
                                                                              ACTION IV
                                                                    Complementary measures
                    The necessary technical assistance will be provided at Community level to underpin the activities
                    undertaken under the Lingua programme as a whole, taking into account the need to promote a balanced
                    development which encourages the teaching of all Community languages. Furthermore, specific provision
                    will be made by the Commission for the animation and continuing evaluation of the Lingua programme
                    and for the dissemination through all the Community languages of experience arising from it.
                    Draft Council Decision for the p r o m o t i o n of the teaching and learning of foreign languages in
                                          the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t y as p a r t of the Lingua p r o g r a m m e
                                                                      COM(88)         841      final
                                                (Submitted       by the Commission             on 9 January       1989)
                                                                            (89/C 51/08)
T H E COUNCIL OF T H E EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                                              H a v i n g regard        to  the opinion of the   European
                                                                                          Parliament,
H a v i n g regard to the T r e a t y establishing the E u r o p e a n
                                                                                          H a v i n g regard to the opinion of the E c o n o m i c  and
E c o n o m i c C o m m u n i t y , and in particular to Article 235
                                                                                          Social C o m m i t t e e ,
thereof,
                                                                                          Whereas the principles established by Article 2 of the
H a v i n g r e g a r d to the proposal from the Commission,                              T r e a t y of R o m e include the task for the C o m m u n i t y
 ---pagebreak--- No C 51/14                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                28. 2. 89
to promote closer relations between the States belonging         proper understanding between citizens by providing
to it;                                                           increased opportunities for foreign language teaching
                                                                 and learning;
                                                                 Whereas the development of the commercial policy with
Whereas the Treaty provides for the establishment of
                                                                 regard to third countries provided for by Articles 110 to
freedom of movement of workers, and requires the
                                                                  116 of the EEC Treaty requires an extension of the
Council to adopt the measures necessary for its estab-
                                                                 linguistic competence in Community and extra-
lishment; whereas the teaching and learning of foreign
                                                                 Community languages;
languages is an essential prerequisite for the removal of
remaining obstacles to the free movement of workers;             Whereas the different Community programmes, notably
                                                                 Erasmus (7), Comett (8), and 'Youth for Europe' (9), will
                                                                 benefit from accompanying measures to promote the
Whereas the Council has provided, under Regulation               teaching and learning of all Community languages
(EEC) No 1612/68 ('), for workers and the self-                  within schools;
employed, who exercise the right of free movement to
another Member State, to be accompanied by their                 Whereas the Council has provided, by Decision . . . , for
dependent family;                                                the establishment of the Lingua programme, including
                                                                 measures to promote foreign languages in vocational
                                                                 training programmes and whereas this programme needs
                                                                 to be complemented by measures in schools;
Whereas, by Directive 77/486/EEC (2), the Council has
laid down measures to be taken to promote the teaching           Whereas the estimated amount required to finance the
of the mother tongue and culture of the country of               Community contribution to the Lingua programme in
origin to the children of migrant workers;                       the five-year period 1990 to 1994 is ECU 250 million,
                                                                 Whereas the Treaty has not provided the necessary
Whereas the European Council has, in the solemn                  specific powers,
declaration on European union adopted at its meeting in
Stuttgart (J) and, at its meetings at Fontainebleau (4) and      HAS ADOPTED THE PRESENT DECISION:
Milan (5), where it adopted the Adonnino report on
measures required to achieve a 'Peoples' Europe',
                                                                                           Article 1
stressed the importance which must be attached to
foreign language teaching and learning within the                The principles and measures for the promotion of the
Community;                                                       teaching and learning of foreign languages in the
                                                                 European Community, set out in this Decision, are
                                                                 hereby established. They shall support actions taken
                                                                 under the European Community action scheme for the
Whereas the Council and the Ministers of Education
                                                                 promotion of training in foreign languages (the Lingua
meeting within the Council, in adopting on 9 February
                                                                 programme) and shall be implemented in close coordi-
1976 an action programme in the field of education (6),
                                                                 nation with it. The first phase of implementation of these
selected the teaching of foreign languages as an appro-
                                                                 principles and measures shall commence on 1 January
priate area for Community activity; whereas, at their
                                                                  1990 and last for five years.
meeting on 4 June 1984, they agreed to promote all
appropriate measures to enable the maximum number of
pupils to aquire, before the end of compulsory                                             Article 2
education, a practical knowledge of two languages in
                                                                 Foreign language teaching in the context of this Decision
addition to their mother tongue;
                                                                 shall refer only to the teaching of the official languages
                                                                 of the European Community.
Whereas the establishment of the internal market                                           Article 3
required by the Single European Act calls for an
extension of the capacity of workers, the self-employed          The principal objectives of the principles and measures
and their families accompanying them to communicate              established by this Decision shall be as follows:
with their counterparts in other Member States, and thus
                                                                 (a) to increase the capacity of citizens of the Community
obliges the Community institutions and the Member
                                                                      to communicate with each other by a quantitative
States to increase efforts to enable the growth of a
                                                                      and qualitative improvement in the teaching and
                                                                      learning of foreign languages within the European
(') OJ No L 257, 19. 10. 1968.                                        Community;
(2) OJ No L 199, 6. 8. 1977, p. 32.
(5) 19 June 1983.
(4) 23 and 24 June 1984.                                         O OJ No L 166, 25. 6. 1987, p. 20.
(s) 28 and 29 June 1985.                                         (') OJ No L 222, 8. 8. 1986, p. 17.
(') OJ No C 38, 19. 2. 1976, p. 1.                               O OJ No L 158, 25. 6. 1988, p. 42.
 ---pagebreak--- 28. 2. 89                              Official Journal of the European Communities                             No C 51/15
(b) to ensure effective measures towards the provision,           (iii) that incentives should be provided to enable pupils
     for the benefit of enterprises in the European                     and young people to participate in organized educa-
     Community, of the necessary levels of foreign                      tional exchanges, integrated within the curricula of
     language expertise in the present and future                       the educational systems,
     workforce in order to enable those enterprises to
     take full advantage of the internal market.
                                                                   (iv) that where appropriate, the conditions of access of
In particular, they shall be designed to provide a                      young people to universities shall include evidence
complementary and catalytic contribution to the policies                of competence in at least one Community language,
taken within Member States to:                                          other that their mother tongue(s), in the final
                                                                        school-leaving examinations.
 (i) increase opportunities for the teaching and learning
     of foreign languages in the Community, and in
     particular to encourage the teaching and learning of
                                                                                            Article 6
     the less widely used languages of the Community,
                                                                  Member States shall designate, or if necessary create, an
(ii) increase the motivation of the citizens of the               institution or institutions to be known as the European
     Community, especially young people, to learn                 Community Academy for Foreign Language Teaching,
     foreign languages, by encouraging in particular the         which shall be responsible for promoting the objectives
     acquisition of skills of communication, and by               of this Decision and the aims of the Lingua programme,
     increasing the value placed on competence in foreign         by providing information and advice on the development
     languages as a necessary component of vocational             of foreign language teaching and on opportunities for
      and academic qualifications.                                educational exchange, and by cooperating with the
                                                                  academies designated in other Member States through a
                                                                  Community-wide         clearing-house   for    educational
                           Article 4                              exchanges and the transfer of experience and materials in
The principles and measures established by this Decision          the field of foreign language teaching.
shall comprise:
(a) a common framework of principles for the
                                                                                            Article 7
     promotion of the teaching and learning of foreign
     languages in the European Community, as set out in           To give a significant Community impetus to the efforts
     Article 5;                                                   to be pursued by Member States to raise the quality and
                                                                  standards of foreign language teaching, the Commission
(b) a series of measures to be implemented at                     shall implement a series of supporting measures as set
     Community level, as set out in the Annex to this             out in the Annex. In implementing these measures,
     Decision, and as such designed to provide an added           account shall be taken by the Commission of the need to
     value to measures taken by and within Member                 meet the differing needs and situations of all Member
      States in this field, without inhibiting their              States, with particular regard to less widely taught and
      autonomous development.                                     less widely used languages in the Community.
                           Article 5
                                                                                            Article 8
So as to achieve the objectives of this Decision, by a
concerted approach in this field, competent authorities in        1.     The Commission shall implement the Lingua
Member States shall promote the following common                  programme pursuant to this Decision and the Annex
principles:                                                       thereto, and take account also of the principles and
                                                                  actions established by Council Decision . . .
  (i) that all young people shall be encouraged to study
       at least one foreign language during the period of
       full-time compulsory education, with a view to
       acquiring the necessary skills of communication,           2.     In performing this task, the Commission shall be
       and that measures will be promoted to provide              assisted by the committee of an advisory nature, estab-
       young people who so wish with the opportunity to           lished under Article 8 of Council Decision . . .
       acquire a working knowledge of two Community
       languages in addition to their mother tongue(s)
       during this period,                                        3.     The Commission may consult the committee on all
                                                                  questions concerning the implementation of this
 (ii) that curricula at all levels of general education in        Decision. The Commission shall consult the committee
       Member States shall give increased priority to the         on the general approach concerning the measures
       acquisition of the communicative skills in foreign         provided for by this Decision, and in particular on the
       languages,                                                 balanced development of these measures in the context
 ---pagebreak--- No C 51/16                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                      28. 2. 89
of the Lingua programme as a whole, taking into                                                    Article 10
account the need to promote the teaching of all
Community languages. The Committee shall also be                         An annual report on the functioning of the Lingua
consulted on the evaluation of the measures and serve as                 programme shall be submitted by the Commission to the
the platform for reviewing the development of national                   Council, the European Parliament and the Economic
policies and practices in this field.                                    and Social Committee. This report shall incorporate
                                                                         reports from each Member State on the measures taken
                                                                         to implement the objectives of Article 3 and in particular
                           Article 9
                                                                         on those relating to the common principles set out in
The annual credits necessary to cover the Community                      Article 5.
contribution to the actions provided for in the
programme will be established in the annual budgetary                                              Article 11
procedure, taking into account the results of the
programme as well as any new needs which may emerge                      This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
during its implementation.
                                                                  ANNEX
                                                                ACTION I
             Measures to promote the development of educational exchanges for young people within the Community
                                                                     A
             1. Financial aid will be provided to a deisgnated body (or bodies) in each Member State to support the
                 development of educational exchanges of a minimum of 14 days organized as an integral part of school
                 and vocational training programmes for young people and which are excluded from the terms of the
                 'Youth for Europe' programme ('). The aim shall be to provide a stimulus to the efforts taken within
                 Member States to enable the participation in 1991 of young people, normally aged between 13 and 18
                 years, from 5 % of schools in the Community, rising to 20 % in 1994. Aid for exchanges shall not
                 normally exceed 50 % of the total expenses incurred (journey and programme) but in certain justified
                 cases the aid may cover up to a maximum of 75 %. After consulting the committee mentioned in Article
                 8 of the Decision and taking account of the experience of the 'Youth for Europe' programme, the
                 Commission shall establish the criteria for granting this higher rate of aid. The calculation of aid to be
                 allocated to each Member State in the form of a black grant will take account of:
                 — the number of young people within the age limits defined above in its population,
                 — the average resources available to young people in each Member State as measured by gross
                     domestic product per head in relation to the Community average,
                 — the geographical distance between Member States,
                 — the establishment of a better balance in the flow of exchanges within the Community.
             2. In the allocation of grants, priority will be given to exchanges which:
                 — provide specifically for the improvement of the skills of communication in foreign languages,
                 — offer opportunities to gain insights into working life in the host Member State,
                 — are designed for young people who have difficulties in learning languages, lack motivation or
                     otherwise fail to see the relevance of combining foreign languages with specific vocational skills,
                 — support the learning of less widely used and less widely taught languages in the Community.
             3. Aid will also be provided through the bodies mentioned in paragraph 1 above for the operation of a
                 scheme of visits preparatory to these exchanges, to be carried out by those involved in the institutions
                 concerned. The average contribution will be ECU 500 per visit.
             (') Council Decision 88/348/EEC (OJ No L 158, 25. 6. 1988, p. 42).
 ---pagebreak--- 28. 2. 89                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                       No C 51/17
                                                                  B
          1. Financial aid will be provided on an experimental basis during the initial phase of the Lingua
             programme, to support the diversification of foreign language teaching and learning through assistance
             in the development and exchange of teaching materials of the less widely taught languages.
          2. Joint applications will be invited from institutions in more than one Member State submitting a
             three-year development plan for the elaboration of the teaching materials referred to above. During a
             first phase, not more than four projects will be supported for each language.
          3. Applications may be submitted by the body (or bodies) designated by Member States under Article 6 of
             the Decision for the placement and training of foreign language assistants from the Member States
             whose languages are less widely taught. Such aid is estimated at an average of ECU 2 500 per assistant.
             It will not exceed half the cost of placement and training for numbers of assistants additional to those
             received in the base year 1990/91, and will have particular regard to the need to diversify the number of
             foreign languages concerned. The activity will commence in 1991.
                                                                  C
          1. Assistance will be provided on an experimental basis, to support efforts by schools to intensify the
             teaching of foreign languages to young people through the establishment of joint projects in
             cooperation wich schools in other Member States.
          2. Applications will be invited from individual schools submitting a three year development plan with these
             objectives. During a first phase, financial assistance towards the additional costs involved will be granted
             to a maximum of 50 schools per Member State for joint projects. The schools selected will be invited to
             join a Community-wide network of exchange and mutual support.
          3. Specific technical assistance will also be given to the setting-up of networks of institutions seeking to
             introduce curricula similar to that of the European baccalaureat, with a view to disseminating good
             practice and encouraging further initiatives of this kind throughout the Community.
                                                            ACTION II
          Measures to promote innovation for the improvement of the teaching and learning of foreign languages, and
                                                     complementary measures
          1. The Community will provide complementary support and a European dimension to the functions of the
             academies designated by Member States under the terms of Article 6 of the Decision. The Community
             support will be provided to underpin the creation of a Community-wide clearing-house, networking the
             academies and facilitating cooperation between them, so as to contribute to the achievement of the
             objectives of this Decision and of the Lingua programme.
          2. Block grants will be made available for this purpose to each academy on the basis of an annual work
             programme to be presented to the Commission. The Community finance will be limited to support for
             the development of transnational exchanges between academies and exchange and/or study visits for the
             personnel of the academies, the translation and exchange of teaching materials, and the transfer of
             innovative methods of foreign language teaching, for example through television and the media, for use
             in other Member States. The grant will also contribute towards the promotion of the objectives and the
             dissemination of the results of the guidelines and measures adopted under this Decision as well as
             through the Lingua programme, to local and regional levels. It will also support activities undertaken in
             accordance with this Annex and the Annex to Council Decision . . . establishing the Lingua programme.
             Annual reports will be presented to the Commission by each academy of its work programme, to be
             examined within the framework of the European clearing-house of academies.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 51/18                                Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s            28. 2. 89
            3. Moreover, during the first phase of implementation of this Decision and of the Lingua programme,
               support will be provided for the production of a series of Community-wide reports which focus on
               issues of common concern, including the following:
               (a) the value of introducing opportunities for the teaching of foreign languages from an early age, in
                     particular during the period of primary education, on the basis of a comparative evaluation in those
                     Member States where this provision already exists;
               (b) the scope for introducing further changes to national curricula and examination systems to give
                     greater emphasis to the acquisition of the skills of communication as a means of enhancing greater
                     motivation for the learning of foreign languages as part of the initial vocational education and
                     training of young people;
               (c) the need to introduce into public service entrance examinations a general requirement of
                     competence in at least one and preferably two foreign languages;
               (d) the provision for the teaching of extra-Community languages, particularly in the light of the
                     Community's developing trading and cultural relations with the rest of the world.
               The academies will be invited to collaborate in the compilation and presentation of these reports.
           4. To provide informational support for the activities undertaken in accordance with this Decision and
               under the Lingua programme, and to increase cooperation in this field in the Community, the
               Commission will:
               — support associations and consortia acting on a European-wide basis, both those linking teachers and
                    researchers of the different Community languages, in particular with a view to making innovative
                    initiatives in specific fields better known throughout the Community, notably with regard to the
                    methodology of foreign language teaching and to the promotion of the teaching of the less widely
                    taught foreign languages of the Community, and those concerned with promoting multilingualism in
                    the media,
               — support publications designed to enhance awareness of study and teaching opportunities in the field
                    of foreign languages on other Member States, and to draw attention to important developments and
                    innovative models for cooperations in this field throughout the Community.
           5. The necessary technical assistance will be provided at Community level to underpin the activities
               undertaken in accordance with this Decision, taking into account the need to promote a balanced devel-
               opment which encourages the teaching and learning of all Community languages. Furthermore, specific
               provision will be made by the Commission for the animation and continuing evaluation of these acti-
               vities, and for the dissemination through all the Community languages of experience arising from them.