New joint project on ‘Enhancing Foreign Language Education Quality in Türkiye’ launched in Ankara

The Head of EU Delegation to Türkiye Ambassador Thomas Hans Ossowski attended the launching event alongside the Turkish Minister for National Education Yusuf Tekin and Director of Democracy from the Council of Europe Matjaž Gruden.

The meeting gathered more than 800 participants from Türkiye and abroad, including academics, teachers, and administrators from 25 provinces of Türkiye, as well as representatives of public authorities, publishing houses, and civil society. The event shared information on the project with various stakeholders and the wider community interested or actively involved in foreign language education, plurilingualism, and intercultural education.

The five-year project, with a total budget of €5.4M, aims to improve foreign language education in Türkiye by supporting the Ministry of National Education. It focuses on implementing the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and its 2020 Companion Volume. This includes improving policies, assessments, teacher training, and classroom practices to ensure high-quality language education.

Key outcomes include developing a Language Education Policy Profile for Türkiye and evidence-based recommendations to enhance foreign language education. The project will also create CEFR-aligned sample tests for specific student grades and a digital library of teaching tools called CEFR Action Studio.

To build capacity, staff and teachers will receive training to improve their skills and use the new resources. Awareness activities, such as videos and conferences, will promote the importance of foreign language education in fostering inclusive societies and improving students' language and cultural skills.