This year, the Council of Europe (CoE) is celebrating the European Day of Languages in Ankara with the launch of a new project aimed at enhancing foreign language education in Türkiye. The joint European Union and Council of Europe project, "Enhancing Foreign Language Education Quality in Türkiye," had its official kick-off on 18 September 2024, marking the beginning of this significant initiative. The project will be implemented in co-operation with the Board of Education under the Ministry of National Education.
Taking place just days before the European Day of Languages, this project aligns with the global celebration of linguistic diversity and the importance of language learning. Reflecting a shared commitment to promote multilingual and intercultural education across Europe, this initiative is an important step towards improving the quality of language education. The kick-off meeting of the project aimed at presenting the implementation plan in detail to key stakeholders, strengthening existing partnerships and consolidating joint commitments for the success of the project.
Improving foreign language education is one of the priorities of both in Türkiye’s national strategic plans and the Council of Europe’s Education Department. This project aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of language education in Türkiye and adopts an approach in line with international best practices, in particular the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its 2020 Companion Volume, developed by the Council of Europe.
The event gathered key figures including the President of the Board of Education at the Ministry of National Education, Prof. Dr Cihad Demirli; the Head of the Human and Social Development Section of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, Mr Laurent Guirkinger; the Head of Contract Management at the Directorate General for Foreign Relations and the European Union, Mr Uğur Güneş; and the Head of the Formal and Non-formal Education Division of the Education Department of the Council of Europe, Ms Sarah Keating, alongside the Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara, Mr William Massolin. Senior representatives from the Presidency of EU and Foreign Affairs also attended.
The day concluded with a meeting with Assoc. Prof. Celile Eren Ökten, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of National Education. During the meeting, the cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Ministry of National Education was emphasised, and strategic priorities for the implementation of the project were discussed. Commitments were made to sustain and further enhance the project's achievements.
