General background

Thematic networks are co-operation projects devoted to a particular theme or interdisciplinary field, involving higher education institutions from all participating countries as well as other stakeholders. They are designed to develop a European dimension in their specific areas and to overcome the frequently observed disconnection of higher education programmes from the needs of the non-academic environments and from research.

TNP3 is the third thematic network devoted to languages in a row. In the second Thematic Network Project in the Area of Languages (TNP2) we looked at curriculum innovation in such fields as modern languages degree programmes, language teacher education, the training of language specialists and language studies for students of all disciplines.

In addition, we dealt with the themes of "New learning environments" and "Quality enhancement". All three themes were underpinned by three transversal issues, among them "professional relevance and employability", which has received renewed emphasis through the Bologna Process. TNP2 revealed that there is a limit as to the degree of innovation that the universities can achieve on their own. They need to consult with other stakeholders - notably the professional and economic environments - and they need to do so on a regular basis.


Aims

The Thematic Network is to achieve the following aims:

•a heightened awareness and a clear understanding on the part of all stakeholders of the importance of social and individual multilingualism for European integration and for life and work in the Union;
•a clear understanding on the part of all stakeholders of the linguistic and language-related needs arising from European integration and global co-operation both in higher education itself and in the non-academic environments;
•a willingness on the part of higher education institutions to gear the learning outcomes, content and quantity of provision to the needs identified;
•to encourage universities to make languages part of their overall strategy and to take concerted action at institutional level;
•to bring about close and systematic consultation and co-operation between the universities - both experts and members of the directorate - and key stakeholders in other sectors of education and in the social, economic and professional environments;
•to encourage and enable universities to develop, implement and regularly review their own comprehensive language policies, strategies and offerings in co-operation with other stakeholders.


Objectives

The overarching objective of the TNP3  is the formation of a European structure which encourages and helps universities to develop and adapt their strategies in the area of languages. The TNP3 will seek to create, under the auspices of the Conseil Européen pour les Langues/ European Language Council (CEL/ELC), a permanent and sustainable network comprised of the full range of educational and non-educational stakeholders with a view to facilitating an ongoing dialogue between universities and the various stakeholders.

The TNP3 will endeavour to map out action plans for the coming ten years in regard to specific targeted types of programmes and provision in the area of languages, including recommendations and pilot projects. It will also develop process recommendations - targeted at different levels - for co-operation between universities and other sectors of education, universities and the language industry (communicators, mediators etc.) and universities and the economic environment as well as for co-operation between education and research.


Themes

TNP3 puts the learner at the centre of higher education programmes and provision. TNP3 promotes the following approach: identification of needs in co-operation with non-university stakeholders leading to the definition of learning outcomes and content in terms of languages, levels, knowledge, skills and competences, including general skills and competences. The Project is going to address the issue through three sub-projects and a transversal working group. The three sub-projects are devoted to the following themes:

•Languages for language-related industries and professions
•Languages for enhanced opportunities on the European labour market
•Languages as an interface between the different sectors of education

Whereas in Year One of TNP3 the number of higher education representatives will outweigh that of non-university stakeholder representatives, this is to change as of Year Two, when the proportion of non-university members will be increased.
From Year Two on, there will also be a working group on the relation between education and research, which will concern itself with the issues addressed by the three sub-projects. This group, too, will be comprised of experts from higher education and other stakeholders, including research funding organisations. The overarching questions to be addressed in TNP3 are

• Which languages and what linguistic skills and competences for Europe - at present and in the future?
• What language-related professional and academic profiles?
• What forms of consultation and co-operation between universities and other stakeholders?


Outputs Year One

Output One: three grids for the national reports envisaged
nature: structures designed to ensure clear focus, transparency and comparability of national reports envisaged
structure: the grids are to be divided into the following sections:
(i) introduction; (ii) description and analysis of status quo; (iii) recommendations
content:
• grid 1: co-operation between higher education institutions and the specialist language industry and professional organisations
• grid 2: co-operation between universities and the economic environment and social partners
• grid 3: co-operation between universities and other education and training institutions as well as authorities for (the various sectors of) education and training
Output Two: a international Start-up Conference
nature: presentation for information and discussion of the aims/objectives and activities of TNP3 and of the issues underlying the Project with the aim of obtaining feedback and ensuring a high level of acceptability
structure: opening session; three workshops; three working group meetins; wrapping up plenary
wrapping up plenary session
content: opening session: presentation of background and rationale, aims and objectives and of activities;
three workshops: devoted to the three sub-project themes;
wrapping up plenary: recommendations from the workshops regarding the overall design of the Project as well as the focus and structure of the national reports
Output Three: three sets of national reports
nature: three sets of national reports focusing on the three sub-themes of the TNP3, to provide a basis for the synthesis reports to be produced in Year Two and for the other activities to be undertaken in that year
structure: reports to be based on the three grids specified above
content: reports to be devoted to the sub-themes specified as well as to co-operation between education and research in the field in question and incorporating the Tuning approach
Output Four: an expanded European network of university and non-university stakeholders
nature: key stakeholder representatives identified and contacted in the first months of Year One with a view to bringing them into TNP3 as full-fledged partners as of Year Two and/or to laying the foundations of the permanent and sustainable structure, which is to be one of the principal outcomes of the TN
structure: stakeholder representatives to come from the following target groups: non-partner universities from the participating countries as well as from other Bologna countries; other institutions of education; cultural institutes; national, regional and local authorities responsible for education, training and employment; European and national academic and professional organisations; research funding bodies; the language industry; multinational companies and SMEs; the social partners
content: the stakeholder representatives will be directed to the three sub-project working groups and/or to the working group on education and research to be created in Year Two