From June 29 to July 3, 2026, the international educational event "ECML Summer Academy 2026: Inspiring Innovation in European Language Teacher Education," organized by the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe, took place in Graz, Austria. The program focused on current and future challenges in foreign language teacher education within the European space, creating a platform for sharing experience, professional reflection, networking, and the development of future international cooperation. The Faculty of Arts of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice was represented at the event by Mgr. Alena Prošková, Ph.D. (Vice-Dean for Accreditations, Teacher Training Programs, and Quality Management at the Faculty of Arts, USB, and Department of English, Faculty of Arts, USB) and Barbora Faktorová, MSc. from the Department of English at the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, who were selected as representatives of the Czech Republic sent by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic and the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research.
The Summer Academy program brought together language teacher educators and other experts from 29 European countries. Thematic areas focused primarily on the promotion of plurilingualism, intercultural education, the promotion of democratic values, CLIL, the development of digital literacies, and the use of artificial intelligence in language education. The program also included an introduction to professional competence frameworks and other materials developed with the support of the ECML, which can be utilized in the training of future teachers, during pedagogical practice, or within cooperation with mentor teachers.
“For me, the greatest benefit was the opportunity to connect the experiences of colleagues from different European countries with my own practice as a teacher educator and practicum coordinator. I found the activities related to the promotion of plurilingualism, intercultural education and democratic values in foreign language teaching particularly inspiring, as well as the critical and ethical use of artificial intelligence in preparing differentiated activities for diverse groups of learners. It was also valuable to become familiar with ECML materials and tools, which I can use in my own teaching and share with student teachers, colleagues at our faculty and mentor teachers,” said Alena Prošková.
“The most valuable aspect of the Academy was the opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from across Europe and reflect on how innovative approaches can enrich the education of future language teachers. I was particularly inspired by discussions on the ethical use of AI in language education and by the practical ECML resources that I can now integrate into my university teaching. I am truly grateful to have been selected by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research to participate in this prestigious Academy. The knowledge, experience and international partnerships I have gained motivate me to apply these outcomes not only in the education of future teachers but also in my own research focusing on innovation in language education,” said Barbora Faktorová, MSc.
Professional networking was also an important part of the Academy. Participants worked in international groups, where they shared experience from different educational contexts and began preparing proposals for future research projects. Barbora Faktorová, MSc., joined a working group with colleagues from Slovakia, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Portugal to develop an online training course on the use of artificial intelligence in foreign language education. The course is intended for both pre-service and in-service language teachers and will provide practical guidance on integrating AI into lesson planning, classroom activities, feedback and assessment.
Dr. Alena Prošková will continue to participate in the activities of an international working group of experts from Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Poland, and Albania, which will follow up on the themes elaborated during the Summer Academy. Thus, the Summer Academy served not only as an educational event but also as an impetus for the further development of European cooperation in the fields of language education, teacher training, and international research.
