Report on the participation of Mgr. Alena Prošková, Ph.D., in the ECML Summer Academy 2026 in Graz, focused on innovation in European foreign language teacher education. The post presents the main themes of the event, the use of ECML resources in initial teacher education, and the importance of international cooperation for the development of teacher education at the Faculty of Arts.
From 29 June to 3 July 2026, the international training event ECML Summer Academy 2026: Inspiring Innovation in European Language Teacher Education took place in Graz, Austria. Organised by the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe, the programme focused on current and future challenges in foreign language teacher education in the European context. It provided 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 by Mgr. Alena Prošková, Ph.D., who was selected as the representative of the Czech Republic, nominated 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 brought together language teacher educators and other experts from 29 European countries. Its thematic focus included the promotion of plurilingualism, intercultural education, democratic values, CLIL, the development of digital literacies and the use of artificial intelligence in language education. Participants were also introduced to professional competence frameworks and other materials developed with the support of the ECML, which can be used in initial teacher education, during teaching practice and in 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.
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. Following her participation, Dr Prošková will also be involved in the activities of an international working group of experts from Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Poland and Albania, which will further develop themes addressed during the Summer Academy.
The Summer Academy was therefore not only a training event, but also an important impulse for further European cooperation in language education, initial teacher education and international research.
