EU Programme: Socrates II, Lingua 2: Learning European languages.

Description: The Lingua Action is divided into two parts, corresponding to different sub-objectives.
Lingua 2 aims to ensure that a sufficiently wide range of language learning tools is available to language learners.

Who may apply?: The following are eligible under Lingua: educational establishments, local or regional authorities; local, regional, national or European associations active in the field of language teaching or learning; cultural and language support associations; radio, television or media companies with an Internet presence; publishing houses and software companies.

EU Support: Co-financing is offered for projects involving (a) educational media and materials for foreign language teaching, as well as for raising awareness of languages; (b) methods and tools designed to recognise and evaluate language skills; or (c) teaching and study programmes.

Projects include (a) at least one institution in three or more participating countries, of which one or more in the EU, one or more from the countries where the target languages are spoken; one or more educational establishments.

They must (a) relate to eligible language(s) being taught as foreign languages (and not taught as second languages to immigrants); (b) have an impact in several European countries; and (c) be for a maximum of three consecutive years.

Relevance for Lesser-Used Language communities: All of the official languages of the EU institutions; Irish and Luxembourgish; the national languages of the EFTA/EEA countries (Iceland and Norway) and of pre-accession countries (Bulgaria and Romania).
Special priority is given to the less widely used and taught official languages (LWULT) of the European Union. These are: Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Irish, Luxembourgish, Portuguese and Swedish, but the definition depends on the situation in the country.

“Since Lingua mainly supports the teaching and learning of foreign languages via transnational language- learning projects it would at best be of limited relevance for the teaching of regional and minority languages.”

Indeed, languages such as Catalan, Welsh, Frisian, Breton, etc. are excluded.

Contact :
European Commission
Lingua 2
Tel: + (32) 2 298 4322
Fax: + (32) 2 299 6321
E-mail: pedro.chaves@cec.eu.int
Website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/socrates/lingua/index_en.html

Socrates, Leonardo & Youth Technical Assistance Office
Tel: +(32) 2 233 0142 / 0186
Fax: +(32) 2 233 0150
Website: http://www.socleoyouth.be/static/en/overview/lingua_overview.htm

More information:
Lingua 2: Overview
National Agencies responsible for Socrates / Lingua
Decision No 253/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 January 2000 establishing the second phase of the Community action programme in the field of education 'Socrates'.