University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

The Recap of a Milestone

The event brought together professionals from the fields of education, culture, and language policy to explore the significance of linguistic diversity in classrooms in Europe and the value of heritage languages in today’s societies.

A central focus of the conference was the presentation of key outcomes from the “Your language counts!” project. These included insights from the pilot project, the project roadmap, and the official release of the Handbook on Implementing Heritage Language Education in the School Sector in Europe.

The conference featured keynote speeches, expert panels, and interactive workshops, providing a dynamic platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and professional networking.

As the Your Language Counts!  project approaches its conclusion after two years of collaboration, research, and exchange across Europe, our final conference in Essen became the moment where everything came together.

The conference unfolded in a thoughtfully structured sequence, mirroring the project’s own journey: from reflection on results, to dialogue and exchange, to envisioning the future of heritage language education in multilingual societies.

Opening and Project Reflections

The conference began with a warm welcome by our hosts from University Duisburg-Essen, Prof. Dr. Tobias Schroedler, Prof. Dr. Birte Bös (Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities), Prof. Dr. Stefan Rumann (Vice-Rector for Studying, Teaching & Education), Prof Dr. Katja F. Cantone- Altıntaș (Chair of the Institute for German as a Second and Foreign Language).
A comprehensive presentation of the project’s results followed. Each task leader from our project explained to the public what product they had worked on.
Starting off with a mentimeter to ask the audience whether THEIR languages count, Sabine Brachmann-Bosse from the management team presented the vision she had when writing the application for the project. Simeon Oxley gave insights into the Pilot Model, that he worked on with Uppsala University and its implementation with the HL teachers. After that Tobias Schroedlersummarized the comprehensive results of the evaluation he carried out with his colleagues from UDE during the piloting phase. Elisabeth Schmidt from the management team then continued to present the teacher platform and HL materials that were created by the HL teachers of this project. Followed by Tatjana Atanasoska, who presented the HL Implementation Handbook and concluded by Karijn Helsloot who presented the extensive Roadmap for policy makers that she worked on with her colleagues from TnK.
The session highlighted the tools, insights, and materials developed throughout the project, offering a shared understanding of the impact created.

Panel Discussion: The Future of Heritage Language Education

  The panel discussion brought together voices from research, practice, and policy. The conversation addressed the challenges and opportunities for HLE in Europe, touching on recognition, teacher support, and the integration of heritage languages into mainstream education.

The participants were Ahmad Alhamad (ISK Piter Jelles, Netherlands); Camilla Hollmén (Unit for Multilingualism (EFF), Uppsala Municipality, Sweden); Dr. Tanya Kaya (IfSM, Germany); Larissa Aksinovits, (OAO, Finland); Jeff MacSwan (University of Maryland, USA).
The panel was moderated by Elisabeth Schmidt (Goethe-Institut, Sweden).
(Details about the panel participants)

Starting off the panel, each participant is being asked about their own mother tongue and their relationship to their language as well as what it means to live in a country or society in which their language to not play an important role.

One of the quotes from the HL teacher Ahmad Alhamad summarizes the marginalised position of HL in practice: “I have this dream that I wake up some day and see my lesson on the normal schedule.” and not pushed aside to a Friday afternoon, organizes privately, as many heritage language lessons in the Netherlands are.

In the second half of the discussion, the audience had the opportunity to ask questions and interacted with the panelists on very context-specific topics.

The exchange was lively and forward‑looking, reflecting the diversity of perspectives in the room. It became clear that the project’s outcomes resonate far beyond its formal end, but they contribute to an ongoing conversation about multilingualism and educational equity in Europe and beyond.

World Café: Exchange Across Borders and Disciplines

The afternoon shifted into a more interactive format. The World Café created an open, informal space where participants could move between tables, explore posters and project materials, and engage in spontaneous conversations.

This setting encouraged cross‑country dialogue and sparked new connections. Experiences from different educational contexts, research findings, and practical approaches to HLE were shared freely. The atmosphere was energetic and collaborative —- a reminder of how much creativity and commitment exists within the HLE community.

Keynote: Heritage Language Education in Focus

The second day began with an inspiring keynote "Language, Knowledge, Identity and Interculturality in Heritage Language Education: Developing knowledge about and practices within Heritage Language in a European context” by Anne Reath Warren from Uppsala University. She began her talk with a compelling opening statement:
“Every heritage language is unique. And although we promote multilingualism in Europe, heritage languages are extremely understudied. “
Her talk offered a powerful framing of heritage language education:

• HLE is valuable at individual, family, and societal levels.
• Stronger links between HLE and mainstream education benefit learners and communities.
• Critical perspectives on knowledge, language, identity, and interculturality can empower teachers and school leaders.

Another take away was that heritage languages are one of the most understudied languages yet offer a huge resource opportunity.

Her keynote grounded the day in both research and practice, setting the stage for deeper exploration in the workshops that followed.

Workshops: Practice, Research, and Innovation

Participants then joined parallel workshops covering a wide range of topics, reflecting the diversity of heritage language education across Europe. The sessions offered hands‑on exchange and practical insights, including:

• Family outreach strategies in HLE
• Visual interpretation in Turkish language learning
• Integrating heritage languages through AI
• HLE in the Netherlands and the Fryslân case
• Teaching Somali through stories and oral traditions
• Home language teaching frameworks in Finland
• Organisation of HLE in Uppsala
• Persian language and culture across continents
• Creative language use through art (German)
• Teacher education and professionalisation

These workshops demonstrated how research, creativity, and community engagement intersect in HLE. They also highlighted the innovative approaches emerging across different countries and linguistic communities.

Closing Reflections and Looking Ahead

The conference concluded with final remarks that brought the two days - — and the entire project —- full circle. Participants reflected on the shared journey, the knowledge gained, and the relationships built. While the project is formally ending, the discussions made it clear that the work continues: in classrooms, in communities, and in ongoing collaborations across Europe.