Humans from various cultures holding a planet © Goethe-Institut

Welcome to the project, "Your Language Counts! All languages matter in a multilingual society, starting in school." It is dedicated to supporting the integration and educational success of multilingual students with a heritage language background. In an increasingly diverse Europe, multilingualism is the norm, offering many opportunities but also presenting challenges for students navigating a school system dominated by a language different from their heritage language.

Our project aims to contribute to students’ overall academic achievement and foster a sense of belonging through knowledge – and, therefore, pride – in their languages.

The term "heritage language" (or “home language”) refers to languages spoken at home, reflecting individual histories, traditions, and cultural identities. This includes students with a refugee or migrant background, heritage language speakers, second- or third-generation heritage language speakers, and any student with a diverse heritage language background.

Our vision includes the development, testing, and implementation of a Heritage Language Education model, launching in six schools and focusing on the lower secondary years (students aged 12–16) in Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The targeted languages include Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Somali, Turkish, Ukrainian, or any other language spoken by students at home.

Anticipated outcomes include the establishment of a shared platform for HL teachers to exchange experiences and materials, an HLT implementation handbook, and a roadmap for the effective integration of heritage language teaching in schools.

Through this approach, we aim to create a supportive and inclusive educational environment for all multilingual students, promoting linguistic diversity and cultural understanding.

The project is designed for school leaders, heritage language educators, education policymakers, and families from diverse backgrounds to ultimately empower students in their multilingual identity.
Join us on this transformative journey toward a more inclusive European education landscape!

Partner

Goethe-Institut

Sweden
The Goethe-Institut e.V. is a registered, non-profit association under German private law that promotes the German language and culture worldwide. The objective of the association is to further knowledge of the German language, foster international cultural cooperation, and convey a comprehensive picture of Germany by providing information on its cultural, social, and political life.

www.goethe.de

Greece
ELIX - Conservation Volunteers Greece - is a non-governmental not-for-profit organisation that has promoted voluntary service and education since 1987. Its main goal is the personal development of individuals as global citizens through active participation. Social service, environmental protection, cultural heritage conservation, and cultural promotion are the main thematic fields of voluntary projects.

ELIX Conservation Volunteers Greece

Sweden
Enheten för flerspråkighet / Unit for multilingualism (EFF) coordinates and delivers mother tongue education in Uppsala municipality, to municipal and independent compulsory schools, upper secondary, special schools and resource schools in accordance with the Swedish Education Act, which includes mother tongue education within the Swedish National School Curriculum. EFF employs approximately 150 teachers in 55 different languages.
EFF also provides study guidance in the mother tongue and mother tongue remote teaching to other municipalities.

flersprakighet.uppsala.se

Opet Logo

Finland
OAO stands for supporting the well-being of heritage language teachers at work by providing information, courses, opportunities for collaboration, and peer-support. The association also works to improve the position of HLT as a subject in the framework of the national core curriculum and as well as the status of heritage language teachers. It is important to offer students with migrant backgrounds highly qualified role models from the same background and to provide students with migrant backgrounds with highly qualified role models coming from the same background.

www.ok-opet.fi

Familia

Finland
Familia was founded in 1988 and is a national expert organisation of intercultural families. Familia supports the well-being of intercultural families by offering peer support and volunteer activities, information, and advice. The organisation also aims to improve the social and legal systems in Finland, so that the needs of intercultural and multilingual families, as well as Finns, are better met.

www.familiary.fi

Universität Duisburg Essen

Germany
The University of Duisburg-Essen is located in a region boasting the highest concentration of universities in Europe. Established in 2003, the University of Duisburg-Essen is the youngest university in North Rhine-Westphalia. Offering a broad range of subjects, the University of Duisburg-Essen has already built a strong reputation in fields as diverse as social sciences, economics, the humanities, design, engineering and natural sciences, including medicine. Students from 130 nations come here to pursue their studies.

www.uni-duisburg-essen.de

Stiftung Taal naar Keuze (Niederlande)

Netherlands
TnK provides schools with a hybrid language education approach, allowing students to choose their preferred language subject, which in many cases aligns with their home languages. The foundation collaborates with qualified and diversely trained language experts who work in teams to deliver educational content. (Language) teachers affiliated with a school can also contribute to TnK education. TnK employs an approach that combines in-person and online education and guidance, extending across schools.

www.taalnaarkeuze.nl

Your language counts is co-funded by the European Union

Logo of the European Union