FOHLC Europe 2026 Conference

Join us for our 5th free, online conference over two days!

Theme 2026: Making It matter: How to build recognition and professionalization in heritage language education

Date

Wednesday & Thursday, November 4 & 5, 2026

Time

(GMT/London time)
17:00 - 20:00 on November 4
17:00 - 20:00 on November 5

Important to remember for our many Central European friends:
London time is one hour behind Central European Time!

Location

Online (via Zoom)

Language

English

Cost

Free (registration required)

Registration

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/fohlc-europe-2026-annual-conference-tickets-1992160114530

Organizers

Jana Nahodilova, Czech and Slovak School Okénko in London, England
Renata Emilsson Peskova, Móðurmál – the Association on Bilingualism & University of Iceland
Gisi Cannizzaro, Heritage Language Education (HLE) Network, the Netherlands
Agnieszka Pedrak, Trinity College Dublin, Polish School by the Embassy of Poland in Dublin, Ireland
Isabelle Barth, Association pour la Promotion et l'Avancement du Multilinguisme (A.P.A.M.), France
Sabine Little, University of Sheffield, England
Jessika Rabello, Educator of Portuguese as Heritage Language in the UK, founder of the Brazilian Library- Casa do Livro
Tereza Krymláková, Charles University, Czech Republic

See www.hlenet.org/fohlc-europe or email fohlceurope@gmail.com for more information.

Event description

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq-y4UiJe6A

FOHLC Europe

FOHLC Europe is a collaboration between several groups involved with heritage language (HL) education with the purpose of organizing an bi-annual conference and other regular online gatherings for the teachers and managers of HL programs in Europe, as well as for the leaders of coalitions and networks of HL programs. The goal is to provide a European platform for the exchange of ideas about how to promote HL education, improve the quality and professionalism of HL education, and to map the situation of HL programs in Europe.

FOHLC Europe offers professional development and networking opportunities to professionals in the field of HL education. The 2026 conference will take place online on Wednesday, November 4, and Thursday, November 5.

2026 theme

Making It matter: How to build recognition and professionalization in heritage language education

The people who are behind heritage language education are very dedicated! That is powerful, but it is not always sustainable. If we want HL education to be taken seriously, and to grow to reach more learners, we need to think carefully about how recognition and professionalization can support this vital sector.

This year’s conference focuses on what that can look like in practice. How can we ensure that students receive meaningful recognition for their language skills, for example through school credit or certification? What kinds of training and professional development do teachers need in order to feel confident and supported in their work? How do we move towards higher-quality, accessible teaching materials? And how can we strengthen connections between organizations so that knowledge and resources are shared more effectively?

If you work in heritage language education, you know that these are challenges many of us are facing! FOHLC Europe conferences have become a well-established space where people can come to exchange ideas and learn from different approaches across Europe and beyond. As always, you can expect practical examples and honest conversations. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with others who are working towards the same goals!

Audience

The conference program includes structured networking opportunities designed for professionals in the field of HL education: teachers, coordinators, and volunteers at HL programs as well as for leaders of HL umbrella associations, coalitions, and networks. Parents, academics, or policy makers interested in the topic of HL education are also welcome.

Program

Wednesday, November 4 (times in GMT/London time)

17:00-17:05 Welcome, housekeeping

17:05-17:15 Intro FOHLC Europe

17:15-17:55 Keynote: Kostas Koukouzikis, President of IHLA (International and Heritage Languages Association, Edmonton, Canada)

17:55-18:05 Break

18:05-18:10 Workshop intro

18:10-19:25 Parallel Workshops (teachers & managers)

Workshop by Marie Boccou Kestrankova

Workshop by Ivett Mityók-Pálfalvi

19:25-19:40 Workshop summary

19:40-19:45 Closing, Announcements

Thursday, November 5 (times in GMT/London time)

17:00 -17:05 Welcome, housekeeping

17:05 -17:15 Summary of Day 1, Announcements

17:15 -17:55 Panel discussion: Recognizing student's skills via accreditation and certification, with

Clare Allison, Development Officer HHCI/Co-founder of Sheffield City of Languages

Linda Egnatz, Global Seal of Biliteracy

Rochelle Anne Waghorn, Umeå Municipality

17:55 -18:05 Break

18:05 -18:50 Pecha kucha (10 examples of professionalization in 45 minutes)

18:50 -19:00 Break

19:00 -19:45 Networking sessions (for teachers, managers, and coalition leaders)

19:45 -20:00 Closing, Announcements

Keynote speaker

Kostas Koukouzikis

President of IHLA (International and Heritage Languages Association, Edmonton, Canada

Kostas Koukouzikis is President of the International and Heritage Languages Association (IHLA), a UNESCO Linguapax–awarded network supporting over 20 heritage-language schools and 1,500+ students across Northern Alberta in Canada. A Greek-language educator with a Master’s in Human Geography from the University of Alberta, his research background with the European Commission, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) shapes his focus on building sustainable, professional frameworks for heritage-language education.

Keynote talk:

The Blank Spaces on the Map: Making Heritage Languages Matter in the Digital Age

For over a century, our community schools focused on one urgent question: Will our children speak the mother language? Today, as artificial intelligence quietly reshapes how knowledge is organized and valued, a second question has arrived: Will the modern world recognize that our heritage languages exist at all?

Opening this year’s conference, I invite you to rethink together what professionalization and recognition must mean in an increasingly digital landscape and why volunteer dedication alone is no longer enough to keep our communities on the map.

Workshop Leaders

Marie Boccou Kestřánková

Institute of Czech and Deaf Studies, Charles University, Faculty of Arts

Bio (click to expand)

Dr. Marie Boccou Kestřánková is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Czech and Deaf Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. She has been working for over 15 years at the National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic, where she is an expert mainly in linguodidactics, language testing, and methodological activities of Czech as a foreign, second, and heritage language. She is the creator of the concept and the main author of the series of textbooks and exercise books Czech for Foreigners (Levels A1-B2). In the last 5 years, she has been actively promoting the collaborative exploration of Czech as a heritage language (management of three small international grants on this topic). Boccou Kestřánková’s academic background is in theoretical and applied linguistics, mainly linguodidactics.

Workshop (click to expand for description)

Professionalizing heritage language education: From textbooks to practice-based activities (Czech case study)

This workshop looks at how heritage language education can become more professional through the use of practical teaching materials, using Czech as an example. Many textbooks designed for foreign language learners or mainstream schools do not meet the needs of heritage language learners. This session shows how materials that are adapted to learners' backgrounds and learning situations can better support their multilingual skills, communication needs, and language development.

The workshop starts with a short introduction to the main challenges of existing textbooks. Participants will then learn about a Czech heritage language textbook and the key ideas behind its design, which have been tested in teaching practice.

The main part of the workshop is interactive. Participants will work in small groups to create learning activities focusing on reading, grammar and spelling, or language mediation and production. They will use guiding questions and examples taken from Czech teaching materials.

The workshop aims to connect theory with practice and help participants develop ideas that they can use in their own teaching contexts. It is mainly intended for teachers working in heritage language schools and for people who would like to create educational materials for heritage language learners in the future.

Ivett Mityók-Pálfalvi

Co-founder of the Foundation for Cultural and Education Support of Hungarian Youth in the Netherlands

Bio (click to expand)

Ivett Mityók-Pálfalvi is a teacher of pedagogy and communication, event organiser, co-founder of the StiHon Foundation (Hungarian Youth and Cultural Foundation of the Netherlands and Western Europe) and founder of Vitalped Educational and Cultural Management. For more than a decade, she has worked in education, cultural and community development in the Netherlands and in international contexts. Her work focuses on connecting people and communities, supporting professional development, and creating opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Through StiHon, she works to strengthen Hungarian heritage-language communities in the Netherlands by connecting teachers, volunteers, organisations and professionals. She is particularly interested in how existing knowledge, relationships and resources can be brought together to create stronger and more sustainable communities.

Workshop (click to expand for description)

The Power of Connection - Professional Growth, Connection and Collaboration

How can individual efforts become shared resources? Drawing on the experience of the StiHon Foundation and the Hungarian community in the Netherlands, this workshop explores how professional knowledge, existing connections and community resources can be brought together and transformed into meaningful collaboration.

Through practical and reflective activities, participants will take a closer look at their own professional lives and communities: where they invest their time and energy, what resources they already have, and who or what may still be missing. Together, we will explore how stronger networks can support professional development, reduce isolation, and create new opportunities for collaboration and collective action.

Panel members

"Recognizing student's skills via accreditation and certification"

Clare Allison

Development Officer for HHCL for the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE) and Co-founder of Sheffield City of Languages.

Clare Allison is the Home, Heritage, and Community Languages Officer at the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE). She works across England to increase access to accreditation and qualifications for students who speak languages other than English at home. Clare advocates for recognizing students’ existing language skills and supports schools in helping them achieve qualifications such as GCSEs in their home and heritage languages. Previously, she co-developed the award-winning Home Language Accreditation Project (HoLA) in Sheffield.

Linda Egnatz

Global Seal of Biliteracy

Linda Egnatz is Executive Director of the Global Seal of Biliteracy, an international certification program that recognizes and documents students’ bilingual and multilingual skills. A former Spanish teacher and ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year, Linda has been a leading advocate for giving students formal recognition for the languages they know, including languages learned at home. Through the Global Seal, she works to expand access to language certification and ensure students can demonstrate the value of their multilingual skills.

Rochelle Anne Waghorn

Umeå Municipality

Rochelle Waghorn is Head of the Centre for Multilingual Education at Umeå Municipality, Sweden. She leads work in heritage language education, study guidance för newly arrived students, and the welcome centre for newly arrived children and families.

In Sweden, heritage language education is a recognised school subject with its own curriculum with formal lessons provided outside of regular school hours. Rochelle leads the centre with a focus on long-term professional development and high-quality teaching. Her work supports teachers in creating learning environments where students can develop and maintain their heritage language, strengthen their individual cultural identities, and recognise multilingualism as an important part of their identity and educational development.