Plurilingual & Pluricultural Initiatives
The Masaryk University Language Centre (CJV) actively promotes awareness, fosters collaboration, and implements both international and local projects focused on plurilingualism.
Information
Plurilingual & Pluricultural Initiatives
At the Masaryk University Language Centre (CJV), we view plurilingualism and pluriculturalism as valuable opportunities for personal development and as a means of upholding democratic values such as diversity and tolerance. This vision drives our commitment to fostering plurilingual and pluricultural competences through education, research, and a range of supportive activities.
This platform serves as a hub for sharing innovative approaches to teaching and researching linguistic diversity. By collaborating on projects that celebrate the cultural and linguistic richness of the world, we ensure that our work remains relevant and beneficial to the global community.
To achieve these goals, we actively create and participate in various initiatives and alliances at both local and international levels. One such initiative is the FlexiLingua Group, a collaborative effort uniting experts and educators from Masaryk University, Université libre de Bruxelles, Université de Fribourg, and Institut français de Tunisie, all dedicated to advancing plurilingualism.
We operate also at a local level, considering plurilingualism to be a superpower. Through our popularization activities, we strive to convey the latest scientific knowledge to all interested parties—experts, teachers, and the general public—via workshops and specialized courses in cooperation with other institutions and important stakeholders, such as the Brno Expat Centre and Jiří Mahen Library.
Open calls
Call for papers: Vol 2, March 2026, "Thinking, Practising and Living Plurilingualism"
Open-access e-book published by Masaryk University Press
We invite the submission of research papers as well as analyses of experimental and best practice. Full chapters, written in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish, must be between 15,000 and 20,000 characters long (including spaces). Please use Times New Roman font, size 12, double-spaced, and include the title, abstract in language of the paper and in English or in English and in another language of the volume (French, Spanish, German or Italian) if the paper is in English, the manuscript, references, and a short biography. Submit your chapter as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format by August 31, 2025.
Manuscripts must conform to APA-style conventions. Please refer to the guidelines for authors in the separate file provided. Graphics and images may be included.
Deadline to receive texts: 31/08/2025
Contact Email: editeurs.ouvrage.pluri@cjv.muni.cz
Sabina Gola (ed.), Kateřina Sedláčková (ed.), Beatriz Calvo Martín (ed.), Romain Racine (ed.), Alessandra Keller-Gerber (ed.)
The aim of this volume is to highlight the reflections of teachers and researchers from a wide variety of backgrounds on their teaching practices that promote the development of plurilingual skills (whether these stem from specific contexts or are part of larger-scale interuniversity projects). Plurilingualism, intercomprehension, awareness of other languages, pedagogical innovation, the role of teachers and learners, autonomy and motivation are the key concepts that emerge from their contributions, and which form the common thread running through the volume.
- ALCHAZIDU, Athena. Building Presentation and Communication Skills in a Tandem-Taught Course with Plurilingual and Pluricultural Approaches. Online. In Sabina GolaKateřina Sedláčková, Beatriz Calvo Martín, Romain Racine, Alessandra Keller-Gerber. Compétences plurilingues : perspectives et actions / Plurilingual competencies: perspectives and actions. Brno: MUNIPRESS, 2024, s. 74-88, 14 s. ISBN 978-80-280-0562-7. Dostupné z: https://dx.doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M280-0562-2024.
- KRAHULA DOLEŽÍ, Linda a Kateřina MÜLLEROVÁ. Plurilingual Competence in a Child: A Case Study. Online. In Gola, S. et al. Plurilingual Competencies: Perspectives and Actions. Brno: MUNI Press, 2024, s. 89-95. Compétences plurilingues : perspectives et actions / Plurilingual competencies: perspectives and actions. ISBN 978-80-280-0562-7. Dostupné z: https://dx.doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M280-0562-2024.
- ČERVENKOVÁ, Marie, Veronika DE AZEVEDO CAMACHO a Monika ŠEVEČKOVÁ. Motivation, autonomous learning, plurilingualism: students as YouTubers. Online. In Sabina Gola (ed.), Kateřina Sedláčková (ed.), Beatriz Calvo Martín (ed.), Romain Racine (ed.), Alessandra Keller-Gerber (ed.). Compétences plurilingues : perspectives et actions / Plurilingual competencies: perspectives and actions. 1. vyd. Brno: Masaryk University Press, 2024, s. 37-54. Dostupné z: https://dx.doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M280-0562-2024.
- ČERVENKOVÁ, Marie, Veronika DE AZEVEDO CAMACHO a Monika ŠEVEČKOVÁ. Interkulturní učení prostřednictvím videí vlogerů a youtuberů. In Rozvíjení interkulturní komunikační kompetence ve výuce cizích jazyků 5. 1. vyd. Plzeň: Kolektiv autorů ZČU v Plzni, 2024. ISBN 978-80-261-1211-2.
- Sedláčková, Kateřina. "« Being plurilingual is a gift we make to ourselves. » : amener les étudiants à valoriser et développer leurs compétences plurilingues et pluriculturelles" Language Learning in Higher Education, vol. 13, no. 2, 2023, pp. 573-580. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2023-2022
- DOLEŽÍ, Linda. Jak podpořit vícejazyčnost (nejen) u dětí. In Suchomelová, Lenka. Sborník Asociace učitelů češtiny jako cizího jazyka 2020. Praha: Asociace učitelů češtiny jako cizího jazyka, 2021, s. 97-102. ISBN 978-80-7470-343-0.
- DOLEŽÍ, Linda. L2 English as a Backup for L3 Czech. CASALC Review. Česká a slovenská asociace učitelů jazykových center na vysokých školách, 2020, roč. 10, č. 2, s. 15-24. ISSN 1804-9435. Dostupné z: https://dx.doi.org/10.5817/CASALC2020-2-2.
Courses & Summer schools
Erasmus Blended Intensive Programme (BIP)
Join the Erasmus Blended Intensive Programme (BIP):
International Communication – Play with Languages!
Masaryk University invites you to participate in an engaging, intercultural, and plurilingual learning experience with students from renowned partner universities:
- Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)
- OTH Regensburg (Germany)
- Università degli Studi di Cagliari (Italy)
- CY Cergy Paris Université (France)
Programme Structure
The program is divided into two parts, offering a comprehensive blend of online learning and an immersive summer school experience:
1. 13-Week Online Course (Asynchronous) – you can choose between two sessions:
- Autumn Session: September 29, 2025 – December 19, 2025
- Spring Session: February 23, 2026 – May 17, 2026
- Platform: Google Classroom
- Language of Instruction: English (administrative)
2. Summer School in Brno (Face-to-Face)
- Dates: July 20 – 24, 2026
- Focus: Multilingual communication and hands-on workshops
Participants earn 5 ECTS credits:
3 ECTS credits for the online course and
2 ECTS credits for the summer school.
Who Should I Apply?
This program is open to students from all university disciplines who are:
- Open-minded and adventurous
- Passionate about learning
- Self-reliant and curious
- Excited to explore Brno and the Czech Republic
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How to Apply
Documents Required: CV and motivation letter (in English)
Submit by: August 31, 2025
Send to:
Kateřina Sedláčková
Project Coordinator
katerina.sedlackova@cjv.muni.cz
Why Participate?
The programme offers a unique opportunity to:
- Develop plurilingual competence (A2-B1 CEFR level).
- Adopt intercomprehension strategies, enabling you to use familiar languages to understand new ones.
- Gain practical knowledge of French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, and German.
- Foster intercultural exchanges in a truly international setting.
What You'll Learn
You will explore tools and approaches to:
- Make effective use of your linguistic repertoire.
- Understand languages you’ve never formally studied.
- Navigate communication with partial competence in several languages.
- Utilize paralinguistics like gestures and facial expressions for effective communication.
Programme Details
- Teaching Hours: 20 hours of interactive sessions (presentations, group work, discussions)
- Optional Activities: 8 hours
- Language of Instruction: English
- Target Languages: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, and German
Read the feedback and report from the 2022 summer school: Play with Languages – Look Back
Workshops during Summer School
- Explore Your Plurilingual Self
- Cultural Patterns
- Survival Czech
- Pluricultural Approaches to Manners & Etiquette
- Metalinguistic Awareness & Let's think about languages
- Creative Microactivities in Languages
- Plurilingual and Pluricultural Mediation
- Migrating Words & Language Contacts
- Plurilingual and Pluricultural Approaches to Fiction
Activities:
- Treasure Hunt
- Movie Session
- Czech in the City
- Picnic
Discover Brno
Brno offers an incredible student atmosphere, affordable living, and rich cultural experiences. Recognized by The New York Times and The Guardian as a must-visit destination, it’s the perfect setting for an unforgettable summer school experience.
Explore Brno:
Join us for a transformative experience in language learning and cultural immersion!
How to Apply
- Documents Required: CV and motivation letter (in English)
- Submit by: August 31, 2025
- Send to:
Kateřina Sedláčková
Project Coordinator
katerina.sedlackova@cjv.muni.cz
Conferences
Thinking, practicing and living plurilingualism – 3rd edition (2024)
Reflecting the broad themes of the third conference, the three interconnected and complementary verbs of the title reflect an expanded sphere of investigation into language didactics and the construction of plurilingual identities, mostly linked to institutionalized places of learning such as schools or universities but also to other fields and approaches, to other professions and profiles involved in the exercise of interculturality and in the planning or management of plurilingual spaces.
Appreciating Plurilingual Competencies: Current and Future Perspectives (2022)
The aim of this colloquium was to encourage reflection on plurilingual skills by adopting an interdisciplinary and practical approach. Language teachers working in higher education, as well as researchers from different cultural and geographical backgrounds, were invited to this conference to present and share their good practices, to explore and develop new perspectives and to stimulate an in-depth reflection on the issues at the heart of plurilingualism. During the two days, the aim was to establish fruitful and intense exchanges about plurilingual and pluricultural attitudes in an academic context that could be useful for future advocacy.
Teaching and learning languages in the shadow of lingua franca (2019)
A new lingua franca influences policies, teaching methods and learning processes in all languages. This conference aimed to define current state, map dynamic changes and address new challenges in plurilingual teaching and learning in higher education.
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