Monday 26 September 2022 marked the start of the new academic year for about 7,500 language learners at Luxembourg's National Institute for Languages (Institut National des Langues - INL).
For the autumn semester, the INL is offering about 500 language courses for adults across its three sites: INL Glacis in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg, INL Belval (on the site of the Université Populaire in Esch-Belval) and INL Mersch. The languages taught are German, English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian, Luxembourgish, Dutch and Portuguese.
This academic year, in order to diversify the course offer at the INL, Portuguese has joined Spanish and the five other languages taught at INL Belval. In addition, higher levels of Dutch language have been added to the Glacis site.
Pilot e-learning classes in English, distinguishing between standard and business courses and including a preparatory class for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, have been set up.
INL courses are accessible to all adults and there are still places available in all language courses. Registration and appointment bookings can be made at myinl.inll.lu. In order to register, candidates must take an online test and orientation interview which allows them to be placed in a class of their level. These interviews are possible throughout the school year.
The start of the 2022/23 academic year at the INL is accompanied by several new features and projects:
• Intensive professional courses: following the success of these courses during the last school year, they are now offered in four different languages, namely German, English, French and Luxembourgish, across the three INL sites. These courses continue to be organised in collaboration with the ADEM employment agency;
• Teaching Luxembourgish language and culture at the Académie de Nancy-Metz: in line with the objective of Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth to promote the Luxembourgish language beyond the borders of the Grand Duchy, a partnership agreement has been signed with the Région académique Grand Est. Introductory courses in the Luxembourgish language and culture are currently on offer at six French schools;
• New B2 "Schwätzt Dir Lëtzebuergesch?" textbook: the B2-level textbook in the "Schwätzt Dir Lëtzebuergesch" series is now available as three educational files on the website www.sdl.inll.lu. In addition to the files, there is a guide intended for teachers, in order to provide them with advice for the use of the material. This collection will be supplemented during the 2022/23 school year by six additional educational files.
A working group of INL teachers is currently working on the development of an "SDL augmented" application for tablets and smartphones allowing the pages of the three textbooks for levels A1, A2 and B1 to be scanned and to access exercises or additional information;
• "Léier Lëtzebuergesch online" LLO.lu: since its launch at the beginning of September 2022, the new free platform for learning the Luxembourgish language LLO.lu has proven successful with already more than 30,000 people registered in less than two weeks. Continually adapted to the needs of the public and enriched with didactic material, the platform also provides information on educational activities, linked to the Luxembourgish language and culture, which take place within the region as well as on information meetings for the public and teachers in the field;
• INL website gets new look: in order to facilitate access to information and navigation on the INL website, it has been completely revised and adapted and will soon go live;
• ZLSK training course: since the start of the 2022/23 academic year, the Zertifikat Lëtzebuerger Sprooch a Kultur (ZLSK; Luxembourgish language and culture) training course has been offered in blended learning mode, characterised by face-to-face and remote courses. Registration for the spring semester will begin in November 2022.
