Kletskoppen op Maat wins jury and audience award at European Language Label

Innovative and inclusive 

The European Language Label is an initiative of the European Commission that annually awards innovative projects in language education. In the Netherlands, the award is coordinated by Nuffic. The label encourages creativity and collaboration in order to make language education more accessible and effective. 

According to the jury, Kletskoppen op Maat is closely aligned with school practice and the theme of the European Language Label 2025: ‘From word to world’. This theme emphasises that language is more than words and grammar; it also influences the way we think, communicate and look at the world around us. Kletskoppen op Maat demonstrates this in a convincing manner by giving pupils a broader view of their own environment through language enjoyment and multilingualism. The audience of Living Languages also voted overwhelmingly in favour of the project and honoured it with the audience award. 

Recognition from the education sector 

“We are delighted with this recognition,” says Sharon Unsworth, co-founder and scientific director of Kletskoppen. “Education professionals appreciate our activities, and that is crucial. We hope that this award will help more and more schools and libraries to find us.” 

Linguistics in the classroom 

Kletskoppen op Maat was made possible in part by a grant from the NWA science communication call in 2021. The project brings language and linguistics directly into the classroom. Together with schools, libraries and welfare organisations, students and scientists organise lessons and small-scale festivals. The aim is to encourage pupils to appreciate their multilingualism and become curious about language. Recent evaluations have shown that it works: 75% of participants say they have learned a lot and want to discover more.