The Mercator Institute for Literacy and Language Education researches and develops concepts, instruments and measures for language education in a variety of projects. It conducts practice-oriented and application-oriented research on current and socially relevant issues of language education, from nursery school to the point of transition into work. In its research, it deals with the entire breadth and complexity of language education: it looks at the chain of effects from research to the training and further education of specialists and teachers, the framework conditions in the various educational institutions, implementation in educational practice and the effect on children and young people. The research focuses on language learning and development processes, classroom research as well as teacher training and professionalization. The project teams use both qualitative and quantitative methods and are interdisciplinary. The Institute also takes various measures to promote young researchers and offers research-based services.