The project Developing the Language Awareness Approach in the Nordic and Baltic Countries (DELA-NOBA) is inscribed within the development of research about ‘Awakening to languages’ (AtL). Twenty years have elapsed between the founding Evlang program and DELA-NOBA results. The aim of this article is to cast light on those years. In this paper, the authors analyse the historical development of research projects which led to the present implementation of ‘pluralistic approaches’ within European educational systems. The contribution will also refer to the dissemination and integration of AtL into curricula and content-based teaching in various European contexts.