The European Language Portfolio

An instrument for Europe and for Puglia

Bari, April 2004

Teachers’ experience in using the Portfolio

• “I now think more about what is important for my learners and I discuss things with them.”

• “I tended to underestimate my learners. I was surprised how objective they can be in their self-assessment.”

• “I use group work more often and I try to help my learners to become more autonomous”

• “The ELP has made me think about the collaborative nature of learning”.

• Source – Using the Portfolio – A Guide for Teachers (Council of Europe)

The issues

• What is the significance – political, social and educational – of the Portfolio?– For Europe?– At the regional level?

Part one

• For respect, tolerance and understanding

In Europe, the figures are startling. •twelve million French do not have the French language as a mother tongue. •ten per cent of the German population is foreign-born. •in the Canary Islands the cultural mix includes not only the many northern Europeans and Asians who now live and work there, but also, twenty-nine different African nationalities. •Romania has 19 recognised minorities, •Russia has 176 culturally and linguistically distinct peoples.

The plurilingual background

A multilingual society

• The monolingual nation state does not exist any more:– More than 200 different languages

are spoken in London.– In Fribourg (Switzerland) 40% of the

children in primary schools have a different first language from the schools’ language of instruction.

The background 1

•Political aims“Policies for language education should

therefore promote the learning of several languages for all individuals in the course of their lives, so that Europeans become plurilingual and intercultural citizens, able to interact with other Europeans in all aspects of their lives.”

“Policy responses to multilingualism lie between two ends of a continuum of attitudes and approaches: on the one hand policy for the reduction of

diversity, and on the other the promotion and maintenance of

diversity. Both can be pursued in the name of improved potential for

international mobility, of intercomprehension and of economic

development.

The Council of Europe and its member States have taken the position that it is the promotion of linguistic diversity which should be pursued in language education policy. For in addition to mobility, intercomprehension and economic development, there is the further important aim of maintaining the European cultural heritage, of which linguistic diversity is a significant constituent. This means, then, that language teaching must be seen as the development of a unique individual linguistic competence ('knowing' languages whichever they may be) and also as education for linguistic tolerance.

Language learning, teaching and assessment – a common framework of

reference

• Aims– To encourage practitioners to reflect

on:• What we do when we speak (or write) to

each other• What enables us to act in this way• How much of this we need to learn when

we try to use a new language• How we set objectives and mark progress

from ignorance to mastery

The CEF – aims

• To make it easier for practitioners to tell each other and their clientele what they wish to help learners to achieve and how they attempt to do so.

• To reflect on what we can do to help ourselves and other people to learn a language better

The principles behind the CEF

• It’s not prescriptive:– “we do not set out to tell practitioners what

to do, or how to do it”

• It’s not neutral:– The CEF “supports methods which help

learners build up attitudes, knowledge and skills they need to:

• Become more independent in thought and action• Be more responsible and co-operative in relation

to other people”

Some of the questions addressed in the Framework:

• Why should we learn languages? Are they a simple tool for communication, or are there educational and social aims we need to take into account?

• What do we mean by learning a language? • What are levels? • How do we decide on learning objectives? How do

we help learners to set realistic, achievable goals?

• How do teachers make reasoned choices among all

the methodological options open to them?

Description and comparison

• “Say what you do” – description is an essential part of quality management

• Standards – setting comparable standards is a vital issue in assessment of quality

• The Common European Framework provides a coherent description of language learning, teaching and assessment

• The Common Scale of Reference provides common standards for comparison of achievement and progress in language learning

Features of the cef

• A definition of communication– = reception / production / interaction /

mediation

• A strategic definition of communicative competence– = “being able to carry out activities and

processes for the production and reception of texts

– = being able to construct discourse to fulfil tasks in the domain of social existence”

Learning and using language

• Language users have a set of competences

• They apply these competences to:– Understanding texts– Carrying out tasks

• Language learning involves developing the competences and applying them to what you need to do with the language

What kind of competences?

The CEF describes the following competences:

• Linguistic – Grammatical, lexical, phonological

• Pragmatic competence– Functional, organisational

• Socio-linguistic– Inter-cultural

• Strategic competence• Existential

Language learning, teaching and assessment – a common framework of

reference

• Aims– To encourage practitioners to reflect

on:• What we do when we speak (or write) to

each other• What enables us to act in this way• How much of this we need to learn when

we try to use a new language• How we set objectives and mark progress

from ignorance to mastery

Portfolios 1

• Aims– to give added value to language

learning– to promote plurilingualism– to encourage reflection on one’s own

language learning progress and achievement

– to contribute to the mobility in Europe of workers and students

Overall Goals• To provide an official

document of language competence (for life-long learning)

• To create an instrument for teachers and learners

• To improve language and multi-cultural competence

Portfolios 2

• The concept– Transparency enhances language

learning– Self-assessment and reflection are

essential features of successful language learning

– A common system of levels contributes to setting clear objectives and comparing and assessing results

Portfolios 3

• Rules for all portfolios– They belong to the learner– They must be validated by the

Council of Europe– They have three sections:

• A Language Biography• A passport• A dossier

Specific aims• To introduce and implement the

idea of self-assessment • To develop different learning

strategies and study skills• To reflect on language courses• To provide employers with the

evidence of a person‘s language competence

The consequences for the classroom

• Time needed for process as well as content

• Setting objectives and carrying out assessment become co-operative

• Assessment is criterion-based, not normative

• Learner ownership of the reporting instrument

The consequences for quality assurance

• New skills and knowledge are needed– Understanding the levels– Assessing reliably to the descriptors– Managing a more open, reflective

classroom

• Criteria and standards for using the Portfolio need to be developed

Portfolios – using them in class

• For discussion with learners about their aims and interests,about what they find easy, difficult

• To reflect on the progress made during a course

• To evaluate the achievement at the end of a course

Using the portfolio in class 2

• Involves a commitment to:– Reflecting on learning– Learner self-assessment– Creative work in projects etc.– Encouraging out-of-school learning

• Requires:– Posters to display the Portfolio

concept

Part two

• A portfolio for Puglia

What’s special about it?

• It commits the region to an initiative for integration and for development

• It is adapted to the special professional needs of language learners

LISTENING 1. I can understand the gist of answer-phone messages.2. I can understand directions to firms, workplaces, hotels or motorways.3. I can understand descriptions of schools, firms, or workplaces.4. I can understand instructions for carrying out simple tasks.READING 1. I can understand standard letters/faxes/e-mails (e.g. enquiries, orders, confirmations).2. I can understand short announcements about job vacancies.3. I can understand the gist of product and/or appliance descriptions.4. I can understand the main information about hotels and places of tourist and/or cultural interest

WRITTEN PRODUCTION 1. I can write well-structured texts on a range of different subjects related to my field, using appropriate and varied lexicon.2. I can write mailings to introduce my company or new products/services, using appropriate communication techniques.3. I can write detailed well-structured reports on technical/professional topics. SPOKEN INTERACTION 1. I can explain my opinions and interact with others about the alternatives available when trying to solve professional problems, and give reasons for my choices.2. I can deal with difficult job-related issues on the phone.3. I can summarise texts about complex issues in my field, illustrating the main points at meetings. WRITTEN INTERACTION 1. I can comment on specialist texts, understanding the various levels of meaning.2. I can explain how to do something, giving detailed instructions.3. I can reply to letters, e-mails or faxes, using formal and informal registers without referring to standard models.

References

• The European Common Framework is published in English by C.U.P, in French by Didier and will shortly be issued in German (Langenscheidt)

• For information on Council fo Europe projects – www.coe.int

• For general information (much in German and Italian) on Portfolios – www.sprachenportfolio.ch

• For the EAQUALS/ALTE Portfolio – www.eaquals.org