Training teachers to use the European Language Portfolio

1. Training teachers to use the European Language Portfolio Short-term project 2008-2009 ELP_TT2 Project coordinator: Margarete Nezbeda, Austria

2. The European Language Portfolio:Origin, structure and use Based on a presentation given by David Little, Trinity College, Dublin; adapted by Margarete Nezbeda and Heike Speitz, ELP-TT2

3. Overview • The Council of Europe and its language policy • The origins of the CEFR and the ELP • Key features of the ELP • Outlook

4. Where did the ELP come from? The Council of Europe Founded in 1949 to: • defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law • develop continent-wide agreements to standardize member countries’ social and legal practices • promote awareness of a European identity based on shared values and cutting across different cultures • Key instruments • European Convention on Human Rights (1950) • European Cultural Convention (1954)

5. The Council of Europe‘s cultural/educational agenda • Education for democratic citizenship commitment to learner autonomy and lifelong learning • Promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity commitment to plurilingualism and partial competences • Facilitating individual mobility desire to establish a means of comparing different systems of certification

6. Implementing this agenda • Language Policy Division (Strasbourg) • Responsible for developing key policy documents and instruments, including the Common European Framework of Reference and the European Language Portfolio • European Centre for Modern Languages (Graz) • “Partial agreement” (34 Council of Europe member states) • Projects built around workshops and conferences aim to disseminate ideas and good practice in relation to language teaching and learning. • 2008-2011: 20 projects with 4 thematic areas: • ELP_TT2: Short-term project (follow-up project of ELP_TT) for further implementation of the ELP and dissemination of materials developed in ELP_TT (2004-2007)

7. Origin of CEFR and ELP: Rüschlikon Symposium (1991) recommended the development of a Common European Frameworkof Reference for Languages to • promote and facilitate co-operation among educational institutions in different countries • provide a sound basis for the mutual recognition of language qualifications • assist learners, teachers, course designers, examining bodies and educational administrators to situate and coordinate their efforts. It also recommended the ELP as an implementation tool for the CEFR

8. ELP-pilot projects • Piloting 1998-2000 (18 educational institutions, all domains of language learning; 30.000 learners, 2000 teachers) • 15 Council of Europe member states, 3 INGOs • Swiss ELP-project:  supported the rest by making available checklists that drew on the empirical research on which the common reference levels of the CEFR are based • The Principles and Guidelines that define the ELP and govern validation and accreditation evolved in parallel with this work.

9. Piloting results • Learners of all ages quickly tire of the ELP if they work with it only occasionally, in order to bring it up to date (especially when that is simple a matter of filling in forms and ticking boxes) • Learners value the ELP to the extent that it is central to their language learning • When the ELP is central to language learning it supports the development of learner reflection, self-management and autonomy • The reporting and pedagogical functions support one another

10. Key features of the ELP • Tool for the development of learner autonomy by goal-setting and self-assessment: Learner self-assessment is carried out with checklists based on the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference • Designed to promote plurilingualism and pluriculturalism • Values all language and intercultural learning, whether it takes place in formal educational contexts or outside them

11. Three obligatory ELP-components • Language Passport – summarizes owner’s linguistic identity, her/his language learning and intercultural experience; records owner’s self-assessment (self-assessment grid) • Language Biography – provides reflective accompaniment to the ongoing processes of learning and using second languages and engaging with the cultures associated with them: • Dossier – collects evidence of second language and foreign language proficiency and intercultural experiences.

12. Two functions • Pedagogical function – the ELP: designed to make language learning process more transparent to the learner and foster the development of learner autonomy (cf. the Council of Europe’s commitment to education for democratic citizenship and lifelong learning) • Reporting function – the ELP provides practical evidence of second language and foreign language proficiency and intercultural experience

13. The CEFR‘s common reference levels The Common European Framework of Reference (Council of Europe 2001) defines communicative proficiency • at six levels, arranged in three bands A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 • in relation to five skills: listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, writing • in the form of “can do” statements

14. I can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. I can enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events). Self-assessment grid (CEFR and standard adult passport)

15. CercleS ELP: goal-setting and self-assessment checklists: Spoken interaction, B1

16. Communicative activities and competences To carry out communicative activities, we need several competences: General competences: Declarative knowledge (savoir); Skills and know-how (savoir-faire); Existential competence (savoir-être); Ability to learn (savoir apprendre) Communicative language competences: Linguistic competences; Sociolinguistic competences; Pragmatic competences

17. Status quo and future challenges • Currently 97 validated ELP-models (November 2008) • ELP-Implementation still a challenge in many countries: • Intensive teacher training required: Using the ELP means paradigm shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred classrooms! • Curricula and exams sometimes not compatible with this approach • Who pays for the pupils‘ ELPs? • Rivalry between regional ELP versions blocks national implementation • Process of innovation takes time!  Let‘s join forces to improve the quality of language learning and teaching with the help of the ELP!