European Language Portfolio

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• European Language Portfolio
• A way into developing responsibility and
  awareness in language learning

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QUESTIONS TO BEGIN WITH

• Nowadays importance to know different languages
  is obvious. Which do you think are the most
  important ones? Why?
• Do you think that its possible to learn L1, L2
  and L3 in the stages of Childhood Education and
  Primary Education?
• What are the reasons why adults fail to succeed
  (and most of them do) in learning foreign
  languages?

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THE EUROPEAN LANGUAGEPORTFOLIO

• Personal document to register ones experiences
  of language learning.
• Communicative approach
• Reflection and self-assessment
• Developed by the Department of Linguistic Policy
  of the Council of Europe (1998-2000)

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Principles

• Any version of the ELP must be validated by the
  council of Europes validation committee and
  follow these principles
• The ELP is the property of the learners.
• All competence is valued regardless whether its
  gained inside or outside formal education.

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Principles

• Its linked to the Common European Framework of
  Reference for Languages.
• It encourages lifelong language learning as the
  learner takes responsibility for their own
  learning, evaluation and assessment.
• The ELP includes intercultural and personal
  experiences.

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FUNCTIONS OF THE ELP

• PEDAGOGICAL FUNCTIONS
• More transparent process for students
• Assumption of responsibility
• Students autonomy
• Education through life
• RECORDING FUNCTIONS
• Complete official certificates with additional
  information
• International standards.

It means that the ELP enables language learners
to...
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ELP enables students to

• To write down the advances that each person does
  in the learning of languages.

• To orientate motivation, increase self-confidence
  and promote the development of learning
  strategies.

• To take record of the own language and culture
  learning experiences.

• To reflect what the holder can do in each of the
  languages he/she knows.

• To recognize how and when one learns

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PLURILINGUALISM

• Multilingualism
• Knowledge of languages.
• Co-existence of languages in society.
• Diversifying the languages on offer.
• Encouraging pupils to learn more languages.
• Reducing the dominant position of English.

• Plurilingualism
• Communicative competence to which all knowledge
  and experience of language contributes and in
  which languages interrelate and interact.
• The aim is to develop a linguistic repertory.
• The languages offered in educational institutions
  should be diversified and students given the
  opportunity to develop a plurilingual competence.
• Motivation, skill and confidence in facing new
  language experiences.

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ELP as a Tool for Learning

• The ELP is a tool for learning
• Its the property of the learner.
• Learners discuss and negotiate the aims, content
  and processes of their work.
• They develop a reflective approach to language
  learning and strategies to learn independently.

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ELP as a Tool for Assessing and Recording

• The ELP is a tool for assessing and recording
• Learners can show off their competence to others.
• Learners can record and see at a glance their
  achievement and progress.
• Progress can be recorded repeatedly over time
  with the Languages Ladder.

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Content of the ELP

• The ELP has three main sections
• My Language Passport
• My Language Biography
• My Dossier

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Overview of the ELP

• 1 Language Passport
• The Language Passport is a record of students
  language skills, qualifications and experiences
  (in one or more languages, including their own).
  For the passport, the learner records their
  profile of language skills in relation to the
  Common European Framework, a résumé of language
  learning and intercultural experiences, and a
  record of certificates and diplomas.

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Overview of the ELP

• 2 Language Biography
• The Language Biography facilitates planning,
  reflection and self-assessment of progress in a
  number of languages.

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Overview of the ELP

• 3 Dossier
• The Dossier offers the learner the opportunity to
  document evidence and illustrate their
  achievements and experiences recorded in the
  Passport.

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My Language Passport

• The Passport is a record of the childs learning
  experiences
• Languages learnt or heard at home
• Languages learnt at school / college / university
• Languages learnt out of school / college /
  university
• Contacts and intercultural experiences

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COMPONENTS OF THE ELP

• THE LANGUAGE PASSPORT
• A summary of the competences acquired
• In terms of capacities
• Record of formal qualifications
• Linguistic competences and linguistic and
  intercultural experiences
• Self-assessment, teachers assessment and
  official examinations commissions assessment.

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Why use it?

• Particularly useful for
• Enabling learners to describe their level of
  proficiency
• Reflecting on partial competence, and on
  plurilingualism
• Thinking about goals, and how long it will take
  to achieve them

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CEFR levels
Basic User
http//www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/ManualR
evision-proofread-FINAL_en.pdf
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CEFR levels
Independent User
http//www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/ManualR
evision-proofread-FINAL_en.pdf
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CEFR levels
Proficient User
http//www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/ManualR
evision-proofread-FINAL_en.pdf
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COMPONENTS OF THE ELP

• THE LANGUAGE BIOGRAPHY
• Enables the holder to
• Get involved in the planning, reflection and
  assessment of learning process.
• Encourage the recording of the things he/she can
  do
• Encourage the gathering of information about
  linguistic and cultural experiences outside the
  formal educative context
• Foster multilingualism

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My Language Biography

• Its an ever changing part of the ELP
• Learners should revisit and update it at frequent
  intervals.
• They reflect upon and record whay they can do and
  thus become aware of their own progress.
• Learners can look ahead at new targets and think
  about how they can learn.

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My Language Biography

• Progress can be recorded on several areas
• Listening
• Speaking Production
• Speaking Interaction
• Reading
• Writing
• Intercultural undestanding

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My Language Biography

• Repeating the process of reflection about targets
  and self evaluation gives them responsibility
  about their own learning.
• If the students reach the levels in the
  portfolio, the teacher can set new targets and
  add them to it.

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My Dossier

• The dossier is a personal collection of the
  learners work
• Students file any special pieces of work,
  pictures or recordings that show their
  achievement.
• They must take responsibility for what is
  included, removed or replaced.
• Its contents must be reviewed on a regular basis.

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My dossier

• As the dossier grows, it can be divided into
  different sections. For example
• Songs and rhymes
• My e-pal
• My pictures and words
• Meeting people
• Stories heard
• Stories read
• Comics
• Interesting websites
• Slideshares created

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My Dossier

• Pictures
• e-mail messages
• Selected written work
• Photos
• Postcards
• Audio and video
• recordings

• Letters
• Games
• Word lists
• Posters
• Diagrams
• Reflections on language learning
• Blog web page entries

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Dossier Some Ideas to Use

• Teachers must encourage reflection on dossier
  work
• Students can discuss what a good dossier looks
  like.
• Students can disscuss what work would show best
  what they have learnt and the level they have
  achieved.
• Students must show the dossier to others
  regularly.

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Using ELP in the Classroom

• The ELP should be used from the beginning of the
  childs school life to encourage the development
  of
• Learning language strategies communicating,
  practising a new language, memorising, applying
  prior knowledge, listening and understanding
• Value and awareness of other cultures.
• Awareness of self progress.

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How to use ELP with HSE students?

• Language development (e.g. Grammar)
• Functional language
• IELTS preparation
• Speaking production
• Speaking Interaction
• Writing Production
• Others-????

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So, after all, why use it?

• Particularly useful for
• Reflecting on and sharing learning strategies

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From Theory to Practice
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Templates and Resources, e.g. My Language
Biography

• Presentation of the learner Section
  Presentation of the learner
• My name is .
• I was born on
• I use the following language(s) actively or
  passively
• at home
• with friends
• I have learned or have started to learn the
  following other languages outside school
• (travel, visits, exchanges, meetings, etc)
• .
• .
• .
• I learned or have been learning the following
  languages at school or in language classes
• Languagefrom / since to

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Templates and Resources

• How I use my languages Section Presentation of
  the learner
• A. Outside language classes, I use/have used the
  languages which I am learning or already know in
  the following situations
• in other classes
• DateLanguage(s)When? Where? With whom? What I
  think of that and what I gain from
  it//20.//20.//20.
• in my school, my training course or my workplace
• DateLanguage(s)When? Where? With whom? What I
  think of that and what I gain from
  it//20.//20.//20.
• round about me in my home area
• DateLanguage(s)When? Where? With whom?What I
  think of that and what I gain from
  it//20.//20.//20.
• during regular meetings with other people
  (sports, with friends, etc)
• DateLanguage(s)When? Where? With whom?What I
  think of that and what I gain from
  it//20.//20.//20.
• during my leisure activities
• DateLanguage(s)When? Where? With whom?What I
  think of that and what I gain from
  it//20.//20.//20.

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Templates and Resources

• television or the media 
• DateLanguage(s)For example,What I think of that
  and what I gain from it//20.//20.//20.
• when reading
• DateLanguage(s)For example,What I think of that
  and what I gain from it//20.//20.//20.
• Internet
• DateLanguage(s)For example,What I think of that
  and what I gain from it//20.//20.//20.
• B. I sometimes use/have used several languages at
  the same time or mediate/have mediated
  between people from different cultures speaking
  different languages, for example
• - to help a tourist or other person who cannot
  make themselves understood,
• - to help a person speaking another language who
  does not understand something specific about a
  group to which I belong, my region or my country,
• - to tell someone else about a text or a message
  which I have read or heard in another language,
• - etc.
• DateSituationLanguages used How did I manage?What
  I found difficult. What helped me.//20.-
  .- .- .//20.- .- .-
  .//20.- .- .- .//20.-
  .- .- .

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Registering Your ELP

• How you register
• Self-declaration you declare that your model
  conforms to the ELP Principles and Guidelines.
• Confirmation procedure a simple questionnaire.
• Personal information required the developer, and
  the target group for which the model has been
  developed
• Commitment to make your model available for
  others to see.

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Registering Your ELP

• The registration procedure
• 1. Consult the Introduction to the Registartion
  Form this takes you through the questions on the
  registration form and explains how they relate to
  the ELP Principles and Guidelines 2. Request
  access to the registration form. 3. Once access
  has been granted, complete and submit the online
  Registration Form4. The Language Policy Division
  of the Council of Europe will check the
  registration
• 5. If there are no problems, you will be
  sent the registration number for the model and
  access to the logos
• 6. After you have added the registration
  number and the logos, you can confirm the
  registration and submit the final version of the
  model. 7. Your model will then be added to the
  list of registered models and made available for
  inspection on the website

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Registered Models
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Why register?

• Why should you consider registering your ELP
  model?
• Registration provides visibility for your work in
  developing and implementing your model.
• Registration enables you to use the logos of the
  Council of Europe and the European Language
  Portfolio, thus giving your model an
  internationally recognized dimension.
• Registration can put you in touch with colleagues
  working in similar contexts.
• And...
• The online registration procedure is quick and
  easy.

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Validation Committee Comments

• Areas for change
• Percentage in relation to the total number of
  comments (759)
• Presentation and consistency of the model 23.58
• Self-assessment arrangements 17.65
• Inclusion of the European dimension 17.65
• Consequences of the principle of learner
  ownership 11.86
• Education in the values of linguistic and
  cultural diversity 8.17
• Promotion of plurilingualism 5.93
• Intercultural dimension 5.80
• Possibilities for repeated use of the ELP 5.14
• Development of learning to learn skills 3.69
• Communication strategies 0.53

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EPOSTL
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Main aims of the EPOSTL

• to encourage you to reflect on the competences a
  teacher strives to attain and on the underlying
  knowledge which feeds this knowledge
• to help prepare you for your future profession in
  a variety of teaching contexts
• to promote discussion between you and your peers
  and between you and your teacher educators and
  mentors
• to facilitate self-assessment of your developing
  competence
• to provide an instrument which helps chart
  progress

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• The EPOSTL contains the following sections
• A personal statement section to help you to
  reflect on general questions related to teaching.
• All competence is valued regardless whether its
  gained inside or outside formal education.
• A self-assessment section, consisting of can do
  descriptors, to facilitate reflection and
  self-assessment
• A dossier, in which you can make the outcome of
  your self-assessment transparent, to provide
  evidence of progress and to record examples of
  work relevant to teaching
• A glossary of the most important terms relating
  to language learning and teaching used in EPOSTL
• An index of terms used in the descriptors
• A users guide which gives detailed information
  about the EPOSTL

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Categorisation of Self-assessment Descriptors
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Self-assessment Scales

• Visualise to chart your own competences
• Descriptors accompanied by bars
• Bars can be coloured in
• The bar may be changing over time, e.g.

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Yes, I can Language Teacher Self-assessment

• YES, I CAN
• Context / Aims and needs
• I can take into account the AFFECTIVE NEEDS OF
  LEARNERS (sense of achievement, enjoyment, etc.)
• 
  
• Context / The role of the language teacher
• I can appreciate and make use of the value added
  to the classroom environment by learners with
  diverse cultural background
• 
  .
• Methodology / Speaking (Spoken Interaction)
• I can evaluate and select meaningful speaking and
  interactional activities to encourage learners of
  different abilities to participate
• 
  ..
• Methodology / Writing (Written interaction)
• I can use peer assessment and feedback to assess
  the writing process
• 
  .
• Methodology / Listening
• I can evaluate and select a variety of
  post-listening tasks to provide a bridge between
  listening and other skills
• 
  .
• Lesson planning / Identification of learning
  objectives
• I can involve learners in lesson planning
• 
  .

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Dossier

• You are encouraged to include
• Evidence from lessons you have given
• Evidence in the form of lesson observations and
  evaluations
• Detailed reports, comments, checklists compiled
  by different peopel involved in your teacher
  education
• Evidence from your action points (of what you
  have done as ateacher) and learners tasks and
  related performances
• Evidence in the form of case studies and action
  research
• Evidence from reflection

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ELP and Lifelong Language Learning Myth or
Reality?

• In language learning its attitude, not aptitude
  that determines success
• Steve Kaufman
• Creator of LingQ.com author of The Way of The
  Linguist
• Languages are not difficult, they are just
  different!
• Benny the Irish Polyglot, author of Speak from
  Day 1 course

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Adults Can Learn Faster

• Contrary to popular belief, adults are actually
  better, or at least faster, language learners
  than children. We grown ups have three main
  advantages over ankle biters
• Adults have the power of choice
• Adults have learned how to learn
• Adults have big vocabularies to draw upon

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The Power of Choice

• The freedom to choose what you learn, why you
  learn, and how you learn significantly increases
  motivation, enjoyment, and retention. Most people
  develop a hatred for foreign languages in school
  because they have no control over any of these
  choices. If language courses were optional, both
• enjoyment and proficiency would significantly
  rise.

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Adults Know How to Learn

• You have already learned how to drive, operate
  the printer at work, program the clock on your
  DVD player, and fix that toilet that keeps
  running for some reason. You learned all of these
  things more quickly than any child could because
  you have already learned so many other things.
  Every task you learn helps you learn other tasks.
  And every language you delve into makes the next
  one that much easier to learn.

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Adults Have Big Vocabularies

• Infants must first develop basic cognitive
  functions before
• they can begin acquiring the language around them
  (what
• Steven Pinker calls mentalese). Assuming you
  dont have
• brain damage, adults already have fully developed
  mentalese
• and a massive vocabulary to draw from. You
  already know the meaning of photosynthesis you
  need simply learn its
• equivalent in a foreign language.

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Top Tips Motivating Adult Learners

• The last and latest news releases (BBC, CNN,
  ABC news, PBS news, Russia Today, France 24 etc.)
• Different buttons to push
• Ladies or gentlemen?
• Fashion-conscious girls or speculating boys?
• Culture vultures or career oriented?
• Rising stars or mature working dogs?

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Watching the News Sample Worksheet (subsctr.)

• Cannes and the Crisis
• Before you watch
• Have you seen the film Wall Street? If yes,
  what is it about? If not, what do you think it
  could be about, judging by the date of its
  production, which is 1987?
• Vocabulary
• to be on hand
• swell to twice
• climb-up
• to busk
• to encounter
• murky depths
• suspense
• an unscrupulous profit-hunter
• without conscious
• After you watch
• How was Cannes busking for the ceremony?
• Why does Michael Douglas think, Gordon Gekko is
  so popular?
• Why is the sequel just in time?
• What is Oliver Stones confused about? What is his
  conviction about the current regime?
• What does, as the director of the German film
  says, the key point of the film he has produced?
  Is it about the crisis?

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Watching the News Sample Worksheet (subsctr.)

• After you watch
• What did Luzhkov write in his resignation letter?
• What are the two ways of leaving the mayors post
  in Russia?
• What, as Frenchmen think, may Luzhkovs dismissal
  lead to?
• How did the controversy begin?
• Are the views of the President and his Deputy
  different?
• What is the Arabian version of the mayors sack?
• What is the French version of the battle between
  the President and mayor? Gibe two reasons.

• SACKED AND THE CITY
• Watch the news releases and compare them. How
  different are they?
• Before you watch
• AP
• Lose confidence in
• To be notified
• Resignation letter
• A lack of backing
• Crumbling Russian capital
• To be blanketed in
• To bulldoze
• Another red flag
• Tenure
• RT
• To sue
• Supreme court
• To be up to
• To be under rights
• To face an investigation

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Now Get Going!

• Develop your ELP to make the first step toward
  life-long learning!

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• Thank you for your attention