The European Language Portfolio

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The European Language Portfolio

• A tool for standards and quality in language
  learning,
• teaching assessment

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Portfolios 1

• Aims
• to give added value to language learning
• to promote plurilingualism
• to encourage reflection on ones own language
  learning progress and achievement
• to contribute to the mobility in Europe of
  workers and students

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Portfolios 1

• Aims
• to give added value to language learning
• to promote plurilingualism
• to encourage reflection on ones own language
  learning progress and achievement
• to contribute to the mobility in Europe of
  workers and students

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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

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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

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The biography

• An account of the learners language learning and
  language use
• The language spoken at home and by parents and
  grandparents
• School language learning
• Languages learnt outside the school on holiday,
  trips, with relatives
• Language learning priorities

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The Passport

• Official evidence of language competence and
  knowledge
• The passport is standard to all recognised
  passports and is based on the Common Scale of
  Reference
• It record
• Diplomas and certificates
• School language learning results
• Inter-cultural experiences
• Self-assessment

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The dossier

• Contains personal work of the learner who chooses
  what s/he wants to put in
• Projects
• Written work
• Audio cassettes
• Videos
• Computer programmes etc
• Learners change the contents as their skills and
  knowledge develop

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Some questions

• Portfolios are expensive in money and time is
  it worthwhile?
• Is self-assessment reliable?
• Do learners want continuous self-assessment and
  discussion of the learning process?
• Will employers and educational institutions use
  and recognise it?

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Some responses

• Piloting has shown very positive acceptance from
  learners, especially young learners, who see it
  as giving prestige and value
• Self-assessment gives very reliable results in
  comparison with exams etc.
• Employers and universities generally welcome a
  standardised system of recording language
  achievement

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The Common Scale of Reference

• The Common Scale of Reference is the core of the
  cef.
• It describes user competence at 6 levels
• Basic user A1 (Breakthrough) A2 (Waystage)
• Independent user B1 (Threshold) B2 (Vantage)
• Proficient user C1 (Effective proficiency) C2
  (Mastery)

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A Basic user
B independent user
C proficient user
A1
A2
B1
B2
C1
C2
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Levels can be sub-divided

• The levels are too broad to show progress over a
  short period, so you can sub-divide them. The
  Swiss education system has six levels up to B1
  (A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, B1.1, B1.2) for
  compulsory schooling up to the age of 16.

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How much vocabulary do you need?

• A2
• B1
• B2

• Around 850 words
• Around 1500 words (Threshold level)
• Around 4500 words

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Examples of descriptors 1

• A1 Can understand and use familiar everyday
  expressions and very basic phrases aimed at
  satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can
  introduce him / herself and can ask and answer
  questions about personal details, such as where
  he/ she lives, people he/she knows and things
  he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided
  the other person talks slowly and clearly and is
  prepared to help.

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Examples of descriptors 2

• C2 Can understand with ease everything heard or
  read. Can summarise information from different
  spoken and written sources, reconstructing
  arguments and accounts in a coherent
  presentation. Can express himself / herself
  spontaneously, very fluently and precisely,
  differentiating finer shades of meaning even I
  more complex situations

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The importance of the scale

• Its been adopted by ALTE (UCLES, Goethe,
  Alliance Française etc.) and will be used as the
  level descriptor for their exams and equivalences
• A number of countries are using it / going to use
  it as a basis for school language certification
  (France, Italy, Finland)
• The European Language Portfolio is based on it
  and the self-assessment scale
• It will affect the levels used in coursebooks etc.

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Task one placing learners on the scale

• Choose a language or languages that you have
  learnt as a second or foreign language
• Look at the Scale of Reference to estimate your
  broad level
• Check the self-assessment grid to see if you have
  different levels for different skills
• Use the checklists to fine tune your
  self-assessment
• Compare your results / reactions with your
  partners