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BP 17 European language portfolio – ELPTheme learner Progress monitoring at European level NeedIn the last fifty years, the increase in interest in learning languages, and the growth of language schools across the world, has created a situation where it becomes difficult to know the exact level of a competence certificate awarded to a learner. This is a problem for students wanting to travel to other countries and to companies wanting to employ workers from other countries. DescriptionIn Europe, the Council of Europe has created a framework document that describes in detail language learning competences and assigns levels to each competence. Partly based on the methodology developed for portfolios, the European Language Portfolio (ELP) goes further and has designed a way to produce homogenisation of language school certifications, and transparency among the differing educational systems across Europe. The ELP has three parts : Language PassportThe Passport section provides an overview of the individual’s proficiency in different languages at a given point in time; the overview is defined in terms of skills and the common reference levels in the Common European Framework; it records formal qualifications and describes language competencies and significant language and intercultural learning experiences; it includes information on partial and specific competence; it allows for self-assessment, teacher and assessment by educational institutions and examinations boards; it requires that information entered in the Passport states on what basis, when and by whom the assessment was carried out. To facilitate pan-European recognition and mobility a standard presentation of a Passport Summary is promoted by the Council of Europe for ELPs for adults. Language BiographyThe Language Biography facilitates the learner’s involvement in planning, reflecting upon and assessing his or her learning process and progress; it encourages the learner to state what he/she can do in each language and to include information on linguistic and cultural experiences gained in and outside formal educational contexts; it is organized to promote plurilingualism i.e. the development of competencies in a number of languages. DossierThe Dossier offers the learner the opportunity to select materials to document and illustrate achievements or experiences recorded in the Language Biography or Passport. From www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/main_pages/contents_portfolio.html/ Resources RequiredStudents will need a validated model, that can be found on the Council of Europe website www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio?L=E&M=/main_pages/portfolios.html Implementation MethodologyIt is not very easy to explain in the limited space in this publication how to work with this document, as it has so many possibilities. It is recommended to read the documentation on the website, specifically The European Language Portfolio a guide for teachers and teacher trainers www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/documents/ELPguide_teacherstrainers.pdf Extra Helpwww.coe.int/portfolio BP 19 Learning outside of the classroomTheme Increasing Interest Using Mobility BP for Language schools Need
DescriptionOrganizing lessons outside of the classroom increases a lessons attractiveness and raises interest. It is literally a breath of fresh air to a wilting student and will have a positive effect on their concentration and improve results. Where To Organize A ‘Out Of Classroom Lesson’
Lessons can be ‘Walking and talking’ at a zoo, a shopping centre or street, at an exhibition or museum. visits could be made to a cinema or theatre and the performance made the subject of the lesson afterwards. Resources Required
Implementation MethodologyOutside classroom lessons can be arranged on a regular basis, perhaps once a month or a whole summer course can be organized out of the classroom. Options For Lesson Methodology
Other IssuesLessons out of the classroom are generally more appropriate for experienced students (starting from pre-intermediate level). Extra HelpSee more good ideas about learning out of the classroom at www.eurointeractions.com/projectlingo.htm Bp 48 Writing ProcessTheme Learning to learn how to write NeedOne of the most difficult tasks in language learning is to produce clear written text. The task is difficult even in your mother tongue, and clearly not everyone can produce clear text. Foreign language teachers, often face a situation where they need to teach how to produce a clear text, but the basic skills are not even present in the mother tongue of the student. If we see writing as a process, with logical steps, we can then simplify the task. In addition, once the skill has been taught it can be transferred across all the languages being learnt. DescriptionWriting is a process that involves at least four distinct steps
It is a recursive process. While you are revising, you might have to return to the prewriting step to develop and expand your ideas. You can access open courseware materials that describe the technique www.ocw.usu.edu/English/english-1010/writing-process.html Research has shown the benefits of this approach that has been extensively used in USA and now in Europe. Extra HelpWriting centre at MIT www.web.mit.edu/writing/Writing_Process/writingprocess.html |
Adult students who are at work all day (often in an office) and then follow their working day with language lessons, are often bored by the school environment as their tolerance threshold is low (even if the school is beautifully decorated as described in BP31). This is particularly true during the summer when being outside is most attractive.