L1 - ACTIVITY 1.4

L1 - Activity 1.4

a) What is the ELP?

ELP stands for European Languages Portfolio, which  is a complex instrument for self-assesment of language competences, in accordance with the reference levels introduced by the council of Europe. simplifying it a little bit, we could agree that it is a a document which provides information about its owner's communication competence sin several languages.

b) Which three components are included in the ELP?

The ELP is conformed by three components: 

First the language passport, that summarises its owner's linguistic identity, language learning and intercultural experience and records its owner's self-assessment against the self-assessment grid in the CEFR as well.

Secondly, the Language biography, which in one hand, it provides a reflective accompaniment to the ongoing processes of learning, using second languages and engaging with the cultures associated with them. and on the other hand uses "I can" checklists for goal setting and self-assessment.

And lastly, the dossier, where it is collected evidence of L2 proficiency, intercultural experience and where portfolio learning is supported.

c) What are the main aims of the ELP?

The European languages portfolio has four main objectives: 

• To stimulate lifelong language learning in a spirit of tolerance and respect for cultural and linguistic diversity, all languages being given equal status, wether learned in school, at home or elsewhere outside the organized school environment.
• To empower the learner by transferring the responsibility for language learning from the teacher to the learner/language user.
• To provide a basis for consistent (self-) assessment of communication competences.
• To allow learners to present their language skills certifications in any language, at any level, in a clearly understandable way, using a standardized common european system of six language proficiency levels.

d) How would you implement a portfolio system or some aspects of it in a secondary EFL classroom?

We believe that it would be a great resourse to use in secondary schools, being that it shows the student their development on the different languages and having physical evidence of their achivements could promote, self-motivation, autonomous learning and reflection on the learning process.

For all those reasons, it would be a good idea to have periodic self assessments in the english classroom that could go on an special folder in the classroom. This folder would become their portfolio, they could also have their language passport, biography and a dossier in which they could keep their best class works, in order to keep track of their achievements in the english language. 

Something that we would apply as well, would be to promote the use of the portfolio in other language subjects, being that the biography and passport section would be more or less the same for all subjects, and so the students could visually evaluate and compare their development, strengths and weaknesses on the different languages they are learning and improve on the ones they might be a bit behind.

Another initiative that could be taken in the english classroom, if it is possible and the students have access to computers and internet in the school and their houses, would be to create an online portfolio, that would be used in the same way as the paper one, but also has the advantages that there are lots of online resources  and templates that would save time and paper and would work make students work on their digital competence.