Preparing Teachers To Use The European Language Portfolio

Launched by the Council of Europe, the European Language Portfolio (ELP) has rapidly become one of the most influential instruments in the reform of language teaching and learning practice in Europe.

The European Language Portfolio aims to foster the development of learner autonomy, intercultural awareness and plurilingualism. Teachers of particular languages working on their own can use the ELP to promote learner autonomy, but the goals of intercultural awareness and plurilingualism invite us to use the ELP in all foreign language classes at all levels in the school. The guide introduces the language education policy that underpins the ELP, explores the key concepts that it embodies, and explains how to plan, implement and evaluate whole-school ELP projects. The ten case studies published on the project website illustrate various dimensions of ELP use and include practical suggestions and activities for teachers and learners.

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) is a tool for developing learner responsibility and autonomy through reflection and self-awareness.The ELP is based on the Common European Framework (CEF) Reference Levels that enable learners to describe what they can do in different languages.The CEF is a Council of Europe initiative aimed at improving the learning of foreign languages. This paper uses the internet to look at how the ELP has been implemented in different settings and to suggest how the ELP may be approached. The paper introduces a small-scale case study of ELP pilot implementation in a university preparatory school. The results from this institution show many similarities with responses in other places, and demonstrate the importance of integrating the ELP with the existing programme, providing teacher training and clarifying the status and purpose of the ELP. Analysis of documents on the internet shows a number of important factors. The most successful examples of ELP use involved integration of the ELP in the institution's programme, training for teachers and students and a high level of commitment of time and financial resources by teachers and administrators. Responses from teachers were often extremely positive, others showed interest but many also expressed reservations about the ELP. Student responses were generally but not universally positive and a number of criticisms were raised concerning the status and purpose of the ELP. The paper provides full internet links so readers can access the same documents. The paper concludes firstly that future ELP use could exploit the internet for teacher training and secondly that thorough preparation of staff, students and programmes are needed when an innovative tool such as ELP is introduced. The basis for thorough preparation could involve detailed familiarisation with the CEF Reference Levels. A webliography lists 11 related internet resources. (Contains 5 tables.).

The European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL) is a document intended for students undergoing their initial teacher education which encourages them to reflect on the didactic knowledge and skills necessary to teach languages, helps them to assess their own didactic competences and enables them to monitor their progress and to record their experiences of teaching during the course of their teacher education. It was developed for the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe by a team of teacher educators from Armenia, Austria, Norway, Poland and UK, assisted by student teachers and teacher educators from all 33 member states of the ECML. Building on insights from the Common European Framework of Reference and the European Language Portfolio as well as the European Commission-financed project European Profile for Language Teacher Education - A Frame of Reference (Profile), it seeks to help prepare students for their future profession in a variety of teaching contexts. Further, the EPOSTL can facilitate discussion of aims and curricula between teacher educators working within different national or European contexts.

The European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages is a tool for reflection and self-assessment of the didactic knowledge and skills necessary to teach languages. It builds on insights from the Common European Framework of Reference and the European Language Portfolio as well as the European Profile for Language Teacher Education. Four years after its initial publication it has been translated into twelve European and Asian languages.To meet widespread demand this ECML publication provides materials which support its implementation in teacher education. The book entitled Using the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages presents examples, discussions and research findings of how the EPOSTL is used in initial teacher education courses, in bi-lateral teacher education programs and in teaching practice. The accompanying folder and flyer feature, amongst other things, guidelines for strategic measures for introducing the EPOSTL in a particular institution.

Annotation The editors of this volume believe that there is a need to reflect on the significant contribution that the ELP has delivered for language learning and teaching, and to critically evaluate its achievements. This volume offers a range of investigations from theoretical studies to practical cases around these issues.

This publication explores the roles and tasks carried out by language educators - teachers, teacher trainers, materials writers and others - and the way in which these might develop in the years to come.Emphasis is placed on the educative role of language teachers and the importance of adapting the language education to meet the needs of an increasingly multilingual and multicultural Europe.The authors suggest that this may lead to the development of a new paradigm for language teaching and that this will require a new didactic approach. Language education will be influenced by technological d.

This collection examines a diverse range of approaches to multilingualism in teacher education programmes across Europe and North America. The authors investigate how pre-service teachers are being prepared to work in multilingual contexts and discuss the key features of current pre-service teacher education initiatives that address the increasing linguistic and cultural diversity evident in classrooms in their respective countries. The focus is not only on migrant-background learners but includes students from Indigenous, autochthonous and heritage language backgrounds, and speakers of minoritised regional varieties. The chapters contextualise, both historically and ideologically, the specific initiatives and measures taken in the participating countries. They also reveal the complexity of each educational context and the role that history, language policies and institutional and programmatic priorities play in the development and implementation of a multilingual focus in teacher education. In exploring how pre-service teachers are being prepared to work in multilingual contexts, the authors take a critical view of how multilingualism itself is conceptualised within and across contexts. The book highlights the valuable impact that explicit instruction on theories of multilingualism, pedagogies in multilingual classrooms and lived realities of multilingual children can have on the beliefs and practices of pre-service teachers.

The Portfolio has three parts and is accompanied by a teacher's guide: 1. My language biography: A personalised learning diary making children aware of their achievements as they learn. 2. My dossier: Where learners can file work and materials to illustrate the achievements recorded in the Language biography or Language passport. 3. My language passport: An overview of the learner's knowledge and experiences of different languages, including cultural experiences.

Pathways presents an innovative way of reflecting on the multidimensionality of assessment, learning and teaching in line with the CEFR. It has been designed to support professionals at all levels. The two main components of Pathways - guide and kit - integrated by various indexes, mind maps and examples of scenarios, encourage users to work in a non linear way and to select and customize. The guide addresses those fundamental concepts in the CEFR that may not be readily transparent and that especially warrant "unpacking" for educational practices in a way that is clear and accessible for professionals, both in their pre- and in-service teacher education. The kit offers 107 worksheets, which serve as a bridge for teacher educators and teachers, to reflect on these concepts and to relate them appropriately to pedagogical practices.