Transcript CEFR and ELP seminar - Welcome to the ECML | Bienvenue au …

CEFR and ELP seminar
Introduction
SKOPJE
16th and 17th February 2007
Dick Meijer
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Two main themes
Methods for introducing the ELP to
learners
Strategies for working with the ELP
in the classroom
But we start with ...
Brief introduction on ELP and
correlation between ELP and CEFR
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Schedule of program
Friday, 16th February
Saturday, 17th February
10.00 Opening and Presentation of the
ECML in Graz (Adrian Butler)
10.00 Presentation of Program of
ECML in Graz (Adrian Butler)
11.00 - ELP Introduction CEFR and
10.30 ELP and intercultural aspects
ELP
12.00 Coffee Break
12.30 Coffee Break
12.15 ELP and levels of proficiency
12.45 Aspects of using the ELP in
classroom: The aspect of selfassessment
14.00 Snack
14.00 Snack
15.00 How to introduce the ELP?
Summarizing and developing action
plans
15.00 ELP and action oriented tasks
16.00 Welcome Vice-Minister
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ELP Introduction:
What is the ELP?
Three obligatory components
– Language passport
– Language biography
– Dossier
Language passport – summarizes the
owner’s:
– linguistic identity
– language learning
– Intercultural experiences
Language passport – records the owner’s:
– Self-assessment against Self-assessment Grid
in the CEFR
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ELP Introduction:
What is the ELP?
Language biography provides a
reflective accompaniment to :
– Ongoing processes of learning
– Using second languages
– Engaging with the cultures associated
with second languages
Language biography uses ‘I can’
checklists for goal setting and selfassessment
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ELP Introduction:
What is the ELP?
Dossier collects
– Evidence of second language proficiency
and intercultural experiences
Dossier supports
– Portfolio learning
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The functions of the ELP
Pedagogical:
– The ELP is designed
to make the language learning process more
transparent to the language learner
to foster the development of learner
autonomy
Reporting:
– The ELP provides practical evidence of
second language proficiency and
intercultural experiences
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Key features
Values all language and intercultural
learning (in formal educational
contexts or outside them)
Designed to promote plurilingualism
and pluriculturalism (challenge to
design)
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Challenges
To pedagogy
– To promote learner autonomy
By stimulating reflection on
– content
– process of learning
By assigning central role to self-assessment
To curricula
– Often felt as additional effort not related to
curriculum
To assessment
– CEFR opens possibility to bring curriculum,
pedagogy and assessment into closer
interaction
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Challenges
A ‘can do’ descriptor implies
– A learning target
– Teaching/learning activities
– Assessment criteria
Self-assessment checklists in ELP can
serve same three functions
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Correlation between
CEFR and ELP
Conference 1991 (Rüschlikon/CH)
recommended to establish ‘a
comprehensive, coherent and transparent
framework for the description of language
proficiency’
Also ‘there should be devised (...) a
common instrument allowing individuals
who so desire to maintain a record of their
language learning achievement and
experience, formal or informal’.
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Correlation between
CEFR and ELP
CEFR describes common levels of
language proficiency
These common levels are fundamental to
the ELP because
– they make the relation between the ELP and
the CEFR explicit
– it would be difficult to imagine a coherent ELP
concept capable of being translated into many
different forms, all of them sharing a strong
family resemblance.
(Little 2006)
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Growing competences
Being more competent means to be able to carry
out more and more activities
Competences
Activities
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Experiences (e.g. Netherlands)
Involvement of several institutes
(experts in special area's)
These institutes invited teachers to
take part in project
Training for teachers (but we had still
the idea: ELP 'sells' itself)
We organized research
Conclusion: this is the wrong way
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Experiences
What was wrong?
It did not solve a problem of the
teacher
The descriptors were difficult to
understand for learners (especially
young learners)
There were no 'end-users'
The wrong focus: checklists
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Experiences
To prepare teachers: let them have
experience with a portfolio
Try to solve a problem of the teacher
(motivation?)
Show good practices
Focus on the dossier
Make learners understand the descriptors
(situations and explanations)
Offer all kinds of activities
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Experiences
Make clear: using a portfolio has
consequences for the curriculum
The textbook has to play a different
role
First we thought: ELP
implementation is 'a piece of cake'
Now we know: it is difficult, takes
years and not only offer something
but ask for involvement
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Experiences
Nowadays:
We offer support in developing learning
activities
We focus on problem solving (e.g. ongoing
language learning)
Involvement of more teachers in a school
(e.g. not one teacher but all teachers in
one year or all teachers for German)
We bring the teachers together to talk
about their problems, ideas and solutions
We offer the use of the website for free
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Aspects for introducing the ELP
Which ways?
Contents and consequences
– ELP and self-assessment (2)
– ELP and action-oriented tasks (3)
– ELP and textbooks (3)
– ELP and levels of proficiency (4)
– ELP and intercultural aspects (5)
– So which ways? Which actions?(6)
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Developing teacher’s experience
Gaining own experiences with ELP
Check your own competences in a
foreign language you do not teach!
Why do you think your performance
would be a proof for a certain level?
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