European Language Portfolio Research Articles

CURRENT SITUATION AND CHALLENGES IN EFL TEACHER EDUCATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION WITH RESPECT TO GENDER AND SEXUAL-AFFECTIVE DIVERSITY

Gender identity and sexual diversity remain significant sources of discrimination in the 21st century, exacerbated by pervasive androcentrism, cisnormativity, and heteronormativity. In the context of the European Union (EU), education is critical for fostering social cohesion among an increasingly multicultural population due to migration and mobility. Initial Language Teacher Education (ILTE) plays a pivotal role in preparing future educators to instill values of diversity, inclusion, and interculturality. Despite the EU's efforts to unify educational frameworks through programs like Erasmus+ and initiatives such as the European Language Portfolio, discrepancies persist across member states regarding language teacher training curricula. These variations hinder the broader aim of creating an inclusive, cohesive educational system grounded in human rights and equality, particularly concerning gender and sexual diversity. This paper explores the challenges and proposes the need for a unified ILTE training that integrates the principles of inclusivity, social diversity, and respect for all identities.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0706/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Attitudes of Graduate and Undergraduate Students towards the Electronic Language Portfolio

The aim of this paper is to explore students’ perceptions of the electronic version of the European Language Portfolio (eELP). The participants of this study were students of undergraduate and graduate degrees in education at two private universities in Spain. Both groups used the digital platform of the European Language Portfolio developed by Spanish Service for Internationalization of Education (SEPIE). The authors used a quantitative survey based on two questionnaires that were used in previously published and cited research, administered through Google Forms. The results of this study indicate that both undergraduate and graduate students value the eELP positively, however graduate students were consistently less positive about this tool. The researchers identified statistically significant levels of dissimilarity in four of the nine items on the survey. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into which aspects of the ePortfolio are most relevant to graduate students and which ones to undergraduate students. Additionally, students’ comments complement the survey findings and shed light on what components of eELP could be improved. It is hoped that this research will encourage educators to consider these aspects in the implementation of the eELP in higher education.

Türkçenin Yabancı Dil Olarak Öğretiminde Kullanılan Ders Kitaplarının Evrensel Değerler Açısından İncelenmesi

The most preferred materials used in teaching Turkish as a foreign language are books. Textbooks are the most sought-after materials because the subjects are arranged according to levels, the information is collected in a group, and they are a material that the student can follow. Since textbooks have a great role in foreign language teaching, they need to complete not only the teaching part but also the education part. The teacher should not only teach the lesson but should also be helpful to society and humanity, aware of values, and strive to raise good people. According to the European Language Portfolio, it is important to include universal values in textbooks prepared for foreign language teaching. In this study, it is aimed to compare Harmoni 3, Yagmur 4 and Istanbul B1 books, prepared for teaching Turkish to foreigners, in terms of universal values. Mix method, that is, mixed method, which includes qualitative and quantitative research, will be used in the study. A table will be created by coding universal values, textbooks will be examined page by page, listening text and existing values in each subject will be determined. Later, these values will be presented comparatively in tables and explained by stating their frequencies. Key Words: Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Universal Values, Values Education, Ethic, Harmoni 3, Yagmur 4, Istanbul B1

Improving university students' cooperation skills through portfolio projects: A pilot study

AbstractIn the autumn semester of the academic year 2019/2020, a portfolio approach was introduced and piloted in one of the ESP courses offered by Budapest Business School's Faculty of Finance and Accountancy. Besides developing ESP skills, the portfolio tasks developed for the purpose of this research and introduced during the research project reported herein were intended to improve students' cooperation skills, which are essential in the job market. At the beginning of the same semester in order to forecast how successful this portfolio approach could be, we intended to obtain insights into our students' initial attitudes towards cooperation with peers and wished to look into the likelihood of participants' positive reception of cooperation-purpose portfolio tasks. To this end, a quantitative questionnaire study was carried out through an online platform amongst 49 Hungarian university students. This paper presents the results of this study. First, the relevant theoretical background is presented, namely, cooperation as a soft skill and its subskills. Then the possibilities and opportunities of improving cooperation skills during ESP classes are discussed: in the scope of our study, relying on the methodological approach offered by of the European Language Portfolio, cooperation skills were developed through cooperation-purpose portfolio tasks. Next, our study describes the quantitative questionnaire study, its administration and the resulting data. Our results show that students have a positive initial attitude towards cooperation with peers and cooperation-purpose portfolio tasks, and it has been found that the portfolio approach used in this research project seems to be a useful strategy for developing participants' cooperation skills.

A1- A2 Seviyesinde Yabanci Dil Olarak Türkçe Yazma Becerisinin Gelişiminde Yaratıcı Yazma Tekniklerinin Kullanımı: Kazakistan Örneği

There are four basic skills in foreign language teaching: listening, reading, speaking and writing. These skills are interrelated. One affects the other. Writing skill in foreign language teaching is as important as listening, reading and speaking skills. In this study, the effects of creative writing methods and techniques on the writing skills of A1 and A2 level cognates who learn Turkish as a foreign language were investigated. Creative writing techniques and methods were applied to cognates at A1 and A2 levels.It was investigated whether the creative writing techniques and methods applied had an effect on cognate students learning Turkish as a foreign language.The study group of the research consists of 24 students at A1 level and 23 students at A2 level studying at Bilim Innovation Girls High School in Shymkent, Kazakhstan in the 2021-2022 academic year. case study was used as one of the qualitative research methods. The last creative writing activity was determined as a data collection tool in the study.The findings obtained at the end of the study were evaluated and interpreted according to the Creative Writing Competencies criteria in the European Language Portfolio by using the observation method. as the creative writing activities applied as a result of the research change it is seen that different objects emerge. It is observed that this creative writing skills that are applied differs according to male and female students and female students are more successful in creative writing and creative thinking. Key words: Creative writing, Teaching Turkish language, methods, foreign language

Autonomy, autonomisation and the Council of Europe: the interdependence of pedagogy and politics

The Council of Europe’s educational projects have always been designed to support its political purpose, which is to promote and defend human rights, democratic governance and the rule of law. This article traces the fluctuating fortunes of the Council’s engagement with the educational concepts of autonomy and autonomisation with reference to three main phases of its work: (a) the adult education project of the 1970s, which was the context in which Henri Holec wrote his ground-breaking report Autonomy and foreign language learning; (b) the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its companion piece the European Language Portfolio (ELP), developed in the 1990s and launched in 2001; and (c) the concept of plurilingual and intercultural education as outlined in the CEFR and further developed in the 2000s in the project Languages in Education, Languages for Education, which offers a basis for the educational inclusion of migrants and minority-language students. The article argues that although the adult education project of the 1970s provided an enduring conceptual framework, the hope that the ELP would lead to the widespread autonomisation of language learners foundered on the absence of appropriately receptive pedagogical traditions. However, a radical interpretation of the so-called plurilingual approach to education returns autonomy and autonomisation to centre stage.

Altın Köprü Türkçe Öğretimi (B2 Ve C1) Ders Kitaplarının Avrupa Dilleri Ortak Çerçeve Programının Dil Düzeyi Göstergelerine Uygunluğu Açısından Değerlendirilmesi

Necessary elements to meet people's language learning needs; It is a good teacher (instructor), a good textbook, a good teaching method and a good educational environment. In order to examine, develop and bring innovations to this field by considering each of these elements that have an active role in language teaching separately in terms of qualitative and quantitative features, field experts should work on multi-faceted studies and interdisciplinary activities. In the process of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, updating the studies on "the qualifications of teachers, textbooks and educational tools, the method and educational environment applied" according to the time and needs is one of the important tasks that those who work in this field cannot give up. In this study, the nature of the subject continuous target audience by this context, Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University since kept up to date textbooks is one of the most basic tools in the Turkish education field as a foreign language usually two of the works created for students with Kyrgyz Turkish mother tongue Golden Bridge Turkish Education Textbook (B2 and In terms of subject pattern, qualitative thoughts will be presented on the compatibility with the Language Level Indicators specified in the criteria of the European Language Portfolio (Common European Framework).

Class design and evaluation that promotes learners' thinking, judgment, expression and ability to learn

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP) are effective in facilitating the learning of foreign languages. Professor Emiko Izumi, Graduate School of Education, Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan, is seeking to enhance motivation for foreign language learning among children and students using language activities and a can-do evaluation scale that facilitates self-efficacy and autonomy. The plan is for the effectiveness of the evaluation scale to be quantitatively and qualitatively verified. The can-do evaluation scale was developed by a team of 14 researchers and teachers with various specialities, including Professor Naoyuki Naganuma, an expert in language learning motivation and language testing theory, and Professor Mitsue Allen-Tamai, who has extensive experience in English education as a university teacher and has also taught English to toddlers and children. The evaluation scale is designed to be user orientated and help develop a set of performance-related scales. The team has developed can-do lists primarily concerned with a language proficiency scale for use in elementary school English. The researchers want individuals to conceptualise their personal goals in order that they can be motivated and their progress can be visualised. Classroom activities and evaluation are designed to encourage children's learning, support the learning process, foster autonomy, and promotes learners' ability to think, judge, express and learn.

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO INVESTIGATE THE USE OF A LANGUAGE PORTFOLIO IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ AUTONOMOUS LEARNING AND REFLECTIVE THINKING SKILLS

Present day educational systems around the world strongly focus on developing students’, graduates and professionals’ autonomous learning skills, reflective thinking skills and self-assessment skills. In many studies related to the above-mentioned skills development, portfolio pedagogy is a central subject of discussion. The aim of the study was to experimentally test the potential of the Uzbek Model of European language portfolio in promoting pre-service English teacher training program for students’ autonomous learning, and reflective thinking skills. The experimental study on portfolio implementation was carried out among first-year students of three local universities in Uzbekistan. 651 students from three sample institutions took part in the pre-test stage of the experiment. Research participants were then divided into control and experimental groups. The total number of students in experimental groups and control groups accounted for 148 and 150 students respectively. Students in experimental groups actively used language portfolio developed by the author throughout the academic year. Pre-test and post-test were conducted employing reflective thinking skills survey adapted from David Kember’s work. Mean values of survey results were then statistically tested using independent-samples t-test and one-sample t-tests in IBM SPSS version 17.0. According to the findings of the research, the language portfolio has a considerable impact on developing students’ skills of autonomous learning, and reflective thinking given the language portfolio is an integral part of a course curriculum and aligned to module learning objectives, tasks, activities employed within the modules.

The development of future teachers’ foreign language education in the context of the European Council strategic documents

Among the main tasks of higher education defined by the National Doctrine for the Development of Education of Ukraine in the 21st century are the following: to form the necessary intellectual and moral basis necessary for future professional activities in the fields of education, science, culture and to form the qualities necessary for further professional development. Such qualities include global thinking; professional values and morals; cultural competence; functional literacy and professional universality; culture of communication; ability to apply knowledge in professional situations; responsibility, the culture of group interaction, social and professional mobility, ability to study for a lifetime, foreign language and sociocultural competence in a foreign language among students of humanities. Now foreign-language education in Ukraine is being reformed taking into account the achievements of European countries by such documents of the Council of Europe as: “Bilingual education: the main strategic tasks”, “All-European competencies in foreign language proficiency: study, teaching, evaluation”, “European language portfolio”, “Aligning language exams with All-European recommendations on language education”, “Strategic development program for Multilingual Europe 2020”, “Recommendations on pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures”, requirements for Euro-exams, etc. The ideas of the language policy of the Council of Europe are increasingly being implemented in our country: the number of languages is increasing; there is an increasing number of people who speak at least one foreign language; several foreign languages were started in secondary schools; the number of academic hours for learning a foreign language is increasing in universities; in some institutions of higher education, foreign languages are considered the second working language.

Electronic language Portfolio in bilingual education as the latest method of presenting a pupils' foreign language activities

The scientific article explores the problem of using the electronic language Portfolio in bilingual education as the latest method of presenting a pupils' foreign language activities. Its importance at the present stage of education development is substantiated. The role of the electronic platform in the educational bilingual process is analyzed, as with the development of the latest digital technologies there have also been changes in its organization. It is established that the electronic Portfolio is used in bilingual education as the latest method of storage and presentation of the works carried out by the pupils. It presents feedback, recommendations of teachers regarding foreign language activities of the student. It is a kind of platform for discussions, as the Portfolio can serve in the educational environment to connect the pupil and the teacher, to present the achievements and successes of the pupil in foreign language activities. It is established that in the context of bilingual education, the European language Portfolio offers clear, systematic descriptors of pupils' knowledge and skills in mastering foreign languages, and is also used to assess student achievement. This motivates them to work better, allows them to identify gaps in their learning. In the context of bilingual education, the Portfolio can be used to compare and evaluate the level of foreign language skills of the pupils, which allows the teacher to adjust their intervention in the bilingual educational process. It is stated that in today's conditions the electronic language Portfolio is especially effectively used in bilingual education, as it provides interaction between peers, serves as a means of communication between the pupil and the teacher, the teacher and the parents. The use of electronic language Portfolio in bilingual education promotes the integration of positive experience of foreign language activities, encourages pupils to implement its practical aspects, establishes the foundation for professional development.

Una ricerca quali-quantitativa sul Portfolio europeo delle lingue con studenti universitari

This article presents a research study on the European Language Portfolio (ELP) that involved students attending a course in Didactics of Modern Languages at the University of Florence. The main objective of the course was to provide students with practical experiences on ELP with a view to merging ICT with language learning. The research method was based on both qualitative and quantitive aspects assessed through a survey collecting the participants’ views of aims, principles, and pedagogic function. This was intended to guide and support learners in the language learning process, also reporting the functions of ELP to record proficiency in languages.

Is a self-regulatory eELP the way forward? A reflection on two decades of achievements and failures of the ELP

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) launched in 2001 was created and promoted by the Council of Europe (CoE) as a tool to foster learner autonomy, plurilingualism, and life-long learning. In spite of the progressive educational principles and promising perspectives to develop and support language learning, the ELP has not become established as a widely implemented tool within the European educational context, not even in its electronic version. This paper starts by briefly introducing the original elements and principles of the ELP in order to evaluate some of its main achievements and failures. After examining different models of electronic ELPs, the paper focuses on ePortfolios as pedagogical tools and, in particular, on the suitability of ePortfolios to develop self-regulation. The authors then present some examples of self-regulatory ePortfolios they have created and implemented in different educational contexts. Finally, they present a new self-regulatory ePortfolio prototype. Although still in an exploratory phase, this prototype seems to offer a flexible, adaptable and powerful tool for a variety of learning contexts and learner needs, including the learning of languages and specifically for a state-of-the-art variant of the ELP. This paper concludes by mapping out the self-regulatory ePortfolio as a possible way forward for the ELP.

Bridging the gap

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) has been widely implemented to support the development of learner autonomy in the teaching and learning of spoken languages, but, until this study, had not been implemented with learners of sign languages. Across 2017–18, we developed and piloted a sample ELP for Irish Sign Language (ISL), which fed into work on the development of an ELP for sign language learners, under the umbrella of the PRO-Sign 2 project (European Centre for Modern Languages). We piloted the ELP with a cohort of ISL learners in the second year of their Bachelor in Deaf Studies, who perform at A2-B1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (2001; Leeson et al., 2016). All are learning ISL as a second language (L2), and are acquiring this sign language in what is, for them a new modality (M2). We met students on four occasions across 2017–18 to explore how/if use of the ELP in the ISL classroom supports the development of robust self-evaluation skills, and how the ELP enhances student-reported perception of motivation and autonomy. We report on the process, and present a grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1968), “Bridging the Gap”, drawn from key concerns of these ISL M2L2 learners at A2–B1 level.

Cooperation and development for academic language skills in the university context

Abstract This paper analyses the learning process of students of a Master’s course in Cooperation and Development (C&D) who attend classes in English for Academic Writing at the University of Calabria, and their awareness of competences achieved. The language objectives are to expand students’ knowledge of the main elements of spoken and written discourse in English in academic contexts with focus on specialized language in the fields of C&D. The study evaluates the ability of students to improve their competences and assess their language development using the self-assessment grid of academic language competences included in the European Language Portfolio created at the Università della Calabria, Italy. Specifically, this version of the ELP focuses on academic language and contains descriptors aimed at evaluating learners’ language competences in academic contexts. A group of 25 students participated in this didactic experience, in the second semester of the academic year 2018. Students’ oral production, interaction and academic writing skills were monitored. For the written examination students were required to write a Research Proposal (RP) showing competence in text cohesion and content coherence, appropriate use of terminology and accurate use of language structures. Following on from the acceptance of the RP, students delivered an oral presentation on the topic presented, showing ability in answering questions and expressing opinions on issues presented by other students. The concepts of autonomous learning are crucial in order to monitor students’ improvement and commitment. A contrastive analysis of data from students’ first self-assessment to the final evaluation of competences achieved by the end of the academic year was conducted.

KSZTAŁTOWANIE UMIEJĘTNOŚCI AUTOEWALUACJI U UCZĄCYCH SIĘ JĘZYKA OBCEGO W WIEKU 55+

Self-assessment is a key learning strategy for autonomous language learning, enabling learners to become more aware of the learning process, more ready to take responsibility for their own learning, empowered to make their own changes and to relate learning to individual needs. Also it may help learners to become more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as of strategies which best suit their particular learning styles and hence to become more reflective and autonomous explorers of language. This paper discusses why self-assessment is important in the toolkit of foreign language learners aged 55+ and presents techniques which help develop self-assessment skills in foreign language learning in this group of learners. One of the most effective self-assessment tools in working with students aged 55+ is The European Language Portfolio.

The Effect of Different Self-Assessment Tools on Students’ Attitudes towards Learning English

The study investigated the effect of self-assessment via the European Language Portfolio (ELP), a unit based checklist and a learner style inventory on students’ attitudes towards learning English. The data were collected via an attitude scale adopted from Dornyei and Csizer (2006) and from Ryan (2005). The results of the study indicated that the ELP, learner style inventory and unit based checklists were the tools which have potential to promote self-assessment on the condition that they are used effectively both by EFL teachers and their students, and as a consequence they may support developing positive attitudes towards learning English. Additionally, it was found. In addition, both the teachers and the students believed that the ELP was a tool for self-assessment; however, the implementation that the students felt positive towards the use of the ELP and working with it as far as they used it correctly as part of their curriculum of the ELP in the school curriculum needs support since they do not have enough information about the use and the effectiveness of the ELP.

Языковое портфолио как стратегия обучения второму иностранному языку студентов магистратуры педагогического направления

This article proposes a new look at the European language portfolio and its Russian version. Language instructors working with students from both language and non-language related programmes have traditionally seen it as a tool for tracking and evaluating students’ progress and providing feedback, as well as a tool for students’ self-assessment, self-control and a source of motivation. This paper aims to propose a new concept of a language portfolio and describe how this strategy can be applied within the Second Foreign Language for Professional Purposes course taught to education studies masters’ students in a Herzen University programme titled Foreign Languages within the Context of Modern Culture. Inter alia, the paper describes a new training model and a new LP application strategy tailored for a different learning environment and a different set of students (master’s students in education studies learning a second foreign language). A more comprehensive approach to LP is offered, encompassing its use as a part of a learning course, a tool and a goal for studying a second foreign language, a tool for skills evaluation, self-assessment, self-reflection, motivation and self-guided study. This model also expands the project section traditional for the European language portfolio to accommodate for the students’ individual goals. The suggested education model is a type of profession-specific, diversified, person-driven, project-based mixed and remote learning, which ensures the attainment of the aims of the course. The language portfolio technique is ideally suited for the master’s programme, since the training time within the Second Foreign Language in Professional Communication course is quite limited, while students require a different approach depending on their level of experience with the language. Thus, a language portfolio is a perfect tool to ensure that future language teachers attain the level of the second foreign language required be the new Federal State Education Standard.

Does the ELP promote learning English as a foreign language at tertiary level?

The study investigated the effect of European Language Portfolio (ELP on students’ attitudes towards learning English. The study also examined the attitudes of students and teachers towards the ELP and its implementation into the curriculum. The study was conducted at BA¼lent Ecevit University the School of Foreign Languages Basic English Department in the 2016-2017 academic year. Two data collection instruments were employed in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty students and five teachers. Attitude questionnaires were given to the students. Both the qualitative and quantitative results of the study indicated that the ELP can promote self-assessment on the condition that it is used effectively both by the teachers and students and as a consequence they support having more positive attitudes towards learning English. Additionally, it was found that the students felt positive towards the ELP and working with it as far as they used it correctly in their classes as part of the curriculum. In addition, the findings of the study indicated that both the teachers and the students believed that the ELP was a tool for self-assessment; however, the implementation of the ELP in the curriculum of the School of Foreign Languages at BA¼lent Ecevit University needs support since the ELP has only been newly introduced in Turkey as well and the teachers have very little information about the use and effectiveness of the ELP in language learning. However, this study showed that the ELP could be used as a tool to promote self-assessment and to create learner-centered classrooms in Turkey Keywords: Self-assessment, European Language Portfolio (ELP), life-long foreign language learning, intercultural competence, the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), adult ELP

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in French immersion teacher education

Abstract Over 11% of Canadian students are currently enrolled in French immersion (FI) – a program where French is a subject of study and is the language of instruction in at least two content areas. Research shows that stakeholders in FI initial teacher education (ITE) programs identify French language proficiency development as an area of high priority; however, Canadian ITE programs do not typically provide linguistic support. This article reports on an adaptation and implementation of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) (specifically, the European Language Portfolio [ELP]) as part of a remedial 24-week French writing course in an FSL ITE program focused on developing French proficiency. Student-teachers (n = 25) and the course instructor identified strengths and challenges associated with this initiative via surveys and interviews. Findings show participant convergence and divergence on the portfolio experience, raising implications for decision-making related to its use in ITE programs targeting FI teachers.