European Language Portfolio Research Articles

The Common European Framework and the European Language Portfolio: involving learners and their judgements in the assessment process

Learner-centred approaches to language teaching, especially those that seek to develop learner autonomy, require the learner to take decisions concerning the goals, content and methods of learning; they also assign a central role to self-assessment. Although the logic of learner-centredness demands that learner self-assessment should somehow be integrated with other forms of assessment, to date this has been only a minority concern, usually in relation to one or another form of portfolio learning. The recent publication of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the increasingly widespread adoption of its companion piece, the European Language Portfolio (ELP), renew the challenge to develop a culture of assessment that both facilitates and takes full account of learner self-assessment. This article begins by briefly considering the importance and limitations of self-assessment in second language (L2) learning. It goes on to address issues of principle raised in turn by the CEFR and the ELP, and then reports on a project that:• has drawn on the CEFR to define an ESL curriculum for non-English-speaking pupils attending Irish primary schools;• has developed a version of the ELP as the foundation of teaching and learning; and• is currently elaborating assessment and reporting procedures in which learner self-assessment plays a central role.

Assessing the language of young learners

This article focuses on the plight of children as young language learners (YLLs), in the context of today’s Europe. By reference to the Council of Europe’s recommendations and its material in the form of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP), questions are posed here as to how far the special needs of YLLs are being catered for by assessment practices in European schools. Examples are given of how the CEFR and ELP are currently used in YLL assessment, with a focus on recent developments in this direction in Norway, and conclusions are drawn on the outlook for YLL assessment in present day Europe.

Language testing

05–314Alderson, J. Charles (Lancaster U, UK) & Ari Huhta, The development of a suite of computer-based diagnostic tests based on the Common European Framework. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.3 (2005), 301–320.05–315Al-Hamly, Mashael & Christine Coombe (Kuwait U, Kuwait), To change or not to change: investigating the value of MCQ answer changing for Gulf Arab students. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.4 (2005), 509–531.05–316Broadfoot, Patricia M. (U of Bristol, UK), Dark alleys and blind bends: testing the language of learning. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.2 (2005), 123–141.05–317Cumming, Alister (U of Toronto, Canada; acumming@oise.utoronto.ca), Robert Kantor, Kyoko Baba, Usman Erdosy, Keanre Eouanzoui & Mark James, Differences in written discourse in independent and integrated prototype tasks for next generation TOEFL. Assessing Writing (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 10.1 (2005), 5–43.05–318Eckes, Thomas (TestDaF Institute, the Netherlands), Melanie Ellis, Vita Kalnberzina, Karmen Piorn, Claude Springer, Krisztina Szollás & Constance Tsagari, Progress and problems in reforming public language examinations in Europe: cameos from the Baltic States, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, France and Germany. Language Testing (London,UK) 22.3 (2005), 355–377.05–319Figueras, Neus (Department of Education, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain), Brian North, Sauli Takala, Norman Verhelst & Piet Van Avermaet, Relating examinations to the Common European Framework: a manual. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.3 (2005), 261–279.05–320Green, Anthony (Cambridge ESOL Examinations, Cambridge, UK), EAP study recommendations and score gains on the IELTS Academic Writing test. Assessing Writing (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 10.1 (2005), 44–60.05–321Green, Rita & Dianne Wall (Lancaster U, UK), Language testing in the military: problems, politics and progress. Language Testing (London,UK) 22.3 (2005), 379–398.05–322Hasselgreen, Angela (The U of Bergen, Norway), Assessing the language of young learners. Language Testing (London,UK) 22.3 (2005), 337–354.05–323Klein, Joseph (kleinj@mail.biu.ac.il) & David Taub, The effect of variations in handwriting and print on evaluation of student essays. Assessing Writing (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 10.2 (2005), 134–148.05–324Little, David (Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland), The Common European Framework and the European Language Portfolio: involving learners and their judgements in the assessment process. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.3 (2005), 321–336.05–325Lumley, Tom & Barry O'Sullivan (Australian Council for Educational Research, Australia), The effect of test-taker gender, audience and topic on task performance in tape-mediated assessment of speaking. Language Testing (London,UK) 22.4 (2005), 415–437.05–326Luxia, Qi (Guandong U of Foreign Studies, China), Stakeholders' conflicting aims undermine the washback function of a high-stakes test. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.2 (2005), 142–173.05–327Poehner, Matthew E. & James P. Lantolf (The Pennsylvania State U, USA), Dynamic assessment in the language classroom. Language Teaching Research (London, UK) 9.3 (2005), 233–265.05–328Stansfield, Charles W. & William E. Hewitt (Second Language Testing Inc., USA), Examining the predictive validity of a screening test for court interpreters. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.4 (2005), 438–462.05–329Trites, Latricia (Murray State U, USA) & Mary McGroarty, Reading to learn and reading to integrate: new tasks for reading comprehension tests?Language Testing (London, UK) 22.2 (2005), 174–210.05–330Uiterwijk, Henny (Citogroep, Arnem, the Netherlands) & Ton Vallen, Linguistic sources of item bias for second generation immigrants in Dutch tests. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.2 (2005), 211–234.05–331Weems, Gail H. (Arkansas Little Rock U, USA; ghweems@ualr.edu), Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie & Daniel Lustig, Profiles of respondents who respond inconsistently to positively- and negatively-worded items on rating scales. Evaluation & Research in Education (Clevedon, UK) 17.1 (2003), 45–60.05–332Weir, Cyril J. (Roehampton U, UK), Limitations of the Common European Framework for developing comparable examinations and tests. Language Testing (London, UK) 22.3 (2005), 281–300.05–333Xi, Xiaoming (U of California, USA), Do visual chunks and planning impact performance on the graph description task in the SPEAK exam?Language Testing (London, UK) 22.4 (2005), 463–508.

Preparing for the European Language Portfolio: Internet connections

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.

The European Language Portfolio: structure, origins, implementation and challenges

This article describes the structure, functions and origins of the Council of Europe's European Language Portfolio (ELP); summarizes the scope and findings of the pilot projects (1998–2000) and the measures that have been taken to encourage large-scale implementation in 2001 and beyond; outlines the pedagogical challenge posed by the ELP; and suggests various possibilities for future work.

Talen Leren in Europa

From 1989 until 1997 the project Language Learning/or European Citizenship was carried out under the auspices of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In this project two instruments were developed. The first instrument is the European Framework of Reference. This is a kind of language scale through which knowledge and qualifications in different languages can be compared. The second instrument is the European Language Portfolio. This is a kind of language passport through which languages users can report and document their proficiency in, and use of different languages. This contribution gives a description of these instruments. In addition, there is a summary of the results of a pilot project in the Netherlands which focused on the multilingual classroom at the end of primary school.

Implementación didáctica y tecnológica del Portfolio Europeo de las Lenguas Electrónico (e-PEL): Hacia la web 3.0

La enseñanza-aprendizaje de idiomas se fundamenta desde hace más de una década en el Marco Común Europeo de Referencia de las Lenguas. El Consejo de Europa diseñó un instrumento para su aplicación didáctica: el Portfolio Europeo de las Lenguas (PEL), un documento personal para reflexionar sobre el proceso y el resultado del aprendizaje de lenguas y culturas. Desde 2009, se ha implantado el Portfolio Europeo de las Lenguas Electrónico (e-PEL). Sin embargo, su generalización en el aprendizaje de idiomas no se ha conseguido, quizás porque ha faltado una implementación didáctica y tecnológica. Por tanto, es necesario analizar el e-PEL para mejorar su aplicación didáctica y aprovechar las posibilidades que brindan las TIC, en general, y la Web 3.0, en particular, para dinamizar este proyecto oficial.