Training teachers to use the European Language Portfolio

2. Training teachers to use the European Language Portfolio ECML-short term project 2008-2009 ELP_TT2 Ülle Türk, Estonia

3. The Common European Framework of Reference, common reference levels and self-assessment Developed by David Little and Dick Meijer, adapted by Ülle Türk

4. CEFR: Competences • General competences Declarative knowledge (savoir) Skills and know-how (savoir-faire) Existential competence (savoir-être) Ability to learn (savoirapprendre)

5. 2. Communicative language competences • Linguistic competences • Lexical, grammatical, semantic, phonological, orthographic, orthoepic • Sociolinguistic competence • Politeness conventions, expressions of folk wisdom, register differences, dialect and accent etc. • Pragmatic competences • flexibility, turntaking, thematic development, coherence and cohesion

6. Competences are necessary in order to • perform linguistic activities • Cf. CEFR chapter 5 • Example: Situation • Your learners imagine that they are among native speakers of the target language. • What can your learners do in the target language? (e.g. I can introduce myself; I can understand simple directions)

7. Growing competences • Being more competent means to be able to carry out more and more activities competencesactivities

8. CEFR levels The Common European Framework of Reference(Council of Europe 2001) defines communicative proficiency • At six levels, arranged in three bands A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 • in relation to five skills: listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, writing • in the form of “can do” statements

9. I can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. I can enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events). Self-assessment grid (CEFR and standard adult passport)

10. CercleS ELP: goal-setting and self-assessment checklists

11. Getting to know the levels • The self-assessment grid is not enough • More specific scales: • CEFR Ch 4: descriptors of communicative activities • CEFR Ch 5: descriptors of linguistic competence • Familiarisation activities: • Filling in the gaps • Sorting the descriptors

12. Workshop task (Handout 3)

13. Self-assessment using the CEFR levels • Questions to be answered: • How do I know which level I am at? • How can I prove it?

14. Working with the CEFR levels • Gaining experience with the ELP: • Assess your own competence in a foreign language you know but don’t teach • What criteria did you apply in assessing yourself? • What would you do to improve your competence? • What learning activities would help you? • What are the three most persuasive solutions in your group?

15. Workshop task (Handout 4)