- More detailed presentation
We hope that you like our presentation. If you would like to know more on The European Language Portfolio for University Students, you are invited to read this longer presentation.
We are a group of students of languages at The Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana, Slovenija (for our names and e-mail addresses please see under
Contact persons). In November 1998 we decided to design the Student’s Language Portfolio with the help of our professors Anamarija Muster Èenèur, PhD and Janez Skela, PhD and with the financial support of the Students’ Organisation at the University of Ljubljana. In the academic year 1999/2000 the students at the Pedagogical Faculty in Ljubljana and The Faculty of Arts are already using The European Language Portfolio for Students at learning languages.On the initiative of the Council of Europe different pilot projects of designing and piloting Language Portfolios are run in different European countries. On the basis of these pilot projects probably in 2001, the International Year of Languages, one or more internationally recognised documents will be published. Also in Slovenija more groups are designing and piloting Language Portfolios for different languages and ages (Portfolio Junior for children, Language Portfolios for grammar schools, secondary education etc.) These projects are run with the help of the Ministry for Education and Sport. Our group also works together with the Ministry. Apart from developing and piloting the European Language Portfolio for University Students, the aim of our group is also to expand the idea of the European Language Portfolio for University Students among students and teachers at the University, as well as to raise the awareness on the importance of learning different languages and giving value to lifelong learning and improvement of one’s linguistic skills.
Our Student’s Language Portfolio has all the characteristics of the Language Portfolio. It consists of three parts:
-the language passport,
-the language biography and
-the dossier.
But it is adapted to students’ needs. Therefore most emphasis is put on the language passport, which in the future will hopefully be recognised as an international document. It will enable the student to prove his/her knowledge of languages without any further exams to be taken. This will facilitate the mobility during the study and when students will start looking for employment at home or abroad. The second, but nevertheless important function of the Language Portfolio is to motivate students to learn different languages, it emphasises the continuous need to improve one’s knowledge of languages and therefore it also stimulates lifelong learning.
Each part of the Language Portfolio (the language passport, the language biography and the dossier) is adapted to meet the students’ needs. The instructions in the language passport are printed in more languages. The language passport records in a short and clear way information on the student, owner of the European Language Portfolio for Students, the languages he/she can speak, or is learning, and different attestations proving his knowledge of languages. The student can assess himself/herself alone with the help of a chart, grading the knowledge on six levels of proficiency as these are defined in the Common European Framework of Reference.
The language biography is a record of the student’s linguistic and cultural background, stating where, when and for how long he/she has been learning a particular language. It is a basis for any effective plans for further learning. It encourages thinking about one’s intentions and aims in learning a language, one’s most efficient methods of language learning and it helps the student to assess his/her proficiency at a particular stage of learning.
The language dossier is a record for different attestations and certificates mentioned in the language biography, as well as different questionnaires, charts and the learner’s own work. In this way the Language Portfolio enables the student to monitor his/her own progress in language learning.
The content of the Appendix is closely connected with the Student Language Portfolio. In the Appendix there are different grids for students to fill in and store in the Dossier. They enable the student to record different kinds of language learning. These can be formal (language courses), or informal (such as baby-sitting, international working camps, correspondence in a foreign language etc.) In this way the Language Portfolio has close links with the idea of the learning society. In the second part there are different charts and questionnaires. They will encourage students to think about their learning style and habits, the importance of learning languages and how the Student Language Portfolio will meet their needs. In the third part there are self-evaluation tables helping the student to assess his/her knowledge according to the Common European Framework of Reference.
The importance of the Language Portfolio is also that it encourages the self-assessment of the student and in this way also his/her taking responsibility for his/her learning. The teacher or the tutor also gives his opinion about the student’s level of linguistic competence. In this way the Student Language Portfolio encourages the dialogue between the teacher and the student.
Contact persons:
Please contact us if you have any questions, suggestions or opinions you would like to share. We are looking forward to your e-mails.
Ana Troha: [email protected]
Simona Koscak: [email protected]Katja Dragar: [email protected]
Petra Zaransek: [email protected] Polona Mihalic: [email protected] Barbara Adamic: [email protected]Bernarda Kosem in Bernarda Leva.
