EUROINTEGRELP – Equal Chances to European Integration through the Use of the European Language Portfolio
The European Language Portfolio fulfils two functions as an information tool and an accompaniment to language learning to different groups (learners, teachers and employers). Teachers, schools and other training institutions are helped to recognize the needs and motivation of learners and help them set learning goals and put together different programmes and final certificates. ELP helps employers to obtain a differentiated picture of the language proficiency of their employees and make better use of their language abilities, specify their employees’ qualification requirements and plan in-house or external training programmes. By involving the learners in planning their own process of learning, they become motivated autonomous language learners and users. Overall, the project corresponds to the enhancement of quality of language teaching through non-formal and informal education, the promotion of multilingualism and the development of teaching material for the learning of less widely spoken languages in Europe.
The idea of raising awareness about the benefits of using the European Language Portfolio was particularly important at the time when Romania was considering becoming a EU member. Despite the self-evaluation skills and learning objectives, such a project was aimed at delivering the underlying principles of the EU and facilitating the exploitation of its benefits such as the free movement of people.
Portfolio-oriented language pedagogy offers new possibilities for making at least some of the language learning outcomes more visible to students, teachers and other stakeholders. By this, language teachers can help their students to become more aware of the desired learning outcomes and to direct their conscious attention to the learning processes in the course of their language study. When we make the aims more concrete to our students we can motivate them to work for their learning for life.
Year(s): 2004
Target group(s): Ministries of Labour, employers/Human Resources Managers, private and state employment agencies, providers of language and vocational training, language learners (15+), people in vocational training, unemployed/employees.
Website: http://www.prosper.ro/EuroIntegrELP/EurointegrELP.htm
Methodology
The project activities included ELP-focused teacher training in numerous educational and country contexts; PR activities addressed to e.g. decision-makers, the media, employers; implementing the ELP in teacher training and language learning throughout educational sectors; translation of the EAQUALS-ALTE ELP in six additional languages and publishing the multilingual version in 15 languages; setting up networks of professionals and institutions, and building on synergies to promote the ELP for more effective language learning.
Type of product
Paper-based material
Course / Training
Brief description of the product / outcome / method
Teacher training materials and activities, networks of professionals and institutions
Impact on target groups / Transferability potential
The decision makers in the project partner countries (e.g. ministries and employers) were made aware of the existence and benefits of using the ELP as a document which certifies the employees’ language level. At the same time, an impressive number of ELP users became familiar with this instrument, thus increasing their chances to mobility and employability and to access to European values in general.
There was a strong, continuous impact throughout educational sectors: through the comprehensive collection of materials (including guides) for various target audiences in several less widely used languages, through TT/TD-expertise developed, publications, workshops, etc.
A wider European impact was felt through the ECML ELP-website (http://elp.ecml.at/tabid/2592/language/en-GB/Default.aspx), as well as through the ‘EuroIntegrELP’ 15-language version of the EAQUALS-ALTE ELP, which was published and printed in 15 000 copies and distributed internationally. Project materials and workshops were integrated in various LLL-projects (e.g. three Grundtvig Learning Partnership projects, 1 LdV Transfer-of-Innovation project; ECML projects, e.g. ‘QualiTraining’ — included in the ‘QualiTraining Guide’ and website, ‘ELP-TT’ — included on the ECML ‘ELP-TT’ website; the EAQUALS Special Interest Project on ‘Implementing the ELP’, etc.);
An international impact, beyond Europe was also felt in Algeria and China.
Promoter of the initiative
Name of organization / individual: Soros International House
Country: Lithuania
Website: https://www.sih.lt
Contacts: Soros International House - LT (coordinator) Vilnius, Lithuania e-mail: info@sih.lt