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Events

2013

Expert meeting

2-3 May 2013
Venue: ECML, Graz, Austria
Coordinator: Bärbel Kühn, Germany
Participants: project team

4th Warsaw Language Conference: Presentation (24 September) and workshop (25-26 September)

24-26 September 2013
Venue: Warsaw, Poland
Experts: Jürgen Friedrich, Germany; Michael Langner, Switzerland/ Luxembourg
Local organiser: Ewa Wieczorek, Centre for Education Development (ORE), Warsaw, Poland
Working languages: English and Polish
Participants: 300 Polish and foreign experts responsible for shaping language policy, language policy experts, language education providers, teacher trainers, researchers, teachers, trainee teachers, social and business partners, language education stakeholders
Conference website: http://www.konferencje.frse.org.pl/edj2013

Information from the local organiser

 

In 2010 The Centre for Education Development designed a project of promoting and implementing the ELP in schools. The aim of the project was to encourage teachers to use Polish versions of ELP as well as get feedback on how the ELP is used, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using it. Copies of ELP were distributed among teachers willing to take part in the project and subsequently provide feedback on various aspects of using ELP. Completed questionnaires submitted by the teachers provided material for a report. Copies of ELP were distributed among nearly 3000 language learners.
An e-platform for users of ELP is a wonderful opportunity to share their experience with ELP and possibly encourage new users thus spreading the idea of the ELP even further.
ECML experts provided conference participants with information on the ECML activities with regard to promoting the European Language Portfolio, i.e.

  • Encouraging teachers, trainee teachers, teacher educators to use and promote the ELP.
  • Creating an opportunity to establish national and international partnerships and networking of ELP users
  • Presenting case studies from different European countries exemplifying the use of ELP.
  • Promoting the use of ELP to teach communicative and intercultural skills.

The conference helped the participants to define:

  • How the ELP is used by other teachers in and outside Poland;
  • How to help learners use ELP effectively;
  • What are the benefits of using ELP to language learners
Information from the moderators

Conference panel: A lot of information about the actual stage of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) was given. The experiences of different countries (Switzerland, Czech Republic) were important for the participants to avoid certain problems in the future of the development in Poland. It was shown that the ELP can attribute a lot to the motivation of language learners. An electronic version of the ELP (the German EPOS system) was presented as an innovative method to deal with the complex structure of the ELP in an easy and interactive way.

Workshop: The shown example of the platform based electronic language portfolio (EPOS) from Bremen attracted a lot of interest. Especially the flexibility and openness of the software and the possibility to implement different portfolios (language, subject, training and cultural portfolios) impressed the participants. Participants used the opportunity to practically test the system hand-on in a computer lab. The possibilities of implementing an ePortfolio in a school context were widely discussed, pedagogical and didactical aspects were considered in detail.

 

2012

Expert meeting

6-7 June 2012
Venue: ECML, Graz, Austria
Coordinator: Bärbel Kühn, Germany
Participants: project team

European Language Portfolio summer workshop

20-22 August 2012
“Supporting local networks of users of the European Language Portfolio through an E-Platform”
Venue: Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
Expert: Michael Langner, Switzerland/Luxembourg
Local organiser: Kamila Sladkovská, National Institute for Education, Czech Republic
Participants: teachers and teacher trainers

Information from the moderating expert

 

The event has been a sort of seminar for disseminators of the ELP. The base was a lot of exchange of examples of good practice for the implementation of the Czech electronic version of the ELP.
My major task has been to provide the participants with experiences of the implementation process in Switzerland on the one hand but on the other to open the view to problems we have with the real situation of traditional teaching and the use of an innovative teaching tool as is the ELP. This careful change of school structures and teaching methods is necessary if we want really a successful implementation and use of the ELP.
For these reasons it is important to inform political decision-makers, education authorities but also teachers and teacher trainers about the necessity of change. The dissemination of the ELP is in the same time a top-down process (political decisions are necessary) but must be also a bottom-up process (good practice of colleagues will motivate new teachers).

Information from the local organiser

 

In 2011 the website application of the Czech European Language Portfolio (ELP) - www.evropskejazykoveportfolio.cz was presented for the first time. It is an innovative tool which offers the environment in a well-structured and electronic form where users can record information about their learning of foreign languages and about experience with foreign languages.
If the key competences are the most crucial term and aim of the current education, the ELP represents an ideal tool which enables their implementation and development. Not only the active participation of pupils at lessons and learning process by using the ELP are supported but also pupils learn to evaluate their own results, they become aware of presence and role of foreign languages and cultures. Pupils can think about strategies how to learn and by creating their own self-reflection document – the Language Passport – in which they gather all necessary information about themselves and foreign languages, they are slowly approaching the awareness of their professional career.
Not only the above mentioned website application was built as a part of the project the European Language Portfolio in the Practice (CZ.1.07/1.1. 00/08.0014), but also the lecturers are trained, who are the key disseminators of the ideas of the ELP and of the website application in in-service training courses for teachers. The summer meeting of the teacher-trainers of the ELP in the practice was organized in August 2012 in cooperation with the ECML. The aim of the meeting was to support teacher-trainers of the ELP courses and to improve the current conception of the courses. The professor Michael Langner took an active part in this meeting on behalf of the ECML and offered some inspiring information and experience with the ELP and showed a few examples of good practice with the ELP abroad. He contributed to the improvement of the overall conception of in-service training courses. Michael Langner will be a foreign expert at the international conference “E-portfolio in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning” which will be held on 25th October 2012 in Prague in cooperation with the ECML as well.

Network meeting

18 September 2012
“Supporting local networks of users of the European Language Portfolio through an E-Platform”
Venue: ECML, Graz, Austria
Coordinator: Bärbel Kühn, Germany
Co-animators: Michael Langner, Switzerland/Luxembourg; Maria Luisa Perez Cavana, United Kingdom
Participants: representatives of the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland

Information from the coordinating team

The advantages of an e- portfolio and an e-platform for the three member states were discussed and exemplified by the Bremen e-portfolio EPOS. Needs analyses revealed that local networks and training and consultancy for stakeholders and teachers are of high importance. Another major issue to be addressed was teacher training, because until now the benefits of the ELP – and in particular of an e-ELP – for plurilingualism and formal and informal learning are not explicitly taught. Networking, because it is crucial to exchange knowledge, materials and cases of best practice.

  1. Planned intervention in Germany: Starting in Paderborn (October 2012) there will be developed (1) a model for teacher training for higher education and a model for student teachers as well, (2) a network for the exchange of users of the ELP (in particular the e-ELP EPOS) in higher education.

  2. Planned intervention starting in the Czech Republic: Starting after a conference in October a special network model will be developed, organised and evaluated by the training and consultancy team: Peer learning as triangle networking: one representative experienced of the Czech Republic and one inexperienced of the Czech Republic meet one expert of another country involved in the training and consultancy process.

  3. Planned intervention in Poland: In preparation of a conference in 2013 the team is asked for consultancy, regarding (1) informing teachers and stakeholders about EPOS as a working example of an advanced e-ELP, (2) experience the e-ELP EPOS, (3) the development of the descriptors for young learners.

Training event

5-6 October 2012
“Supporting local networks of users of the European Language Portfolio through an E-Platform”
Venue: Paderborn, Germany
Experts: Bärbel Kühn and Jürgen Friedrich, Germany
Local organiser: Sigrid Behrent University of Paderborn, Germany
Participants: teachers at university language centres
Programme "Einführung in das Europäische Sprachenportfolio und in die Arbeit mit der EPOS-Plattform"
Programme "MultiplikatorInnen-Workshop zum EFSZ-Beratungsprojekt: Supporting local networks of users of the European Language Portfolio through an E-Platform”

Information from the coordinating team

The intervention combined a teacher training with a conference of stake holders. Stakeholders were welcomed to join the seminar and discuss their experiences.
Participants of the conference: stakeholders of the AKS (Arbeitskreis der Sprachenzentren in Deutschland), LSI ( Landesspracheninstitut NRW/ of the federal state of Nord-Rhein-Westfalen, the “Seminar für Sprachlehrforschung” of Universität Bochum”, the Goethe-Institut /Zentralverwaltung, Bereich Medien
Participants of the teacher training seminar: Teachers of the “Sprachenzentrum” of  Universität Paderborn”

RESULTS:

  1. Teacher Training
    After a phase of information about aims and principles of CEF and ELP the teachers were trained in using the e-portfolio EPOS and discussed forms of implementation into their daily work. Regarding that aspect intern follow up trainings for teachers were planned. Furthermore a follow up training plus consultancy for teachers of the “Sprachenzentrum” AND student teachers of the University of Paderborn was planned with the ECML-team

  2. Conference with Stakeholders
    The participants joined the teacher training until the practical phase. Following the seminar they (i) discussed possibilities to join in a local network and (ii) asked for consultancy* respecting their special needs, (iii) offered accompanying research.
    *including following up activities (curriculum planning, technical support, tasks production) concerning joined development of the e-ELP and its use via an e-platform.

Information from the local organiser

 

The workshop is a kick-off for e-portfolio-work at a language centre. It allows you to get e-portfolio-work started with professional support.
During the workshop, the participants (language teachers and/or student teachers)

  • acquire background knowledge of portfolio work (autonomy, CEFR, action-orientation, etc.)

  • learn more about the various possibilities offered by the e-portfolio EPOS

  • gain confidence in working with (e-)portfolios

  • develop concrete ideas on implementations of the European language portfolio in the context of language courses

  • deepen their understanding of learner autonomy and its didactical implications

In this way, the workshop helps you to create a common basis for further efforts to foster autonomy at your language centre.
---
Der Workshop ist ein Startschuss für den Einsatz eines elektronischen Sprachenportfolios an Ihrem Sprachenzentrum. Er ermöglicht es, die Arbeit mit e-Portfolios mit professioneller Unterstützung zu beginnen.
Die Teilnehmer (Sprachlehrkräfte und/oder Lehramtsstudierende)

  • erwerben Hintergrundwissen zu Portfolioarbeit (Lernerautonomie, GER, Handlungsorientierung, etc.)

  • erfahren mehr über die zahlreichen Einsatzmöglichkeiten des e-Portfolios EPOS

  • machen sich mit dem Einsatz von (e-)Portfolios vertraut

  • entwickeln konkrete Ideen für die Arbeit mit dem Europäischen Sprachenportfolio im Unterricht

  • vertiefen ihr Verständnis des Konzepts der Lernerautonomie und seiner didaktischen Implikationen

Auf diese Weise hilft der Workshop dabei, eine gemeinsame Basis für weitere Anstrengungen zur Unterstützung von Lernerautonomie zu schaffen.

European Language Portfolio Conference

25 October 2012
“E-Portfolio im Fremdsprachenunterricht”
Venue: Prague, Czech Republic
Experts: Michael Langner, Switzerland/Luxembourg; Margarete Nezbeda, Austria
Local organiser: Kamila Sladkovská, National Institute for Education, Czech Republic and Regional Centre of Education and Language School Providing State Language Exams, Pilsen in cooperation with Goethe-Institut Prague, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Participants: stakeholders in the area of language education in the Czech Republic; teachers and teacher trainers, representatives from universities, policy makers, decision makers, experts

Programme of the Conference (in German)

Information from the local organiser

 

Thanks to the active participation of the Czech expert Radka Perclová, the Czech Republic took part in the first European activities leading to the development of the European Language Portfolio (ELP). The Czech teachers have had the possibility to use the Czech national version of the European Language Portfolio in their lessons already since 2001. The Czech school reform, which is promoting besides other things principles like key competences, lifelong and autonomous learning, personal development, was fully launched in 2005. The ELP seemed to be an ideal tool for the implementation of these principles.

Despite seemingly ideal conditions for the implementation of the ELP in the Czech context, the existing surveys have shown that the ELP is being used by a small number of schools. The European Language Portfolio has got a new chance in the Czech Republic by creating a website application www.evropskejazykoveportfolio.cz, which has been available for free to all users since 2011. 

The final conference of the project the European Language Portfolio in the Practice (CZ.1.07/1.1. 00/08.0014), which was held in cooperation with the ECML, took place in October 2012 at the Goethe Institute in Prague. The professor Michael Langner who took a part in this conference on behalf of the ECML offered the basic definition of the European Language Portfolio, indicated the possible problems we could encounter during the implementation of the ELP at schools, defined the difference between a paper and electronic version of the ELP and at the same time named the concrete advantages and disadvantages of the electronic version of the ELP. The aim of the conference was to make all stakeholders in the Czech language education system familiar not only with the new website application of the European Language Portfolio and with the publication of the same name, but with the actual Czech and foreign experience of the language portfolios as well. Last but not least the aim was to show the possibilities of the ELP for modern language teaching and learning.

   
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