The document discusses the European Language Portfolio (ELP) and plans to develop an electronic version within the OU's virtual learning environment. The ELP contains three parts - a language passport, biography, and dossier - to record language skills and experiences. An e-portfolio course is proposed to help students complete the ELP, reflect on language learning, and provide evidence of language proficiency levels according to the Common European Framework. The e-portfolio will allow students to store and organize learning materials, share content, and work independently towards accreditation.

1. The e-portfolio & the European Languages Portfolio Inma Álvarez and Tita Beaven, Department of Languages, The Open University with Mar ía Luisa Pérez Cavana

2. Aims and functions of European Language Portfolio Aims to motivate learners; to provide a record of the linguistic and cultural skills. Functions Pedagogic: Enhance the motivation of the learners Incite and help learners to: reflect, plan, learn autonomously Encourage learners to enhance their plurilingual and intercultural experience Documentation and reporting: plurilingual language proficiency and experiences in other languages to enable them to inform others in a detailed and internationally comparable manner

3. Overview of the ELP The portfolio contains three parts. 1 Language Passport The Language Passport is a record of students’ language skills, qualifications and experiences (in one or more languages, including their own). For the passport, the learner records their profile of language skills in relation to the Common European Framework, a résumé of language learning and intercultural experiences, and a record of certificates and diplomas.

4. Overview of the ELP 2 Language Biography The Language Biography facilitates planning, reflection and self-assessment of progress in a number of languages.

5. Overview of the ELP 3 Dossier The Dossier offers the learner the opportunity to document evidence and illustrate their achievements and experiences recorded in the Passport.

6. Why use it? Particularly useful for: Enabling learners to describe their level of proficiency Reflecting on partial competence, and on plurilingualism Thinking about goals, and how long it will take to achieve them…

7. Why use it? Particularly useful for: Reflecting on and sharing learning strategies

8. The e-portfolio for languages on My Stuff What is it? An electronic version of the European Language Portfolio currently being developed as part of the e-portfolio project of the OU VLE. Will be available to all OU students and staff Piloted in the Autumn 2007 Plans for courses based around the production of the e - portfolio for languages

9. The e-portfolio project for the VLE You can: Create , store and organise your own learning content and artefacts Reuse what is stored in different ways Share with others Slide form a presentation by Rachel Hawkins

11. My Stuff will include a series of templates for the completion of the Portfolio

13. Use Cases The proposed e-Portfolio will be stand alone and have the following uses: Accreditation towards external standard (Council of Europe) Personal Development Planning / Continuing Professional Development (support personal and professional development) Programme based (linked to current Certificate and Diploma outcomes for languages)

14. ePortfolio for languages courses? DIPLOMA CERTIFICATE Materials Assessment Tutor feedback Portfolio System Other Comments Communications Experiences Images Activities Success with Languages Store Materials Assessment Tutor feedback Store Create Passport Biography Dossier Store Select Publish 10 pts ACCREDITATION 10 pts Assess Assess Publish Course Guide

15. E-portfolio for languages course: Aims The general aims of this portfolio course are to encourage language learners: to assess their proficiency in languages within the Common European Framework of Reference and to produce their own Language Portfolio, to reflect and learn autonomously, to enhance their intercultural experiences and carry out reflective and developmental independent work, to collect evidence of their levels of linguistic and intercultural competence for themselves and others. to improve their efficiency in language learning

16. E-portfolio for languages course Materials The material will comprise the electronic ELP (currently under development) and an electronic Course Guide. Students will use My Stuff, the VLE portfolio tool to build their portfolio, where they may post text, audio, photo, video files –as there will be some space limitation, there will also be the facility to put in links to relevant postings e.g. for photos and video clips. Assessment At the end of the course, specialist assessors will check the completion and adequacy of evidence in the ELP, and there will be one TMA. There is no examination. By the end of the course, students will need to show ability: to reflect on their language learning to analyse own performance devise action plan to achieve objectives provide relevant evidence to show achievement

17. More information On the European Language Portfolio, the e-portfolio for languages, and other resources related to e-porfolios: http://h2obeta.law.harvard.edu/105650 OU VLE e-portfolio Design Blog: http://conclave.open.ac.uk/guycarberry/?p=101 Contact us: [email_address] [email_address]