Perspectives on the European Language Portfolio for ... - Kielisalkku

<strong>Perspectives</strong>on the EuropeanLanguagePortfolio forComprehensiveSchools inFinland

2<strong>Perspectives</strong> on the European Language Portfolio forComprehensive Schools in FinlandThree ELP models for compulsory educationThe Finnish versions of the EuropeanLanguage Portfolio (ELP) have been developedas a pedagogical resource forforeign language education at comprehensiveschool level (Finnish grades1–9). The work was completed underthe auspices of the National Board ofEducation (www.oph.fi/) in 2011–12 in acooperation project between four universities(the KISA Project): the Universityof Tampere (project leadership), theuniversities of Helsinki and Jyväskylä,and the University of Eastern Finland(Joensuu Campus). iThe Finnish language portfolio isbased on the ELP Principles and Guidelines(2011) of the Council of Europe. ii Itcomplies with the national FrameworkCurriculum goals (POPS 2004) for foreignlanguage education in Finland, fosteringpupils’ communicative, cultural andlearning skills and self-assessment. Thegoals entail a reflective and collaborativeeducational approach aimed at supportingsocially responsible learner autonomy.As a result of intensive planning andseminar discussions, the work group designedthe Finnish language portfolio forcompulsory education consisting of thefollowing three models for different agegroups (pupil ages 7–15):1. Language Portfolio Grades 1–32. Language Portfolio Grades 4–63. Language Portfolio Grades 7–9The models provide for the two domesticlanguages, with one set in Finnishand English and the other set inSwedish and English. The material alsoincludes the Checklists to support pupils’self-assessment of their languageskills, with parallel versions in six languages(Finnish, English, French, German,Russian and Swedish). This makesit possible for pupils to develop theirplurilingualism and pluriculturalism intheir language studies, as encouragedin the Common European Framework ofReference (CEFR 2001) and the ELP Principlesand Guidelines.Organising ELP-oriented work asformal and informal learningThe Finnish Language Portfolio consistsof three parts in accordance with theCouncil of Europe’s principles (www.

3coe.int/portfolio/): Language Biography,Dossier, and Language Passport.The Dossier is, however, divided intotwo parts to better reflect the pedagogicand reporting functions of the ELP:Learning Dossier and Reporting Dossier.The teacher guides pupils to plan, carryout and evaluate their portfolio tasks aspart of the site-based syllabus and currentlearning materials.Pupils collect their oral and writtensamples of work in the Learning Dossier,including their self-assessments of thework process and outcomes. Some ofthe reports are also evaluated throughpeer-assessments and teacher feedback,using the forms designed for the purposeavailable in the given learning dossieron the ELP website. For grading, pupilschoose some work samples and putthese in the Reporting Dossier (towardsthe end of the school year and at theend of the given stage of schooling) forfinal grading by the teacher.While working on their individualELP tasks, pupils also work on theirLanguage Biographies, guided by theteacher. They reflect on their personallearning experiences and observationsof different languages and cultures, aswell as their encounters with speakersof those languages. As schools are becomingincreasingly multicultural pupilshave ample opportunities for reflectingon cultural diversity within the schoolcommunity. They are also guided to observeand reflect on their experiencesof encountering otherness and foreignnessthrough informal learning outsideschool (e.g. in the contexts of theirfamilies, friends, hobbies, free time activities,the TV and social media on theinternet). They record the reflectionsin their Language Biographies, sharingtheir observations with peers in smallgroups in order to get more perspectivesfor individual reflection and learning.They are also taught to evaluatetheir language skills with the help of theChecklists.For the two primary ELPs (Grades 1–3and Grades 4–6), pupils use simplified‘can do’ descriptors contained in theLanguage Biographies. The lower secondaryELP (Grades 7–9) includes an extensiveChecklist (up to Level C1) in sixlanguages. To get more opportunitiesfor meaningful language use, pupils areencouraged to use the target languagechecklist in their self-assessments. Thework on the Checklists is supported bypeer-assessment and facilitated by theteacher’s individual guidance and feedbackcomments over a period of severalyears.The reflective work on the LanguageBiography, combined with the dualfunction of the Dossier, provides an importantinterface between languagelearning, teaching and assessment. Thereflective approach involves assessmentfor learning (to enhance personal learningthrough reflection and peer-assessment)as well as assessment of learning(to report individual outcomes using criterion-referenceddescriptors). The conceptsof assessment and reflection areseen as supplementing and enhancingone other, being as it were two sides ofthe same pedagogical coin.

5pedagogy developed in the Finnish ELPprojects refers to this kind of negotiatedteaching-learning process whereby pupilsare explicitly taught to take increasingcharge of their individual learningthrough collaboration, involving self andpeer-assessment. They are also guidedto reflect on their informal learning experiencesoutside school with a view toimproving their learning efforts and developingas language users.Using the ELP for learner-centredindividualisationThe ELP has proved a flexible pedagogicalresource in Finnish comprehensivelanguage education involving mixedabilitygroups. While pupils with lowproficiency can do simple tasks by modifyingthe textbook activities, intermediatepupils are able to perform more demandingcommunicative tasks on theirown. Advanced language users can undertakebigger projects utilising effectivelya variety of resources includingthe internet, to make longer and wellarticulatedreports. The teacher usesthis kind of built-in flexibility for learner-centredindividualization when negotiatingthe individual action plansand guiding individual pupils to do wellin mixed-ability groups, with regard totheir personal aims, language and learningresources and life situations.Rather than the teacher preparingsets of different tasks for the differentlevels of proficiency, s/he guides pupilsto make individual plans that are realisticat their current levels of proficiency.S/he also helps them to see whatprogress they have made and whatthey need to do to develop as languagelearners and users and as interculturalactors. Further, s/he can encourage(and expect) pupils to work not just tothe limit of their current target languageproficiency, but to go beyond.Having real options entails personalchoices about how to set personal aimsand make action plans. The plans providethe pedagogical framework for action:agreeing on what to include in thereports, with (minimum) requirementsfor acceptable work (e.g. in terms oflength of report and the focus and rangeof topics to be dealt with, and ways ofpresenting work, whether written orspoken); and agreeing on deadlines forconsulting and submitting completedwork, and ways of evaluating the outcomesof learning. Assuming responsibilityfor such decisions supports theiridentities as social actors.The negotiated process thus makesindividual learning more concrete andvisible to participants. The pupil’s progressbecomes transparent through thetwo functions of the ELP: (1) as a pedagogicalinstrument, it helps pupils organise,monitor and reflect on theirlanguage learning processes; (2) as a reportinginstrument, it provides explicitways for assessing and reporting languageproficiency and intercultural experienceto relevant stakeholders. Reviewingtheir learning outcomes helpspupils to perceive their personal progressas language users over the courseof years, based on concrete evidence inthe reports, and on the reflections and

6evaluations contained in their ELPs. Theprocess supports pupils’ personal feelingsof ownership of their learning, asalso emphasized in the ELP principles.The work on the Language Biographyhelps pupils clarify their understandingof their autobiographies as languagelearners, language users and interculturalactors. However, to derive full pedagogicalbenefits from the ELP it is crucialto integrate the ELP with site-based languagesyllabuses and learning materialsfor any wide-scale and sustainable useover time. It needs to be used as a regularlearning resource, including all threesections: Biography, Passport, and Dossier.i. The team in charge of the design work consisted of a coordination group in Tampere University, School of Education (Pauli Kaikkonen,Riitta Jaatinen and Viljo Kohonen), an advising group of eight researchers (Riikka Alanen, Raili Hildén, Riitta Jaatinen, Pauli Kaikkonen,Kati Kajander, Ritva Kantelinen, Viljo Kohonen and Pirkko Pollari) from the four participating universities (University of Eastern Finland,University of Helsinki, University of Jyväskylä and University of Tampere), and an action group of twelve language teachers (Merja Auvinen,Tuija Dalmo, Anne-Marie Grahn-Saarinen, Mari Kalaja, Hannele Kara, Arja Kujansivu, Eila Kuokkanen, Kaija Kähkönen, Kaija Perho,Eeva Regan, Olli-Pekka Salo and Ursula Viita-Leskelä) from the four cities with an extensive experience of using the ELP in languageeducation. The ELP website was created by the Adsek company in Helsinki, in consultation with the experts of the National Board ofEducation and the ELP Project group. ELP-related research and development work has been conducted in Finland since the Council of Europe’sELP projects (1998–2004), and ELP-oriented pedagogy has also been an integral part of Finnish language teacher education sincethe late 1990s.ii.See (www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/elp/elp-reg/Source/Templates/ELP_Annotated_PrinciplesGuidelines_EN.pdf/). The Finnish ELPdesign team wishes to acknowledge the help gained from the accredited Swiss and Swedish ELPs (Models No. 1/2000, 60.2004 and61/2004), for the design work of the Finnish ELPs for compulsory language education.iii.The European research and development work related to the ELP is discussed at some length (in Finnish) in the Teacher’s Guide (Opettajanopas) on this website. The Checklists are given in six languages in Checklists. A number of actual pedagogical ELP materials (classroomtasks, teachers’ reflections and observations of their work) is provided in Esimerkkejä opettajien ajattelusta (in Finnish). The websitealso contains a lengthy Bibliography (Bibliography) for further information.iv.Some examples of such reflective questions: What are your strengths as a pupil in school? What skills are you good at in your languageuse? How do you see your role as a language learner? What is a good group member like in our language class? How might you improveyour participation in your groups? What aims do you wish to set for this course (week, etc)? What are you going to do to reach youraims? In what ways do your experiences of language use outside school develop your language and cultural skills?