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Language Learning in Higher Education

Journal of the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education (CercleS)

Editor-in-Chief: Szczuka-Dorna, Liliana / O’Rourke, Breffni

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Using the ELP as a basis for self- and peer assessment when selecting “best” work in modern-language degree programmes

Fiona Dalziel / Gillian Davies / Amy Han
Published Online: 2016-10-06 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2016-0020

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Abstract

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) was designed as a tool that “supports reflective learning and fosters the development of learner autonomy” (Little 2009, The European Language Portfolio: Where pedagogy and assessment meet. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=0900001680459fa5 (accessed 20 June 2016)); it thus facilitates students in exploring, creating and documenting their own learning paths. This article will investigate an action-oriented approach to learning and teaching in an undergraduate language degree course at the University of Padova, Italy, based on the pedagogical principles of the ELP (Council of Europe 2011, European Language Portfolio (ELP): Principles and guidelines, with added explanatory notes. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=09000016804586ba (accessed 20 June 2016)). Students who enrol on this degree course arrive with varying degrees of language ability and diverse language learning backgrounds; due to the disparate nature of their proficiency levels, fostering language learning awareness is crucial. Task-based activities are fundamental to this approach, enabling students to explore and develop their communicative language competences through authentic target language use, and to reflect on their progress through guided self- and peer assessment. In the article, we will showcase examples of tasks which demonstrate the approach adopted. We will first explore how peer assessment of audio recordings was used in a course where first-year students were aiming to develop their spoken production skills. We will then illustrate how second-year students engaged in self-assessment of their skills in activities designed to explore the language of interaction and production. Finally, we will focus on the use of the ELP Dossier as a pedagogical tool, with students compiling an Academic Dossier and reflecting on the choices of work to include in it.

Keywords: autonomy; European Language Portfolio (ELP); language (learning) awareness; learning paths; reflection; self/peer assessment

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About the article

Fiona Dalziel

Fiona Dalziel is associate professor of English Language and Translation at the Department of Linguistic and Literary Studies of the University of Padova, Italy, where she teaches academic writing on the undergraduate programme in Language and Cultural Mediation. Her research interests include: promoting metacognitive learning strategies and learner autonomy; teaching academic writing; the use of drama in language learning; English-medium instruction (EMI).

Gillian Davies

Gillian Davies is a language teacher at the University of Padova, Italy. She has been actively involved in promoting the use of the European Language Portfolio since the CercleS version was adopted on an experimental basis during the academic year 2002–2003. She is particularly interested in exploring ways of fostering language-learning strategies which help develop learner autonomy.

Amy Han

Amy Han is a language teacher at the University of Padova, Italy. She teaches in the first year of the undergraduate programme in the Language and Cultural Mediation. Working with the CercleS European Language Portfolio (ELP) since 2002–2003, she is especially interested in promoting learner autonomy through learner awareness and reflection.

Published Online: 2016-10-06

Published in Print: 2016-10-01

Citation Information: Language Learning in Higher Education, Volume 6, Issue 2, Pages 397–417, ISSN (Online) 2191-6128, ISSN (Print) 2191-611X, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2016-0020.

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