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EIROPAS VALODU PORTFELIS TREŠO VALSTU VALSTSPIEDERĪGAJIEM

European Language Portfoliofor Third-country Nationals

2013 1. VALODU PASE

2. VALODU BIOGRĀFIJA

3. DOSJĒ

EIROPAS VALODU PORTFELIS TREŠO VALSTU VALSTSPIEDERĪGAJIEM 123

Eiropas Valodu portfelis trešo valstu valstpiederīgajiem

The European Language Portfolio for Third-country NationalsŠis modelis atbilst Eiropas Valodu portfeļa izstrādes Principiem un vadlīnijām.

This model complies with the Principles and Guidelines of the Development of European Language Portfolio.

Eiropas Valodu portfeļa nosaukuma, logo un Valodu pases autortiesības pieder Eiropas Padomei.

Trešo valstu valstspiederīgajiem paredzētā Eiropas Valodu portfeļa valodas prasmes līmeņa pašnovērtēšanas kritēriji izstrādāti, par pamatu ņemot formulējumus no Eiropas kopīgajām pamatnostādnēm valodu apguvei: mācīšanās, mācīšana, vērtēšana (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, 2000), kā arī balstoties uz A. Lazarevas, B. Mūrnieces-Buļevas, I. Auziņas veikto sociolingvistisko pētījumu Trešo valstu valstspiederīgo latviešu valodas vajadzību un valodas prasmju noteikšana veiksmīgai integrācijai Latvijā (2013)1, uz A/s Datorzinību centrs veidoto leksikas minimumu trešo valstu valstpiederīgajiem 1000 vārdu apjomā (2012) 2 un A. Šalmes, I. Auziņas izstrādāto valodas funkcionālo līmeņu aprakstu (2013)3.

VMC Valoda, Public Service Language Centre, 2013Gunita Borzova, Silvija Kārkliņa

LVA, 2013. Manuskripts. LVA, 2013. Manuscript.

The Copyright of the European Language Portfolio title, logo and the Language Passport belongs to the Council of Europe.

The self-assessment criteria of the European Language Portfolio for Third-country Nationals are created on the basis of the formulations which are given in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (2000), as well as on the basis of sociolinguistic research “The Assessment of Third-country Nationals’ Latvian Language Needs and Language Skills for Their Successful Integration in Latvia” (2013)1 which was carried out by A. Lazareva, B. Mūrnieces-Buļeva, I. Auziņa. The minimum lexicon of 1000 words for Third Countries Nationals’ developed by JSC Datorzinibu Centrs (2012)2 also served as the basis for the Portfolio alongside with the Description of Language Functional Levels (2013)3 created by A. Šalme and I. Auziņa.

LVA, 2012. The Minimum Lexicon developed within the framework of the Third-country Integration Fund project „Innovative Approaches to Language Acquisition for Third-country Children and Adolescents”; available at www.sazinastilts.lv.

LVA, 2013. The research is carried out within the framework of the Third-country Integration Fund project „The Availability of Acquisition of the Latvian Language for Successful Communication, Integration and Naturalization”

implemented by the Latvian Language Agency.

1 LVA, 2013. Pētījums izstrādāts LVA īstenotajā Trešo valstu valstspiederīgo integrācijas fonda

2 LVA, 2012. Leksikas minimums izstrādāts LVA īstenotajā Trešo valstu valstspiederīgo integrācijas fonda

projektā Latviešu valodas apguves pieejamība veiksmīgai saziņai, integrācijai un naturalizācijai.

3

projektā Inovatīvas pieejas valodas apguvei trešo valstu valstpiederīgo bērniem un jauniešiem.

Pieejams tīmeklī www.sazinastilts.lv.

LVA, 2013. Manuskripts.

www.sazinastilts.lv

www.sazinastilts.lv

EIROPAS VALODU PORTFELISS TREŠO VALSTU VALSTSPIEDERĪGAJIEM 3

Informācija Lietotājam

Eiropas Valodu portfelis (EVP) ir valodas apguvējam piederošs dokuments, kas veic divas funkcijas: atspoguļo šī dokumenta īpašnieka sasniegumus valodu apguvē un palīdz mācīties dažādas valodas. EVP tiek sekmīgi lietots daudzās Eiropas valstīs.

Ikvienam EVP ir trīs daļas:

• Valodu pase, kurā EVP īpašnieks norāda

savu dzimto valodu vai valodas, ieraksta ziņas par citām valodām, kuras ir apgūtas skolā vai ārpus tās, un atzīmē šo valodu prasmes līmeni (ja Valodu pase Jums sagādā grūtības, varat pie tās atgriezties pēc Valodu biogrāfijas aizpildīšanas);

• Valodu biogrāfija, kurā EVP īpašnieks

nosaka savus mācību mērķus, atspoguļo mācību procesu un novērtē sasniegtos rezultātus (valodas mācīšanos ieteicams sākt tieši ar Valodu biogrāfijas daļu, lai noteiktu savu apgūstamās valodas prasmes līmeni);

• Dosjē, kurā EVP īpašnieks ievietodiplomu, apliecību u. tml. dokumentu kopijas, sakrāj savus labākos darbus, kas apliecina attiecīgo valodas prasmi.

Šis EVP ir paredzēts trešo valstu valstspiederīgajiem latviešu valodas kā svešvalodas, tai skaitā otrās valodas, apguvē.

Instructions for the UserThe European Language Portfolio is a language learner’s document with two functions:Firstly, it reflects your achievements in language learning; secondly, it helps you to learn different languages. The ELPs have been successfully used in many European countries.

Every ELP has three parts:

• Language Passport, where the owner of theELP lls in his/her native language or languages, records all the languages learned at school or elsewhere, and records his/her language prociency levels (please, note – if the Language Passport seems difficult, you can return to it later, when you have filled the Langauge Biography) ;

• Language Biography, where the owner of the

ELP sets his/her learning aims, records the study process and intercultural experiences, and assesses the results achieved (it is advisable to start language Learning with this Language Biography part in order to determine the level of your langauge skill);

• The Dossier, where the ELP owner keeps thecopies of diplomas, certificates and other similar documents, and collects the samples of one’s best work, which prove the respective language skill.

This version of the ELP has been especially designed for third-country nationals to be used for acquisition of different foreign languages, as well as for the study of Latvian as a foreign language or as a second language.


The European Language Portfolio (ELP) is one of the last decade’s the latest language learning tools that

support national language learning. The European Language Portfolio for Adults (2006), which is

developed in Latvia, advances not only the learning of the Latvian language, but also the learning of

other European languages. There are other European Language Portfolios are designed in Latvia as well.

The European Language Portfolio for Students (from 7 to 12 years) (2007) is designed for the youngest

school-age children, and aims to introduce the language learning process that lasts the lifetime.

The European Language Portfolio for Nurses (2007) forms a common understanding of the minimum

professional vocabulary and functional language which is necessary in communication with patients in

Latvia and several other European languages. The European Language Portfolio for Railroad Workers

(2008) determines the necessary language skills needed for the professional field and allows working in a

number of European countries’ railroad network in compliance with the security measures prescribed in

the European Union regulations and directives. Moreover, the European Language Portfolio for

Third-country Nationals (2013) is one of the first European language portfolios that promote the learning

of the Latvian language and culture for immigrants.

With increasing mobility of people also the necessity to learn other European countries’ national

languages increases since a person’s personal communication skills opens up more employment

opportunities, allowing active social and political life. J. C. Beacco and M. Byriam criticize the linguistic

ideology, which is based on a use of a single common communication language. This approach helps to

reduce the cost of multi-lingual environment, based on economic globalization and communication

technology, but weakens a person’s plurilingualism positions. The costs of linguistic diversities (such as

translation or learning costs) and the lack of mutual understanding in communication is referred to as

an excuse for trying to dispel linguistic diversity. It should be emphasized that the monolingual

communication concept is different from the point of view of country’s national language where the

common language helps to keep the "maximum efficiency of the country, ensuring proper functioning

of the national market, especially in the labour market area" (Beacco & Byriam, 2003, 26).

Eiropas Valodu portfeļi Latvijāby Silvija Kārkliņa, Public Service Language CentreE-mail: [email protected]


Materials and Methodology

Despite the fact that The European Language Portfolio for Adults is used alongside with the language

learning textbooks and workbooks for more than 10 years, the Portfolio could be regarded as a new

tool for teaching. Although various ELPs are designed for three large target audiences, resp., primary or

elementary school, high school and adult audience, many countries have not yet established ELPs for

all age groups. There are created and used The European Language Portfolio students (from 7 to 12 years)

and The European Language Portfolio for Adults in Latvia, but still there is a critical linkage lack in the

continuity of ELP usage – there is not the ELP for students over the age of 12 years.

The creation of ELP is an innovative job since not only pedagogical, methodological and linguistic

aspects should be taken into account, but also the needs of specific target audiences. According to the

P. Drucker, successful innovation development has five main criteria:

it is self-contained process;

it has its weak or missing points;

it has a clear definition of the target;

the solution specifications can be clearly identified;

it is based on a general understanding that there must be a different / better solution (Drucker, 1985, 73).

As pointed out by P. Drucker, the textbooks was that innovation in teaching which, in his view,

influenced the quality of education more than a teacher training or pedagogical theories. "Without

good books, even a very good teacher cannot teach at the same time more than one or two children,

but with it – even quite a bad teacher can drive into heads of thirty or thirty-five students' any certain

knowledge" (Drucker, 1985, 31).


“Finally, the institutions that serve in the public interest, should built their strategies for continuous

search for innovation. These institutions have to look at change as an opportunity rather than as a

threat” (Drucker, 1985, 183). The author of this introduction, working in Public Service Language Centre,

which is an informal educational institution and language school accredited by the Ministry of

Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia, has participated in the creation of five European

language portfolios where one of the languages is the Latvian language:

The European Language Portfolio for Adults;

The European Language Portfolio for Nurses;

The European Language Portfolio for Students 'Lolipop';

The European Language Portfolio for the Deaf People;

The European Language Portfolio for Railroad Workers.

The descriptors of all these ELPs are created innovatively according to the needs of the specific target

audience. They have been created in cooperation between project partners. These ELPs are created in at

least three languages and they are used not only in Latvia, but also in other EU member states as well,

making use of the opportunities provided by the innovative teaching materials in a learning process.


In today's global economy, language skills are vitally needed in the labour market. The level of proficiency

which provides effective communication skills may be different in various skills ─ reading, listening,

speaking or writing. In addition, the proficiency level of skills should not necessarily be in the highest

level – C1 or C2 (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Results and Discussion Proficiency in several languages or multilingualism

To ensure the competitiveness of the labour market, which has increased the demand for people

obtaining multiple language skills, language skills can be gained not only by formal but also by informal

education. As pointed out by J. Etienne and S. Jackson, in lifelong learning it is important that "the formal

and non-formal education is linked together" (Etienne & Jackson, 2011, 57).

This linkage of education forms is important aspect in language life-long learning, where one of the

tools, which are transferred from formal education to informal learning, is the European Language

Portfolio. It reflects the whole spectrum of individual's language learning set and allows not only reflect

on the methods and options which have contributed to language learning, but also to analyse the

impact of interaction of multiple languages in learning process.

The European Language Portfolio

The European Language Portfolio is this multi-language teaching tool which allows assessing an

individual's knowledge and skills of several languages. The ELP’s section Biography provides the

descriptors which are based on evaluations of the language knowledge and skills in accordance with the

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, 2000. The

standards of these descriptors are used in the creation of language programs as well as in the assessment

of individual’s language skills.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages provides descriptions of the activities

and competences in the respective language according to the scale of six language proficiency levels

from A1, A2 (basic level) and B1, B2 (intermediate level) to C1, C2 (the highest level, where language skills

of level C2 are considered as equal to the educated native speaker level).


The first European Language Portfolio in Latvia was started to develop in year 2003 as the European

Language Portfolio for Adults, which was based on various documents and portfolios as follows:

the Common European Framework of Reference for Language Acquisition, which was adopted by the

Council of Europe Education Committee’s Cultural Co-operation Council in year 2000; Swiss version of

the European Language Portfolio (accreditation No. 1.2000.); EAQUALS-ALTE European Language

Portfolio (accredited model No. 06.2000.); the European Language Portfolio developed in Russia

(accredited model No. 3.2000.), the European Language Portfolio developed in Language and

Communication Study Centre at the Trinity College, Dublin (accreditation No. 10.2002.); the European

Language Portfolio developed in the Czech Republic (accredited model No. 55.2004.). The Latvian

Language Agency’s long experience in the development of methodology of Latvian language

acquisition as a foreign language was of great importance in the creation of the first European

Language Portfolio in Latvia, as well as the experience of the Department of National Language

Assessment at National Centre’s for Education, which was gained during the attestations of national

language proficiency, was of great impact.

The European Language Portfolio for Adults is the first European Language Portfolio developed in

Latvia, meant for adults and designed for learning various foreign languages, as well as the Latvian

language as a foreign or second language. It can also be used for acquisition of other languages as

well, for example, for learning languages of ethnic minorities living in Latvia.

In year 2003 by the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia and the

Latvian Language Agency, a group of authors (D. Dalbiņa, I. Jundze, I. Zuicena, I. Grīnberga, S.

Ostrovska, S. Kārkliņa) began their work on the first European Language Portfolio in Latvia. Creating

the first descriptors in Latvian by describing all scales of levels of skills which comply with the

guidelines of the development of ELPs, the first European Language Portfolio for adults was created.

This portfolio was recognized as complying with the principles and guidelines of the development of

ELP and was accredited in year 2006 (No. 84.2006).

The European Language Portfolio for Adults covers two functions: to reflect adult’s achievements in the

language learning and to help learn languages. The three parts of the European Language Portfolio:

shows the achievements of ELP owner in language acquisition (Language Passport); sets the

language-learning goals and reflects learning process (Language Biography); helps to save up

diplomas, certificates, and the copies of owner’s best learning works as the confirmation of achieved

results (Dossier).


Although the Language Passport is a part of The European Language Portfolio and apparently it would be

easiest to fill it by every language learner, functionally it can be considered as the Europass document.

The author of this introduction considers that the ELP’s section Language Biography is of the utmost

importance because it provides insights into the following issues:

what are the goals of language learning;

what is the language and cultural experience;

what are the learning techniques that make the language learning process more efficient and effective (learning to learn);

how to do a self-assessment.

The European Language Portfolio for Adults promotes an understanding of an adult learner in the issues as

follows:

how are languages acquired;

the importance of independent learning in language acquisition;

the opportunities which promote language learning;

the fact that the levels of language knowledge may be different for various skills;

why the language is learned;

on how the learning of one language promotes the learning of other languages as well;

on cultural elements that are essential for learning a language.

Consequently, every adult is given the opportunity to assess their foreign language skills and to set

further goals in language learning. As pointed out by C. Mabey, the key is to find ways of how to

accurately determine an individual's competences and which are the further actions to be taken in order

to strengthen the weak elements by using the strengths. (Mabey, 2011, 55)


Professional European Language Portfolio

Taking into account the fact that the foreign languages are taught at the secondary schools for

communicative purposes, the professional foreign language turns out to make difficulties for adults,

which is often acquired only in work-related situations. As pointed out by K. Boeckmann, E. Aalto, A. Abel,

T. Atanasoska and T. Lamb, the role of language is not always adequately evaluated in teaching other

subjects. Therefore, more and more it is stressed that a teacher of any subject is also a language teacher.

Emphasizing the role of language in all subjects, these authors point out that the language shapes the

knowledge structure of the respective subject. Thus, the language competency of the subject becomes

an essential part of the subject competence and practically both of these competences cannot be

separated.

In creation of the professional European Language Portfolios the general knowledge and skills of

language, as well as the professional or special language knowledge and skills are taken into account.

These portfolios provide support for adults – third-country nationals – and help in self-assessing of

knowledge and skills in different languages.

The reasons for this restraint are given by H. Wisnievska as findings of the research:

topics in the test-books do not comply with the topics of text-books;

the full package of the subject’s books offers plenty of teaching materials;

the exercises provided in the test-books differ very slightly in the degrees of difficulty;

the exercises in the test-books are too mechanical and are not linked tolanguage learner cognitive skills;

test-books make the learning process too easy and do not motivate languagelearners (Wisnievska, 2011, 76).

Nowadays there is a demand for assessment type didactic teaching materials, because, as pointed out by

H. Wisnievska, there is still a small number of training materials that comply with the principles of

independent learning despite the fact that learning autonomy is one of the cornerstones of modern

teaching theory. H. Wisnievska critically evaluates the training materials that are designed with the aim to

develop self-assessment skills, which help for learners to evaluate by themselves their foreign language

knowledge, resp., the knowledge of the English language, terminology and specific vocabulary. H.

Wisnievska concludes that, despite the fact that it would be useful for language learners to obtain such

books, teachers, authors and publishers have little interest in publishing them (Wisnievska, 2011, 75).


Attributing these findings as well as the rich experience in English language teaching for special

purposes to the development of ELP, it is necessary to evaluate the role of professional section in the

ELPs, where alongside with everyday communicative language skills also the professional or special

language features are mentioned as well.

For example, The European Language Portfolio for Railroad Workers includes both professional descriptors

and general descriptors for each level of language knowledge and skills. Whereas, The European

Language Portfolio for Railroad Workers has been translated into six languages and includes descriptors,

which not only describes the general language knowledge at the respective level of language

knowledge, but also the professional language skills necessary for railway locomotive drivers and train

maintenance staff.

clearly defined learning objectives that reflect the professional needs;

additional motivation for learning language;

understanding of the minimum requirements for language skills;

openness to plurilingualism;

an understanding of the importance of cross-cultural component;

clear language teaching program in their specialty;

opportunity for meaningful learning;

possibility to create one’s own learning plan.

The translation of ELP descriptors in six languages comply with the principles of plurilingualism as one

national railway rolling stock operating in several countries, also comply with the safety regulations

which are compulsory since May, 2006 for railroad workers crossing the boundaries of countries and

within the scope of their employment. Locomotives and their supporting technical equipment are not

always accepted for operations beyond national borders, so the whole set of measures is designed in

order to ensure mutual recognition of a rolling stock and security measures across borders. Among the

security measures are not only the conditions under which a rolling stock can operate in a European

Union national railway network, but also linguistic requirements. These requirements set the level of

language proficiency separately by the skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking, and the

highest requirements (B1) are demanded for listening and speaking skills.

The definition of linguistic requirements allows professionally create learning materials. If the linguistic

requirements of the professional field are defined the adults themselves can control the language

learning process and set goals for professional advancement. Thus both adults and teachers can assess

their progress towards the teaching and learning objectives.

The author of this introduction considers that by using the European Language Portfolio for Railroad

Workers the people employed in this field obtain:


The laws and regulations of assignment of the citizenship in many European countries pay great attention

to language skills. The knowledge and skills of the country’s official language is a prerequisite for

demonstrating an individual’s integration in the national culture. According to the J. C. Beacco, (Beacco,

2005), the legislation which comprises the regulations of skills of the national or official language differs

from country to country. They can be divided into two large groups. The first group includes countries

where the national language is required in the level A1 according to the Common European Framework

of Reference for Languages. The second group includes countries such as Germany and Denmark, where

language skills are required in B1 level for naturalization.

European Language Portfolio for Third-country Nationals

The ability to get integrated accordingly to the requirements of the highest level of language knowledge

and skills are discussed on the basis of the values that are important for every resident of that country.

Whereas lower level of state language knowledge and skills requirements are not considered as the denial

of people not speaking the official language, but rather is considered as an encouragement for a person to

become more competent in the official language’s knowledge and skills.

The European Language Portfolio for Third-country Nationals (2013) is developed for all skills – listening,

speaking (dialogue, monologue), reading and writing – in two levels (A1 and A2). The skills of the missing

levels can be complemented by means of The European Language Portfolio for Adults (2006). Each

description of level A1 and A2 is supplemented by the list of Latvian culture and social traditions. These

are the statements that are recommended to discuss and analyse with friends, colleagues or Latvian

language teachers in order to avoid the formation of stereotypes.

Assessing the situation of the European Language Portfolios in Latvia in year 2013, it appears that for

many adults, especially those for whom the Latvian language is not the native language, the need has

emerged to self-assess their language skills. This can be successfully done by using The European

Language Portfolio for Third-country Nationals.


Conclusions

The European Language Portfolio is the only available tool to an individual for acquiring a variety of

languages. It helps to identify the already acquired language proficiency levels and to define the

further language learning goals and objectives that can be actively used to promote language

learning and lifelong learning.

The European Language Portfolio for Third-country Nationals, developed in accordance with the

Common European Framework of Reference for levels A1 and A2 in all skills, is a supporting

instrument for all whose mother tongue is not the Latvian language. This allows the learners make

their own learning goals, assess their language skills and knowledge, as well as create a notion about

the similarities and differences in Latvian cultural environment and rules of social life.

The Professional European Language Portfolios motivate learners to learn the language, because

alongside with the acquisition of communicative language skills also professional language skills are

acquired, which is not only useful for the society, but also provides a competitive employment.


Bibliography

Beacco, J. C. (2005). Languages and Language Repertoires: Plurilingualism as a Way of Life in Europe Language Policy Division, DG IV – Directorate of School, Out-of-School and Higher Education, Council of Europe, Strasbourg. 24 p.

Boeckmann, K., Aalto, B., Abel, A., Atanasoska, T. & Lamb, T. (2011). Promoting Plurilingualism – Majority Language in Multilingual Settings, Council of Europe Publishing, European Centre for Modern Languages, Strasbourg Cedex.

Comission Regulation (EU) No 1169/2010 of 10 December 2010 on a common safety method for assessing conformity with the requirements for obtaining railway safety authorisation.

Comission Regulation (EU) No 1158/2010 of 9 December 2010 on a common safety method for assessing conformity with the requirements for obtaining railway safety certificates.

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Etienne, J. & Jackson, S. (2011). Beyond Learning and Community Participation for Older Women. In: Jackson, S. (ed). Innovations in Lifelong Learning. Critical Perspectives on Diversity, Participation and Vocational Learning. Routledge, pp.49-66.

Jackson, S. (2011). Innovations in Lifelong Learning. Critical Perspectives on Diversity, Participation and Vocational Learning. London: Routlage. 259 p.

Kārkliņa, S., Ostrovska, S. (2008). Language Portfolio for Railway Staff. Rīga: VMC, 161 p.

Mabey, C. (1994). Assessing and Developing Competency. In: Managing Learning Mabey, C. & Iles, P. (eds.). The Open University, Routledge, London.

Odiņa, I., Grigule, L., Kārkliņa, S., Skara-Mincāne, R. (2009). ActivELP Mentoring Guidelines. Rīga: VMC, 44 p.

Wisniewska, H. (2011). The Role and Effectiveness of ‘Check Your Vocabulary’ Books. In: Pattison, T. (ed.). IATEFL 2011, Brighton Conference Selections, IATEFL, University of Kent, 2012. pp. 75-77.

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