The common European framework and the European language portfolio: involving learners and their judgements in the assessment process (original) (raw)
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Learner self-assessment and the European Language Portfolio
2010
Even though the value of learner self-assessment has been long acknowledged in theory, it does not yet play a central role in assessment practices in formal education. This paper is based on the conviction that learner self-assessment of second / foreign language (L2) achievement and proficiency has the potential to enhance the quality of L2 learning, teaching and assessment and also to address, to an extent, the contemporary concerns of modern society (e.g. education for democratic citizenship, lifelong learning etc.). It is argued that the best way to introduce self-assessment in formal language learning contexts is through the European Language Portfolio (ELP) developed by the Council of Europe. Specific ways of accommodating ELP self-assessment into external assessment (by teachers and examinations) are put forward along with some of the necessary prerequisites and reforms for successful implementation.
abstract This article starts from the assumption that education is a process of " people shaping " designed to help learners extend and perhaps in some ways modify their identity while exploiting and developing their agency. This view is harmonious with the approach to language education that the Council of Europe has developed since the 1970s, and especially with its early commitment to learner autonomy and self-assessment. The approach adopted by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR) to the description of language proficiency clearly implicates the user-learner's identity and agency, which are also central to the CEFR's companion piece, the European Language Portfolio (ELP), in which self-assessment plays a key role. The article proposes that taken together, the CEFR and the ELP imply an assessment culture in which learning and assessment are reciprocally integrated. From the perspective thus established, the authors review some current trends in language assessment and their potential impact on learner identity and learner agency, focusing in turn on self-assessment, peer assessment, teacher assessment, and large-scale testing and assessment. The article concludes by arguing that although recent developments in language assessment pay significantly more attention to the learner than was previously the case, a great deal of work remains to be done to further increase the engagement of learner agency in processes of self-assessment and peer assessment and to align them with other forms of assessment.
Autonomy and self-assessment are crucial elements in the process of foreign language learning as stated in the Council of Europe recommendations. The European Language Portfolio (ELP) is conceived as a tool that allows users to record their language learning achievements and their experience of learning and using languages. This paper presents the results of a study carried out on primary education level with the ELP as the working basis to engage students in their own learning process in Spain. The analysis of the results offers insights on learners' autonomy and self-assessment, plurilingualism, diversity awareness and usefulness of the ELP from both the teacher's and students' perspective. Motivation towards autonomy learning was clearly enhanced whereas self-assessment issues were unclear for students due to the novelty of the cognitive process. ðə dʒərnəl əv laeŋgwədʒ titʃɪŋ aend lərnɪŋ J L T L dɛdəketəd tu haj kwɑləti risərtʃ ɪn əplayd lɪŋgwɪstɪks
Like Ducks to Water: Language Learners and Self-Assessment
JASAL Journal, 2021
Traditional approaches to language teaching are giving way to an approach that seeks to involve learners in the decision-making process associated with their learning. One key means of engaging learners in decision-making and of promoting learner autonomy involves showing learners how to actively engage in assessing their learning. However, published accounts of language teachers encouraging self-assessment are rare. In this short article I argue that language teachers have a responsibility to “set in motion the self-regulatory process” Tseng, Dörnyei and Schmitt (2006, p. 95) whereby learners begin to manage their own learning. While there are many ways in which this can be done, here I present three examples from a course which encouraged learners to develop ways of managing all aspects of their language learning. In presenting these examples, I wish to emphasise not so much the individual measures designed by the learners, but rather their willingness and ability to participate in the process. As my title suggests, despite having no prior experience of assessing their learning, the learners took to self-assessment “like ducks to water”.
2015
Assuming that learning does not stop outside the classroom, it is essential for teachers to enforce skills and strategies that students can transfer to other learning situations. Given the influence teachers have on what goes on in the classroom, it might be revealing to have insight into their perception concerning learner autonomy and self-assessment as it helps learners to set realistic goals and control their own learning; it also develops their critical self-awareness. The present small-scale study explores teachers' attitudes, beliefs, and classroom practices concerning learner self-assessment in two Hungarian secondary schools, involving 15 EFL teachers overall. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted to reveal teachers' understanding of self-assessment and the ways they implemented it in their classroom practice. Qualitative data analysis shed light on teachers' positive attitude towards self-assessment, revealed differences concernin...
SELF-ASSESSMENT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING
The ability to set one's own goals and pursue them independently is one of the primary foundation stones of autonomy and, hence, successful EFL learning. This article emphasizes the value of learner self-assessment. The discussion, first, starts with defining self-assessment as one type of alternatives in classroom-based assessment, and the procedures involved when learners engage to assess their performance in the different learning tasks. Then, there is a review of the kinds of learner self-assessment, along with illustrative examples taken from different researchers. Finally, there are some guidelines for teachers to develop learner self-assessment. INTRODUCTION Studies of assessment have in recent years witnessed a shift in the focus of attention, from concentration on the properties of types of tests towards greater interest in the interactions between other options in assessment and EFL learning/teaching. The bulk of research centres around tools for collecting data to provide teachers with information about their learners' developing skills and the effectiveness of their instructions (Katz, 2014). Such options are called: alternatives in classroom assessment. They do not replace tests but they are additional tools that the teacher can have recourse to during the course of their teaching. They involve engaging learners in assessment tasks to help them develop autonomy. Learners become actively involved in searching for their points of strengths/ weaknesses and, then, set goals accordingly. One type of alternative in classroom assessment which gives learners the chance to assume greater responsibility is self-assessment, that is viewed as " sine qua non for effective learning " (Black & Wiliam 1998 :26).
Self-assessment in second language learning
Language Teaching
Self-assessment (SA), as an activity for reflecting on one's own performance and abilities (Black & Wiliam, 1998), has been a topic of interest to educators over the years. Among second language (L2) educators, SA began growing in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, when L2 educators’ focus shifted from analyzing linguistic systems to examining how learners learn a language. Many can-do statements and SA descriptors have been developed for L2 language learning, including SA grids aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR, Council of Europe, 2022) and can-do statements prepared by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) in collaboration with the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) (ACTFL, n.d.). Textbooks and other L2 learning materials, including online apps, often contain SA items. SA can be used in conjunction with other assessments, such as traditional objective assessments, peer assessments, and portfolios....
Article - 2008 - Language Learning Journal - issues in assessment
Self-access centres are a popular type of language support offered by an increasing number of schools and universities around the world. Assessment of the learning that takes place in such Centres is seen as both crucial and problematic. There appear to exist many barriers to successful assessment but these have not been comprehensively documented, making it difficult to develop systematic solutions. This article presents the results of a study of 46 self-access centres in five countries (Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, Switzerland, and New Zealand), investigating current assessment practice. In-depth strength-weakness analyses were conducted with the managers of each of the participating Centres. These revealed a complex interaction between pedagogical and practical challenges to assessment. They also showed an emphasis on the developmental role of assessment for learner autonomy and the importance of assessing both language gains and learning skills.
Language learner autonomy and the European Language Portfolio: Two L2 English examples
Language Teaching, 2009
This article argues that the Council of Europe's European Language Portfolio is capable of supporting the implementation of language learner autonomy on a large scale. It begins by explaining what the author understands by ‘language learner autonomy’, then introduces the European Language Portfolio and explains how it can stimulate reflective learning in which goal setting and self-assessment play a central role. It concludes by giving two practical examples that involve the learning of L2 English in Ireland, in one case by adult immigrants with refugee status and in the other by newcomer pupils in primary schools.
Teachers’ Beliefs about Young EFL Learners’ Self-assessment: a Case Study of Macedonia
The paper explores Macedonian primary EFL teachers’ attitudes, beliefs and practices regarding self-assessment of young learners (10-12 year-olds). The study surveyed primary EFL teachers (n=30) who teach English to 5th and 6th graders. The results indicated that vocabulary, grammar and reading were more often the focus of self-assessment tasks than the other areas of language learning. This, along with the finding that the receptive language skills were more frequently self-assessed than the productive skills has been attributed to the impact of the external exam. The most frequently used self-assessment techniques were can-do statements and check-lists. The perceived benefits and challenges of self-assessment have been found to be compatible with the findings of other studies. In spite of their positive attitudes towards learner self-assessment, the teachers expressed awareness of certain problems underlying its implementation as well as uncertainty about how to train learners to self-assess. In line with the conclusions, recommendations have been made regarding the need for greater emphasis on self-assessment of the neglected language areas (speaking and writing), the necessity of using a variety of self-assessment formats and the need for learner training in self-assessment from an early age.