ELP-TT
Training teachers to use the
European Language Portfolio
Short-term project 2008–2009
ELP_TT2
Ülle Türk, Estonia
ELP-TT
ELP and intercultural learning
Based on a workshop held by Dick Meijer in Skopje,
adapted by Margarete Nezbeda and Ülle Türk
ELP-TT
ELP and interculturality
• Principles and Guidelines (2000): the ELP
'reflects the Council of Europe's concern with
… respect for diversity and ways of life‘.
• ELP is a 'tool to promote plurilingualism and
pluriculturalism‘.
ELP-TT
Some definitions
• Multicultural (society): Different cultures exist side
by side vs. pluricultural: A person becomes
pluricultural when she/he has gained access to
more than one culture
• Intercultural situation: two or more pluricultural
individuals interact
• Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) =
„the ability to cope with one‘s own cultural
background in interaction with others“ (Beneke,
2000)
ELP-TT
Intercultural awareness
Intercultural awareness includes an awareness of …
diversity.
Intercultural skills and know-how include:
• Ability to bring culture of origin and foreign culture into
relation with each other
• Cultural sensitivity/ability for a variety of strategies for
contact
• The role of cultural intermediary
• Ability to overcome stereotyped relationships
(Common European Framework of Reference, 2001)
ELP-TT
The challenge of intercultural
competence
• Note: Cultural knowledge is not the same as
intercultural competence (Little/Simpson, 2003)
• Intercultural competence needs relevant cultural
knowledge (including knowledge of culture of
origin)
• Intercultural competence also depends on other
factors (e.g. the individual’s affective and
attitudinal orientation and personal skills)
• It is difficult to judge one’s own intercultural
competence
ELP and intercultural aspects
ELP-TT
• Language Passport reports …. significant
language and intercultural learning
experiences.
• Language Biography is organised to
promote plurilingualism …
• Dossier offers the opportunity to select
materials to document and illustrate …
experiences
(Principles and Guidelines, 2004)
Role of the ELP
ELP-TT
• ELP could and should play an important role in
stimulating thinking about:
– Cultural differences
– Reflexion on experiences (in terms of location and
intensity)
• Location: work, travel, study
• Intensity: frequency, duration, involvement,
significance for oneself.
(Little and Simpson, 2003)
Recording and reflecting
intercultural experiences
ELP-TT
Questions to be considered in order to record
intercultural experiences in the ELP:
• Where, with whom and in what context
(location)?
• What kind of experience (intensity)?
• What was my response?
• Why did I respond the way I did?
ELP-TT
In the classroom
• Possibilities of bringing the target culture into the
classroom:
– Native speakers (neighbourhood, international
companies, language assistants)
– Media (journals, newspapers, internet)
– Correspondence projects (e-mail, letters, chatsessions)
– Virtual exchanges
– Simulations
• But: Take account of cultural similarities and do not just
focus on cultural differences!
Global simulation
• Develop a biography of a person in the target language.
During a couple of lessons the biography will be
enriched with all kinds of information
ELP-TT
• First part: collecting information
• Raise awareness by checking information with resource
persons (teachers, native speakers, etc.)
• By combining with exchange programmes (real or
virtual) intercultural experiences are possible
• During the project and at the end: use real or virtual
communicative situations to check the information that
has been collected
ELP-TT
Workshop activity (Handout 5)
ELP-TT
References
• Bernaus, Mercé et al. (eds.), 2007. Plurilingual and
pluricultural awareness in language teacher education. A
training kit. Graz: ECML. Council of Europe.
• Groenewold, P., 1997. 'Land in Sicht'. Landeskunde als Dialog
der Identitäten am Beispiel des deutschen-niederländischen
Begegnungsdiskurses, Groningen. [Dialogue of identities:
Dutch-German imagological discourse].
• Lázár, Ildiko et al. (eds.), 2007. Developing and assessing
intercultural communicative competence. A guide for language
teachers and teacher educators. Graz: ECML, Council of
Europe.
• Little,D. and B. Simpson, 2003. European Language Portfolio.
The intercultural component and Learning how to learn.
Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
• Schneider,G. and P. Lenz, 2001. European Language Portfolio:
Guide for developers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.