dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 1 CEFR and ELP seminar (Skopje) ELP and intercultural aspects Workshop 4

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 2 CEFR and interculturality In Principles and Guidelines (2000) the ELP should 'reflect the Council of Europe's concern with … respect for diversity and ways of life' ELP is 'tool to promote plurilingualism and pluriculturalism'

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 3 The cultural impact of language learning on the individual learner: –Learner becomes plurilingual and develops interculturality –Linguistic and cultural competences: contribute to intercultural awareness, skills and know-how contribute to intercultural awareness, skills and know-how enable to develop –an enriched, more complex personality –an enhanced capacity for further language learning –greater openness to new cultural experiences

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 4 CEFR and interculturality (Common European Framework of Reference, 2001) 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

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 5 ELP and intercultural aspects (Principles and Guidelines, 2004) 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

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 6 The challenge of intercultural competence There are no validated scales with descriptors(not yet) There would not be a direct relationship between those scales and levels of language proficiency According to Schneider and Lenz lists of objectives on 'aspects of sociocultural knowledge' and 'components of intercultural competence that should be acquired (…)' would be valuable (2001)

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 7 The challenge of intercultural competence But: 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 own intercultural competence because of the fact that many learners are not in position to do so.

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 8 Role of the ELP Little and Simpson (2003) pointed out that ELP could and should play an important role in stimulating thinking about : –Cultural differences –Reflection on experiences (in terms of location and intensity) Location: work, travel,study Intensity: frequency, duration, involvement, significance for oneself.

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 9 Recording and reflecting intercultural experiences Questions to be considered in order to record intercultural experiences in your 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?

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 10 In the classroom In most cases language learning takes place in the classroom Possibilities bringing the other culture in the classroom: –Natives (neighbourhood, international companies) –Media (journals, newspapers, internet) –Correspondence projects ( , letters, chatsessions) –Virtual exchanges –All kinds of simulations But:Take account of cultural similarities and focus not only on cultural differences as well as of 'own' culture

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 11 An example of a simulation activity Background information Developed in cooperation with teachers and learners of secondary schools Aim: stimulating spoken interaction in the classroom As a consequence of school reform: only listening and speaking skills

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 12 The project Develop a biography of a person in the target language. During a couple of lessons the biography will be enriched with all kind of information. First part: collecting knowledge By checking information through resource persons (teachers, natives, ….) awareness raising. Combining with exchange programmes (real or virtual) intercultural experiences possible Be aware of: resource persons are in eyes of learner always 'experts of their own culture'

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 13 Activities Develop your own (foreign) identity: –Name, year of birth, city, the place you live in, school, family, occupation of parents, –Search for information about city, neighbourhood. (Young) learners two goals: –Intercultural experiences by checking, exchange information with other learners –Awareness of own culture Looking for realisations of 'can do's' in ELP

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 14 All kinds of possibilities to develop the person further: –By making appointments (visiting something that will take place in real life: football match, movie, theatre, concert –By reading (local) newspapers, journals (on the internet)

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 15 At the end and during the project: check the collected information (knowledge) in real or virtual communicative situations.

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 16 Outcomes There was a continuous discourse between foreign and own culture Spoken interaction became a natural part in the classroom ELP can do's in spoken interaction: no problem Intercultural experiences through verification sometimes difficult Learners and teachers were very enthusiastic about the project (and developed it further)

dMe - Dick Meijer Talen Consultancy 17 References 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] 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