ECML Workshop project IMPEL Project C5 of the ECML 2nd medium-term programme (IMPEL)

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation Dick Meijer

Why is this topic in the program? Implementing the ELP needs a kind of a masterplan in which all the ins and outs of an implementing process are covered This part of the workshops deals with this challenge The input: –general ideas about an action plan or action plans –Case studies The outcome: –First drafts of action plans related to own situation

5 ELP in use Questions to be addressed –In several countries the ELP is in use in others it is still at a starting point, but main question is/will be... how can we increase the use of ELP? –If not yet in use.. how can be profited from the experience from others? –Who is to be convinced (learner, teacher, end user, authorities (incl. headmaster)? –Implementation.... bottom up or top down? –What is role of publishers? Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation –What should be reached when? Target? Quantitative? Qualitative? Satisfaction? –What could be a critical moment? –Which stakeholders are/ could be the most important partners in an ELP implementation process ? –Does the product (the ELP) have enough arguments from itself to convince? –..... Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation The stakeholders Learners Teachers (school) –headmasters End users –Employers –‘receiving’ schools Parents National/regional authorities – society Publishing houses – Publishers – Textbooks designers Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation Stakeholders in relation to each other or where to make interventions Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL ELP Learners teacher/school End user Publishersnational/regional authorities Parents research

Goals Learning- Processes Outcomes ELP Certificates Textbooks Situations Materials Programmes Curricula Standards Tests Instruments Assessments Diplomas Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL Switzerland

Intervention logic Inputs Assumptions and risks Bulgaria Assumptions and risks Activities OutputsOutcomes

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation Levels of implementation –Supra (Council of Europe - CEFR) –Macro level (educational policy) ELP in educational system ELP in (national/regional) curriculum –Meso level (school) ELP in school curriculum –Micro level (classroom) –Teacher training ELP in classroom Instructional design Pedagogical and didactical design –Nano level (individual) Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL

Levels of Implementation MACRO –National or regional educational authorities –Implementation ELP in educational system ELP in national curriculum Legislation (?) National policy (CEFR and national curriculum) Assessment Role in assessment System of evaluation Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL Levels

Possible Strategic Objectives Macro level: Development of tools to involve national or regional policymakers in ELP-project (if necessary) Macro level (Outside school): Development of informative materials for employers and parents. Meso level: Development of curriculum statements including examples of good practice. Development of activities for school managers

Implementation activities Develop a strong marketing and/or information structure : an action plan Points of attention On national level (macro): relate national curriculum to CEFR School level (meso): teachers are key persons –Good practices –Experience themselves –Headmasters: what is the influence in schools or classrooms and what are the benefits?

Benefits for headmasters They get clear educational (language) standards They get more possibilities to cope with diversity They might get the language teachers 'on the move' They get more coherence between languages learned at school They can set up goals for shorter periods They can see (and show) the ongoing language learning in their schools.

‘Outside school’ activities Some examples for end users (macro level): –Distribute newsletters (electronic or traditional) for teachers in the project and others who are interested –Build information platform to share positive feelings and exchange solutions (all) –Write informative articles in press (national and local) (parents/employers) –Show good practises (parents/employers) –Let parents gain experiences with ELP –Send information to platforms of employers (flyers) –Let employers gain experiences –Show international transparency (employers) –Organize conferences with as much as possible impact.

Risks Information should be very practical Information should fit into their world Examples of good practice should not be to specific (‘in my situation impossible’) What kind of problem will be solved by using the ELP?

Aspects of an Action Plan Timeframe: in what year will the activity take place? What kind of events will be / have been organized? Why this activity? Recommendable to others? Which group(s) of stakeholders is/was/are/will be involved? Objectives, goals, aims? Successful? Other information which can be useful to others or shared with others (e.g. budgets, number of persons involved?

Workshop activity (after presentation of case study) Working in pairs to identify elements of relevance to your own practice (15 minutes) Exchange information on implementation activities in a larger group (excluding teacher training activities) and identify the potentially most effective ones (30 minutes) Coffee break (15.30) First draft of an action plan related to own project (30 minutes) Collect activities related to stakeholders and questions to the panel put them on posters (30 minutes)

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation Function of ELP Instrument for self assessment (tests) Reporting instrument (certificates, diplomas) Planning instrument (Standards, curriculum, programmes) Language teaching (textbooks, didactics) Learner / teacher / school / end user (intake) School (end user) teacher / employer/ parents Learner / teacher / school teacher / school Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation Function of ELP Instrument for self assessment (tests) Reporting instrument (certificates, diplomas) Planning instrument (Standards, curriculum, programmes) Language teaching (textbooks, didactics) Learner / teacher / school / end user (intake) INTERVENTION ON MESO/MICRO LEVEL School (end user) teacher / employer/ parents INTERVENTION ON MACRO/MESO LEVEL Learner / teacher / school / national authorities INTERVENTION ON MACRO/MESO/MICRO LEVEL teacher / school- INTERVENTION ON MICRO LEVEL Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL

Workshop activity Working in pairs to identify elements of relevance to your own practice (15 minutes) Exchange information on implementation activities in a larger group (excluding teacher training activities) and identify the potentially most effective ones (30 minutes) Coffee break (15.30) First draft of an action plan related to own project (30 minutes) Collect activities related to stakeholders and questions to the panel put them on posters (30 minutes)

Dutch approach The Dutch approach to implement the ELP Dick Meijer

Summary Dutch ELP-project Since start very enthusiastic Introducing and implementing looked to be 'a piece of cake' Because of the aims and intentions of ELP Almost all institutes were involved (exception: teacher trainers !!!) Tried to develop 7 different portfolios (implementation strategy: all sectors should be involved)

Piloting ELPs Different projects (e.g. border ELP in German) Regulare meetings with teachers Developing new descriptors Developing learning activities

Conclusions after three years of piloting So many different portfolios were not necessary For the learners it was difficult to understand the descriptors (not used to look at foreign language learning that way) Focussing on reporting function is not enough to implement ELP Teachers need also to be 'owner' of the portfolio (involving them in new developments) The ELP should be embedded in the curriculum

Dutch portfolios Validated portfolios: 9+ pupils (primary schools) 12+ pupils (lower secondary education) 15+ pupils (upper secondary education) Vocational education Migrants Language portfolio for language teachers English in primary and lower secondary education

Accessibility for (young) learners One conclusion was: descriptors are difficult to understand especially for (young) learners. –they did not always recognize communicative situations 'behind the descriptors' –they had difficulties to imagine foreign language situations if they are not used to go abroad

Consequences If you want to implement the ELP, the problem of accessibility should be solved The pedagogical role of the portfolio became more and more important So: –we tried to find ways to make the portfolio more accessible to the 'users' –We developed series of language learning activities, linked to the descriptors (activities are concrete, realistic, imaginable, have an addressee)

Checklist Checklist exists of descriptors and situations and explanations It links to learning activities

Dutch portfolio is a 'complex' project No stand alone activities: developing a common Dutch language portfolio website Student/pupils: Portfolio - efficient learning activities Textbook authors (a.o.): Portfolio - language profiles (series of concrete interpretations of descriptors in terms of can do-statements) Schools: Portfolio and help for implementation (Focus on matching secondary and vocational education) Implementation strategy: ad hoc by trying to solve problems

Implementation strategies ELP for ‘everybody’ (now website) Strong focus on pedagogical part Involving teachers in school projects (at least two teachers) Developing learning materials Organizing workshops, seminars etc. Articles written by professionals Involvement of all pedagogical institutes Maim aim: learning a language becomes interesting and effective Focus on ongoing learning

Almost no quantitative targets Research projects on two ELP projects Budget pro year

Situation now

users –2.000 teachers – learners Implementing activities (bottom up): –Networks of schools –Publishers –Teacher training institutes –ELPs for all learners (primary till adult education) –Curriculum activities – ongoing learning, closing gap between schools and between upper and lower secondary

Aspects of an Action Plan Timeframe: in what year will the activity take place? What kind of events will be organized (Maybe have been organized? Why this activity? Recommendable to others? Which group of stakeholders was involved? Objectives, goals, aims? Successful? Other information which can be useful to others or shared with others (e.g. budgets, number of persons involved?

Workshop activity Working in pairs to identify elements of relevance to your own practice (15 minutes) Exchange information on implementation activities in a larger group (excluding teacher training activities) and identify the potentially most effective ones (30 minutes) Coffee break (15.30) First draft of an action plan related to own project (30 minutes) Collect activities related to stakeholders and questions to the panel put them on posters (30 minutes)

Working group 3 John Thorogood/Dick Meijer Getting ELP into maximum number of classes Practicalities Ensuring impact on methodoligy Is there life after ‘implemenation’ (life long) Institutionalisation Continuity between phases Maintaining momentum/interest Acceptance outside formal educational process ----1

Working group 3 What do we hope to get from the workshop? After implementation – what next? Learning from experiences of others How to motivate other teachers (e.g. to integrate ELP) Good practices in teacher training (implications for TT ) Better networking between participant countries ELP ‘versus’ the CEFR (reporting vs pedagogic functions): resolve (perceived) conflicts arising from coexistence of ELP and CEFR Sharing ideas on material development

Ideas for an action plan

A kit for ELP-related teacher training (ECML Project ELP-TT, C6) Involvement of teachers

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation Stakeholders in relation to each other or where to make interventions Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL ELP Learners teacher/school End user Publishersnational/regional authorities Parents research

Towards an Action Plan for ELP Implementation Role, and possible effects of using, ELP Instrument for self assessment (tests) Reporting instrument (certificates, diplomas) Planning instrument (Standards, curriculum, programmes) Language teaching (textbooks, didactics) Learner / teacher / school / end user (intake) School (end user) teacher / employer/ parents Learner / teacher / school teacher / school Project C 5 IMPEL ELP implementation support Soutien à la mise en oeuvre du PEL

Key person: teacher The purpose: to support the implementation of the ELP by –developing a kit of materials and activities for ELP-related teacher training; –mediating materials and activities in a central workshop; –supporting national ELP training events arising from the central workshop

teacher training kit must be as wide-ranging as possible –the CEFR – competences, levels and descriptors –self-assessment in relation to the common reference levels –learning how to learn – a model for reflection for teacher trainers –learner autonomy –language in the ELP – language(s) of presentation and language(s) of process; plurilingualism

–developing intercultural awareness –integrating the ELP with language curricula and textbooks –using the ELP to go beyond the textbook –connecting assessment with the ELP and the common reference levels

An example: The intercultural dimension Why is this topic in the programme? – The intercultural component of the ELP “reflects the Council of Europe's concern with... respect for diversity of cultures and ways of life” and the ELP should be “a tool to promote plurilingualism and pluriculturalism”. According to the Principles and Guidelines the language passport should record “intercultural learning experiences”. However, in most cases foreign language learning takes place in classrooms far away from the “target country”, and it is traditionally dominated by “a narrow view of language”.[1] It is therefore necessary to look for methods or activities to bring intercultural experiences into the classroom, mediated through the internet and other media. Global simulation is an activity that can give (especially young) foreign language learners intercultural experience.[1] [1] D. Little & B. Simpson, European language Portfolio: the intercultural component and learning how to learn, Strasbourg, Council of Europe, 2003, p. 5.[1]

Working methods – Work in pairs. Invent a native speaker of the target language by giving him/her a name, age, family, etc. decide where he/she lives (region, town, street, etc.) finding his/her school and give him/her a realistic language profile –Check the information on the internet or with a resource person. The outcome of this activity should be a language biography page

What we want to achieve – Participants are introduced to a number of activities they can use to develop the intercultural experience with their learners. Presentations on posters should provide an overview of possible activities.

Cover page Powerpoint presentation on intercultural learningPowerpoint presentation Worksheet Language biography Handout

Additional materials –Workshop ‘Analysing a Textbook by using ELP and CEFR’ National events -ReportsNational events –HamburgHamburg –Selbsteinschätzung (Hamburg)Selbsteinschätzung –SelbsteinschätzungSelbsteinschätzung –Sprachstadt References

Using resources Using internet statistics for further development

In my opinion the tasks (learning activities) in the eELP are okay. I like working with the eELP and I find it interesting Working with the eELP is useful To upload documents in the dossier To use the dossier) is, nice, useful and interesting I like the idea that my teacher gives me information feedback in my eELP on what I did well or not so well I can learn a language better with an eELP than without An eELP enables me to identify what I can do in an language An eELP enables me make an own planning I can work autonomous with an eELP

User statistics

How to use this kind of information for further development? And for the implementation process?