Grundtvig Project: European Language Portfolio with immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers (IMPORT)

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1 Grundtvig Project: European Language Portfolio with immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers (IMPORT) The Project aimed at designing an European Language Portfolio (ELP) adapted to immigrants and refugees based on their specific learning needs and characteristics. The ELP is an insufficiently spread tool, especially in Non Formal Adult Second Language Education. Validated ELP models and their descriptors are too limited to adapt to this specific educational context. The project was closely related to the daily practice and aimed at encouraging Second Language adult teachers and learners to explore the ELP. Both, teachers and adult learners, were involved in the implementation of the project from the beginning. The IMPORT was implemented in four phases: analyzing, drafting, trialling & conclusions. THE PARTNERS: Accem is a nationwide non-profit, non - governmental organization focused on political asylum and immigration issues, promoting social integration and equality of rights for all people, regardless of their origin, gender, race, religion or social group. Cidis Onlus is a non profit organisation working in Italy and throughout Europe to guarantee equal rights and opportunities to immigrants and to sensitise Italian public opinion to the culture of welcoming migrants. Cidis Onlus has been approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and is included in the Register of Public organisations fighting against discrimination. It has obtained UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 quality certification. Work, housing, healthcare, education and training are the organisation's main areas of involvement. ZIK Crnomelj (Institute of Education and Culture Crnomelj) is a public institution and a non- profit organization founded by the community of Crnomelj. ZIK maintains the position of the leading centre for adult education the Bela krajina region, by offering assistance and by a variety of other educational and cultural programmes. 1

2 Lietuvos etniniu grupiu moteru verslininkiu draugija Businesswomen Organisation Of Lithuanian Ethnic Groups. The organisation was established and began its work in April 2001 as a permanent NGO organisation. At the moment the organization associates 8 women organizations from different Lithuanian minorities. Women from the member organizations have their own businesses, others try to find their place in the business world or solve their employment problems in Lithuania AIMS: - Designing a European Language Portfolio (ELP) adapted to immigrants based on their specific needs and characteristics. - Developing a new approach to teaching and learning with adult immigrants and refugees. - Using a ELP as a practice to motivating migrant adults to follow a language course. - Introducing an innovative way of working in the migrant s Second Language teaching. - Using Second Language education to strengthen active citizenship among migrants. - Promoting intercultural dialogue. PROJECT OUTCOMES: During the development of the project experiences have been analysed in all the partner countries and we have all tried to adapt - as much as we have been able to - portfolios implemented in our countries as well as other materials to the needs of this specific group. The partnership worked on the descriptors, and after short trials, the following conclusions have been reached: The work done by the partnership has evidenced the potentials in the use of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) in language classes with adult migrants in non-formal contexts. The consortium finds that the portfolio is an extremely useful tool for learning foreign languages. It can help to improve the self-assessment and better 2

3 awareness of the learning process, however, it has not been fully applied to immigrant students. The ELPs designed with the sponsorship of the Council of Europe have been verified and validated mainly in formal education. The partnership believes that ELP can be employed with migrants and refugees aspiring to become citizens. But this requires analysis, experimentation and adaptation of official documents. The use of the European Language Portfolio should be promoted as a supplement or, in some cases, as potential alternative to formal testing. After a two-year working project there are two separated but related outcomes: - Suggestions for the designers - Recommendations for the practitioners SUGGESTIONS FOR THE DESIGNERS: The European Language Portfolio for Migrants should cater for special needs of the learners. The ELP should provide basic information concerning the learners' incorporation in the host society. Refugees and immigrants educational needs should be identified and considered a starting point. The ELP must cater for students with different cultural backgrounds, cognitive approaches, levels of education, understanding of the educational system, of the learning process, of the teachers role and with unstable attendance. It must thus be conceived as a FLEXIBLE and OPEN TOOL. The basic principles of the ELP have a strong European identity that is based on its linguistic and cultural diversity and should help the learner to be part of this diversity. The ELP is based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): it makes explicit use of the CEFR s common reference levels summarized in the self-assessment grid included in all ELP models. When using the ELP with third country nationals and refugees terminological conventions should be followed, 3

4 standard headings and rubrics as specified by the Council of Europe observed. They should be simplified and guided by basic questions - What, where, when - to satisfy the special needs of these students. The descriptors should be clear and concise and procedures presented in a simple way (avoiding confusing tasks, maybe the ones our students are not used to: boxes for dates, ticks ) Learners use different metacognitive strategies depending on their background and culture of origin. The ELP should make them aware of these strategies with the help of simple instructions, modelling and practice. The format of the ELP should not be underestimated. An open and flexible ELP should be a folder including removable sheets for its different parts and tasks, with an attractive layout and visual aids where possible. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS Active involvement of teachers and learners in the learning process is a core element of the ELP development Learners should be involved in the preparation, and experimentation of the ELP. They should have the opportunity of elaborating and deciding which learning activities to show in their own ELP. Students themselves should evaluate their learning process and the ELP usefulness. Evaluation tools such as questionnaires and grids - made not only by teachers but students as well - should be encouraged. Only teachers applying an open, flexible and intercultural methodology can use the ELP. The teachers role is that of a guide. They should encourage their students to use the ELP from the beginning of the course as a helpful tool for the learning process. The ELP should be introduced in classroom activities and should be really closely related to the whole process. Teachers should guide and verify students self assessment. Teachers play a central role in introducing the ELP to the students, in supervising their progress, in balancing self and external evaluation. Teachers need to be trained on this subject and should be encouraged to document in a LOG BOOK their work and observations about the use of ELP. 4

5 The ELP should include appropriately formulated and detailed checklists ( I can ) to help learners (and teachers) to set learning targets and evaluate learning outcomes. Specific Descriptors referring to migrant context should be developed together by teachers and students. The intercultural experience (migrants' perception of the host country, their acquisition of socio-cultural competences, their level of integration) is central in applying the ELP. Teachers should be aware that certain activities may cause adverse reaction and some material may have an emotional impact on the students. Training should be organized aiming at teachers, counselors, employers, and Human Resources professionals. Former students may act as mentors and tutors. 5