ELP-TT
Training teachers to use the
European Language Portfolio
Short-term project 2008-2009
ELP_TT2
Project coordinator: Margarete
Nezbeda, Austria
ELP-TT
ELP and intercultural aspects
Based on a workshop held by Dick Meijer in
Skopje (adapted by Margarete Nezbeda)
CEFR and interculturality
ELP-TT
• In 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:
• „Big C“ Culture versus „little c“ culture
(Halverson, 1985)
• „Collective programming of the mind which
distinguishes the members of one group or
category of people from another.“ (Hofstede)
 „Pyramid model“: 3 levels: universal –
cultural - personal
ELP-TT
Some definitions:
• „Iceberg analogy“ (Brembeck): Only the
tip is visible (e.g. language, food,
appearance…) – biggest part: invisible
(communication style, attitudes, beliefs,
values, perception…)
• „Culture hides more than it reveals…“
(Hall, 1959)
ELP-TT
Some definitions:
• Enculturation: cultural learning in a
native context
• Acculturation: cultural learning in a nonnative context  „culture bumps“ and
„culture shock“ may occur
ELP-TT
Some more definitions
• Multicultural (society): Different cultures exist side by
side
• Pluricultural: A person becomes pluricultural when
she/he has gained access to more than one culture
• Intercultural situation: two or more pluricultural
individuals interact
• ICC: Intercultural communicative competence: „the
ability to cope with one‘s own cultural background in
interaction with others“ (Beneke, 2000)
ELP-TT
CEFR and interculturality
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)
The challenge of intercultural
competence
ELP-TT
• 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-TT
ELP and intercultural aspects
• 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
– Reflection 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?
In the classroom
ELP-TT
• 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!
Task: Develop a biography
• Task: Develop your own (foreign) identity:
ELP-TT
– Name, year of birth, city, the place you live in, school, family,
occupation of parents, …
– Search for information about city, neighbourhood.
• Look for communicative activities (can do's) in
ELP.
• Perform them
• Two goals for (young) learners:
– To gain intercultural experience by checking and
exchanging information with other learners
– To develop awareness of own culture.
How to go about it
ELP-TT
• Collect relevant knowledge
• Check information through resource persons
(teachers, natives, ….)  awareness raising.
• Combine with exchange programmes (real or
virtual)  intercultural experiences possible
Note: resource persons are always 'experts of
their own culture' in eyes of learner!
ELP-TT
Combining intercultural learning and language
learning (five skills):
– By performing role plays (e.g. making appointments to
visit a football match, movie,…; inviting guests to a party)
 spoken interaction
– By talking about oneself and one’s family, one’s country,
one’s home-town  spoken production
– By reading (local) newspapers, journals (on the internet)
 reading
– By listening to news on the internet/watching TV etc. 
listening
– By writing post-cards, e-mails, letters to the editor,
reviews, etc.  writing
ELP-TT
Outcomes
• There was continuous discourse between foreign and
own culture
• Spoken interaction became a natural part of classroom
work
• 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)
ELP-TT
References
•
Groenewold,P.,1997:'Land in Sicht'. Landeskunde als Dialog der
Identitäten am Beispiel des deutschen-niederländischen
Begegnungsdiskurses, Groningen. [Dialogue of identities: DutchGerman 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