The European Language Portfolio and Teacher Education

The aim of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) is to place language learners at the centre of the stage, to encourage them to be more autonomous and to take responsibility for their learning. Working with the ELP requires learners to reflect continually on the learning process and to self-assess their own competences, whether they be completing the self-assessment grid of the Passport or deciding what to insert into their Dossier. Yet the increase in autonomy which the ELP promotes does not in any way imply the diminishing role of the teacher. Instead, it poses challenges for learners and teachers alike: for both it may represent a departure from the familiar transmission model of education, requiring them to rethink and to adapt to new roles in the learning process. This article is based on the integration of the ELP into university language courses at Padua University. It will consider some of the possible difficulties teachers may encounter when introducing the ELP into courses, stressing the need for ongoing and appropriate in-service training. It will then describe an online workshop on the ELP and conclude by reflecting on some of the beneficial side effects of ELP use, including curriculum change and teacher collaboration.