Taking into account my personal teaching context, what would be the advantages and disadvantages of using the ELP with my groups?

To start with, I would like to define The Language European Portfolio (ELP) as a personal document of a learner. Thanks to this document, students can record their language learning and cultural achievements and also their experience of learning and using languages. Moreover, a main ELP feature is that it supports the development of learner autonomy, plurilingualism and intercultural awareness and competence.

It has to be emphasized that the ELP contains 3 essential documents:  a language passport, a language biography and a dossier. The first one is useful in order to summarize the linguistic and cultural identity, language qualifications, experience of using languages and contacts with different cultures. Furthermore, thanks to language biography, the student can set learning targets and record language learning and intercultural experiences and assess progress.  With the dossier, the student can collect examples of what he has learnt.

At this point, as a teacher of Physical education, I would like to  point out what are the advantages and disadvantages of using ELP with my groups. Even though, the ELP was implemented at schools in 2001 and  unfortunately most of schools do not use it, I strongly believe that its use has many advantages.

On one hand, I think ELP is a clear and useful-working tool for students when they are learning languages. Undoubtedly, it can be motivating, it encourages them to learn lifelong languages. In fact, and in relation with the pedagogical function, it can be as a personal diary where students can record their languages achievements and they can point out their improvement in the language learning process. There are transparency in the learning process and self-assessment. However, what amazes me about ELP is that it fosters the autonomy, reflection and responsibility of student's own learning. As teachers we have to promote autonomy.

On the other hand, and taking into account the informative function, ELP facilitates mobility in Europe and also provides information about the language diplomas of students. Thanks to the Common European Framework of References for Languages and the established order in the levels of languages (from A1 to C2) all the European citizens have the same language recognition. Moreover,  I strongly believe that ELP motivates students to be tolerant with other cultures and to respect and value other languages.  

In relation with the disadvantages, I think that teachers need formation in order to know exactly how to use ELP in a correct way. Furthermore, I consider that we do not have enough lesson time in physical education and it can be difficult to find time to work with students ELP. Although what worries me about ELP, are the different students levels of language. Normally, students have different levels and can be complicated establish the level.

To sum up, I consider that ELP is a tool that can offer many benefits to the students if we use it in a correct way. For teachers it can be a hard work but I think students can find in it a motivating way to learn languages and we do not have to forget that students learn best with motivating tools. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages therefore I am going to try to use this tool with my students.