The European Language Portfolio (ELP) and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF) were first proposed at a Council of Europe (CoE) symposiumin 1991. They were intended to complement each other and provide a way of teaching and assessing all languages in Europe.
The ELP has three obligatory components:
• a language passport, which describes a learner’s proficiency and competences;
• a language biography, which is used to set language learning targets, monitor progress, plot the development of language learning skills, and record and reflect on specially important language learning and intercultural experiences;
• a dossier, which contains a selection of work that in the owner’s judgement best represents his or her L2 capacities and achievement.
The ELP has two complementary functions:
The pedagogical function: Helping the students to identify their learning aims, to make action plans, to reflect, monitor and modify the processes, and to evaluate the outcomes, through self-assessment and reflection.Thus, they become autonomous and responsible language learners, a pedagogical function, consistent with the CoE’s interest in promoting autonomy and lifelong learning.
The reporting function: It is concerned with the product aspect of foreign language learning: Providing a record of their language skills and cultural experiences by relating their communicative skills to the proficiency levels, according to the CEF.
The info presented below was taken from here.
The ELP helps teachers to:
1. recognise the needs and motivation of learners and help them set learning goals and put together programmes.
2. obtain information about thelearners’ previous language learning experiences inside and outside school.
3. evaluate and document performance in a differentiated way.
4. situate final certificates and qualifications on the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
5. describe their language programmes and produce attestations of lnguage learning experiences.
It also helps learners to:
1. look back on what they have learnt in the various languages, and how they have learnt, in order to have reference points for further learning.
2. reflect on and describe what experiences they have had in contact with other cultures and which ones have been particularly instructive.
3. find out what they can already do in the various languages and what else they would like to be able to do, and to consider how they can reach these objectives.
4. think about how they learn most successfully and most enjoyably.
5. make their needs, experiences and opportunities in language learning clear to themselves and talk to others about their wishes, ways and means of learning.
6. learn idependently, plan and reflect on independent learning.
The video below is very informative about ELP
