Language Biography

The Language Biography comprises 4 sections (The lexis of the 4 sections may change in different ELPs, but the idea is similar):

The Language Biography facilitates the learner's involvement in planning, reflecting upon and assessing his or her learning process and progress; it encourages the learner to state what he/she can do in each language in the current language learning priorities section. The learner reflects on his skills by working through the self-assessment checklists with reference to the descriptors at the 6 levels. Learners may either say that they can do a specific skill or that it is their objective.

The learner includes information on linguistic and cultural experiences gained in and outside formal educational contexts; it is organised to promote plurilingualism i.e. the development of competencies in a number of languages.

The Biography part of the ELP, is an updateable record of how, why and where learners learned each language that they know. It helps learners to evaluate their learning needs and objectives, reflect on their language learning and intercultural experiences, and assess their current level in each language. This helps to evaluate learners’ success with each learning strategy that they have experienced. Learners reflect on which strategies work best for them and leads them to the awareness that there are several learning strategies that they may get involved in their learning. This leads to self-motivation. Teachers may make use of this data in planning their lessons.

From a pedagogical point of view the Language Biography plays a pivotal role, in that it provides a focus for the reflective processes that mediate between the Language Passport and the Dossier.

Sample Language Biography : 47.2003 Turkish ELP (ages 15-18)

Sample Langauge Biography : ELP owned by a 19-year-old School of Foreign Languages student

Interactive Whiteboard Activity 3: Match the sections of the Biography with their purposes.