COMPARE ELP

A comparison of Primary school ELP in Ireland and in Spain

INTRODUCCTION

The portfolio is a personalized document, property of every child , designed to create the routine of
registering the learning process that they follow in the acquisition of the different languages and
cultures with those who are in contact.

This document will serve him to take down notes about his advances, new goals to be marked, to
admit how and when he learns inside and out of the college thinking about his personal experiences
and valuating his progresses. This document will turn into the testimony of all his learning process.

The portfolio allows to document the competitions in foreign languages as well as the intercultural
and personal experiences of the learners.

The ELP is composed of three parts. It contains a Language passport which its owner regularly
updates. A grid is provided where his/her language competences can be described according to
common criteria accepted throughout Europe and which can serve as a complement to customary
certificates.
The three parts of the ELP are:
1. Passport: includes the personal information of the owner and a self-assessment in each
language skill.

2. Biography: reflection about the ELP owner process of language learning, contexts in which
he/she uses each language and how he/she has learnt each language skill and which is
his/her preferred methodology.

3. Dossier: is a summary of the main evidences and experiences related to the language
learned.

HOW ARE THEY STRUCTURED?

Spain:

Passport. It includes linguistic profile, linguistic and cultural experiences in the Institute,
and out of class and certificates and diplomas
Biography. Languages used by the student ( In what languages does he/she communicate
with the others?, What does he/she know to do with these languages?) Other languages:
what other languages are spoken around the student? The way and plans of learning:
what does the student want to be able to do in every language?
Dossier: Written works and recordings audio and video, documents and souvenirs

Ireland

Passport: Personal information and languages skills of the person. A self-assessment of

proficiency levels divided into different languages skills.
Biography: Where can the student learn language ?, How does the student like to learn?
What has the student learnt? What does he or she need to learn ?
Dossier: In the dossier the student keeps examples of the work he or she has done, . I can
 use the dossier to show my teachers and parents what I have learnt.

We can find the same structure in the same order in both of them.

HOW DO THEY FULFIL PEDAGOGICAL AND INFORMATIVE FUNCTIONS?

Pedagogical function

Spain
In the Spanish ELP the aims are to note every experience with the languages and cultures.
In addition, to reflect how the students use the languages they know and to relate with the European
Common Framework or to learn to assess the progress, from A1 to C2

Ireland
In the Irish ELP can be found information about which language is spoken, read, wrote or
heart by the student in every context. On the other hand, the ELP shows the way the student learn
each skill. Moreover, it shows the student's level from A1 to B1.

Informative function

Spain
The Spanish ELP shows:
the personal information at the passport
self assessment in the differrent skills: listening, reading, speaking and witing

Ireland
The Irish ELP includes:
the personal information at the passport.
The languages the student can speak and a description of the different experiences
related to the languages.
A description of the studen's environment.

DO THEY FOSTER LEARNER'S AUTONOMY, PLURILINGUALISM, MOBILITY AND

LIFELONG LEARNING? HOW?

Learner's autonomy

Spain
The Spanish ELP make student notice about their level in each languages' skill an which are
the learning methods that they have learn the different skills. So, they can notice how is the best
way to learn the language.

Ireland
The Irish ELP make student notice about their level in each languages' skill an which are the
learning methods that they have learn the different skills. So, they can notice how is the best way to
learn the language.
Plurilingualism
There is no reference about the plurilingualism in either of them.

Mobility

We can find only similarities between both ELP, so that they promote students to learn a new
language and encourage the mobility around Europe.

Lifelong learning

Both EPL encourage the lifelong learning of students due to the fact that they can enjoy
following their own learning process.