Advantages and Disadvantages of using the ELP with my groups

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) was developed in order to support the learner autonomy, plurilingualism and intercultural awareness and competence, but also to let them record their language learning achivements and their experiences of learning and using languages.

The ELP works like a passport for the language learner and, in this way, it has some advantages that I would like to talk about.  In my opinion, the main advantage is that it promotes the learner’s self-assessment and that’s something that teenagers appreciate because they are always looking for their own autonomy. Besides it stimulates the language learning as a if it was part of a game and encourages the tolerance and respect for other languages and cultures.

But obviously, I have also found some disadvantages while using this instrument. The most important one is related to the implementation of the ELP as part of our regular classes due to our current subjects’ schedules and the lack of time, which was already present in most of the subjects before trying to adopt the ELP. Furthermore, it requires a minimum of responsibility and discipline, and those are values which are hardly present in many of our student groups.

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