European Language Portfolio
By Andrea Bilotto
The field of study "Portfolio delle lingue e linguaggi accademico-specialistici" aims to promote university students' academic language competence by enhancing self-assessment practice in academic courses and by reflecting on theoretical and methodological aspects of teaching and learning foreign languages for specific purposes in university faculties.
In this perspective, the European Language Portfolio, developed at the University of Calabria and validated by the Council of Europe (accredited model n° 40-2003), represents a valid pedagogical means by providing learners with opportunities to monitor their learning process while maximising their metacognitive strategies development. In addition to the three sections required by the Council of Europe's guidelines (Passport, Biography and Dossier), the Portfolio of the University of Calabria includes a supplementary section, related to academic language abilities, which facilitates the achievement of objectives in a perspective of internalisation and mobility. In 2009 the Portfolio was integrated with a Biography of Intercultural Communicative Competences necessary to interact in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multilingual society.
The implementation of the Portfolio in academic courses is particularly encouraged in language for specific purposes teaching and learning which is based on needs analysis and aims to develop linguistic abilities and competences to be exploited by learners in their professional activities and fields of study autonomously and responsibly.