CLIL in languages other than English –
Successful transitions across educational stages

Overview Concepts and background Curriculum Teacher education Collaboration Teaching materials Portfolio and formative assessment

Portfolio and formative assessment

Formative assessment can be defined as ‘form of assessment that focuses on learning and learning processes and shapes the direction and content of further learning’ Council of Europe (European Centre for Modern Languages) (2013), Glossary “ECML programme 2008-2011 ‘Empowering language professionals’”, p. 76, available here. There are a number of different approaches to formative assessment, e.g., assessment for learning Commonly referred to as formative and/or diagnostic assessments. Assessment for learning is used to check student progress during a unit or block of instruction. Teachers build on the outcomes of this type of assessment to adjust their teaching objectives, practices and classroom instruction to suit the needs of the students. Similarly, students are provided valuable feedback on their own learning.
Source: ECML resource website A quality assurance matrix for CEFR use (2016-2019) and assessment as learning The use of a task or an activity to allow students the opportunity to use assessment to further their own learning. Self and peer assessments allow students to reflect on their own learning and identify areas of strength and need. These tasks offer students the chance to set their personal goals and advocate for their own learning.
Source: ECML resource website A quality assurance matrix for CEFR use (2016-2019) . This resource website is focusing on the portfolio approach as an example for how to go about formative assessment in the CLIL LOTE classroom. A student portfolio ’A student portfolio is a document in which those who are learning or have learnt for example a language – whether at school or outside school – can record and reflect on their learning and cultural experiences. The European Language Portfolio (ELP) was developed by the Council of Europe to support the development of learner autonomy, plurilingualism and intercultural awareness and competence. Self-assessment, being a central feature of the ELP, provides the link between the ELP and the Common European framework of reference for languages (CEFR).  is a learning tool which accompanies the learners in their learning of languages, both in and outside school. The three parts of the portfolio – Language Passport The Language Passport is the initial section of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) provides an overview of the individual’s proficiency in different languages at a given point in time. It is the key record of current proficiency and qualifications, related wherever possible to levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Adapted from: Council of Europe (European Centre for Modern Languages) (2007), IMPEL glossary – A glossary of European Language Portfolio (ELP) implementation terminology, available here., Language Biography The Language Biography is the second section of the European Language Portfolio (ELP). It facilitates the learner’s involvement in planning, reflecting upon and assessing his or her learning process and progress. It provides scope for recording at greater length than in the Language Passport various experiences that have been influential in the user’s learning, both in the formal learning of languages and in unstructured and informal encounters with foreign languages and cultures. Adapted from Council of Europe (European Centre for Modern Languages) (2007), IMPEL glossary – A glossary of European Language Portfolio (ELP) implementation terminology, Graz.  and Dossier A collection of samples or examples of language use either in a real (e.g. work) or simulated (e.g. classroom) context. Council of Europe (European Centre for Modern Languages) (2007), IMPEL glossary – A glossary of European Language Portfolio (ELP) implementation terminology, available at here. – enhance language learning and intercultural awareness, support self-assessment, and document progression in all languages a learner uses in varied contexts.