ELP_TT

Training teachers to use the European Language Portfolio
---------Former les enseignants à l'utilisation du Portfolio européen des langues

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The intercultural dimension: global simulation

Why is this topic in the programme?

The intercultural component of the ELP "reflects the Council of Europe's concern with ... respect for diversity of cultures and ways of life" and the ELP should be "a tool to promote plurilingualism and pluriculturalism". According to the Principles and Guidelines the language passport should record "intercultural learning experiences". However, in most cases foreign language learning takes place in classrooms far away from the 'target country', and it is traditionally dominated by 'a narrow view of language' (Little, David, Barbara Simpson, European Language Portfolio, The intercultural component and learning how to learn, Council of Europe, August 2003, p. 5.). It is therefore necessary to look for methods or activities to bring intercultural experiences into the classroom, mediated through the internet and other media. Global simulation is an activity that can give (especially young) foreign language learners intercultural experience.

Working methods

Work in pairs. Invent a native speaker of the target language by

• giving him/her a name, age, family, etc.
• decide where he/she lives (region, town, street, etc.)
• finding his/her school and give him/her a realistic language profile
• ...

Check the information on the internet or with a resource person.
The outcome of this activity should be a language biography page.

What we want to achieve

Participants are introduced to a number of activities they can use to develop the intercultural experience with their learners. Presentations on posters should provide an overview of possible activities.