European Language Portfolio


The European Language Portfolio, devised by the Council of Europe's Modern Languages Division and piloted in 15 Council of Europe member states between 1998 and 2000, has been launched throughout Europe during 2001, the European Year of Languages. The ELP has three obligatory components:

  • A language passport, which summarizes the owner's linguistic identity, language learning achievement, and intercultural experience, and includes the owner's assessment of his/her own language competence according to the Council of Europe's Common Reference Levels;
  • A language biography, which is used to set intermediate learning goals, review progress, and record significant language learning and intercultural experiences;
  • A dossier, in which the owner collects samples of his/her work and evidence of his/her achievements in second/foreign language learning.

The Council of Europe has established a European Validation Committee, which meets twice a year to accredit ELP models submitted by competent authorities in member states and by international non-governmental organizations. In order to be accredited, ELP models must comply with the Principles and Guidelines approved by the Council of Europe.

What is the purpose of the European Language Portfolio (ELP)?


The ELP is designed to:

  • Encourage the lifelong learning of languages, to any level of proficiency
  • Make the learning process more transparent and to develop the learner's ability to assess his/her own competence
  • Facilitate mobility within Europe by providing a clear profile of the owner's language skills
  • Contribute to mutual understanding within Europe by promoting plurilingualism (the ability to communicate in two or more languages) and intercultural learning

How is the European Language Portfolio (ELP) to be used?


Owners of all ages can use the ELP to:

  • Keep a record of all their language learning, whether it takes place inside or outside the educational system
  • Develop their capacity to plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning
  • Record significant intercultural experiences
  • Collect evidence of their language skills
  • Document their language learning achievements

Educational institutions and individual teachers can use the ELP to:

  • Describe their courses and certificates more clearly by relating them to the Council of Europe's common reference levels
  • Help learners to become self-managing
  • Make it easier for learners to show what they can do in languages when they move from one educational level or institution to another

Employers can use the ELP

  • Inform themselves about the language skills of actual or potential employees
  • Define the language skills that are required for a particular job

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) and the Council of Europe's common reference levels


The language passport requires the owner to assess his or her own language skills according to the Council of Europe's common reference levels, which are elaborated in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Cambridge University Press, 2001). There are six levels, as follows:

  • A1 - Breakthrough
  • A2 - Waystage
  • B1 - Threshold
  • B2 - Vantage
  • C1 - Effective Operational Proficiency
  • C2 – Mastery

The self-assessment grid in the language passport summarizes language proficiency at these six levels in relation to five skills: listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, writing.

Self-Assessment Grid



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