LinguaFolio® Training Resources
Training modules to show how to implement LinguaFolio®
1.2 Introduction to LinguaFolio®
LINGUAFOLIO IS A FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TOOL for those who are learning or have learned a language in or outside of school. It encourages students to record and reflect on their ongoing language learning and cultural experiences. LinguaFolio is a standards-based self-assessment tool. When combined with work samples, external exams or proficiency-based tests, it can provide a complete picture of a student’s language performance. LinguaFolio describes a person’s language abilities using nationally and internationally recognized benchmarks.
LinguaFolio is a language portfolio learners keep throughout their educational and professional careers to document their language competencies in all languages, including heritage languages and English for speakers of other languages. Learners reflect on their intercultural competencies and learn to manage their own language learning.
As you watch the video below, consider how LinguaFolio differs from traditional testing and how it may impact the learner’s perceptions of his or her language learning process.
Watch video here.
Video transcript: “Introduction to LinguaFolio: What is LinguaFolio?” (pdf)
Development of LinguaFolio
LinguaFolio was developed to:
- Facilitate articulation among language programs based on a clear and commonly accepted description of language proficiency.
- Serve as a tool to assess language learning.
- Recognize and value heritage languages as well as languages learned in the school setting.
- Promote language learning as a life-long endeavor. It allows learners to update and keep current documents as their language skills change.
Helping language learners
LinguaFolio supports language learning in a variety of ways:
- LinguaFolio allows learners to reflect on their skills, language competencies, and cultural experiences. It provides students with the freedom to identify and use learning methods that work best for them as individuals. Students using LinguaFolio set short-term and long-range goals and learn to manage their own language learning by identifying strengths and weakness well before the summative assessment.
- LinguaFolio provides students, teachers, and parents with a holistic view of language performance. It explains what students can do with the language and offers a much clearer description of language abilities than a set of grades or test scores.
- LinguaFolio is for all languages, including heritage languages and English for speakers of other languages.
- LinguaFolio accompanies language learners throughout life and is suitable for documenting language competencies for a wide variety of uses.
Helping language educators
LinguaFolio allows language educators and administrators to:
- Document individual performance.
- Align local language programs with internationally accepted criteria.
- LinguaFolio not only guides the individual learner but also allows teachers and administrators to make language learning more clearly understood by those other than language educators.