European Language Portfolio

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The EAQUALS - Alte European Language Portfolio

This version of the European Language Portfolio was developed in partnership with ALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe. It was validated by the Council of Europe in 2000. It is intended for use mainly with students over 14 years of age, and is now available in various editions that cover a range of languages.

More recently an electronic version of the EAQUALS-ALTE European Language Portfolio (eELP) has been developed. This can be downloaded here in English or French

English Version

Version Française


The Language Portfolio concept was developed to stimulate and support the learning of languages. It is designed to help students to reflect on and improve their language learning, whether they are taking part in a course or learning languages independently. It also helps them to demonstrate to others their knowledge of other languages and cultures. It is based on the language levels described in the Common European Framework of Reference developed by the Council of Europe.

The Portfolio is the student's property. It is a tool to accompany their learning of languages throughout adult life and is suitable for documenting learning both inside and outside the classroom. If they already have a European Language Portfolio issued by another authority, they may prefer to go on using that. Similarly if they go on to another course at an institution that does not belong to EAQUALS, they may choose to go on using this portfolio.

The European Language Portfolio consists of three parts: a Language Passport, a Language Biography and a Dossier. Guidelines on how to use each are included with each component.

  • LANGUAGE PASSPORT

An updateable overview of experience in and ability with different languages. It records formal qualifications and diplomas, and self-assessments.

  • LANGUAGE BIOGRAPHY

A record of personal language learning history which helps students to evaluate their learning objectives, and reflect on their language learning and inter-cultural experiences.

  • DOSSIER

A collection of pieces of work and certificates chosen by the student to document and illustrate their language skills, experiences and achievements.

For further information and guidance on the European Language Portfolio and the levels of proficiency in a range of languages, consult the Council of Europe web site or the specific page of the Language Policy Division.

To see extracts from the Portfolio, look at:

The Cover of the Portfolio - 07518X-00_Portfolio.pdf

The Cover of the Passport - 07517W-02_Passaporto.pdf