Common Language Framework and European Language Portfolio

1. A report was published by the Department of Canadian Heritage: 'Proposal for a Common Framework for Languages in Canada", by Larry Vandergrift of the University of Ottawa. The Executive Summary is attached to this report. The conclusions of the report are that Canada should endorse or adopt the Common European Framework of Reference as its base document for national language education programs. This is a necessary precursor to the establishment of language portfolios/passports.

2. A second national workshop on the ELP and the Common European Framework was held in Montreal in June 2006. The workshop was organized by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers. Participants represented principally Canada's two official languages and were from the Provincial Ministries of Education.

3. The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers has taken on the role of national coordinating body for teacher education and information dissemination about the ELP and the CEFR. They are sponsoring six workshops across Canada this fall in conjunction with various professional teachers' associations. In addition, they have added an extensive webpage with links and documents to their website

4. TESL Canada has organized a half day workshop at their annual congress in Winnipeg in October.

5. On September 25, the Association of Deputy Ministers of Education Canada approved a national project aimed at adopting a National Framework for Languages, based on the CEFR. A working group made up of several provincial ministry representatives will begin work immediately on this project.