The use of the European Language Portfolio in a Belgian (inter)national business context

Jana

Vinck

Het Europese Taalportfolio is een programma opgezet door de Raad van Europa met de bedoeling mensen de kans te geven om hun talenkennis en culturele ervaringen te rapporteren. Het Portfolio bestaat uit drie delen: Taalpaspoort, Taalbiografie en een Dossier. Allemaal maken ze gebruik van het Europese Referentiekader. Dit is een systeem waarbij de taalvaardigheden worden onderverdeeld in zes verschillende niveaus, gaande van A1 tot C2, op het gebied van spreken, luisteren, schrijven en begrijpen. Het Referentiekader is gebaseerd op de niveaus van Wilkins (1977) en op de ESOL examens van de Cambridge Universtiteit (1913-1991). De Raad van Europa heeft met het Europese Taalportfolio onder andere de doelstelling om Europese mobiliteit te creëren. Hoewel de meeste literatuur over dit onderwerp veronderstelt dat met 'Europese mobiliteit' het uitwisselen van scholieren en studenten wordt bedoeld, moet deze term ook worden toegepast op het uitwisselen van Europese werknemers. In dit onderzoek wordt het gebruik van het Europese Taalportfolio binnen de Belgische bedrijfswereld onderzocht.

Om het gebruik van het Taalportfolio na te gaan, werden er afgevaardigden, bij voorkeur HR managers, van twintig bedrijven geïnterviewd. Voorts werden er bij de selectie alleen bedrijven uitgekozen die in zekere mate internationaal werken. De selectie moest bovendien verschillende sectoren vertegenwoordigen: uiteindelijk waren er twintig bedrijven voor vijftien verschillende sectoren. In het interview werd nagegaan of het Portfolio gekend was in de bedrijven, wat hun huidige talenbeoordeling inhoudt, of ze het Portfolio eventueel in de toekomst zouden gebruiken en of ze enkele aanpassingen aan het Portfolio zouden willen aanbrengen.

19 van de 20 bedrijven gaven initieel aan nooit te hebben gehoord van het Europese Taalportfolio. Tijdens het interview bleek dat drie bedrijven toch al eerder in contact waren geweest met het Europese Referentiekader. Hieruit kon besloten worden dat er iets schort aan de promotie van het Portfolio. Uit navraag bij de Vlaamse verantwoordelijke voor het Portfolio bleek dat er helemaal geen inspanning werd gedaan om het Taalportfolio te promoten in de bedrijfswereld. De afgevaardigde haalde aan dat, na een korte voorstelling aan enkele bedrijven, er niet echt interesse bleek te zijn omdat het Portfolio omslachtig was, het alleen talenkennis test en omdat bedrijven meestal hun eigen methode aangepast aan de bedrijfscultuur hebben. Deze ondervinding werd ook in dit onderzoek bevestigd. De helft van de bedrijven reageerden negatief op het voorstel om het Portfolio te implementeren omdat het veel te lang is, alleen op talen is gericht en omdat ze al een succesvolle selectieprocedure hebben. Dezelfde opmerkingen komen ook terug bij de suggestieve aanpassingen van de bedrijven. De Raad van Europa zou het Portfolio in eerste plaats toch best inkorten en betrekken in een groter geheel dat verschillende competenties van de kandidaat beoordeelt. Bovendien worden het Dossier en de Taalbiografie als overbodig beschouwd en vindt men in het algemeen dat ze mogen worden geschrapt.

Uit dit onderzoek blijkt dat het implementeren van het Europese Taalportfolio niet zo evident is. Hoewel er een zekere interesse bestaat in een objectieve taalbeoordeling wordt het Taalportfolio in de Belgische bedrijfswereld eerder lauw onthaald. Misschien kan de Raad van Europa een gelijksoortig korter document opstellen waarin verschillende competenties worden opgenomen.

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