Resources for language learning
The Language Centre uses resources specifically designed to support and promote learning.
This centre provides an environment specifically designed for independent language learning (German, English, Spanish, Italian, Swiss German, and Russian). It allows you to access to a rich variety of learning activities to help ou improve the different language skills (listening, reading, speaking, pronunciation) as well as your accuracy (grammar, vocabulary ...).
The EMA allows you:
- to progress autonomously according to your needs, level and interests
- to progress at your own pace
- by using tools that allow you to analyse your needs, set objectives, assess your progress and discover new learning strategies
- by providing resources which are appropriate to your needs
There are two ways to access the EMA:
- Remote access : use our PlurieL learning platform to connect online at any time
- On campus: go to the EMA room during the semester so long as it is a "free access" period (see times on our homepage). There is no need to register beforehand. Someone will be on hand to show you how the EMA works. You will have access to learning activities which are not available online
The Multimedia room has 32 computers. You will have access to multimedia and audio resources accompanied by transcripts, exercises and answers, as well as reference material (grammar books, dictionaries, etc.). Someone will be available to help and support you.
For more information, click HERE, log in to SWITCHaai and select the Resources tab (only for members of UNIL or EPFL)
Please note
- "Physical" multimedia material can only be used in the EMA Room (Anthropole 1060), during its opening hours (for copyright reasons)
- EMA material cannot be borrowed – it must stay in the multimedica centre
- Digital, paper or other resources in the EMA must not be copied
The Language Centre recommands the utilisation of the European Language Portfolio for lifelong learning.
The European Language Portfolio (Higher Education version) of the Council of Europe for languages (ELC/CEL) allows you to document and highlight your plurilingual profile in a comprehensible, complete, and internationally comparable way.
The Portfolio is a personal, ongoing record of tasks, tests, certificates, self-assessment checklists, etc. It allows a third party to understand what you are capable of doing in the different languages in your profile.
It allows you to document all the language competencies and intercultural experiences you have acquired within or outside a formal educational setting.
It allows you to take charge of your lifelong language learning process.
The ELP can be used for all the languages you have learned and in any learning environment.
The European Language Portfolio is a project of the Council of Europe , an intergovernmental organisation of 43 member-states, which aims to:
- promote individual plurilingualism and the dialogue between cultures
- facilitate mobility in Europe
- strengthen and preserve cultural diversity
- encourage autonomous learning and lifelong language learning
The French-English version of the European language Portfolio. Higher Education / European Language Portfolio. Higher Education for the European Council for languages (ELC/CEL) is published as a ring binder.
German and Spanish translations
In order to guarantee the multilingual aspect of the ELP and to ensure that it can be understood at an international level, the CEL/ELC European Language Portfolio plans that translations must be integrated in the original version. These translations exist in German and Spanish and can be downloaded freely:
♦ German version: Europäisches Sprachenportfolio. Hochschulbereich
♦ Spanish version: Portfolio Europeo de las Lenguas. Edición para la educación superior
There is an Electronic version for the Portfolio in PlurieL. Use the Portfolio tab (French/English) - only for the members of the UNIL and EPFL.
PlurieL is a virtual environment specially designed for language learning in the Centre de langues. It is learner-centred and, notably, promotes autonomous language learning. PlurieL offers a search engine, access to pedagogical activities and to the European Language Portfolio (including a Learning Journal, interactive level referencing and a Language Passport), an internal messaging system, personalized advice from teachers, documents to guide and help you, and the possibility to carry out group activities.
Log into PlurieL (UNIL members only)