E9 E - My future skills portfolio
aiMOOCE9 E - My future skills portfolio
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E9 E - My future skills portfolio
Mini mission: Build a voluntary or fictional English skills portfolio. Show your interests, strengths, experiences and future learning goals. Then compare possible learning and career paths. You do not need to share private data.
E9-E language mode: English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again. You work quite independently, use authentic media, ask follow-up questions, compare perspectives and revise your own work.
Einleitung
A skills portfolio is a collection of selected examples, short reflections and goals. It can show what you can do now, what you have learned and what you want to learn next. A school portfolio is not the same as a real job application. In this course, profiles and application data can be fictional.
Privacy first: Do not use private social-media data, home addresses, phone numbers, real passwords or sensitive personal details. Audio or video recordings are optional and should stay private unless you actively choose another safe school setting. Do not upload classmates' work without permission. Do not send your work to external AI services unless your school and you have agreed to that use.
AI check: If you use AI-generated ideas, facts or feedback in an allowed setting, check them against reliable sources. Keep your own text and your own decisions. AI feedback is a suggestion, not proof.
I-can goals
- I can describe interests, strengths and experiences with clear examples.
- I can understand the main ideas and useful details in a video about work and skills.
- I can compare two possible learning or career paths and explain my reasons.
- I can ask and answer spontaneous follow-up questions.
- I can write a coherent portfolio text with evidence, linking words and future goals.
- I can revise my text after feedback and explain what I improved.
What do you already know?
Think for two minutes. Then speak to a partner.
Quick prompts: What are you interested in? What are you good at? What have you already tried? What would you like to learn next?
Challenge: Give an example, not only a label. Instead of “I am creative”, say what you created, changed or solved.
Media task: Look at the photo for 30 seconds. Name three possible skills the learners may be using. Then add one sentence of evidence: “They may be using ... because ...”. Remember: a photo can suggest a skill, but it cannot prove a person's personality.
Input: Build your portfolio
Interests: What pulls you in?
Interests are topics or activities you want to explore. They can change. You do not need one “dream job”.
Useful language: I am interested in … / I enjoy … because … / I would like to find out more about … / One topic that keeps my attention is …
Portfolio move: Connect an interest to a possible next step.
Example: “I am interested in designing useful things. I would like to try a school project in product design or coding before I decide whether this field suits me.”
Strengths: Show evidence
A strength is more convincing when you connect it to a situation.
Claim → evidence → reflection
Example: “One of my strengths is organising teamwork. In our science project, I divided tasks and checked our deadline. This helped us finish on time. I still want to improve how I react when plans change.”
Media task: Write two different captions for the image. Caption A should focus on collaboration. Caption B should focus on digital skills. Which caption is better supported by what you can actually see?
Experiences: School counts too
Experience is not only paid work. A project, club, hobby, voluntary activity, competition, family task, internship, workshop or difficult learning moment can give you useful evidence.
Use the present perfect to connect past experience with now:
“I have worked on several group projects.” “I have learned how to plan my time.” “I have not tried an internship yet.”
Use the simple past for a finished example:
“Last term, I created a short video with two classmates.”
Functional grammar: Present perfect = experience up to now. Simple past = a finished event at a finished time.
Future learning goals: Make them testable
A useful goal says what you want to improve and how you will practise.
Weak: “I want to get better at English.”
Stronger: “Over the next six weeks, I want to give two three-minute presentations without reading full sentences from my notes. After each one, I will ask for feedback on clarity and structure.”
Use will for a decision or prediction, be going to for an intention, and might/could for possibilities.
Examples: “I am going to practise speaking twice a week.” “I might join a coding club.” “This skill could be useful in many fields.”
Possible learning and career paths
A path is not a life sentence. You can compare options, test ideas and change direction as you learn more.
Ask:
- What interests me about this path?
- Which strengths could help me?
- Which skills would I need to build?
- What evidence supports my idea?
- What information is still missing?
Media task: Imagine this is a school career-and-skills expo. Create two possible learner profiles for one person in the photo. Give each profile a different interest, different evidence and a different next learning step. Keep the profiles fictional.
Listening and Viewing
E9-E routine: Use authentic speed. First listen/view for the main idea without stopping. On the second pass, pause when needed and use subtitles only as support. Most tasks focus on one or two main speakers. Your notes should be key words, not a full transcript.
Viewing 1: The future of work
Before watching: Predict two ways work may change in the future.
First viewing – understand: What is the main question of the video? Note only three key words.
Second viewing – select: Choose two ideas that may affect young people's future learning. Write one sentence of evidence for each.
Respond: Which skill could stay useful even if jobs change? Explain your answer.
Ask: Write one follow-up question you would ask a speaker.
Improve: Add one linking word to make your answer more coherent: because, however, therefore, while, although.
Use again: Put your best idea into your portfolio under “Future learning”.
Viewing 2: Career ideas are not fixed
Viewing task: Note one idea you agree with, one idea you question and one new question. Do not copy a transcript. Summarise in your own words.
Perspective task: Compare the video's message with your own view: Should a future plan be a fixed destination or a direction you can revise?
Viewing 3: AI, languages and future skills
This British Council video shows secondary students reacting to an AI-based language experiment.
First viewing: Identify two different student reactions.
Second viewing: What can the technology do in the video? What can it not replace according to the speakers?
Source check: Separate what you can observe in the video from wider claims about AI. If you want to use a wider claim in your portfolio, verify it with another reliable source.
Transfer: Write two sentences: “AI could help me …” and “I still need to learn … myself.”
Reading
Three fictional profiles
Profile A – Maya, 15: “I enjoy making short explanatory videos. I have edited three school projects and I like turning difficult information into simple visuals. I sometimes spend too long on details. Next term, I am going to practise planning with time limits. I might explore media design, journalism or science communication.”
Profile B – Leon, 14: “I like repairing bikes and understanding how things work. I have helped at a school repair afternoon and learned to explain simple steps to younger students. I want more experience with tools and safety rules. I could explore technical training, engineering projects or a practical internship.”
Profile C – Samira, 15: “I enjoy languages and helping groups reach a decision. I have taken part in a debate project and I have mediated short messages between English and German in class. I want to become more confident with spontaneous questions. I might explore international projects, education or business.”
Reading task: For each profile, find an interest, a piece of evidence, a learning need and a possible path. Then decide which profile gives the strongest evidence for its claims. Explain your criteria; there is not one automatic answer.
Source and media literacy
Media task: Before you read, name two details you can observe and one thing you cannot know from the image alone. This separates observation from assumption.
A portfolio becomes stronger when you can check information instead of repeating attractive claims.
Use this four-step check:
- Source: Who published it?
- Date: Is it current enough for your question?
- Purpose: Is it informing, teaching, advertising or persuading?
- Evidence: Does it give examples, data or links you can verify?
For career research, compare at least two reliable sources when possible. A single video, influencer post or AI answer should not decide your path.
Context vocabulary
| Word or phrase | Meaning in this course | Useful pattern |
|---|---|---|
| strength | something you can do well and support with evidence | One of my strengths is … because … |
| experience | something you have done and learned from | I have experience with … |
| evidence | an example that supports a claim | One example is … |
| transferable skill | a skill useful in different contexts | This skill could also help in … |
| learning goal | a clear next step for improvement | My next goal is to … |
| pathway | one possible route through learning or work | One possible pathway is … |
| to revise | to improve a text or plan after checking it | I revised … by … |
| to reflect | to think about what happened and what it means | Looking back, I learned … |
| reliable source | a source you can check and justify | I trust this source because … |
Pronunciation and Fluency
Focus on understandability before accent. You do not need to sound like a native speaker.
Practise thought groups:
“My main strength / is solving practical problems / because I stay calm / and test different ideas.”
Fluency ladder:
- Speak for 30 seconds with notes.
- Speak again with only five key words.
- Ask your partner one spontaneous follow-up question.
- Answer without reading a prepared sentence.
Useful repair phrases: “Let me put that another way.” / “What I mean is …” / “Could you repeat the last part?” / “Do you mean …?”
Speaking
Portfolio pitch: Give a two-minute presentation with four parts: one interest, one strength with evidence, one experience and one future learning goal.
Your listener asks two spontaneous questions. Answer first. Then ask one question back.
Discussion: “Is it better at 15 to choose one clear career goal or to test several directions?” Use at least two perspectives and respond to another person's point.
Private option: If you prefer, present live to a partner or teacher without any recording. Recordings are optional.
Writing
Your fictional or voluntary skills portfolio
Write about 250–350 words in clear connected paragraphs. You may use a fictional profile.
Suggested structure:
- Profile: interests and current focus
- Strengths: two claims with evidence
- Experiences: what you have done and learned
- Future learning: two realistic goals
- Pathways: compare at least two options
- Reflection: what is still uncertain and what you will do next
Use linking language such as because, for example, however, therefore, while, although, as a result.
E-level challenge: Include one source-based sentence from your own research. Paraphrase it and name the source. Do not copy long passages.
Source-based mini argument
Write 180–220 words on this question: “Which learning pathway should this fictional learner explore first?”
Use one of the profiles from the reading section. Compare at least two options, use information from two checked sources, include a different perspective and reach a temporary conclusion. Your conclusion may stay open: strong career planning can include uncertainty.
Revise once for content and once for language. Keep your first version.
Mediation
A German-speaking classmate asks what an English-language training offer is about. Read a short authentic course description chosen by your teacher. Explain the three most relevant points in German for this classmate: What is the course about? Which skills does it train? Who might it suit?
Do not translate sentence by sentence. Select information for the purpose and the person.
Functional grammar
Experience: present perfect — “I have learned … / I have tried …”
Specific past example: simple past — “Last month, I organised …”
Intentions: be going to — “I am going to practise …”
Possibilities: might/could — “I might explore … / This could help me …”
Reason and contrast: because / so / however / although
Conditional planning: “If I improve my presentation skills, I can take on more speaking roles.”
Help levels
Hint 1 – words: interest, strength, experience, evidence, goal, pathway, improve, explore, compare, reliable.
Hint 2 – sentence frames: “I am interested in … because …” / “One example that shows this is …” / “I have learned … from …” / “One possible path is …, while another is …” / “My next step will be …”
Hint 3 – structure: claim → example → what you learned → next step.
Hint 4 – challenge: Add a counterpoint: “However, I still need to find out whether …”
Feedback and revision
Use feedback to make a new decision, not just to collect comments.
Peer feedback:
- I understood your main point when …
- Your evidence was strongest when …
- One question I still have is …
- One place you could connect ideas more clearly is …
Then revise your own text. Keep the original version so you can see your development.
Error analysis
Choose three errors from your own writing. For each one, write:
- the original sentence,
- the corrected sentence,
- the reason for the change,
- one new sentence using the same language feature correctly.
Look for patterns: verb tense, word order, linking words, vocabulary choice or missing evidence. Fix the pattern, not only one sentence.
Transfer
Imagine a new opportunity: a school project asks for a student who can research a topic, work in a team and present results in English.
Use your portfolio to decide:
- Which two pieces of evidence would you select?
- What would you leave out because it is less relevant?
- Which skill would you still want to improve before the project starts?
This is the key transfer: adapt the same portfolio evidence to a new purpose.
Can-do check
Mark each statement: Yes / partly / not yet.
| I can … | My evidence | My next step |
|---|---|---|
| describe a strength with a concrete example | ||
| compare two future pathways | ||
| understand main ideas in authentic career-related media | ||
| ask and answer spontaneous follow-up questions | ||
| write and revise a coherent portfolio text | ||
| check a source instead of accepting it automatically |
Follow-up course: E9 E - From skills portfolio to application
Interaktive Aufgaben
Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen
What makes a strength claim more convincing? (A concrete example that shows the strength) (!A longer list of positive adjectives) (!A private social-media profile) (!A statement with no evidence)
Which tense is useful for experience up to now? (The present perfect) (!The simple past only) (!The past continuous only) (!The future continuous)
Which sentence gives a clear future learning goal? (I am going to practise two short presentations and ask for feedback on clarity) (!I want to be better at everything) (!I will probably become perfect soon) (!I like learning new things)
What is a transferable skill? (A skill that can be useful in different situations) (!A skill that belongs to only one school subject) (!A private piece of personal data) (!A fixed job title)
What should you do with an AI-generated career fact? (Check it against reliable sources before using it) (!Treat it as automatically correct) (!Copy it without reading it) (!Share private data to improve it)
What is the best purpose of mediation in this course? (Select and explain relevant information for a specific person and purpose) (!Translate every word in exactly the same order) (!Replace the original text with your own opinion) (!Ignore the needs of the reader)
Which phrase is useful for comparing pathways? (One option is this while another is that) (!This is the only possible future) (!Everybody should choose the same route) (!No more information is needed)
What should come after useful feedback? (A revision decision) (!Deleting your original work immediately) (!Ignoring all comments) (!Uploading your work publicly)
Why do you check a source's purpose? (To understand why the information was published) (!To find the longest text) (!To avoid comparing sources) (!To prove every source is neutral)
What matters most in pronunciation work here? (Being understandable) (!Copying one native accent perfectly) (!Speaking as fast as possible) (!Never asking for repetition)
Memory
| strength | evidence |
| experience | reflection |
| pathway | option |
| goal | next step |
| reliable source | verification |
| transferable skill | different contexts |
Drag and Drop
| Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu. | Thema |
|---|---|
| Interest | What I want to explore |
| Strength | What I can support with evidence |
| Experience | What I have done and learned from |
| Learning goal | What I want to improve next |
| Pathway | A possible route through learning or work |
Kreuzworträtsel
| evidence | What do you add to support a claim about a strength? |
| pathway | What word means a possible route through learning or work? |
| reflect | What verb means to think carefully about what you learned? |
| revise | What verb means to improve a text after checking it? |
| strength | What word describes something you can do well and support with an example? |
| experience | What can come from a project, hobby, club or internship? |
LearningApps
Lückentext
Offene Aufgaben
Leicht
- Skills snapshot: Create a one-page fictional profile with three interests, two strengths and one next learning goal.
- Evidence hunt: Find three school or hobby situations that could count as experience. For each, explain what skill it may show.
- Media caption challenge: Choose one Commons image from this course and write two evidence-based English captions with different skill focuses.
- Question builder: Write eight follow-up questions for a partner's fictional skills portfolio. Use at least three different question starters.
Standard
- Portfolio draft: Write a 250–350 word voluntary or fictional portfolio and revise it after peer feedback.
- Pathway comparison: Compare two learning or career pathways using at least two reliable sources and explain what is still uncertain.
- Two-minute pitch: Present your portfolio live to a partner or teacher and answer two spontaneous questions. Recording is optional.
- Mediation task: Explain the key points of an English training or career information text to a German-speaking classmate for a clear purpose.
Schwer
- Source audit: Compare three sources about one future skill. Analyse publisher, date, purpose, evidence and possible limits.
- Perspective panel: Prepare and discuss the question “Should teenagers specialise early or keep several pathways open?” Include at least two perspectives and respond spontaneously.
- Portfolio redesign: Adapt the same fictional portfolio for two different opportunities. Explain what you selected, removed and reworded for each audience.
- Learning experiment: Choose one skill, plan a two-week practice experiment, collect small pieces of evidence and evaluate whether your strategy worked.
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Lernkontrolle
- Evidence and inference: Read a fictional portfolio. Identify two claims that are well supported and two that need better evidence. Rewrite the weaker parts.
- Pathway decision matrix: Compare two fictional pathways using interests, required skills, learning opportunities and open questions. Explain which additional information would be needed before making a decision.
- Media transfer: Watch a short career-related video selected by your teacher. Summarise its main message, identify one perspective or limitation and connect one idea to a learning goal.
- Revision commentary: Submit a first and revised version of one portfolio paragraph. Explain three changes and how they improved clarity, evidence or coherence.
- Spontaneous dialogue: Present one possible pathway for ninety seconds, answer follow-up questions and then adapt your explanation when your partner gives you a new constraint.
- Mediation for purpose: From an English information text, select only the details needed by a German-speaking classmate and explain why you left other details out.
Lernnachweis
For your learning record, show:
- a voluntary or fictional English skills portfolio,
- at least two strength claims with evidence,
- one reflection on an experience,
- two future learning goals,
- a comparison of at least two possible pathways,
- one checked source with a short explanation of why you consider it useful,
- a first and revised text version,
- a short speaking performance with spontaneous follow-up questions or an equivalent live classroom task,
- one mediation task adapted to purpose and audience,
- a Can-do check with your next learning step.
No public upload is required. Private recordings are optional. Keep personal data fictional or minimal.
OERs zum Thema
Weitere freie bzw. öffentlich zugängliche Lernquellen: Portfolio, E-Portfolio, Lerntagebuch, Kompetenz, Berufsorientierung
Media/source check for this course: Wikimedia Commons images are used as open media. The listening/viewing tasks use public educational videos from BBC Learning English, British Council and a TED resource referenced in British Council teaching material. For current career facts, always check the original publisher and date before using them.
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