Developing Portfolio in EFL Class
Introduction
Questions about forms of assessment are common amongst teachers and students alike in any training institution. Generally, students will get the scores from any test as a reflection of the progress they have make over a certain period of time. The assessment ‘test’ can be conducted in the middle or at the end of the course. Students complete the test in a timed exam. This kind of assessment seems to be a conventional type of evaluation and it is considered a reliable method. However, sometimes the result does not really reflect the continuous progress of the students. They depend too much on the scores on the final test in order to prove whether they are successful or not. In relation to this situation, the concept of portfolio assessment may become one of the alternatives to displace the former type of evaluation. The concept behind using portfolio is to promote students’ involvement during the course and to increase the awareness of their own capabilities in the learning process as well.
According to Trotman (2004) the portfolio assessment in the English Language Teaching began in the 1980s. He says there are some good points as well as some potential limitations from using this kind of assessment.
What is a Portfolio?
