Task 15 -- Communicative approach

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Date Posted: 09:54:13 08/14/03 Thu
Author: Adriana Sales
Subject: Task 15

How can we use portfolios to evaluate our students' progress?
Portfolios are good way to evaluate our students� progress because they offer according to Hewitt (1995: 66):
- Ongoing, tangible record of accomplishment;
- Constant evidence that the student�s work is valued;
- Opportunity for the student to reflect on his or her work;
- Excellent tool for parent of faculty conferences, as well as student conferences.
In my opinion, teachers and students should select the portfolios� contents according to their needs. Hancock points out �a portfolio is much more than a simple folder of student work�. There are a wide variety of portfolios: working portfolio, performance portfolio, assessment portfolio, group portfolio, application (e.g., for college admission), and so forth. Hancock suggests that �depending on the purpose, one is likely to find any of these items: samples of creative work; tests; quizzes; homework; projects and assignments; audiotapes of oral work; student diary entries; log of work on a particular assignment; self-assessments; comments from peers;
and comments from teachers�. We can evaluate our students observing their growth in the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Writing exercises, probably, is the most common type of portfolios. We can evaluate our students according to their progress in tests, quizzes or texts written. When students keep collected their compositions in a portfolio, teachers and students have access of what they did during the year or semester. One idea that comes in my mind is to keep the students� compositions in a folder. The students write a first draft composition, then if its necessary teachers correct them and ask them to write it again correcting their mistakes or changing some words. Then, students and teachers have access of students� writing and can evaluate their progress in this skill.
The reading or speaking skills can be worked with writing skill, one idea is to select some interesting texts from magazines, newspapers and ask students to read it and tell/write in their own words. To make record the students, teachers can use videotapes or audiotapes during their presentations or discussions.
Other idea is ask students to read a small text and record it. Then, teachers check their pronunciation and correct their mistakes recording it in the same tape. So, the next step is ask students to pay attention to their errors and practice it more doing other pronunciation exercise. It�s important to keep recorded all the first record to check their progress. Other option is the teacher select some important points of pronunciation record it in a tape and give to the students to practice. Some audio or videotapes can be recorded with the spontaneous speech or dialogues from students, where teachers can evaluate their ability to use the language communicatively. Students and teachers can put all of these tapes together in a portfolio and accessed when its necessary.
Teachers and students can put all of these suggestions mentioned above in practice. The main purpose of the portfolios� use is make students aware of their own learning.
Adriana Sales Zardini

Reference:
Hancock, Charles R. Alternative Assessment and Second Language Study: What and Why? July, 1994. Available: http://www.cal.org/ericcll/digest/hancoc01.html
Hewitt, Geof. A Portfolio Primer. Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH, 1995.
Development and Implementation of Student Portfolios in Foreign Language Programs. Available: http://www.stanford.edu/group/CFLP/research/portfolio/portfolio1.html

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