Learning-portfolio-based Oral English Teaching Assessment In Senior High Schools

Since 1980 s, the practices and the researches of learning-portfolio-based teaching assessment have been widely launched at home and abroad. As a new way of assessment, the appearance and adaptation of learning portfolio can make up the shortcomings of exams, which are regarded as the traditional and single way of assessment focusing much on learning results and knowledge orientation but little on learning processes and ability cultivation. Learning portfolio assessment can really promote students’ self-valuation,self-reflection,self-development and peer cooperation.Therefore, based on the previous study of portfolio assessment in theory and practice,the author intends and tries to explore in this thesis whether or not learning portfolio can help improve oral English teaching and its assessment in senior high schools.This research took a senior high school in Guangdong Province as an example, and it aimed at exploring learning-portfolio-based oral English teaching assessment in the school by means of a present situation investigation and a teaching experiment. The investigation research was intended to describe the present situation of oral English teaching and its assessment in the targeted school by investigating the students, some teachers, the school managers, and some students’ parents. By doing so, the author wanted to find out not only the status quo of oral English teaching and its assessment in the school but also whether or not learning portfolio had been adopted in the school.The experiment research, which was made in one class of Senior Grade One in the school, was intended to explore whether or not the introduction and implementation of learner-portfolio assessment could influence the process and outcome of senior high school oral English learning, how the effect was made on cognition, emotion and the achievement of oral English learning on the part of the learners, what problems and causes of implementation still existed in teaching and learning practice, and how the implementation could be improved in the future.The present study reported in this paper lasted about half a year. The instruments used in the research were questionnaires, interviews, teaching/learning journals,classroom observations and oral tests. The major findings of this study are concluded as follows: The present situation investigation showed that the situation of oral English teaching assessment in the school was not good, the students? oral English scores were low, and the teachers met with some problems during the teaching and evaluation. The experiment research indicated that the learning portfolio not only motivated the students’ interest and confidence in their oral English learning but also strengthened their ability of communication and cooperation with peers; to some extent, their oral English ability was improved and the situation of oral English teaching was also improved.Based on the present study, it is suggested that in the combination of learning portfolio and oral English teaching and assessment, the factor of learner emotion should be highlighted, the awareness of learners as learning subjects should be emphasized, and the consciousness of teacher-learner cooperation should be embodied.