The Effect Of Portfolio Assessment On Learners' English Proficiency And L2 Learning Motivation

This study explores, within the theoretical framework of Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence and M Scriven's Formative Assessment, the effect of portfolio assessment on English learners' proficiency and L2 learning motivation. The subjects in this study are sampled from two intact classes of grade one of Chinese major from TianShui Norma School. One is the Experimental Class and the other is the Control Class. The experiment lasted for one term (18 weeks ) . The results shows that : 1) the portfolio assessment can improve learners' English proficiency; 2) the portfolio assessment can inspire the learners' motivation. Our empirical evidence shows that portfolio assessment has a practical meaning in the English teaching.The thesis is composed of seven main chapters. The first chapter mainly introduces the research questions and its research origin and value. The second chapter is the literature review of the similar studies at home and at abroad, based on the review of the previous studies, the necessity of the research is stated. The third chapter is the theoretical framework of the study and the theories involved in the study including Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence and M.Scriven's Formative Assessment. The fourth chapter presents the design of the experiments in the study, including subjects, materials, methods, tasks and instruments and procedures. In the fifth chapter, the results are analyzed and a further discussion of the reasons are proved by the theories and hypotheses in the sixth chapter. The seventh chapter is a conclusion, which briefly summarizes the practical implications and significance, limitations and questions to be explored in the future.The results of the study provides strong evidence to support the hypothesis: portfolio assessment does have positive effects on learner's English proficiency and motivation. The experimental results show that, comparing with the results in the pre-test, the subjects from the Experimental Class performs better than those from the Control Class in both questionnaires and test in the post-test, and they make greater progress in English proficiency and L2 learning motivation. Therefore, it is concluded that assessment is an important part in English teaching, so reasonable and fair assessment can promote learner's English proficiency and improve learning motivation. It is also indicated that portfolio assessment is not only an effective means of assessing English language learners, but also a significant measure to motivate EFL learners.