Summary and Opinion

                                                                                                                                   

Instructional Efficacy of Portfolio for Assessing Iranian EFL Learners’

Speaking Ability

The introduction has explained that this study the writer do to see the achievement that students get. The portfolio have some kinds like : paper portfolio (traditional one), technology-based portfolio, electronic portfolio (e-portfolio or digital portfolio), video portfolio and audio portfolio. I think assessing speaking ability by using portfolio can be the effective one. For example : the teachers use video portfolio to assess how the students do debate. Teacher do assessment in the classroom, but she or he ask the other students make video to their friend. So, when teacher want to give score for the students she/he can play the video to reassess that something he/she did not get the point in the classroom. In this research, the writer discriminate control and experimental groups were administered a pretest and post-test with use of e-portfolio. This aim to see the differences result that student achievement between pretest and post-test. After read this journal we can use this media to assess students ability.

The aim of study is clear. The writer only want to see the result of video portfolio can improve or not the intermediate and advanced EFL learners’ speaking skill.  And also, want to know are there any advantages in using video portfolio as an alternative from assessment based on attitude of Iranian EFL learners’. All of research question is clear answer by writer in this article. I agree with the aim of study that researcher write because this is important thing to discuss in this journal based on the title.

In this journal the researcher use 4 method are : Participant, Instrumentation, Materials, Procedure and Data analysis. In the participant the writer took sample 72 male and female Iranian intermediate and advanced EFL learners, aged 14-18. 64 students were randomly chosen to take part in the study and they were divided into four groups: experimental and control intermediate learners as well as experimental and control advanced. I think this research use true experimental method because the sample would choose randomly. And the result of this research group experimental can improve their speaking by using video portfolio. In the instrumentation, in collect the data were used in the study : Oxford Placement Test, Video portfolios, oral proficiency pretest-post-test and a questionnaire. For the material the writer were used Tactics for listening Development and Tactics for listening expending. The procedure  were carried out in quantitative and qualitative phases. First participants took the pretest in order to evaluate their oral proficiency in 15 minute. The speaking class included 20 sessions and was held three times a week. I think the writer have to have some meeting to do this research and spend many times to do it. Except this research did in speaking course so the writer can do this research. For data analysis were collected the statistical for social sciences was used in order to run required statistic. This prove that the writer use quantitative research. In my opinion, the writer explain detail the process of methodology in this journal.

The first limitation is that the study had to be completed in a limited time as the researcher was permitted to carry out the study during this time thus in a further research longitudinal case studies to explore long-term effects of speaking portfolios could be done. Based on argument above limitation in this journal focus to see effect students achievement in speaking ability by using portfolio. The second one, this journal also want to explore instructor attitudes towards the speaking portfolio implementation. The researcher saw the influences of students speaking ability in their attitude.