Teaching Writing Through Portfolios: An Experimental Study in The English as A Second Language Context

The paper presents the findings of a study conducted in English as Second Language (ESL) contexts in India. The study focuses on improving the writing skills of the students by using portfolios. This technique is new to India, but proved to be effective in first language teaching contexts. The study focuses on the feasibility of using portfolios for teaching writing in ESL contexts. Portfolios involve writing and re-writing, based on peer and teacher feedback. Since the students tend to focus more on the process of writing, it was assumed that such a focus would lead to higher order thinking skills in language. So, an experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design was done for freshmen (first-year students) in Jeppiaar Engineering College, in Chennai. It was found that some of the portfolio procedures, such as teacher feedback and peer feedback, were effective in various respects, including enhancing the writing skills of the experimental group, as compared to the control group. The study suggests that the involvement of policy makers in implementing the use of portfolios for teaching writing in ESL contexts might improve the chances of successfu implementation.