Portfolios and conferences help students track their language progress and provide feedback to teachers. Portfolios are collections of student work that demonstrate efforts, progress, and achievements over different areas. They allow students to reflect on their own learning. Conferences involve teachers asking students questions to understand difficulties and how skills are being applied. Students can also share concerns and goals. Both portfolios and conferences provide opportunities for collaborative learning and shift the assessment focus to the student.

1. Portfolios and conferences
How can Ss tell whether they are making progress in learning a second language?
Think about
it!!!
Do you ever ask Ss what difficulties they are having in class?
Do you think that Ss should have the opportunity to provide feedback to teachers?
How do you know if you are meeting Ss’ expectations about second language learning?
Having read this chapter about portfolios, it could be
said that a portfoliois a purposeful collection of Ss’
work that demonstrates to Ss and others their
efforts, progress, and achievements in different
areas. Moreover, it helps Ss to keep a record of
their language improvement and it can enhance Ss
to be part of their own learning .However, teachers
should allow Ss to be participants of the assessment
process by negotiating with them.
Ss should have their own portfolios,which can be a
folder, a small cardboard, or files and it should be
keep in an accessible place.
Finally, be keeping a portfolio Ss can develop not
only writing skills, but also oral skills since they share
their work with others. Additionally, they think
critically and in a self- reflective way.
In the process of keeping a portfoliois important to
review its content by having conferences.
During the conferences, teachers direct questions to
their Ss to gain insights about: Specific difficulties Ss
have creating the portfolio, application of skills and
knowledge taught in class, the processes and strategies
they use etc. While Ss have the opportunity to be selfreflective, assume responsibilities, to establish goals
etc.
Additionally, conferences are focused on Ss concerns
and views. It means, they are in charge of their own
work, so it is a space for them to ask, solve doubts and
let the teacher know about their progress.
To sum up, conferences provides as teachers as Ss
perceptions about a learning process carries out
collaboratively.

2. CONCLUSIONS
Portfolios and conferences are valuable, innovative and helpful techniques for
collecting material for evaluation.
Portfolios and conferences provide Ss opportunities to use language creatively and
collaboratively.
Conferences and portfolios give teachers the chance to see how have been Ss
process and also provide Ss the possibility to clarify their inquiries.
These types of activities shift the emphasis from teachers to Ss because they are
allowed to participate in the assessment.
Teachers should plan carefully what types of and what amount of activities include in a
portfolio.