Students perceptions of using portfolios as a means of evaluation in an english foreign language translation course

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhat,
M.A., my supervisor, for her thorough reading, critical comments and valuable
suggestions as well as indispensable advice and encouragement.
I am greatly indebted to all the lecturers at Hanoi Pedagogical University
Number 2, especially the lecturers at the Faculty of Foreign Languages for their
valuable dedication during my years of university work.
I also owe my special thanks to students at the Faculty of Foreign
Languages, Hanoi Pedagogical University Number 2, for their kind help and great
contribution to my survey.
I am really grateful to my close friends who helped me a lot collect useful
documents for my research.
Last but not least, particularly, I express my deep gratitude to my beloved
family, for their hearted encouragement and support.

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ perceptions of benefits
of using portfolios as a means of evaluating their learning process in a translation
course and find out the students’ difficulties when implementing their portfolio as
well as ways to improve students’ self-learning portfolio. The participants of the
survey questionnaires are 44 third-year English-major students of the Faculty of
Foreign Languages, Hanoi Pedagogical University Number 2.
As a result, most of students have positive attitudes and motivations towards
the effects of using portfolios in their learning process; therefore teacher should
apply portfolios in more foreign language classes.
Based on the results of the survey, it is clear that portfolio has a great of

benefits; however both teachers and students also face some challenges when
implementing portfolios in evaluating students’ learning process. Thus some
limitations of the study as well as suggestions for further studies have been
involved.

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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Title: Students’ Perceptions of Using Portfolios as a Means of
Evaluation in an English Foreign Language Translation Course, a Case Study
at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Hanoi Pedagogical University N02”.
(Graduation paper submitted in partial fulfillment of
The Degree of Bachelor of Arts in English)

I certify that all the materials in this study has not been copied by me from
any other person’s report without acknowledgment and this work is written by my
best under instruction from my supervisor.

Date submitted: May 2013

Student

Supervisor

Le Thi Tim

Nguyen Thi Hong Nhat, M.A.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... iii
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ...................................................................... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... v

PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
I-Rationale .............................................................................................................. 1
II-Research questions ............................................................................................. 3
III-Research objectives .......................................................................................... 3
IV-Research scope .................................................................................................. 3
V-Research tasks ................................................................................................... 3
VI-Research methods ............................................................................................. 4
VII-Significance of the proposed research ............................................................ 4
VIII-Design of the research ................................................................................... 4

PART TWO
DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
I.1. Literature review in brief ................................................................................ 6
I.2. Overview of evaluation .................................................................................... 8
I.2.1. Definition of evaluation............................................................................. 8
I.2.2. Reasons for evaluating students................................................................. 8
I.2.3. Principles of evaluating students ............................................................... 9

I.3. Overview of portfolios .................................................................................. 12
I.3.1. Definition of portfolios............................................................................ 12
I.3.2. Types of portfolios .................................................................................. 13
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I.3.3. Components of portfolio ......................................................................... 13
I.3.4. Stages of a portfolio evaluation ............................................................... 15
I.3.5. Benefits of using portfolios ..................................................................... 17
I.4. Evaluating translation ................................................................................... 19
I.4.1. Definition of translation ......................................................................... 19
I.4.2. Approach to evaluate translation ............................................................. 20
I.4.2.1.The Product Approach................................................................... 20
I.4.2.2.The Process Approach ................................................................... 21
I.4.2.3. Product Approach or Process Approach ....................................... 21
I.4.3. Criteria for translation evaluation ............................................................ 22
CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY
II.1. Research setting ............................................................................................ 24
II.1.1. Overview of the course ........................................................................... 24
II.1.2. Participants of the research ..................................................................... 24
II.2. Data collection .............................................................................................. 25
II.2.1. Procedures for carrying out the research ................................................. 25
II.2.2. Instruments for data collection ................................................................ 25
II.3. Data analysis ................................................................................................. 26
CHAPTER THREE
RESULTS, MAJOR FINDINGS,AND RECOMMENDATIONS
III.1.Results .......................................................................................................... 27
III.1.1.Students’ perceptions of the benefits of using portfolios ........................ 27
III.1.2. Students’ difficulties in implementing the portfolios ............................ 31
III.1.3. Ways to improve students’ self-learning portfolio ................................ 32

III.2. Major Findings ........................................................................................... 33
III.3. Recommendations ....................................................................................... 34

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PART THREE
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION..................................................................................................... 37
Summary of Findings ..................................................................................... 37
Limitations of the Study ................................................................................. 38
Suggestions for Further Studies .................................................................... 38
REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 40
APPENDICES ...................................................................................................... 44
SURVEYQUESTIONNAIRE .......................................................................... 44

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