英语论文网

Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Background
Here comes another problem, it is obvious that writing is important, but the situation for traditionalEnglish writing class is alarming. Sometimes the classroom teaching cannot fulfill the students’ learninggap. Further more, the author thinks there are two main factors why students’ writing ability is not easy toimprove: teaching methods and evaluating ways. In general English writing class, teachers always raise atopic and then organize the class to brainstorm. Five minutes later, the teachers let students to write bythemselves. After the class, students hand in the works and teachers give them certain grades according totheir writing especially by their grammatical mistakes, framework of writing and organization. In thisperiod, students’ individual development is ignored. While the teacher leave the essential of classroomteaching behind, which is regard students as the center of the class.As for the evaluation ways, it is really worth talking here. It is said in The English Curriculum forSenior High School Student (2003) that Assessment is an significant part in English curriculum for thereason that scientifically Assessment is the insurance for the achievement of English curriculum. Thereshould be a scientific and reasonable assessment method where teaching process as well as the resultsshould be monitored timely and effectively thus leading a positive English teaching class. It is meaningfuland important to make the subjects diversity, let the form various and develop multi-dimensions of contentin the process of assessment. Students are supposed to be put in the center of teaching and their individualdevelopment such as emotion, perception, learning strategies and so on should be put more attention.But it is less than satisfactory that there is a deep gap between fact and ideal assessment module. Asfor assessment in English writing class, the traditional summative assessment is mainly perceived, but theresult is still far from the origin for the reason that it cannot show the students’ individual developmentclearly as their changes on attitudes, emotions and perception. Meanwhile it fails to reflect studentsprogress and achievement. Under this kind of assessment way, the teachers concern more about the resultsrather than the specific achievement students made. As a result, there are still many mistakes students madealthough the teachers’ corrections again and again. Gradually, students are easily lose their confidence andinterests in English writing.
..........

1.2 Purpose
As the weakness of traditional English writing assessment ignoring the students’ individualdevelopment becomes more clear thus calling for a reasonable and an authentic assessment method istimely needed. Now portfolio assessment starts gaining its popularity in China.Although the concept of portfolio assessment is still new for those teachers especially in compulsoryeducation period, there are many researchers at home accept the portfolio assessment and they thinkportfolio is benefit for English writing teaching and assessment. Under such condition, the author wants toaddress the existed research gaps and explore the benefits of portfolio assessment for students in SeniorHigh School. The most important thing is that the author intends to encourage the teachers and students to use writing portfolios for the benefits of portfolio assessment brings to them. Further more, the author ai