Using speaking eportfolios to enhance oral English language skills among English as a foreign language students

This study examines how the implementation of ePortfolios as a high impact practice enhanced student oral language skills. A sample of 183 intermediate EFL students (151 females, 32 males) from a public university in Saudi Arabia built ePortfolios over the course of one semester. Data from voice recordings, focus groups, and a survey were collected and analyzed to evaluate students' learning experience. A major finding of the study was that students felt that ePortfolios helped promote their oral proficiency in English because of the linguistic feedback provided by the instructor and their peers. In addition, building ePortfolios increased students' motivation and confidence to speak English especially among females including low and high achievers. These findings have implications for teachers and curriculum developers in a variety of contexts.