ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES  OF PORTFOLIO

The portfolio is a tool which comprises all the experiences related to foreign language learning, both at academic and personal level, following the criteria and guidelines established by the CEFR and the European Council. It has two basic functions: informative and pedagogical. The first one deals with the users’ competence in foreign languages, incorporating the qualifications obtained as well as language-related experiences. The second one attempts to make the foreign language users aware of their learning process while reflecting on and self-assessing the progress made, which allows higher autonomy since they are responsible for their own learning process.

If teachers are not motivated enough and have not been trained to use the portfolio, and consequently do not know how to implement it, our students will lack motivation too. Therefore, we can say that one of the disadvantages of the Portfolio in Vocational Training (FP) is that most teachers do not know how to use it and are unable to encourage students to complete it and understand the importance of incorporating this information into their Curriculum.

The usefulness of the Portfolio in Vocational Training is well-defined because it gives detailed information about the level of competence that a student has in a foreign language. In this way, the student’s curriculum will not only show precise information about the level of language but also a clear description of the linguistic competences, allowing students to be compared to other European citizens and promoting mobility across Europe. The portfolio has other advantages, for example students can also self-assess their level and competence in a foreign language, and it fosters critical thinking and awareness of the level of language achieved in each of the skills. In this way, students will be able to improve the weakest skills. Furthermore, the portfolio will help collect, through the dossier, all the personal assignments of the students in order to illustrate their competence and knowledge of the given language. Finally, we should highlight the fact that Vocational Training students will be more motivated to complete the portfolio due to the fact that they will access the labour market in a short time. Our task is therefore to motivate and engage them so that they can have a quality Curriculum which helps them find a job.