The Comparative Effect of Dynamic Assessment and Portfolio Assessment on EFL Learners’ Achievement of Speech Acts

In pragmatic competence the meaning of language use is considered essential which is disguised in linguistic and social medium of language use. One of the manifestations of pragmatic competence is seen in the concept of Speech Acts. The current study aimed at investigating the comparative effects of Portfolio Assessment and Dynamic Assessment as sub-strategies of alternative assessment on the learning of Speech Acts among Iranian EFL learners. Participants of the study included 60 EFL male and female at intermediate level of language proficiency. The methodology of the study included collecting data on speech act knowledge before and after 12 sessions of the treatment in two experimental groups. In one group portfolio assessment and in another group dynamic assessment was introduced. Speech act knowledge was measured by administering the Multiple choice Discourse Completion Tests (MDCT) comprised of 20 situations for the use of request and apology speech acts. After collecting data in the form of interval scores on speech act knowledge before and after treatment, data were analyzed using statistical test of ANCOVA. Based on the results of data analysis, it was found that Dynamic Assessment is more effective than Portfolio Assessment in terms of its effects on learning Speech Acts.

Keywords:

dynamic assessment , portfolio assessment , speech act , apology , request