- Ha / VNU Journal of Science, Foreign Languages Training students’ self-expression in English. - The recent approach to language teaching and learning has been focusing on communication as getting things done in the utilitarian sense. - However, the core of communication, if it wishes to mean anything significant to the world at all, should be self-expression. - The ultimate aim of foreign language teaching, therefore, should be to create individual learners who have their own foreign language personalities and know how to express themselves in the target language. - Making use of primarily qualitative methods, this study is an investigation into the implementation of the literature portfolio and its effects on students’ self-expression in written and spoken English. - With a carefully developed portfolio design and assessing criteria, the portfolio implementation not only uncovered the students’ problems but also brought about highly favorable learning processes and results regarding self-expression ability. - In this study, the literature portfolio was used not only as a fair process assessment tool but also as a way to train students’ self-expression in English.. - Thus, the natural need to allow and encourage self-expression in language learning has become urgent. - The literature portfolio is worth trying out precisely because it would train students’ self-expression in the target language. - improvisations in the classroom), but no systematic study exists which explores learners’ self-expression in the target language. - Also, while there are abundant studies on the use of English Literature to approach whole-person development (e.g. - Sivasubramaniam 2006) and on the portfolio approach to instruction and assessment (e.g. - Hung 2009), a gap still opens for a study that researches the portfolio approach in English Literature towards the goal of students’ self-expression. - This study is, thus, an investigation into the implementation of the literature portfolio and its effects on students’ self-expression in written and spoken English. - The literature portfolio was implemented with one group of 24 senior students in the teaching and learning context of the English Department, Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies. - Basically, a portfolio is a collection of works selected by the student, with some form of reflection on the process and/or the products. - Dufeu (1994) recognizes self-expression as a function of language, and the language of a true self-expression “is the language of the inner being and its relationship to the outside world, the language of sensations, feelings, emotions, the expression of needs and desires, observations, intentions, inter-personal relations, etc. - a relational language.” (p.212). - Savignon (2002, p.5) suggests that learners’ self-expression can be encouraged by promoting personal language use, which means teachers should focus on meaning rather than form whenever appropriate in order to give students enough linguistic freedom to venture self-expression in the target language. - Moreover, learners “should be encouraged to develop an English language personality with which they are comfortable.” (p.5) While this is challenging, it can be exhilarating at the same time, as learners may discover a new freedom of self-expression in their new language. - Speaking, writing, and responding to the world in a new language can be compared to “putting on a new dress” (a comparison used by Savignon). - Allen (1987) discusses the close connection between writing and self-expression. - Meanwhile, on the role of literature in the development of self-expression ability, Prodromou (2000) maintains that while the language of literature may be impracticable in real life, it opens the learner’s mind to a whole new world of fresh, brilliant, inspiring expressions of the Self, sharpening the learner’s awareness of how language can be manipulated to reveal exactly the individual identity they want to reveal. - Inspired and enriched by literature, learners would inevitably seek new ways to express themselves more freshly and convincingly in the target language. - Based on all the literature presented above, the researcher arrived at her own working definition of self-expression ability: In the context of this study, self-expression ability means the ability to express in written and spoken English one’s identity in the form of one’s analytical power, shrewdness of discussion and argument, critical thinking and deep feeling. - To be clearer, “self-expression” here means two things: first, the expression of oneself (one’s thoughts and feelings, one’s convincing power) and second, expression by oneself and for oneself (i.e. - not copying teachers’ or friends’ ideas or ways of expression in parrot fashion. - Self-expression ability is assessed in two interconnected aspects: the quality (i.e. - Design of the American Literature Portfolio (ALP) The ALP is closely related to class activities. - 15 class notes (one note a week) and students’ own responses. - The aim of this design is to encourage students to express their own ideas and impressions about literature, and through this, to help improve their self-expression. - The finished portfolio is assessed according to the criteria specified below.. - (final) essay shows thorough comprehension of literary text, ability to keep to the point, deep feeling, logical, critical thinking, original ideas and strong analytical power. - Extension project has high quality in terms of the richness of resources, personal feelings and ideas, analytical and discursive power. - Each spot of cheating/plagiarism in the whole portfolio subtracts 5 points from the total score.. - The ALP was implemented with one group of 24 senior students in order to see how it worked in relation to the students’ self-expression ability and how the students experienced the portfolio building process. - Of the greatest importance to the research outcome is the researcher’s observations and evaluations during the process, as well as the students’ reflections and actual work collected in their portfolios, which were examined closely to detect emerging patterns. - Although there were portfolio scores and exam results, these are not the focus of this study because the researcher hardly believes in measuring quantitatively something of such an intrinsically subjective nature as self-expression in a discipline so detached from numbers and the right-wrong answer distinction as literature. - and the students’ portfolios. - Implementation The implementation of the portfolio project spanned the whole the semester (15 weeks) and consisted of three phases. - Phase one (week 1) was the project orientation, when the purposes, components, criteria, and all other aspects of the portfolio were clarified and discussed with the students. - Phase two (week 2-15) was for portfolio building, whereby the students built up the components of their portfolios and constantly reflected on their work. - During this process, the teacher provided class instruction, guidance and prompts for discussion, monitored the students’ progress, and made frequent evaluations of their work. - As they proceeded with their portfolios, most of the students reacted with eagerness. - their concern was shifting from marks and grades to the actual quality of their work. - Phase three of the project implementation happened at the end of the semester, when the students handed in their finished portfolios and the teacher started assessing them according to the established marking criteria.. - Data analysis: Insights into students’ self-expression during the learning process Self-expression problems One of the most important things that the ALP did was to cast greater light on our students’ problems in expressing themselves in English. - As reflected clearly in their own portfolios, many students made alarming expression errors, ranging from language use to idea development. - The most frequently encountered self-expression problems in the students’ portfolios concerned the areas of language use. - relevance of ideas to the point being discussed. - More often than not, the errors the students made did not belong to just one of these areas but cut across many of them to become really complicated expression problems. - In fact, he both lost himself because he lost his morality and he got cunning of himself because he was step by step coming to his source, wild life which he had never known before.” [Thu Nga] Right from the beginning of the ALP implementation, the students’ self-expression problems were seriously attended to by different means: the teachers’ frequent, on-going comments and suggestions, remedial sessions in class, and peer reviews. - Giving details to the ideas is good. - Last but not least, I would like to hear about her personal feeling toward the matter she raises.” [Mai Hoa] In their written reflections, nearly half the students admitted having difficulty with self-expression in English. - Even a more able student in the group wrote. - Invaluable practice and effort in self-expression Despite their problems, the students made overt and ample efforts to express themselves convincingly in English. - Regardless of their weaknesses, the pieces of writing, the presentations, and the class discussions that the students conducted while building up their portfolios were by far the most thoughtful, interesting, and original ones that the teacher had ever known with all the groups that she had taught. - The overall impression is that the students had a challenging but precious time to practice expressing their own identities, their inner qualities in words. - The students’ practice with self-expression can be seen in their efforts to manipulate words to serve their purposes, and in their exploration and development of new, individual ideas and impressions, although these two aspects often intermingle. - In terms of individual literary exploration, there are ample instances of fresh self-expression on both the intellectual and the emotional level. - The following extracts from a student’s essay on the theme of humanism in The Last Leaf by O’Henry are not only exquisite in language but also original in idea. - Behrman’s death is not a normal death but an incarnation into his masterpiece, the picture of the last leaf. - “The death of the kind-hearted old artist is not the end of everything. - Where art comes, there rebirth happens.” [Kim Dung] There are countless other examples of the students’ exploration into their own intellectual and emotional realms, with their little discoveries of new ideas and impressions about literary works. - The superintendent is very typical of the whole community in St. - Mark Twain ironically described the superintendent and through that he wanted to satirize the hypocrisy and corruption of the society.” [Mai Hoa] (1) [Commenting on the nature of Mildred’s philanthropic work in Scene 2 - The Hairy Ape. - Mildred is the representative of the bourgeois society. - She is always fretful because she doesn’t know how to enjoy life and how to find the real value of the things she did.” [Ha My] (2). - [Commenting on the character Robert Jordan’s language in chapter 43 - For Whom the Bell Tolls. - He used them to show the urgency of the situation. - These sentences seemed to be his last requirements and demands, so they persuaded the others to obey.” [Linh Nga] (3) Extracts (1), (2) and (3) are all fruitful efforts of self-expression on the intellectual level, where the students asserted their critical insights about different literary subjects. - Extract (1) critically looks from one typical character to the whole community and thus has the power of generalization. - extract (2), meanwhile, provides convincing proof of the student’s profound understanding of the character. - and extract (3) is an observant comment on the effects of the language that Hemingway put into his hero’s mouth. - During the course, the students approached and experienced literature not only intellectually but also emotionally. - For instance, on the same subject of the tragic parting between the two lovers in chapter 43 – For Whom the Bell Tolls, two individual voices spoke of their own sentiments. - Regardless of the horrors and sufferings caused by war, the love between Jordan and Maria is so great that it is worthy of everybody’s respect and admiration.” [Minh Trang].. - There are also passages in the students’ writings that capture both their reasoning power and their emotional depth, such as the following reflection on Robert Jordan’s inner struggle during his last minutes in chapter 43 – For Whom the Bell Tolls. - The negative thoughts that appeared in his mind when he was left alone at the end of the chapter was not a signal of weakness but an indication of humanity. - Jordan is a beloved character to readers not only because of his great sacrifice for others but also because of his love for life as a human being.” [Kim Dung] Overall, the criticality, intelligence, depth of feeling and power of discussion that many portfolios show bespeak a big investment of time, effort, as well as interest in self-expression. - It is fair to say that the majority of the students had an invaluable, inspiring time exploring literature, exploring themselves and expressing their best intellectual, emotional and linguistic powers. - They had a good practice and a good experience with the portfolio, which are unveiled in their own words. - To me, writing an essay on a favorite topic is the most interesting part of the portfolio. - I can share my feeling of the story with others and then receive feedback from them…” [Kim Dung].. - One important thing is that I did the work with all my effort and I really paid attention to the criteria given by our teacher. - Progresses and gains in self-expression Not only did the students make efforts but they also actually progressed in their self-expression abilities. - The students’ progresses and gains in self-expression are evident in their writings’ grade improvement, the gradual reduction in the number of major expression errors, and the students’ reflections on their own works, as one revealed. - The students’ self-expression abilities in spoken English were also trained with the process of conducting the portfolio, which was evident in their presentations and class discussions. - The requirement of the essay made sure that the students had better-prepared presentations, with a richness of language and a depth of ideas, as well as an order of organization. - The assignment that the students had to complete before each lesson helped bring about much more informed and meaningful class discussions. - These students were often very active in class discussions: expressing their wonder at the details of the text or disagreement with others’ ideas, defending their opinions convincingly, posing very interesting questions for the teacher and their peers about the text, which showed their critical minds at work. - In fact, because the students knew the matters that they were discussing beforehand thanks to their portfolio work, they became very confident and independent in expressing themselves in class. - Conclusions In general, the ALP implementation not only uncovered the students’ problems but also brought about highly favorable learning processes and results regarding self-expression ability. - In this study, the literature portfolio was used not only as a fair process assessment tool but also as a way to train students’ self-expression in English. - The literature portfolio is a worthwhile experience for both the learner and teacher of literature. - Through doing the portfolio, students learn to think and express their own ideas. - For the teacher, the literature portfolio gives information about students’ levels of success in the subject, thus helping the teacher adjust his/her own teaching. - Obviously, the application of the literature portfolio has a lot of benefits, and, hopefully, this kind of project would be adopted and adapted in suitable teaching contexts. - Sivasubramaniam, Promoting the prevalence of literature in the practice of foreign and second language education: Issues and insights, Asian EFL Journal . - 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