Portfolios as a strategy to lower English language test anxiety: the case of Chile

Language tests are widely used in education as the primary mode of assessing students’ learning. These, however, more often than not, generate high levels of anxiety in students, which, in turn, obscures the observed learning behaviours. The present study aimed to determine whether or not 6th graders’ levels of test anxiety could be reduced through the use of a writing portfolios strategy. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, our study used one-group non-randomised pre-and post-test surveys along with a focus group interview. The pre-test survey was administered on 26 students in order to determine the initial levels of test anxiety. This was followed by a four-week writing portfolios intervention. Upon completion of the intervention procedure, the post-test survey was administered to find out the potential impact of the use of writing portfolios on the reduction of test anxiety levels. Through the use of descriptive statistics and a paired t-test, the test data revealed that writing portfolios contribute to the lowering of students’ test-related anxiety. Furthermore, the analysis of the focus group interview data showed that learners gained greater levels of confidence.