Paper Title
The Effect of Electronic Speaking Portfolios on EFL Learners’ Speaking Ability

Abstract
While English speaking is a vital ability for communication, the exposure to English use is limited in most non-English speaking countries. This lack of exposure to English language in the authentic English setting obviously hinders fluency in the language among the EFL learners in Thailand. This quasi-experimental design implemented the use of e-portfolio to study its effect on the English speaking ability of the 44 Thai EFL nursing students. Throughout the semester, the participants videotaped themselves while completing the four speaking tasks. This study also collected the learners’ opinions towards the use of e-portfolio to enhance their speaking ability were investigated. Data analysis was carried out by using the constructed rubric to analyze the speaking video portfolios uploaded onto the e-portfolio website by the participants. The results suggested the effectiveness of the tool on improving speaking ability, learner autonomy and media literacy skills. In addition, the interview results revealed positive opinions towards the e-portfolio. The discussion offers the current status of English speaking ability among Thai EFL students which reconfirms the gaps between the EFL speaking ability and the CEFR ‘can do’ descriptors. In addition, the author raises the light on integration of the 21st century IT tool to enhance these students’ speaking ability. Lastly, the theoretical implications and recommendation for further study in integrating electronic tools to promote language skills in the EFL context are offered for further research. Index Terms - CEFR, EFL speaking, e-portfolio, 21st century skills