Abstract:

In the current globalisation era progress necessarily entails change. The need to adapt existing curricula and methodological approaches in the European Higher Education Area can be seen as the perfect opportunity to explore different teaching/learning methods and to offer truly learner-centred pedagogical tools on the basis of constructivism.

This paper presents an action-research experience through a research diary to study the introduction of learning portfolios in the context of a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management in Barcelona (Spain). Portfolios were used in this academic research project as a means to foster the acquisition of English as a Foreign Language in Escola Universitària d’Hoteleria i Turisme CETT-UB -a Hotel and Tourism Management college associated to the University of Barcelona by engaging the participants in holistic, totally integrated and professionally-oriented teaching-learning-assessment processes focusing on the development of some key competences for lifelong learning.

The researcher’s diary was a source for qualitative data collection. Information was gathered systematically and structured in three different sections: course of action, incidents/anecdotes and researcher’s impressions. After processing the data corpus and analysing the results, the conclusions led to extensive portfolio implementation. The pedagogical implications will be discussed.

Keywords:

Research diary, EFL, language learning, language assessment, portfolio.