Unlike traditional measures which tend to evaluate students9 possession of knowledge, portfolios aim to assess students? ability to apply knowledge.

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of materials assembled over a period of time by a learner to provide evidence of skills, abilities and attitudes related to their study. As part of the portfolio process, students are normally asked to think about their needs and goals, and reflect on their weaknesses and strengths in language learning. Their reflections not only help raise their awareness for learning but also provide feedback to teachers, enabling teachers to be more aware of the students' interests, needs, potentials and abilities so that teachers can take necessary measures to monitor their learning.