Exploring turkish EFL learners' perceptions about the use of European language portfolio and its motivational effects

This study focused on using the European Language Portfolio (ELP) in foreign language classes in terms of two different aspects: learners' opinions about making use of it as a self-assessment tool and its effect on their language learning motivation. It was also within the scope of this study to find out whether training in the use of the ELP had an impact on learners' views about using it. Participants were 160 tertiary level students from a state university on the Black Sea Coast of Turkey. This quasi-experimental study was based on a mixed-methods research design, making use of both quantitative and qualitative data. An 'ELP Opinionaire' developed by the researcher and two different questionnaires about motivation were administered twice, before and after the ELP instruction whose aim was to inform the participants about the ELP use and raise awareness of its use, function and benefits. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with randomly selected ten participants in order to validate the quantitative data. Analysis of the quantitative data is done using SPSS version 29, and the qualitative data is analyzed through thematic analysis. The results of the study revealed that learners had positive opinions about the use of the ELP and it has an influence on learner motivation. Another finding was that the way self-assessment is implemented and learners' proficiency level play a role in their perceptions of the ELP as well as its motivating effect. Keywords: the European Language Portfolio, self-assessment, attitudes, foreign language learning motivation