Integrating Portfolio-Based Learning Into ESP Teacher Education: Fostering Learner Autonomy and Enhancing Professional Language Skills

In the context of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education, fostering learner autonomy is essential for not only equipping students with the specialised language skills required for their professional fields but also for developing such skills beyond classroom instruction. Unlike general English courses, ESP requires engagement with domain-specific vocabulary, professional communication strategies, and industry-related discourse, which necessitate the recognition of self-directed and self-access learning as a key component of language development in this field. Fixed curricula and teacher-centred instruction, however, often limit opportunities for independent learning. This reflection-on-practice paper explores a portfolio method that encourages students to take ownership of their progress through learner autonomy, self-access learning, student engagement, and reflective skills. This paper presents the structure and implementation of a piloted ESP portfolio in detail and argues for its integration into teacher training programmes, thereby promoting the fostering of sustainable self-directed learning practices. The incorporation of portfolio-based learning into teacher education will likely help future ESP teachers implement portfolio approaches in their own ESP classrooms.