More than just digital: enhancing engagement and ownership in young EFL learners’ writing with Padlet-based e-portfolios

This article presents Padlet-based e-portfolios as an innovative teaching method specifically designed to enhance the writing learning experience of young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. English writing has historically posed significant challenges for young EFL learners, often characterised by a lack of choice and autonomy in traditional paper-based tasks, as well as long waits for feedback from teachers. While e-portfolios have been used with older foreign language (FL) learners, such as secondary school and tertiary students, they have often been fragmented and lacked the cohesion and user-friendliness required to engage young learners effectively. To address these limitations, this article describes the implementation of Padlet-based e-portfolios with 158 EFL primary school students, offering functionalities unattainable with traditional paper-based methods, such as the customisation of e-portfolios, integration of multimodal, and real-time interactive features for both students and teachers. The findings, derived from group interviews, demonstrate that the use of Padlet-based e-portfolios fostered a heightened sense of ownership over their work, enhanced engagement with multimodal text, and more active participation in interactive tasks. To illustrate the usability of this method, the article provides a detailed procedural framework for implementing Padlet-based e-portfolios and qualitative evaluation results, ensuring practicality and demonstrating its potential for wider adaptability in K-12 educational settings. By highlighting the benefits of Padlet-based e-portfolios, this article offers practical and pedagogical implications for educators seeking to enhance the writing learning experience for young EFL learners.