VietTESOL International Convention 2026

English teaching implementation and assessment in Vietnam have always been controversial, from primary schools to university institutions, and have become even more prominent due to the desire to make English a second language in Vietnam. Despite communicative competence being treasured thanks to the current situation and updated policy, high-stakes testing such as midterm and final examinations is the main method to assess learners' writing, listening, and reading skills, neglecting speaking ability. To address the problem, a classroom-based research study integrated with alternative assessment, acknowledged as portfolios, is delivered, aiming to develop speaking competence in real-life contexts while encouraging motivation among twenty-seven students at a public school in Ho Chi Minh City. Quantitative data are collected from three separate poster-and-presentation cycles using a 5-point grading scale, while the results of the smiley-face motivation survey are processed via SPSS. The results illustrate that students' speaking scores show an upward trend in which accuracy and fluency are positively developed after the treatment. In addition, it is revealed that there is a correlation between students' motivation and oral proficiency. Therefore, alternative assessment, especially portfolios, could be considered as a reliable assistant since it can bridge the gap between standardized testing and real-world communication. Furthermore, the implementation of portfolios can motivate primary students to participate in English-speaking tasks while creating a comfortable, stress-free, and creative learning environment.