PROMOTING LEARNERS’AUTONOMY: TO WHAT EXTENT DO STUDENTS PRACTICE AUTONOMOUS ACTIVITIES FOR THEIR LEARNING?

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
TRẦN KIỀU MỸ AN
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Ho Chi Minh City ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
English Major ◽  
Learning English

Learner autonomy plays a vital role in the success of language education. The specific purpose of this study is to investigate the views English majored first year students regarding the students‟ awareness of the importance of learner autonomy as well as the practice of autonomous activities inside and outside the classroom at Faculty of Foreign Languages ( FFL) of Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City ( IUH). This study was conducted with two instruments: questionnaire and interview. The questionnaires were completed to elicit responses from 100 participants who were English majored freshmen at FFL. At the same time, the writer also made two interviews with teachers who were teaching freshmen. There are four conclusions that are obtained from the findings and discussion. First of all, the majority of the participants in the research have intrinsic motivation when practicing autonomous activities for their learning. Secondly, most of them are aware of the importance of learner autonomy in learning English. And the third finding is about students‟ strategies in their own learning English. The result indicates that most of the students usually practice listening when they practice language outside the classroom. Finally, it is found that both of the two teachers in the research suppose that 90% of English major freshman at IUH have good perception of learner autonomy, which is a very positive signal for the language learning process.

scholarly journals Autonomous English Language Learning Beyond the Classroom: Indonesian Tertiary Students’ Practices and Constraints

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 194-213
Author(s):  
Daflizar Daflizar
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Autonomous Learning ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
First Year ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Major ◽  
Attention To Students

. In response to the interest in learner autonomy in recent years, educational research has been increasingly paying attention to students’ out-of-class autonomous learning activities. This study aims to (1) describe the extent to which Indonesian tertiary students engaged in autonomous English language learning outside the class, (2) explore their perceived constraints in practicing autonomous learning, and (3) examine whether there are any significant differences in the autonomous learning activities between female and male students and between the English major students and non-English major students. Employing the explanatory mixed-method design, a total of 402 first-year students completed a questionnaire, and 30 of whom were interviewed. The questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests, and the interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the students did engage in several out-of-class English learning activities, however many of the activities were more receptive than productive. The interviews echoed the questionnaire results, and the students claimed that they were not autonomous in their learning due to several constraints. The results also revealed that there is no significant difference in the level of practice of autonomous out-of-class activities based on gender but a significant difference was found concerning majors of study. Practical implications for the Indonesian context are put forward.

scholarly journals Fostering students’ autonomy in learning English in nonlinguistic university

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 ◽  
pp. 03007
Author(s):  
Oksana Pershukova ◽  
Nina Nikolska ◽  
Oksana Vasiukovych
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Autonomous Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Autonomy Development ◽  
Special Approach ◽  
And Control

The study aims to find out whether it is possible to foster students’ learner autonomy in the context of ESP language learning in non-linguistic universities by using a special approach. The experiment was carried out at National Aviation University in Ukraine with two groups of first-year students of electronics (experimental and control) in 2018-2019. Testings to determine students’ level of communicative competence in English and surveys to identify students’ level of learner autonomy development were conducted in September and May of the same year of education. The control group did not receive any special training, while in the experimental group were created special learning conditions. With the purpose to prepare students to accept responsibility for their learning, they were given the opportunities to choose educational materials; to set goals of their learning; to reflect the process and evaluate the results of learning, etc. Modern technologies were widely used as well as scaffolding (if necessary). According to the results of the experiment, it was stated that only a part of the most active students used the created conditions and gained experience in autonomous learning. The conclusion was made about creating such an environment. It is a challenge that is appropriate to realize to give an autonomous learning experience to aspiring students.

CALL and the development of learner autonomy: Towards an activity-theoretical perspective

ReCALL ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANÇOISE BLIN
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Activity Theory ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity Theory ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Historical Activity ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity ◽  
The Relationship

While the concepts and principles associated with learner autonomy underpin a broad range of CALL applications and research projects, current debates and research paradigms in CALL do not provide adequate tools and models to investigate in depth the relationship between CALL and the development of learner autonomy. This paper explores the potential of cultural-historical activity theory to study this relationship. Starting from the complex and multidimensional nature of learner autonomy, it highlights some of the weaknesses in the CALL literature addressing some aspects of this relationship. Following a presentation of the main tenets of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), including the notion of contradiction which is at the core of CHAT, it then seeks to demonstrate how activity theory can assist us in rethinking our understanding of learner autonomy in the context of technology-rich language learning environments and in formulating suitable criteria and questions, which can guide judgemental and empirical analyses. The paper concludes by illustrating some of the principles explored through examples drawn from an activity-theoretical judgemental analysis of a French module delivered to first year students in Dublin City University.

scholarly journals LANGUAGE LEARNER AUTONOMY AND LANGUAGE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES INSIDE AND OUTSIDE CLASSROOM

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoang Nguyen Thu Trang
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
English Major ◽  
Degree Of Control ◽  
Emerging Themes

This study aims at investigating the degree of control that non-English major first-year students exercise over their learning processes, resources and contexts in and out of the classroom. Data were obtained from questionnaires with 63 students, 30-to-60-minute interviews with three students, and the researcher’s notes of her observation during classroom lessons. The results from quantitative analysis for Mean and frequency and content analysis for emerging themes of the data reveal variation among the learners and withing each learnerregarding the degree of their control over their language learning processes and resources in different contexts of learning and using the language. This suggests the need of helping learners to create learning opportunities both inside and outside the classrooms.

scholarly journals Analysis of Language Learning Strategies Used by Students of Traffic Technology

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 209-221
Author(s):  
Violeta Jurkovič
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
First Year ◽  
Language Learning Strategies ◽  
First Year Students

Language learning strategies play a vital role in the language acquisition process, and this includes the realm of ESP at the tertiary level of education. This contribution first defines the concept of language learning strategies and gives a historical background to language learning strategy research. The central section focuses on a comparative analysis of language learning strategies used by first year students of traffic technology at the Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport in Portorož, University of Ljubljana. The analysis, based on Rebecca Oxford’s “Strategy Inventory for Language Learning”, aims to assess the students’ existing awareness of the process of language acquisition and the learning strategies that they use. Objectives of language teachers should include helping students to raise their awareness of language learning strategies and providing them with contexts for their development. Therefore, the concluding section contains sample ESP teaching materials and student instructions focusing on cognitive language learning strategies. 

scholarly journals English Learning Motivation of First-Year Students in Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azilah Mahammed ◽  
Rafizah Mohd Rawian
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
First Year ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Motivation Level ◽  
The Difference ◽  
High Level ◽  
Level Of Motivation ◽  
Learning English

Studies have shown that motivation influences the learning of English as a second language (ESL) where it has not only increased students’ drive in language learning but it also influenced their language performance. However, most of the first-year students in Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) were found to have low English performance. This study thus examined UniSZA students’ motivation level in learning English and significant difference in their level of motivation in learning English in terms of gender. The sample for this study comprised of 112 first-year students of UniSZA. The data for this study were gathered through the adapted version of Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). The findings revealed that most of the students had high level of motivation and the difference between males and females in terms of their motivation level was significant. Interestingly, females were found to be more motivated than the males. It is hoped that the findings would help English instructors in their teaching as they can plan appropriate motivational strategies for both the male and female students to enhance their potential in learning English and thus increases their English performance.

scholarly journals Using BBC Learning English Podcasts to develop university students’ listening skills

e-mentor ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 26-35
Author(s):  
Olena Davydenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
First Year ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Learning English

The emergence of podcasts in an English foreign language (EFL) setting is seen as a helpful aid to foreign language learning. Using podcasts might help improve language learning efficiency. This research addresses how podcasts can be an alternative means of improving English listening comprehension for university students. The study was carried out at Nizhyn Gogol State University, Ukraine, using quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing data. To collect the data, research tools such as a questionnaire, initial and final testing, and observation were used. The procedure was introduced for a group of first-year students and implemented for six weeks. Special BBC Learning English podcast activities were designed and offered to the students. The main stages have been specified in the process of developing students’ listening skills. In the pre-listening stage, students do preparation activities to prepare for the podcast using their background knowledge. The while-listening stage is aimed at listening for gist, listening for details, making inferences, and summarizing. In the post-listening stage, the listeners are taken beyond the podcast content and set tasks which contribute to integrating other language skills. Samples of activities which correspond to these three stages are provided. A balanced approach to choosing top-down or bottom-up processing within the stages improves the process of forming competencies in listening of first-year students. Hence, based on the positive results of this study, BBC Learning English podcasts with meaningful, appropriate, and interesting activities attract the students’ attention, increase their motivation, and improve their listening comprehension.

scholarly journals LEARNER AUTONOMY: PRACTICES USED AND CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED BY EFL TEACHERS IN FOSTERING LEARNER AUTONOMY AT TERTIARY LEVEL

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Van Tuyen ◽  
Huynh Thi An
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
First Year ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teachers And Students

It is undoubted that teacher autonomy (TA) and learner autonomy (LA) are among the factors that affect the effectiveness of English teaching and learning in non-native English speaking contexts like Vietnam.  Investigating how teachers and students perceive TA and LA may be considered a valuable addition to the literature. This study, therefore, aimed to explore students’ perceptions of teachers’ practices used to foster LA and teachers’ perceptions of challenges they may encounter in fostering LA in EFL classes at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH)-Vietnam. Two instruments were employed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data, namely the questionnaire and interview with the participation of 12 EFL teachers and 160 first-year English majored students. The findings of the study revealed that most of the EFL teachers who taught the first-year students used practices through responsibility-informing and in-class activities to foster LA. However, the findings also indicated that the teachers encountered several challenges related to students, teachers and the context. It is expected that the findings of the study would partly contribute to the enhancement of TA and LA in English language education at HUTECH in particular and at the Vietnamese tertiary level in general.

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