Approaches To Learner Autonomy In Language Learning

Approaches to Learner Autonomy in Language Learning Erin Lowry Senior English Language Fellow Centro Colombo Americano Armenia November 25, 2008

You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Learner Autonomy Defined
Ability to take charge of one’s own learning
Main idea behind learner autonomy is that students should take responsibility for their own learning, rather than be dependent on the teacher (Holec 1981)
“ The autonomous learner is one that constructs knowledge from direct experience, rather than one who responds to someone’s instruction” (Benson 2001)

Characteristics of Autonomy
Concept based in natural tendency for learners to take control over their learning. Autonomy may be displayed in different ways and to different degrees depending on each learner and learning situation.
Learners who lack autonomy are capable of developing it given appropriate conditions and preparation.
Autonomous learning is more effective than non-autonomous learning.

Versions of Autonomy
TECHNICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL
POLITICAL
SOCIAL
The act of learning a language outside the framework of an educational institution and without the intervention of a teacher The capacity which allows learners to take more responsibility for their own learning The conditions that allow learners to control the process and content of learning as well as the institutional context within which learning takes place The capacity to interact and collaborate with others Benson & Voller (1997)

Characteristics of Autonomous Language Learners
Seven main attributes (see Omaggio, 1978, cited in Wenden, 1998: 41-42):
have insights into their learning styles and strategies
take an active approach to the learning task at hand
are willing to take risks
are good guessers
attend to form as well as to content, that is, place importance on accuracy as well as appropriacy
develop the target language into a separate reference system and are willing to revise and reject hypotheses and rules that do not apply
have a tolerant and outgoing approach to the target language

What Needs to Happen First
Teacher becomes less of an instructor and more of a facilitator
Students discouraged from relying on the teacher as the main source of knowledge
Students’ capacity to learn for themselves is encouraged
Students encouraged to make decisions about what they learn
Students’ awareness of their own learning styles is encouraged
Students encouraged to develop their own learning strategies

Oxford’s Model of Learner Autonomy
Technical perspective
Focus on physical situation
Psychological perspective
Focus on characteristics of learning
Sociocultural perspective
Focus on mediated learning
Political-critical perspective
Focus on ideologies , access, power structure
Oxford (2003, pp. 76, 80)

Some Background
Autonomy is generally seen as a characteristic of adults
Independent learning doesn’t mean solitude
Autonomous learners are also part of communities of practice
Autonomy is not necessarily a characteristic that is seen as important in learning in all cultures

Designing Courses that Promote Autonomy
Take into consideration
Learner goals
The language learning process
Tasks and design
Learner strategies
Reflection on learning

Our Goals as Teachers
Train learners to function better while studying
Ensure learners continue to acquire the second language after formal studies end (Field 2007)
Not use set methodologies
Our job is to create learning opportunities, not to impose a method. There’s no one way to learn a language (Benson 2001)

FOSTERING AUTONOMY

5 Ways of Supporting Autonomy
Resource-based
Independent use of learning materials
Technology-based
Independent interaction with educational technologies
Classroom-based
Learner control over the planning and evaluation of classroom learning (power to make decisions)
Benson (2001)

5 Ways of Supporting Autonomy Con’t
Curriculum-based
Learner control over curriculum as a whole
Teacher-based
Emphasizes role of the teacher and teacher education in practice of fostering autonomy among learners
Learner-based
Development of autonomous learning skills
Benson (2001)

Resource-Based
Self-access areas
Use of authentic texts
Self-instruction and distance learning

Self-Access Areas
Technology
Comptuers
CDs & DVDs
Learner literature
Dictionaries
Grammar reference
Workbooks
Books

Characteristics of Good Self-Access
Materials classified by learners’ language level
Suggestions on what to do next (pathways)
Training for learners on how to use the resources and computers
Making the area appropriate for learners
How to keep interest going
Harmer (2007)

Levels of Autonomous Learning (Nunan, 1997) Level Learner action Content Process 1 Awareness Learners are made aware of pedagogical goals and content of the materials they are using Learners identify strategy implications of pedagogical tasks and identify their own preferred styles/strategies 2 Involvement Learners are involved in selecting their own goals from a range of alternatives Learners make choices among a range of options 3 Intervention Learners are involved in modifying and adapting the goals and content of the learning program Learners modify and adapt tasks 4 Creation Learners create their own goals and objectives Learners create their own learning tasks 5 Transcendence Learners go beyond the classroom and make links between the content of classroom learning and the world beyond the classroom Learners become teachers and researchers

Technology-Based
Internet
Software
Computer-mediated communication

Classroom-based
Learners are asked to set their own goals and plan activities within the classroom
Self-assessment

Learner-based
Learner development activities
Language learning strategies & techniques (p.149)
“ Good language learner”

Curriculum-based
Process syllabus
Inquiry-based learning
Project-based learning
Task-based learning

Teacher-based
Teacher roles
Teacher autonomy

Our Roles as Teachers
Voller (1997) identifies three roles for teachers working on an autonomous pedagogy
the teacher as a facilitator
the teacher as a counsellor
the teacher as a resource

ACTIVITIES FOR AUTONOMOUS LANGUAGE LEARNING

Strategy Training
Learning strategies = the techniques you use to learn something
2 categories
Metacognitive strategies
Cognitive strategies

Metacognitive Strategies
Thinking about your process of learning
Planning
Monitoring
Problem-solving
Evaluating

Cognitive Strategies
Learners actually do something with the language in order to learn it, such as:
Writing vocabulary lists
Doing grammar exercises
Listening to songs

Learning Journals
Purpose
Teacher-student channel
Reactions
Responses
Open
Formats
Written, Online, Tapes, CDs
How often
Public or private

Learning Contracts
What am I going to learn? ( Objectives )
How am I going to learn it? ( Resources and Strategies )
How am I going to know that I have learned it? ( My evidence )
How am I going to prove that I have learned it? ( Verification by teachers and peers )
Schwarzer, Kahn & Smart (2000)

Personal Plans
To use in the weeks after a lesson finishes
Aim: to improve my vocabulary
Tasks:
Read at least 3 magazine articles from Newsweek every week. For each article note down 3 words that I want to know the meaning of. Look up the words. Find the words again in next week’s articles and check to see that they mean the same thing in the new article.
Do 1 unit from English Vocabuary in Use every week and check.
Harmer (2007:408)

Learning Logs
Individual student’s summary of what has been learned over a given period of time
Beginner levels
Teacher can help students summarize
Young learners
Circle appropriate drawings or adjectives

Learning Logs
Consider asking one’s self questions such as:
Did it go well? Why? What did you learn?
Did it go badly? Why? What did you learn?
How can you improve for next time
Contains student’s record of their experiences, thoughts, feelings and reflections.

CALL / Technology
Blogs
Software
Computer-mediated communication (CMC)
Web 2.0 tools
Wequests

Websites

Webquests
Presents student groups with a challenging task, scenario, or problem to solve using the Internet and its available resources
Current events, controversial social and environmental topics work well

Reflection
Incorporate reflective lessons into your teaching
Have students consider:
Their motivation
Changes in attitudes and ideas
Which skills they need for different kinds of assignments
What is blocking their learning
Any gaps in their knowledge or skills

Questions?
Companion website for workshop
http://colombotech.pbwiki.com/Approaches-to-Autonomous-Learning
Email Erin
[email_address]

Selected Resources
Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning . Harlow: Pearson Education.
Benson, P. & Voller, P. (Eds.). (1997). Autonomy and independence in language learning . London: Longman.
Healey, D. (2007). Theory and research: autonomy and language learning. In J. Egbert & E. Hanson-Smith (Eds.). CALL environments: research, practice, and critical issues (2nd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
Holec, H. (1981). Autonomy in foreign language learning . Oxford: Pergamon. (First published 1979, Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
Other resources cited on http://colombotech.pbwiki.com/Approaches-to-Autonomous-Learning

http://inmagarin.blogspot.com	772
http://charttesl.wordpress.com	131
http://www.slideshare.net	96
http://www.scoop.it	56
http://www.todoele.net	39
http://fremdsprachenundneuemedien.blogspot.com	29
http://spaanit-es.blogspot.com	22
http://mymeanmeakblog2.wordpress.com	20
http://myspanishgym.blogspot.com	20
http://ictinelt-lekha.blogspot.com	17
http://cristinamaria04.blogspot.com	17
url_unknown	16
http://gersonreadings.blogspot.com	14
http://spaanit-it.blogspot.com	12
http://ehae-esl.wikispaces.com	9
http://www.englishclub.uz	9
http://didacticainglesalasalle.wikispaces.com	8
http://islcesmeelt.blogspot.com	5
http://paper.li	5
http://inmagarin.blogspot.com.es	4
http://www.spaanit-it.blogspot.com	4
http://www.techgig.com	4
http://spaanit-es.blogspot.it	2
http://www.spaanit-es.blogspot.com	2
http://didacticslasalle.wikispaces.com	2
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	2
http://www.atenas.edu.ec	2
http://www.blogger.com	2
http://spaanit-es.blogspot.com.ar	1
https://si0.twimg.com	1
http://www.cristinamaria04.blogspot.com	1
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com	1
http://www.wcaclassroomsonline.org	1
http://twitter.com	1
http://spaanit-it.blogspot.it	1

Approaches To Learner Autonomy In Language Learning

by Erin Lowry on Nov 25, 2008

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

35 Embeds 1,328

Statistics

Approaches To Learner Autonomy In Language Learning — Presentation Transcript