Learner Autonomy

Conclusions (in Autonomy in Language Learning: Opening a Can of Worms)

by Jo Mynard

Mynard, J. (2011). Conclusions. In C. Everhard and J. Mynard with R. Smith (Eds.) Autonomy in language learning: Opening can of worms (p. 253). Canterbury, UK: IATEFL.

This volume contains a collection of articles which were originally published between 2006 and 2010 in the Learner... more This volume contains a collection of articles which were originally published between 2006 and 2010 in the Learner Autonomy SIGʼs newsletter Independence. All of the articles were written in connection with a project which likened exploring the multifaceted concept of learner autonomy to opening a metaphorical “can of worms”. Ten “worms” were released into the academic community, resulting in a series of short articles. The following areas are explored in this collection: Assessment, Classroom research, Counselling / advising, Culture, Learner training, Motivation, Self-access, Teacher autonomy, Teacher education, Technology

Mynard, J., & Thornton, K. (2012). The degree of directiveness in written advising: A preliminary investigation. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 3(1), 41-58.

by Katherine Thornton

Self-directed English language learning through watching English television drama in China

by Wang Danping

this paper will appear on Changing English, v19, 2012

This paper presents a case study of a group of Chinese ESL learners in China who study English by immersing themselves... more This paper presents a case study of a group of Chinese ESL learners in China who study English by immersing themselves regularly and rigorously in English television drama. A self-directed learning pedagogy has been developed and discussed, which seems to have signposted an effective and economic way for ESL learners to improve linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic competence beyond the language classroom.

Keywords: ESL learner; self-directed language learning; pedagogy; identity; English television drama (ETD)

Learning lessons: implementing the Autonomy Approach

by Brian R Morrison

Published in IATEFL 2011 Conference Selections

Japanese education policy ensures that upon graduating from high school, 18-year-olds will have studied English for... more Japanese education policy ensures that upon graduating from high school, 18-year-olds will have studied English for six years. If they have done well, they will have learned the vocabulary and grammar taught to them in class and this knowledge will have been applied successfully in gap-fill tests. Students who have gained high grades have thrived within this system. A Kanda University, which specializes in languages, receives new undergraduates every year who have been successful in this way. However, the English-only policy in this institute’s English language classes, assessment of skills rather than of grammar and vocabulary tests, and the greater independence expected of students can create a challenge for those who find the strategies that worked so well at high school are no longer fit for purpose.  In recognition of this, the university promotes out-of-class learning with a purpose-built self-access centre, discussion areas, a writing centre, a practice centre and full-time learning advisors offering self-access learner-training courses and consultations. In 2010-11 a new elective taught course was piloted in an attempt to support students to become more effective language learners.

Thornton, K. (2012). Editorial. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 3(1), 2-5.

by Katherine Thornton

16th World Congress of AILA, Beijing, China, August 2011

by Jo Mynard

Mynard, J. (2011). Reflections: 16th World Congress of AILA, Beijing, China, August 2011. Independence, 53, 42-44

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend this year’s AILA - the 16th World Congress of the International... more I was fortunate enough to be able to attend this year’s AILA - the 16th World Congress of the International Association of Applied Linguistics- in Beijing. It was my first AILA and my first time to China. This short report gives details of some of the learner autonomy events at the conference and highlights some of the themes that emerged.

"I am a techno-rebel!" Malaysian academics and their personal experiences of progressing into e-learning.

by Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan

(2011) - refereed proceedings.
Co-authored with Zarlina Mohd Zamari.

3rd International Conference on e-Learning (ICeL) / November 23rd to 24th, 2011, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), ITB Central Campus, Bandung, INDONESIA.

iCorpus Research Article DRAFT

by Steve Neufeld

DRAFT ONLY. Co-authored with Dr Alev Özbilgin, Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus Campus. Submitted for publication.

Corpus-based and corpus-informed approaches are gaining prominence in foreign language teaching. Once restricted to... more Corpus-based and corpus-informed approaches are gaining prominence in foreign language teaching. Once restricted to the domain of applied linguistics and lexicographers, corpora are being used to inform material design and influence teaching practice. Not only are published corpora like the British National Corpus (BNC) and the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) freely accessible to any individual, there is a growing set of specialty corpora, such as the International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE), the Cambridge Learner Corpus (CLC), Michigan Corpus of Spoken Academic English (MICASE) and now the GOOGLE corpus of its digitized library. While English language learners are the ultimate benefactors, they generally remain at the periphery of the corpus revolution. Linguists probe corpora to pronounce new revelations into language, publishers encourage lexicographers and authors of course books to highlight frequency of use, collocates, colligation and other lexico-grammatical features based on corpus analysis. The corpus revolution means that any single individual can create, analyze and learn from corpora of their own making. At the moment, language learners themselves remain disenfranchised and at best passive consumers of the outcomes of the revolution. This study seeks to explore the notion that learners themselves can be empowered to create their own individual corpora (iCorpora) and use corpus and text analysis tools to guide them in self-directed language development.

Procedimientos para evaluar el aprendizaje autónomo en Psicología

by Ines Gil-Jaurena

Co-authored with Teresa Aguado and Belen Ballesteros.
Book chapter in María Soledad Ibarra Saiz (Dir.) (2008). EVALCOMIX: Evaluación de competencias en un contexto de aprendizaje mixto. Cádiz: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Cadiz. ISBN: 978-84-691-6042-8. Pp. 129-153.

Finding My Way: Transitioning from Teaching to Advising

by Elizabeth Lammons

published in Independence, Issue 53, Autumn 2011

Elizabeth Lammons, a new Learning Advisor, wrote a column reflecting on her experiences transitioning from teaching to... more Elizabeth Lammons, a new Learning Advisor, wrote a column reflecting on her experiences transitioning from teaching to becoming a learning advisior. In this first column, Liz discusses her previous teaching and how it influenced her decision to become a learning advisor.

Music and song beyond the classroom: strategies to aid the language learning process

by Tanya McCarthy

"Las TIC en el aula de español: la competencia digital y la autonomía del estudiante", Revista Mosaico, n.º 25, pp. 4-11.

by Olga Juan

Advising for language learner autonomy conference

by Jo Mynard

Mynard, J. (2012). Focus on the SIGs: Advising for language learner autonomy conference. IATEFL Voices, 224, 21-22.

This is a report on the recent event held at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan on Saturday November... more This is a report on the recent event held at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan on Saturday November 12th, 2011. After about two years of planning and some particularly busy weeks in the run up to the event, I am happy to report that our conference went very well. As far as I know, there has not been an event dedicated to advising in eleven years, so the time was definitely right for this conference. The job of a (language) learning advisor (or language counsellor as we are called in some contexts) has been discussed in literature related to self-access and learner autonomy since the 1980s, but it has only been in the last ten years or so that the role has begun to establish itself as a separate and growing area of professional practice. There has been a noticeable increase recently in presentations at learner autonomy-related conferences and articles in journals and collected volumes related to advising in language learning, and we hope that this event and associated publications will make a significant contribution to the field.

Advanced EFL learners' beliefs about language learning and teaching: A comparison between grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary [Simon & Taverniers 2011]

by Miriam Taverniers

Simon, Ellen & Miriam Taverniers. 2011. Advanced EFL learners' beliefs about language learning and teaching: A comparison between grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. English Studies 92(8): 896–922. [DOI:10.1080/0013838X.2011.604578]

[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0013838X.2011.604578]

This paper reports on the results of a study exploring learners’ beliefs on the learning and teaching of English... more This paper reports on the results of a study exploring learners’ beliefs on the learning and teaching of English grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary at tertiary level. While the importance of learners’ beliefs on the acquisition process is generally recognized, few studies have focused on and compared learners’ views on different components of the language system. A questionnaire containing semantic scale and Likert scale items probing learners’ views on grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary was designed and completed by 117 native speakers of Dutch in Flanders, who were studying English at university. The analysis of the responses revealed that (i) vocabulary was considered to be different from grammar and pronunciation, both in the extent to which an incorrect use could lead to communication breakdown and with respect to the learners’ language learning strategies, (ii) learners believed in the feasibility of achieving a native-like proficiency in all three components, and (iii) in-class grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary exercises were considered to be useful, even at tertiary level. The results are discussed in light of pedagogical approaches to language teaching.

Synchronous computer-mediated communication and learner autonomy in female Emirati learners of English

by Abdu elmahjoub

Self-regulated strategy development as a means to foster learner autonomy in a writing course

by Minh Hue Nguyen

Nguyen, M.H. (2008). Self-regulated strategy development as a means to foster learner autonomy in a writing course. VNU Journal of Science, Foreign Languages, 24, 246-253.

This paper aims to propose a possible solution to a real-world curriculum problem of how to foster learner autonomy in... more This paper aims to propose a possible solution to a real-world curriculum problem of how to foster learner autonomy in an English academic writing class at College of Foreign Languages-Vietnam National University where a generally low level of learner autonomy is perceived. It begins by defining relevant terms and representing the problem. Thence, the rationale for the proposed solution and a plan for implementing it are discussed. The final section suggests a plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the problem-solving task.

Lim, C.P., & Chai, C.S. (2004). An activity-theoretical approach to research of ICT integration in Singapore schools: Orienting activities and learner autonomy. Computers and Education, 43 (3), 215-236.

by Cher Ping LIM

This paper discusses the findings of two case studies (two primary schools in Singapore), which are part of a larger... more This paper discusses the findings of two case studies (two primary schools in Singapore), which are part of a larger research study, that aims to examine and analyze where and how information and communication technologies (ICT) are integrated in Singapore schools to engage students in higher order thinking activities.  For students to engage in higher order thinking, they first need to have autonomy over their learning processes.  The focus of the paper is on how orienting activities support learner autonomy in the ICT-based learning environment.    Taking the activity system as a unit of analysis, the study documents the actual processes by which orienting activities are planned and organized to support learner autonomy in their contexts. By employing methods such as observations, focus group discussions with students, and face-to-face interviews with teachers, an account of how the activity systems within and between classrooms, and the schools are generated.  The account identifies and describes five categories of orienting activities: introductory sessions to ICT tools, advance organizers and instructional objectives, worksheets and checklists, dialogues among participants, and tools for post-instructional reflection.  It also highlights the constraints of time and lack of knowledge and experience in the contexts that the teachers are working under, and how these constraints are addressed.

Can do statements in language education in Japan and beyond- Applications of the CEFR -

by Fergus O'Dwyer

Editor & Writer of preface, 2 chapters & conclusion
Editors: Schmidt, M.S., Naganuma, N., O’Dwyer, F., Imig, A., & Sakai, K.

23 papers from writers primarily in Japan but also from influential contributors based in Europe: one aim of this... more 23 papers from writers primarily in Japan but also from influential contributors based in Europe: one aim of this publication is to give specific ideas and resources for educators to bring into classrooms. As a result many of the papers in this volume take on an action research focus. Several other papers seek to explain the development and issues regarding use of the CEFR, the ELP and can do statements.

Sifakis, N. C., Oder, T., Lehmann, M. & Blūma, D. (2006). 'Aspects of learner autonomy in the national curricula of four European countries.' In Anne-Brit Fenner and David Newby (Editors), Coherence of Principles, Cohesion of Competences. Graz: European Centre for Modern Languages. pp. 132-150.

by Nicos C. Sifakis

(This paper does not have an abstract.) (This paper does not have an abstract.)

El fomento de la autonomía y el trabajo en grupo en el aprendizaje de lenguas para traductores a través de un entorno virtual de trabajo

by Ulrike Oster

Oster, Ulrike (2003). “El fomento de la autonomía y el trabajo en grupo en el aprendizaje de lenguas para traductores a través de un entorno virtual de trabajo”. Quaderns. Revista de Traducció. 10. 79-90.