Learner autonomy in english teaching and learning roles and pedagogical implications

Microsoft Word 81 Nhac Thanh Huong doc Tuyển tập Hội nghị Khoa học thường niên năm 2019 ISBN 978 604 82 2981 8 637 LEARNER AUTONOMY IN ENGLISH TEACHING AND LEARNING ROLES AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS[.]

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LEARNER AUTONOMY IN ENGLISH TEACHING AND LEARNING: ROLES AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Nhac Thanh Hương

Hanoi Law University, email: nhacthanhhuong@gmail.com

1 INTRODUCTION

The application of learner-centered approach helps learners enhance their

independence in their learning, thinking and

behavior (Hammond & Collins, 1991)

Moreover, it is an active way to facilitate

learning process and improve learner’s ability

to study autonomously According to Rivers

and Golonka (2009, as cited in Duong, 2015),

active and independent management of

learning is considered as learner autonomy

Littlewood (1996) describes an autonomous person as “one who has an

independent capacity to make and carry out

the choices which govern his or her sections”

(p.427) Benson (2011) states that the more

successful at developing autonomy leaners

can make, the better language learners will

become In other words, learner autonomy

proves to be of great importance in the

language acquisition process

In the literature, the effectiveness of learner autonomy in the English language

education has been examined and highly

appreciated by many researchers and

educators Therefore, this paper aims to

investigate the role of learner autonomy in

English language teaching and learning,

accordingly offering teachers some

pedagogical implications in order to help

learners in their foreign language

acquisition process

2 LEARNER AUTONOMY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING

2.1 Definition of learner autonomy

The term learner autonomy has been defined in different ways by different researchers Learner autonomy was first defined by Holec (1981) as “the ability to take charge of one’s own learning” (p.3), which means that learners hold the responsibility for all decisions concerning all aspects of learning including “determining the objectives, defining the content, selecting methods and techniques, monitoring and evaluating what has been acquired” Cotterall (2000) also shares the same view as Holec in which learners have to determine their own learning journey

However, Little (2009) claims that although autonomous learners are able to do things independently, they may or may not

do things on their own It will be better if learners cooperate with peers or ask for advice from teachers or others

Put itsimply, autonomymeans the ability to take control of one’s own learning, independently or in collaboration with others

2.2 Roles of learner autonomy in English language teaching and learning

For the past few years, the roles of learner autonomy have been clearly seen in the language learning and teaching

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In terms of the quality of learning, Little (2009) argues that once learners reflect on

their own learning, they will tend to be more

focused, which will lead to more efficient

and effective learning.Similarly, Dang (2010)

claims that learner autonomy plays an

important role in the achievement of

communicative language teaching method

and increase communication skills in the

learning process

Regarding the benefits of autonomous learning strategies, Oxford (1990)

emphasizes that language learning strategies

are useful as they include particular activities,

behaviors and methods to help learners

acquire target language more effectively and

make good progress during learning process

Li (2007) states that autonomous learning

strategies can encourage learners to acquire

language creatively, early and effectively

Oxford (1990) reports that learning strategies

bring significant success and achievement for

EFL learners in language classrooms In

another aspect, autonomous learning

strategies can support teaching in reducing

teaching time, releasing the learning burden

on learners and help teachers convey

knowledge to learners successfully as well

(Benson, 2011)

Chen and Pan (2015) also indicatethat autonomy is a practical approach to both

foreign language learning and teaching Also,

learning foreign language is a lifelong

journey in which learners should be educated

to become autonomous and be able to take

the responsibility of their learning in order to

improve their language skills

To conclude, most educators are aware that autonomy is of great importance in

motivating learners to acquire a foreign

language in general and English in

particular In other words, the success of a

learner mastering in second or foreign

language acquisition is deeply contributed

by learner autonomy

3 PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Learner autonomy is of great importance

in foreign language acquisition process Language teachers, therefore, play a crucial role in fostering learner autonomy Benson (2011) emphasizes that the principal role of the language teachers is to teach learners to recognize their own learning strategies and to train students become independent, autonomous and effective ones

Firstly, it is necessary for teachers tocreate opportunitiesfor students to develop their autonomous learning abilities, thus mastering English in various ways English learners, to some extent, may not recognize which autonomous strategies are best for them Hence, English teachers should help learners aware of their most suitable strategies by making step-by-step learning plans, modeling, monitoring and assessing their learning process (Chen & Pan, 2015) This can be done through teacher’s introduction of learner autonomy and its value at the beginning of the term, then, through encouraging learners to engage in autonomous behaviors

Moreover, teachers shouldcreatea wide range of activities aiming topromotelearner responsibility and develop learner autonomy,

as followings:

Learner self & Peer Assessment/ Evaluation: Learners’ giving and receiving

feedback by themselves or from peersis a good way to get them to reflect on their learning.Therefore,,it engages learners to develop critical thinking and to practice professional responsibility

Seatwork (individual/pair/group work):

The teacher, in this type of activities plays the role of a facilitator For example, a teacher may guide the students by explaining instructions, giving examples, involving the students by asking some questions or walking around the classroom, and communicating with the learners in case they need help However, remember that the teacher should not try to control the process but initiate and maintain cooperation, thus building students’ confidence

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Homework (individualized): While the

value of homework has been underestimated

by many educators, now there is a tendency

that homework is considered as a type of

self-motivated learning activity One thing

noted is that homework should be

individualized so that it fits to the needs and

personal interests of the learners For

example, in English classes, even in large

sized ones, when assigning homework,

teachers candivide their students into groups

based on their English proficiency More

specifically,weak students are required to do

less challengingexercises, strong learners can

be asked to do more challenging ones By

this way, personalization of tasks helps to

develop sense of personal responsibility,

which is a significant role in the process of

developing learner autonomy

Project-based learning/ Long-term project: Homework can be done in a short

period of time, whereas projects can be set

out of class and engage students for a longer

period of time Depending on the

requirements of the course and the needs of

the learners, projects can be carried out

individually or in groups The students

should be let to discuss and decide their

responsibility, schedule, and other matters

This doesn’t mean that the teacher

completely leaves the students alone, s/he,

instead, should play the role of a facilitator

by guiding, monitoring and assessing the

projects It is a fact that a project can only be

finished if the students takes the

responsibility, which means that it can help

develop learner autonomy

4 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, learner autonomy plays an important role in learners’ language

acquisition process, during which the

collaboration between learners and teachers

enables learners to develop the understanding

of the language More importantly, the

teachers should guide students to apply

different language learning strategies as well

as conduct various activities for them to develop autonomy in order to acquire knowledge effectively and successfully

5 REFERENCES

[1] Benson, P (2011) Teaching and

researching autonomy (2nd ed.) Harlow:

Pearson Education Limited

[2] Chen, H I & Pan, H H (2015) Learner Autonomy and the Use of Language Learning Strategies in a Taiwanese Junior

High School Journal of Studies in

Education, 5(1), 52-64

doi:10.5296/jse.v5i1.6972

[3] Cotterall, S (2000) Promoting learner autonomy through the curriculum: principles for designing language courses

ELT journal, 54(2), 109- 117

[4] Crabbe, D (1993) Fostering Autonomy from within the Classroom: The Teacher's

Responsibility System, 21(4), 443-52

[5] Dang, T T (2010) Learner Autonomy in EFL Studies in Vietnam: A Discussion

English Language Teaching, 3(2), 3-9

Retrieved from www.ccsenet.org/elt

[6] Duong, T M (2015) A Portfolio-Based

Learner Autonomy Development Model in

an EFL Writing Course (Doctoral

dissertation) Available from Suranaree University of Technology.


[7] Hammond M and Collins, R (1991) Self-Directed Learning: Critical Pruciice London: Kogan Page

[8] Holec, H (1981) Autonomy and foreign

language learning Oxford: Pergamon.


[9] Kenny, B (1993) For more autonomy

System21(4), 431-442

[10] Li, B (2007) Study on English Learning Strategies and Autonomous Learning

Ability Hubei Today, 2, 65-72

[11] Little, D (1991) Learner autonomy 1:

Definitions, issues, and problems Dublin:

Authentik

developing autonomy in East Asian

contexts Applied Linguistics, 20(1), 71-94

[13] Oxford, R L (1990) Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know

Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers