The Learning Principles at Ecolint (original) (raw)
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The Pedagogy of Learner Autonomy: Lessons from the Classroom
SISAL Journal, 2017
Learner autonomy in language learning has been the focus of enthusiastic investigation for the last 25 years. Research has focused on three key areas: the nature of autonomy, efforts to foster learner autonomy and the relationship between learner autonomy and effective language learning (Benson, 2011). This article focuses on the second area – the pedagogy of learner autonomy – and reports on insights gained from a career spent exploring learners’ efforts to learn a language. The paper is organized around a pedagogical model (Cotterall & Murray, 2009; Murray, 2013) which aims to enhance learner engagement and autonomy. The model consists of five affordances - engagement, exploration, personalization, reflection and support – which emerged from analysing the interviews and written narratives of Japanese university students engaged in independent language learning. The paper first discusses each of the five affordances and the way they contribute to the quality of language learning opportunities (Crabbe, 2003) in a given environment. Next, the affordances are illustrated in relation to five different learning contexts in an attempt to highlight the diverse ways in which learner autonomy can be promoted. Rather than prescribe particular classroom activities, the model identifies principles which can guide pedagogical decision-making. The paper concludes by considering the model’s potential as a set of guidelines for teachers who wish to promote learner autonomy.
LEARNERS' AUTONOMY -A CRITICAL STUDY OF ITS STANCE IN THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE PEDAGOGIES
The use of English Language in international and intercultural scenario demands a higher degree of acceptance, and openness on the part of a speaker/language user. Other than what's offered by the native speakers of English, learners of English need to focus on the independent thinking and action that will develop them into competent language users, and autonomous agents. The active transforming agent is ELT (English Language Teaching) in the actual classrooms, not the formal/professional discourse as displayed by publications and conferences etc. The professional discourse focuses on " communicating to learn " rather than " learning to communicate " (Waters, October 2012) approach which is the genuine crux of classroom learning. Learner's autonomy, if gets emphasis in this setting will exhibit a dynamic modification in its stance both inside and outside the classroom. The present paper focuses on the issues, such as, when, how and to what extent the learners need to exercise autonomy, and should it be 100% self-governing, i.e. teacher free approach or should the learner and teacher's autonomy go hand in hand to achieve the desired learning outcomes? Should the concept of learner's autonomy be considered an add-on, or the core agenda of any educational/academic program? This article focuses on the need of the perception of learner's autonomy in any language pedagogy and brings into focus the relevant past linguistic theories, present challenges, and finally the future implications as well.
2010
O of education goals is to develop learners’ autonomy or individuals’ ability to decide what they think and do (Boud, 1988 in Benson and Voller, 1997) and autonomy is a human right (Palfreyman and Smith, 2003). Education is to form an individual as a core of a democratic society (Roger, 1969 in Benson and Voller, 1997) and to provide tools for engagement in social struggle (Freire, 1970 in Benson and Voller, 1997). In the domain of teaching and learning, many experts agree to define autonomy in learning as one who takes charge of one’s own learning (Holec, 1981 cited in Oxford, 1990; in Ridley, 1997; in Gardner and Miller, 1999). However, Benson (2001) prefers to define it as the capacity to take control of one’s own learning; because, in philosophy and psychology, autonomy has come to be associated with the capacity of the individual to act as a responsible member of society since learners cannot be free because of others (Benson and Voller, 1997). Total autonomy is an ideal and ra...
Effects of Learner Autonomy on Teaching Practices and Outcomes in an ELT Classroom
An English language teacher introduces a variety of learning activities in the classroom with an aim to expand students’ language skills and to test their competence. At the same time, it is important for the teacher to provide the students with appropriate tools and feedback to encourage the feelings of success and autonomy. The learner autonomy engages the students academically and personally to understand and master the language. The present research focused on Developing Autonomy-Supportive Teaching Practices for Positive Outcomes in the Classroom. A sample of 60 teachers and 300 students from male and females campuses was selected randomly for this study. Two questionnaires were designed to get the opinion of the teachers and students regarding the concept and practices of the concept of learner autonomy in the classroom based on the criteria defined by Stephenson & Yorke (1998). The main sections of the questionnaires were ‘belief in the value of ‘taking it on’, supportive and enabling course structure, teacher support for learner responsibility, support from students, and a focus on learning’. The findings revealed that the teachers are aware of the concept of learner autonomy but it is not practiced by most of them due to the curriculum and physical constraints. On the other hand students want to be the best in the class but they lack motivation and training to be autonomous learners. The present study implementations included a growing demand to train the students to set learning goals in the beginning of the semester by their teachers. They should know what is to learn, why they are learning and how the learning is helping them to acquire new information, strategies and skills. This will make the students highly motivated, goal oriented, well-organized and making use of every opportunity to improve their language skills.
Reflections on the What of Learner Autonomy
International Journal of English Linguistics, 2012
The critical role of the learner in the language learning process has been stressed within recent approaches in the humanities and language studies. For this reason the term learner autonomy is now a very fashionable word in the fields of language learning and teaching. On a general note, there are two dominant approaches to knowledge and learning, each of which adopts a different stance on learner autonomy. These two opposing camps are usually referred to as positivism and constructivism. Although learner autonomy is welcomed by many educators, there is not a broad consensus of opinion on its definition. In this article attempts have been made to show that learner autonomy is a dual conceptualization which incorporates the notions of dependence and independence. The ideology driving the view of learner autonomy presented here has been that learner autonomy should be achieved through the tenets of the scaffolding theory proposed by Bruner (1988). Additionally, the authors will highlight the factors involved in building up autonomy in students. It is hoped that the way we go about dealing with this concept may shed some light on the labyrinth that we are all in, namely the field of ELT.
Learner Autonomy: Some Steps in the Evolution of Theory and Practice
Teanga the Irish Yearbook of Applied Linguistics, 1996
The concept of autonomy in second language learning is explored by tracing some steps in the evolution of theory and practice. The first section relates one definition of learner autonomy ("the ability to take charge of one's learning") to self-instruction in language learning and to research in language learning at the adult level. The second section describes a successful attempt to promote autonomous learning in a secondary school classroom and subsequent developments in theory. The third section then elaborates a theory of learner autonomy designed to apply differently to these two very different kinds of language learning, incorporating the notions of action knowledge, zone of proximal development, and other principles of child development. The fourth describes a current application of the theory to language learning projects at the Centre for Language and Communication Studies at Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland), and a concluding section suggests how the theory of learner autonomy might be further explored and elaborated. Contains 16 references. (Author/MSE)