Approaches to Learner Autonomyin Language Learning

Erin LowrySenior English Language Fellow

Centro Colombo Americano ArmeniaNovember 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

1. 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.

2. Learners who lack autonomy are capable of developing it given appropriate conditions and preparation.

3. 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):a) have insights into their learning styles and strategiesb) take an active approach to the learning task at handc) are willing to take risksd) are good guesserse) attend to form as well as to content, that is, place

importance on accuracy as well as appropriacyf) develop the target language into a separate reference

system and are willing to revise and reject hypotheses and rules that do not apply

g) 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 consideration1. Learner goals2. The language learning process3. Tasks and design4. Learner strategies5. 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)

Level Learner action Content Process1 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

Levels of Autonomous Learning (Nunan, 1997)

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:1.Read at least 3 magazine articles from

Newsweekevery week. For each article note down 3 words

that Iwant to know the meaning of. Look up the words.

Findthe words again in next week’s articles and check

to see that they mean the same thing in the new

article.2.Do 1 unit from English Vocabuary in Use every

weekand 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

Blogs

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-A

utonomous-Learning

• Email Erin– erin.lowry@gmail.com

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

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