Autonomy and language learning behavior : the role of student initiation and participation in L2 classrooms
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Other Title
Authors
Reinders, Hayo
Loewen, Shawn
Loewen, Shawn
Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)
Degree
Grantor
Date
2013-02
Supervisors
Type
Journal Article
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
second language acquisition (SLA)
ESL
autonomous student learning
independent student learning
focus on form episodes
FFE
ESL
autonomous student learning
independent student learning
focus on form episodes
FFE
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
Citation
Reinders, H. & Lowen, S. (2013). Autonomy and language learning behavior : the role of student initiation and participation in L2 classrooms. Study in English Language Teaching, 1(1), 1-7. NOTE: This is research undertaken for King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand prior to the author being affiliated with the Unitec Institute of Technology.
Abstract
There are many different views of what learner autonomy entails. But what does autonomous language learning look like in practice? In this short article we argue that student initiation and participation are crucial to and (one type of) evidence of autonomous language learning. In this study we looked for evidence of student initiation and participation both in classroom and self-study settings. Over a period of 12 months, second language classrooms in several New Zealand language schools were investigated by audio recording classroom interaction at regular intervals. Focus on grammatical items initiated by the students was then matched with performance on post-tests for evidence of acquisition of those items. Also during this period, 42 language advisory sessions were recorded in one university self-access centre. The recordings were analyzed for evidence of student initiated focus on both linguistic items and learning-related issues. The results of these analyses show that student-initiated topics can significantly impact on students’ subsequent learning. These findings corroborate our hypothesis that student initiation, as a measure of involvement in the learning process, can be one of the predictors of learning success. In addition, if active learner participation is seen as a component of autonomy, then this research provides evidence for a link between learner autonomy and learning gains.
Publisher
Study in English Language Teaching
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Study in English Language Teaching
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