Characterization of Autonomous Work in a Chilean English Pedagogy Program: Teachers’ and Freshmen’s Perspectives
Abstract
Autonomy in language learning is recognized as a basic skill language learners need to develop. This study describes the autonomous work activities university students carry out in a first-semester course of an English teaching program, and the amount of time they invest in each of these activities. Moreover, it describes the teachers’ perspective on students’ autonomous work. It is a descriptive mixed study with an exploratory scope. The study considers data generated through the application of a questionnaire and an in-depth interview to 48 freshmen from an English Pedagogy Program, as well as a questionnaire and a focus group applied to eight English teachers from the same program. The qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis method; and the quantitative data, through a frequency method of analysis. The analysis reveals that there is an imbalance between the time teachers estimate students devote to autonomous work and the real time students declare to invest in it. In relation to students autonomous work activities, it can be concluded that they concentrate on activities which are less stressful and the ones they do not need to interact with teachers. This study provides empiric information that could be useful to design courses that consider autonomous work.
References
Bachman, L. (1990) Fundamental Considerations in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Benson, P. & Voller, P. (Eds.). (1997). Autonomy and independence in language learning. London: Longman.
Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning. London: Longman.
Benson, P. (2006). Autonomy in language teaching and learning. Language Teaching.
Canale, M. & Swain, M. (1980) Theoretical bases of Communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1, pp 1-47.
Carr, P. (1999).The measurement of resourcefulness intentions in the adult autonomous learner. The Faculty of the Graduate School of Education and human development. The George Washington University.
Cook, V. (2001) Using the first language in the classroom. The Canadian Modern Language Review/revue Canadienne des langues vivantes . Vol. 57, No. 3. P.402-423.
Dam, L. (1995). Learner Autonomy 3: From theory to practice. Dublin: Authentik.
Derrick, M. (2001). The measurement of an adult’s intention to exhibit persistence in autonomous learning (Doctoral dissertation, The George Washington University, 2001). Dissertation Abstracts International, 62, 2533.
Dickinson, L. (1987).Self-instruction in Language Learning. Cambridge University Press.
Dickinson,L. & Carver,D. (1980). Learning how to Learn: Steps towards Self-Direction in Foreign Language Learning in Schools. ELT J (1980) XXXV (1): 1-7.
Fukuda, S. & Yoshida, H. (2012), “Time is of the essence: factors encouraging out-of-class study time.” ELT J (2013) 67 (1): 31-40.
Gass,S. & Mackey,A. (2005). Second Language Research. Methodology and Design. New York. Routledge.
Hasim, Z. & Zakaria, A. (2016). “ESL Teachers’ knowledge on learner autonomy”. In Knowledge, Service, Tourism & Hospitality: Proceedings of the Annual International Conference on Management and Technology in Knowledge, Service, Tourism & Hospitality 2015 (SERVE 2015). CRC Press.
Humphreys, G. & Wyatt, M. (2013). Helping Vietnamese university learners to become more autonomous. In ELT J (2014) 68 (1): 52-63.
Hyland, F. (2004) Learning Autonomously: Contextualising Out-of-Class English Language Learning. Language Awareness, 2004, v. 13 n. 3, p. 180-202.
Hymes, D.(1972).The scope of sociolinguistics. Georgetown University Monograph Series on Languages and Linguistics, 25, 313-333.
Little, D. (2013). Language learner autonomy as agency and discourse: the challenge to learning technologies. Trinity College, Dublin. Ireland.
Oxford, R. (1999). Relationships between second language learning strategies and language proficiency in the context of learner autonomy and self-regulation. Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses, No. 38, 1999, págs. 109-126.
Oxford, R. (2003). Toward a more systematic model of L2 learner autonomy. In D. Palfreyman & R. Smith (Eds.), Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives (pp. 75-91). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ponton, M. & Carr, P. (1999).A Quasi-linear Behavioural Model and an Application to Self-Directed Learning. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia.
Ponton, M. & Rhea, N. (2006). Autonomous learning from a social cognitive perspective. New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development; Spring 2006; 20, 2; ProQuest Central.
Saville – Troike, M. (2003).The Ethnography of Communication. An Introduction (3rd edition) Language in Society 3, 2003. Blackwell Publishing.
Scharle, A. & Szabó, A. (2001). Learner autonomy. A guide to developing learner responsibility. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Smith, R. (2003). Pedagogy for autonomy as (becoming-) appropriate methodology. In Palfreyman & Smith (eds.), 129–146.
Trebbi, T. & Barfield, A. (2009). Unveiling teacher and learner beliefs: an interview with Turid Trebbi. Independence47, 9-14. IATEFL Learner Autonomy SIG.
1. In case the submitted paper is accepted for publication, the author(s) FREELY, COSTLESS, EXCLUSIVELY AND FOR AN INDEFINITE TERM transfer copyrights and patrimonial rights to Universidad Nacional (UNA, Costa Rica). For more details check the Originality Statement and Copyright Transfer Agreement
2. REUTILIZATION RIGHTS: UNA authorizes authors to use, for any purpose (among them selfarchiving or autoarchiving) and to publish in the Internet in any electronic site, the paper´'s final version, both approved and published (post print), as long as it is done with a non commercial purpose, does not generate derivates without previous consentment and recognizes both publisher's name and authorship.
3. The submission and possible publication of the paper in the Educare Electronic Journal is ruled by the Journal’s editorial policies, the institutional rules of Universidad Nacional and the laws of the Republic of Costa Rica. Additionally, any possible difference of opinion or future dispute shall be settled in accordance with the mechanisms of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Costa Rican Jurisdiction.
4. In all cases, it is understood that the opinions issued are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of Educare, CIDE or Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica.
5. The papers published by Educare Electronic Journal use a Creative Commons License:
The articles published by Educare Electronic Journal can be shared with a
