Fostering AutonomyTips & Techniques for Encouraging Independent Language Learning

Matt Duncan

Wright State

University

Dayton, Ohio

What is AUTONOMY?

0 Students learn from teachers, but school ends some day 0 Language learning isn’t like other subjects – it’s ongoing

0 Self motivation & self selection of study materials

0 Self evaluation & assessment

0 Learning through applications by doing projects

Big Differences:“Traditional” Classrooms

0 Teacher-centered

0 Everyone does the same thing at the same time

0 Lectures

0 Scheduled tests

0 Homework matches

“Autonomous” Classrooms

0 Student-centered

0 Students work independently on different projects

0 Group work

0 Individual Assessment

0 Self-selected homework

Steps toward an Autonomous Class

0 Inventories: surveys of student strategies & motivations 0 MOTIVATION

0 Journals: student work & reflection; teacher assessment and reflection

0 REFLECTION

0 “The Kit”: a new way to assign homework 0 INDEPENDENCE & CHOICE

SILL and MSLQ Inventories

Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL)

0 “Answer in terms of how well the statement describes you. Do not answer how you think you should be, or what other people do. There are no right or wrong answers to these statements.”

0 Most widely-used survey to assess student learning strategies.

http://www.educ.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/Best%20of%20Bilash/SILL%20survey.pdf

Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)

0 “Please rate the following items based on your behavior in this class. Your rating should be on a 7-point scale where

1 = not at all true of me to 7 = very true of me”

0 Contains both a basic motivation subscale as well as a motivation/language learning strategies subscale

http://www.indiana.edu/~p540alex/MSLQ.pdf

Sample inventory questions

• I use new SL words in a sentence so I can remember them.

• I say or write new SL words several times.

• I try not to translate word for word.

?Sample SILL questions, ranked 1 (Never true) to 5 (Always true)

Sample inventory questions

• I make summaries of information that I hear or read in the SL.

• I try to guess what the other person will say next in the SL.

• I plan my schedule so I will have enough time to study SL.

?Sample SILL questions, ranked 1 (Never true) to 5 (Always true)

Sample inventory questions

• I prefer class work that is challenging so I can learn new things.

• It is important for me to learn what is being taught in this class

• Compared with others in this class, I think I’m a good student

?Sample MSLQ questions, ranked 1 (not at all true) to 7 (very true)

Scoring the SILL & MSLQ

For information about how to find averages and chart results on the SILL:

http://www.wtuc.edu.tw/dcc/SILL_1.htm

Both sets of questions & discussion: http://www.cet.edu/pdf/motivation.pdf (Appendix A p. 12)

Questions can be viewed individually OR scores can be tabulated and graphed.

What Teachers Learn from Inventories

0 Pre-testing shows students’ motivation level and sets a baseline

0 Pre-testing lets you know students’ strategies and skills

0 Results usually mirror classroom habits

What Teachers Learn from Inventories

0 Post-testing shows possible advancement or change over time

0 Pre- and post-testing encourage reflectivity, a key skill for autonomy

What Students Learn from Inventories

0 Questions suggest new or untried strategies

0 Students see expectations for their time investment

0 Students develop habit of self-assessment

Student Journals

0 A place to do homework and write vocabulary

0 A place to make plans for future lessons and projects.

Student Journals

0 More importantly: a place to reflect on strategies and challenges when learning.

0 A place to communicate with the teacher

Teaching Journal

0 Take SILL and MSLQ inventories – answer in journal

0 Teaching/Lesson plans BRAINSTORM!

0 Review/Reflection – what worked, what didn’t?

0 Student assessment – descriptions, not just “grades”

Approach Assessment

Narratively and Reflectively

It’s not just grades… it’s a plan.

Example of an Assessment Entry

Student’s Name

DATE

Assignment (brief) Description

Number or Letter Grade

Bullet point list or descriptive paragraph detailing strengths and weaknesses.

Suggested strategies and ideas for intervention with the student.

Annotations with follow-up

Example of an Assessment Entry

Guo Shangrong

6/1/2014

Diagnostic Reading Questions

75%

- seems well-prepared to read basic texts in newspapers/manuals

- problems with cultural context and idioms

- seems to confuse prepositions (with/for, in/at)

- missed definitions in context

- found dates and stats quickly and easily – seems to be good at skim/scan

- encourage cultural research about English-speaking countries (TV, movies, stories)

6/10 high score on B1 below – good progress

- preposition practice

6/15 low score on test supports need for further study

- contextual definition practice

Making an Autonomy “Kit”

0 Build a stack or box of cards or folders filled with lessons/projects

0 Adapt the Kit to your comfort level with autonomy

0 Use colors to differentiate levels

How to Build a Card for Your Autonomy Kit

Color–coded - Name or Description Level – A, B, C, 1,2, 3

1) Contextualize the assignment. Give the basic overview of what’s expected for several steps in the assignment.

Immediately root the assignment in WRITING in the journal. Either have the students find vocabulary meanings, or ask them to answer questions, or have them start brainstorming. This is an INDIVIDUAL task that they will probably do alone, and could work at home or in class.

2) Connect the material to some other activity. This could involve reviewing material the student already knows or it could involve finding a partner to work with. This might be a conversation partner or a co-performer in a dialogue in front of the class. This is the time for performance assessment – this can take the place of TESTING.

3) Ask the student questions or give them exercises based on the words and activities above. Students should respond in their journals. Include REFLECTION questions.

A New Approach to Assignments

0 Each card is a set of tasks for the

student to work on at his or her

own pace

0 You need MOST or ALL assignments

READY at the start of the term/unit

0 Have 2-3 copies of each card

0 “Hack” the textbook – copy and use

assignments from EVERYWHERE

Low Tech Options

Organization Can Vary

Example

A Simple Start: Vocabulary

“Traditional” Vocabulary Study

0 From a textbook

0 Presented “in order”

0 Presented in “units” or “chapters”

0 (sometimes) connected to a lesson or topic

A Simple Start: Vocabulary

“Autonomous” Vocabulary Study

0 From a textbook OR found online, in other readings, in daily life, etc.

0 Students choose order and variety

0 (Sometimes) connected to students’ independent projects

Letting Students Choose

Low Autonomy

0 Textbook list in chapters0 Students as a group choose the order of the chapters for

the semester or term

0 Textbook list in chapters in order0 Students choose 5 out of 10 (or some other smaller

portion) from the list

Letting Students Choose

Moderate Autonomy

0 Textbook list for the semester or term0 Students as a group choose 10 (20, etc.) words from the

textbook list each week

0 Textbook list for one month at a time0 Same, but from a smaller list over a shorter time

Letting the Student Choose

Moderate Autonomy

0 Textbook list for the semester or term0 Students each choose 10 (20, etc.) words from the

textbook list each week

0 Textbook list for one month at a time0 Same, but from a smaller list over a shorter time

Letting the Student Choose

Advanced Autonomy

0 “Found” vocabulary0 Students turn in a list of vocabulary they have found or

encountered each week

0 “Found” in a Project0 Students are focused on a group project and begin the

project by searching for related vocabulary

Vocabulary Tests

Individual Written Tests0 NOT RECOMMENDED

Practical Use/Application in a Written Project0 Great! It’s applied!0 Easy to grade – written

Vocabulary Tests

Individual Verbal Tests0 Time consuming0 Benefit: SPEAKING

Practical Use/Application in an Oral Presentation0 Applied! Speaking!0 Not as easy to grade but much better results

Benefits

For Teachers0 Cheating = difficult

0 Allows different learners to work at their own pace

0 Cuts down on monotony – less “boring”

BenefitsFor Students

0 Empowerment

0 Motivation

0 Interest

0 Pace

0 Thorough coverage of difficult words

0 Students learn HOW TO LEARN and how to teach themselves

How the Internet Can Help

0 Find lessons and exercises online

0 Send the students to URLs to foster independence

0 Use videos and online radio (VOA, NPR, BBC)

0 Clip art

0 Use a wiki instead of a box of cards

0 Have students use blogs instead of paper journals

0 Create interactive websites

New Skills for Teachers

0 Preparation

0 No lecturing – “roaming”

0 Testing/assessment changes

0 Technology skills

0 Teaching JOURNAL

Images: http://www.empireonline.com

New Expectations for Students

0 Desire to know what is “right” or “best”

0 Desire for structure

0 Resistance to responsibility

0 Resistance to risk

0 Desire for more attention – high-performing students

Extremes

University of Richmond

0 Self-directed Language Study Program

0 Allows students to get credit for languages not taught at U of Richmond

0 Students learn autonomous strategies

0 Students compare and share resources via Ning

0 Students contribute to learning strategies via Wiki

Image: http://mini-mba.weebly.com

Taking Autonomy Further

0 Encourage students to keep adding to their vocabulary from outside sources

0 Encourage students to think like a teacher and test themselves

0 Push students to explore newspapers, novels, TV, movies, etc.

0 Scott Thornbury’s “Dogme” theory – See link on the Ning

Why Foster Autonomy?

0 Learning skills and strategies work for other subjects, too

0 English is a real, functional skill and has a place in the real world

0 You won’t be there in the future, so they need to stand alone and become independent

0 Most of these techniques are FREE

“Autonomous learners are able to take charge of their

own learning through working on individual and

collaborative projects.”

“Flexible, lifelong learning is essential to success in the

age of information.”

– Shetzer and Warschauer (2000)

I look forward to continuing the conversation on the Ning!

Thank you!