Browsing by Subject "learner autonomy"

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    Grammatical Accuracy and Learner Autonomy in Advanced ESL Writing
    (2006-05) Vickers, Caroline; Ene, Estela
    This paper aims to explore advanced ESL learners' ability to make improvements in grammatical accuracy by autonomously noticing and correcting their own grammatical errors. In the recent literature in SLA, it is suggested that classroom tasks can be used to foster autonomous language learning habits (c.f., Dam 2001). Therefore, it is important to consider classroom tasks that encourage autonomous language learning behavior. Working with 13 advanced ESL composition students, we engaged the subjects in an explicit task in which they compared their own use of grammatical form in their own written output to the use of grammatical form as used in a text written by a native speaker. Based on the comparison between their own written output and the native speaker text, subjects subsequently corrected their grammatical errors. Results suggest that such a comparison task is beneficial in allowing learners to make gains in grammatical accuracy.
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    International Students and Autonomy in Service-Learning English for Academic Purposes Courses
    (2022-11-08) Ene, Estela; Orlando, Honnor
    Learner autonomy, defined most frequently as the “ability to take charge of one’s own learning” (Holec, 1981, p. 3), plays an important role in learning generally speaking and language acquisition in particular (Thomas & Rose, 2019). Enabling learners to function independently is an important, if not the ultimate, goal of teaching. In Service Learning (SL), learners can operate autonomously, and likely become more autonomous as a result of practicing autonomy. Thus, autonomy can be a means as well as a goal. Studies, however, have not paid sufficient attention to the role that learner autonomy may play, especially when it comes to SL performed by international students. An important theoretical and practical question is whether increasing learners’ autonomy leads to better learning outcomes than other-/teacher-directed SL. If students learned as much or more when given more autonomy, teachers could better use the time they invest in the logistical overload that comes with coordinating every aspect of SL (as also noted by Kwenani & Yu, 2018); for example, teachers could focus on designing tasks that would benefit students and community partners alike and preparing their students for operating autonomously without losing focus or doing harm (Tryon et al., 2008). Thus, it is important to finetune our understanding of whether learner autonomy supports learning, and which aspects of learning it can support most productively.