Teaching and learning MFL
Learner autonomy
Papers & recommended reading
| Editorial reviews | Tasks
for trainees
Learners’ perceptions of their successes and failures in foreign language learning (pdf document) Williams, M., Burden, R., Poulet, G., Maun, I. (2004) Language Learning Journal, 30, pp 19-29
If one of our goals as teachers is to help our school-age pupils develop more independence in language learning, then further research is needed in our UK-secondary specific environment which explores learners’ needs, motivation and self-awareness as learners. By focusing on learner perceptions of foreign language teaching and learning, we may discover how to help them help themselves. This study contributes a sound starting point for such research by bringing to our attention attributes, identified by pupils themselves, relating to success and failure. The study highlights several important influences, usefully distinguishing between external and internal factors. The findings indicate a clear link between pupil ‘control’ of their learning and success; the detrimental effect of disruptive behaviour and peer pressures; significant differences in approach and attitude between boys and girls; the decreasing influence of ‘effort’ over the secondary phase; the varied application of learning ‘strategies’ and, the significance of the difficulty and interest levels of tasks.
Notably few of the attributions cited by the pupils relate to the notion
of reward, or the value of learning a foreign language, underlining the
importance of taking the trouble to ask our learners open-ended research
questions: the answers may prove to be considerably outside our expectations.
In spite of the authors’ proper call for more research, their claim that
there are a number of significant differences between the success- and failure-oriented
is valid. They appropriately make two general recommendations as a result:
intervention designed to focus the less-successful on self-awareness training,
and strategy training in the MFL classroom to enable all pupils to learn
more effectively.
Module to develop learner
autonomy in listening comprehension (pdf document)
Harper, F. (2002) Francophonie, 26, pp 21-28
This action enquiry focuses on the need and ways to help A-level students develop the necessary skills to improve achievement in listening tasks.
Skills development has attracted more and more attention from teachers and researchers in recent years, as there has been a realisation that certain skills need to be taught if the learners are truly going to make progress in the language and become independent.
Providing the students with listening tasks in and outside class is not enough. The students need to be prepared to engage with audio materials and develop their awareness of the skills needed to cope well with them. The article gives an overview of the methods and activities the author devised in order to develop her students’ achievement and autonomy.
The author explains the rationale behind the action plan she developed
to improve A-level students’ listening skills and independence and gives
practical ideas to try in class.
Créer un centre d'autoapprentissage
en classe (pdf document)
Dervin, F. (2002) Francophonie, 26, pp 7-9
Although written in French this article will be of interest to anyone wishing to move from a teacher-lead learning environment to a student-centred learning environment.
In the last decade or so there has been a growing awareness of the need to alter teaching and learning approaches in order to make them more student-centred.
The author looks at the practical requisites needed to move from apprentissage hétérodirigé to apprentissage autodirigé and considers issues such as the need to change both teachers’ and students’ approaches to learning as well as the necessity to put suitable resources in place.
There are many benefits of a centre d’autoapprentissage for students and
these are described in the article.
“Too carefully led, or too
carelessly left alone?” (pdf document)
Hurd S. (1998) Language Learning Journal, 17, pp 70-74
The author of the article explores different definitions of autonomous learning in modern languages in the higher education sector.
The changing population in universities has led to a greater awareness of student diversity and learner choice, and the need to “do more for less” has seen the introduction of self access elements in a range of university courses.
Teachers seem to see learner autonomy either as the ability to control one’s own learning or as the provision of self-access resources. With proper resources and training, autonomous language learning as part of a conventional approach to teaching and learning can have many advantages.
Autonomous language learning can be an answer to reaching more people despite
a slimmer budget, but it can also provide students with transferable skills
of independence which will make them more effective in their future careers.
