A model for self‐regulated distance language learning

The role of learner autonomy and self‐regulated learning in distance education has received much attention. The application of these concepts impacts course design and, potentially, learner achievement. In the case of distance language learning, course designers must consider not only how to help learners gain communicative competence but also language learner strategies that support success. Although the concepts of autonomy and self‐regulated learning share some similarities, they have been variously defined and applied to distance education. Current research and discussion has not synthesized the ways in which these factors can be more fully utilized to improve distance education. Based on a critical review and synthesis of the literature on autonomy and self‐regulation, this article contributes a new model for distance language learning. The model provides guidance for course designers and assists instructors in supporting their students.     

‘The most important thing is to learn the way to learn’: evaluating the effectiveness of independent learning by perceptual changes

The mission of universities today is not only to nurture experts in various professions, but also to cultivate lifelong autonomous learners. Independent learning and pedagogies that aim to foster learner autonomy have grown in importance over the past decade. However, the extent to which independent learning is successful in fostering autonomy has not been fully addressed; nor has a robust method for evaluating independent learning been available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an independent learning component attached to a taught course by tracking changes in learners’ perceptions. Primary data were collected from course participants’ responses to two questionnaires. In total, 221 and 157 completed questionnaires were returned at the beginning and the end of the course, respectively, among which 95 paired responses enabled comparisons that revealed a general trend. In addition, a more focused investigation was carried out with nine participants who took part in semi-structured interviews and completed independent learning logs. The study, using a short-term longitudinal approach, revealed participants’ growing understanding of independent learning and its relevance to English language enhancement, particularly for those with no prior experience of any form of independent learning.     

远程英语学习策略——电大英语专业本科生的调查分析

远程英语学习者是一个特殊群体,研究他们的学习策略有现实指导意义。问卷调查显示,电大英语专业本科生已经逐渐适应从以教师为中心的教学向自主掌握学习过程的转变,能根据远程学习的特点和规律以及社会环境的变化,发挥自身潜在的优势,较好运用情感、社交、认知、元认知和补偿等学习策略弥补远程学习的不足,有较强学习责任感。调查也表明,要把策略培训作为教学的有机组成部分,有效提高学生运用策略的意识和水平。     

提高远程开放教育学生学习自主性之行动研究

报告了以《开放英语2》为试验课程开展的一项旨在提高远程开放教育学生外语学习自主性的行动研究。在研究中通过课堂观察、教师日志、访谈、问卷调查等手段收集了研究数据,证明了行动方案的实施效果,强调了提高远程开放教育学生的学习自主能力的必要性,并指出研究中的经验体会对其他学科也有一定的借鉴意义。     

Making the most of others: autonomous interdependence in adult beginner distance language learners

Autonomy in language learning does not simply equate with independence, as language learning is a social activity that requires interaction with others. This also applies just as much to distance language learners, who need to reconcile independent language learning and interdependence with others. This article draws on findings from 43 mid-course interviews with adult beginner distance learners of French, Spanish, and German, and focuses on ways in which they engage with tutors and with other students, and the extent to which these interactions enhance their learning. It shows that many students are prepared to seek clarification from their tutors, but not strategic advice in areas of learning that are likely to be most problematic. It also highlights how feelings about working with other students can enhance or restrict progress toward autonomous interdependence. Finally, it considers ways for facilitating greater learner control in these key aspects of their studies.     

Language anxiety caused by the single mode of instruction in multilingual classrooms: The case of African language learners

ABSTRACT

The capacity to use language is unique from one individual to another. This could also depend on the individual's exposure to a language. This article aims to contribute to the growing area of research on language anxiety by exploring the extent to which language anxiety affects learners’ performance in learning in multilingual classrooms, especially African learners who are learning English as a second language. Learners, especially in the Intermediate Phase in South Africa who are learning in a second language for the first time, may experience a certain level of anxiety because that language is foreign to them. The discussion idea is further advanced by exploring the use more than one language in teaching in order to promote learner autonomy in the learning process. The conclusion will try to provide possible means to deal with language anxiety amongst learners in order to improve learner performance.     

Self-directed learning to develop autonomy in an online ESP community

Low foreign language achievers in vocational education often have a lack of learning strategies, a tendency to feel frustrated, and unwillingness to be involved. In order to develop vocational college students’ autonomy, this study integrated on-site workshops with an online learning community by means of self-directed learning English for specific purposes (ESP). The results show that the online ESP community developed students into autonomous learners by (1) employing resource-based approach to download learning materials for preview and review, (2) utilizing curriculum-based approach to view online photos for monitoring their role-play and interactions in the learning processes and taking e-assessment for evaluating learning progress, and (3) using technology-based approach for interacting with their peers. The students developed learner autonomy to achieve significant better learning outcomes in the post-test. It was implied that self-directed learning with little teacher intervention of integrating on-site and online learning community could develop learner autonomy in ESP.     

高职英语专业学生自主学习能力的培养

大学中的英语教学应该有利于学生逐步实现从学习依赖到学习自主的转变.本文探讨了自主外语学习的必要性,并在对所教班级自主学习能力状况调查的基础上,进行思考分析,并就如何培养学生学习自主能力这一问题提出几点看法.     

The effects of peer assessment on learner autonomy: An empirical study in a Chinese college English writing class

The study reports on a one-semester-long intervention study of peer assessment in a college English writing class. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of peer assessment on learner autonomy (LA). Seventy English major sophomores from an independent college in China participated in the study, who were randomly divided into two groups of 35 students each. Traditional teacher feedback was used in the control group while peer assessment was adopted for the experimental group. A questionnaire on LA was administered to both groups as the pre-test and the post-test. A number of ANCOVA analyses were run to measure the effects of peer assessment on students’ LA. The results indicate that peer assessment enhanced the students’ learner autonomy. Peer assessment significantly reduced learners’ dependence on the teacher and boosted the students’ confidence in learning ability, while failing to make noticeable improvement in the other aspects of LA.     

如何利用语言自主学习中心实现大学英语教与学的自主

语言自主学习中心是学生进行自主语言学习的场所,它应该满足学习者从事独立语言学习的需求,作为课堂教学的有益补充,帮助培养学习者自主学习的能力。同时,学习者自主和教师自主是密不可分的,二者紧密联系在一起。因此,在对学习者自主和教师自主的研究的基础上,结合语言自主学习中心的建立和运用,重点分析如何充分利用语言自主学习中心,实现大学英语教与学的自主具有重要意义。     

The Enhancement Effect of Learner Autonomy on Motivation in SLL

For many years now," autonomy" in learning has been a topic of widespread discussion in educational field.Accordingly,it is Henry Holec who introduced learner autonomy to the field of second language in his project report to the Council of Europe in 1981.Motivation is also a widely used psychological term in our daily life and research.Both learner autonomy and motivation are important factors in influencing learning effects.Many researchers conduct studies on learner autonomy and motivation.There are also some studies on the correlation between learner autonomy and motivation in SLL(Second Language Learning).However,few of them focus on the effect of learner autonomy on motivation.Thus,it makes an attempt to investigate whether learner autonomy has an enhancement effect on motivation.It combines motivation and learner autonomy together to find some effective and efficient ways of promoting foreign or second language learning.In another way,it enriches learner autonomy research.It holds that learner autonomy is a very important factor in influencing motivation.It will make a combination between learner autonomy and motivation in SLL to find some new ways of promoting learners’ motivation and learning efficiency.A survey methodology has been employed which consists of qualitative and quantitative methods.Specifically,both questionnaire and interview have been conducted in the research.     

多媒体自主学习环境下非英语专业学生英语学习策略实证研究

多媒体和网络技术为大学英语教学提供了开放灵活的学习空间的同时,也对学生的自主学习能力提出了更高的要求。学习策略是影响自主学习效果的一个重要因素,本文以910名非英语专业的大学生为被试对象,采用T检验,ANOVA分析和相关分析测试研究了在多媒体环境下不同英语水平的大学生的英语学习策略运用水平以及所在的学校、专业和性别特点,并在此基础上对多媒体环境下教师如何帮助学生提高英语学习策略水平提出了具体建议。     

网络环境下电大学生自主学习现状调查——基于宁波地区县市电大的调查与分析

远程教育的蓬勃发展,引起人们对远程学习和网络学习研究的关注。电大学生依靠远程教育和网络进行学习,这种学习更加依赖于学习者的主动性和自主性,依赖于他的元学习能力。所以,如何对电大学生进行自主学习的培养教育,就成为远程教育的一个重点和难点问题。通过调查,了解宁波地区县市级电大学员自主学习的现状,对于远程教育网络环境下如何真正促使学习者进行自主学习具有重要的现实意义和实践价值。     

A Review of Learner Autonomy in Language Learning

Learner autonomy,the ability of taking one’s own learning in charge,plays an important role in language learning.The paper reviews the definition and the level of learner autonomy,the characteristics of autonomous learners,the application of learner autonomy in the classroom and out of the classroom and the relationship between learner autonomy and culture.In the paper,the development and the study of learner autonomy in China are also summarized.     

学习者自主性培养中元认知策略的影响

近几年,元认知策略作为学习策略中一种高级策略,已经受到越来越多学者的关注。相关研究表明,对元认知知识具有良好理解力的语言学习者通常会根据他们自己的设定的目标制定相应的学习计划,并有意识的监控和评价他们自己的学习过程。因此,元认知策略的应用和自主学习之间是有密切的关系。该研究是针对元认知策略培训和自主学习之间的相关性的实证研究。     

Effects of individual versus group work on learner autonomy and emotion in digital storytelling

Digital storytelling has been shown to be an effective tool in achieving learner autonomy during language learning. Studies have focused on providing students with multimedia authoring tools for unbinding their imagination when developing stories, but the complexity of digital story construction still presents a number of challenges to students. Anxiety about speaking a foreign language can have a debilitating effect on students’ autonomous behavior and learning performance. This study therefore introduced group work to relieve anxiety about exposing individual work to an entire class. An experiment was conducted with 55 sixth-grade students involved in a digital storytelling learning task, where 28 students worked individually and 27 cooperatively. The aim was to examine the effect of learner grouping pattern on learning outcomes, such as knowledge achievement, autonomy in language learning, and emotional experience. The students working cooperatively were discovered to outperform those working individually in all outcomes.     

英语语音习得的整合性学习策略

英语语音技能及语音意识能力对英语学习的成效起着不容忽视的作用。受母语负迁移和中学传统教学法的影响,英语语音学习对中国学生来说有诸多的障碍。从发展学生自主学习的意识出发,英语学习者通过主体的积极参与提高语音意识、语音知识和技能,促进学习者语言综合能力的全面发展,成为管理自身学习的主人。     

浅析中国外语教学与学习自主性

外语教学的成功与否不只是一个教的问题,在很大程度上取决于学生的学习态度和方法。本文在综合近年来国内外学习者自主研究的基础上,提出了在中国培养学习者自主性的必要性和可行性,并针对就如何提高中国学生的外语自主学习能力,提出了一些建设性意见。     

在计算机辅助语言学习环境中培养学习自主性

本文主要探索了计算机辅助语言学习环境是否有利于学生学习自主性的培养.实验表明,在这一环境下,学生普遍认为自己是语言学习的关键因素,是否有明确的学习目标对学习成败起关键影响;这一环境可以让学生更加独立地完成学习计划;同时它也有助于学生认识到自我评估的重要性及更好地进行自我评估.     

Learner agency in language learning: the story of a distance learner of EFL in China

Learner agency plays a key role in self-regulated learning. Yet, there is a paucity of research into its role in the distance learning context. Using reflective narratives written by a distance learner of English in China, this longitudinal case study aims to investigate the ways in which learner agency mediates the language learning in the distance mode. Findings from the study suggest that agency has a major impact on learners’ self-efficacy, identity, motivation, and metacognition—four constructs which are instrumental in determining language learning success, in particular in the distance learning context. Analysis of the data indicates that positive changes in these four constructs, in turn, lead to further agentic engagement, hence forming a virtuous circle of mutual enhancement. Implications are discussed in relation to fostering distance learners’ goal awareness, enhancing their self-efficacy, maintaining their motivation, and encouraging metacognitive efforts.