Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific
Research
Pre-service Teacher's Training College Bouzareah
Department of
English
Enhancing Learner's Autonomy in EFL Context The Case
of Secondary School Students in Algeria
This research paper submitted for partial
fulfillment
of the requirement of the degree of
Secondary School Language
Teacher
Submitted By :
V' Tahani SALHI
V' Rayane BOUAMINE
Directed By :
V' Dr. Kenza NEZZAR
Academic Year
2019-2020
Abstract
As the learner autonomy is a complex concept , this study aims
to assess its level or state among the Algerian Secondary Learners. To do, a
large investigation of learner autonomy and its related concepts is made and
then a general overview on the Algerian Educational System and its main
objectives on English Teaching and some other interesting methods such as
Communicative Language Teaching and Cooperative Learning and the use of ICT are
also seen as deeply as possible. Secondary School teachers responded to a
specific questionnaire that surrounded the learner autonomy concept in the four
main categories: teacher, learner, classroom and outside of classroom.
List of abbreviations
CBA : Competence Based Approach
CEFR : Common European Framework for Reference
CL : Cooperative Learning
ECT : English Communicative method Teaching EFL
: English Foreign Language
ELT : English Language Teaching
ICT : Information and Communication Technologies
TTT : Teach-To-Test
Figure # Title Page
List of figures
1 Learner autonomy context
01
2 Fitts and Posner 3-Stage Model
09
3 Learner autonomy approaches
12
4 Autonomy dynamic model
26
5 Teacher autonomy state
62
6 Learner autonomy state
63
7 Classroom autonomy state
64
8 Outside of classroom autonomy state
65
Table # Title Page
List of tables
1 Learner autonomy definition
07
2 Fitts & Posner Stages of Motor Skill
Learning 10
3 Comparison between Autonomous and
Non-autonomous Classrooms 24
4 English Textbooks in Algeria From 1968 to
2003 45
5 New English Textbooks
46
Table of contents
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Abstract
List of abbreviations
List of figures
List of tables
Page
General Introduction 01
Chapter I - Literature review on learner autonomy in
education 04
1 Introduction 04
2 What is autonomy? 05
3 Autonomy within the learning stages
08
4 Autonomy levels 10
5 Autonomy approaches 12
6 The autonomous teacher 16
7 The autonomous teacher characteristics
18
8 Autonomous learner prerequisites (conditions)
19
9 Autonomous learner characteristics
20
10 Teacher autonomy and learner autonomy
22
11 The autonomous classroom
23
12 The learner motivation and self-esteem
24
13 The autonomy dynamic model
25
14 The C.E.F.R for Languages assessment grid
27
15 Fostering Learner Autonomy
27
16 Language skills and attended competencies
34
17 Conclusion 35
Chapter II - The Algerian Educational System and
approaches to 36
English Language Teaching
1 Introduction 36
2 The Algerian Educational System
37
3 The English language teachings objectives
38
4 The English language teachings approaches
46
5 The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
approach 54
6 The Cooperative Learning
55
7 The use of ICT in EFL 56
8 Conclusion 57
Chapter III- Data
Collection, Interpretation, Findings and solution
58
1 Introduction 58
2 The teacher's Questionnaire
58
3 Collected Data 61
4 Interpretation 65
5 Findings 67
6 Enhancing learner autonomy
68
General Conclusion 69
Bibliography 70
Appendix 72
-1-
General Introduction
The complexity of the learner autonomy concept is well known and
have many aspects.
Lizzie Pinard presented the whole aspect of learner autonomy in
the global manner :
«The average language learner spends around 2-3
hours a week in the classroom, implying that for acquisition to take place,
exposure to the target language shouldn't be limited to classroom confines.
Indeed, learner autonomy is somewhat of a buzzword in ELT - we recognize the
inadequacy of classroom time with regards to acquisition, as well as the issue
of syllabus structure often being at odds with learner `readiness' to acquire,
meaning that what learners do outside class time becomes of the utmost
importance. However, there is often a gap between what we expect our learners
to do outside the classroom and how we help them to do it. This project
explores ways of helping learners harness the target language in their
environment, real and/or virtual, effectively, and the role that learning
materials, and their use in the classroom as well as beyond it, can play in
scaffolding the process, in addition to stimulating and maintaining motivation,
curiosity and the desire to acquire.»
She described the whole context as shown in the following figure
(Fig.1).
Fig. 1: Learner autonomy context
(Pinard:2020).
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General Introduction
Beyond this complex context, there are more factors affecting the
learner autonomy such as:
? The learner motivation and self-esteem;
? The previous acquired competencies and skills; ? The classroom
heterogeneity;
? The outside of classroom.
As many researchers are focusing on learner autonomy as an
ultimate goal in teaching, the present aims to help out with a new approach
guided by the following research questions and its sub-questions and our
hypothesis.
-Research question, sub-questions and
hypothesis
The main research question is put as follows:
How secondary school learners autonomy can be
enhanced?
The response to that question can be gotten clearly when
answering its sub-questions :
1-At what state the Secondary School learners autonomy
is?
2-What are the solutions to enhance secondary school
learners autonomy?
Our Main hypothesis to that issue is:
-Secondary school learners are not
autonomous.
To conduct this research, the following methodology is
adopted.
-Methodology of the research
There are nine types of research in Applied Linguistics which
are: experimental, ethnography, case study, classroom observation,
introspective, elicitation, interaction analysis, and program evaluation.
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General Introduction
Choosing the research type is mainly based on the nature of the
research itself.
Learner autonomy is a phenomenon that actually happens both
inside and outside the class. A case study is selected because:
«A case study is an empirical inquiry that
investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real- life
context.»
Nunan (1967:76).
Accordingly, there are three types of case study: case study
according to the purpose of research, case study in terms of the number of
cases, case study according to the units of analysis. In this research we are
concerned with the first type which is case study according to the purpose of
research.
The case study according to the purpose of research includes
three sub-categories: descriptive, explanatory, and exploratory.
Firstly, the descriptive case study focuses on describing an
object of phenomenon; it gives a wider attention to the characteristics of a
certain issue, this is what is done in chapters I and II, entitled
respectively: «Literature review on autonomy in education» , and,
«The Algerian Educational System and approaches in teaching English».
Secondly, the explanatory case study studies the reasons behind a definite
problem, more importantly, it explains why it happens.
Thirdly, the exploratory case study aims at studying a given
problem, and also, undertaking a specific issue in order to look for ways
through which the existing situation that can be improved, that is the
practical part of this research, fully presented in chapter III entitled
«Data Collection, Interpretation, Findings and Solution».
Thus, the research is a descriptive exploratory case study.
Its major concern is to focus on the concept of autonomy and the manner to
enhance it.
-Scope of the research
This research is limited to learners of Secondary School first
year and the assessment of autonomy is given to teachers because of their daily
interaction with learners.
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I-Literature review on learner autonomy in education
1-Introduction
This chapter aims to clarify the concept of learner autonomy
in almost of all its related aspects and beginning by the definition of that
concept as seen by researchers in its conceptions and misconceptions.
Then learning stages as defined by Pitts and Posner are
introduced for the first time in such like research in order to explore more
learner autonomy levels as explained next to this model.
To «extend the idea of learner control over the planning
and evaluation of learning to the curriculum as a whole» as Benson said,
all known learner autonomy approaches as presented and are followed by concepts
of autonomous teacher and its characteristics as the source of learning and
seconded by the same concepts to the target of learning which is the learner
itself and the classroom in which he receives education. This learner is also
bound to its affective side such his proper motivation and self-esteem as
regard to his needs to learn language.
The most recent autonomy model is the dynamic model of Maria
Giovanna Tassinari which explains the ways to manage the own learning and thus
very interesting for both teacher and learner. To help reaching that aim, the
CEFR assessment grid is presented to determine competencies matter to be
autonomous on.
Finally, and as the keywords: fostering, promoting and
enhancing are closely used for each other, enhancing learner autonomy is
presented in a detailed manner to make the research more clear by defining the
learner's language skills leading him to acquire the aimed language
competencies and making him autonomous..
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I-Literature review on learner autonomy in education
2-What is autonomy?
In the Holec's seminal report (1981:3) autonomy was defined as
`the ability to take charge of one's own
learning'.
Holec's definition of learner autonomy has proved remarkably
robust and remains the most widely cited definition in the field. Although
Holec treated autonomy as an attribute of the learner, the term was also used
to describe learning situations.
`Ability' is often replaced by
`capacity' (a term used by Holec elsewhere), while
`take charge of ' is often replaced by `take
responsibility for' or `take control of ' one's own
learning (terms also used by Holec).(Cited in Benson,2006)
In his book on self-instruction, Dickinson (1987: 11), for
example, described autonomy
as :
`the situation in which the learner is totally
responsible for all of the decisions concerned with his learning and the
implementation of those decisions'.
The key element in definitions of this kind is the idea that
autonomy is an attribute of learners, rather than learning situations. (Cited
Benson,2006)
The strengthening of this view, based on the assumption that
learners do not develop the ability to self-direct their learning simply by
being placed in situations where they have no other option, is one of the more
significant developments in the definition of learner autonomy over the past 30
years. (Benson,2006)
As Allwright (1988:35) put it, the idea of learner autonomy
was for a long time `associated with a radical restructuring of language
pedagogy' that involved `the rejection of the traditional classroom and the
introduction of wholly new ways of working'. For Allwright, however, autonomy
needed to be re-conceptualized if it was to be applied to the classroom.
Autonomy could be, for example, recognized in students' unpredictable
contributions to classroom activities that could temporarily throw the
teacher's plans off course. (Cited in Benson,2006)
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I-Literature review on learner autonomy in education
This turn towards classroom applications led a second wave of
interest in autonomy in the 1990s, with important theoretical implications.
Indeed, the tendency has been towards a blurring of the distinction between
`classroom' and `out-of-class' applications,
leading to new and often complex understandings of the role of autonomy in
language teaching and learning. (Benson,2006)
For Little (1991:4) and in his provisional definition of
autonomy:
«Essentially, autonomy is a capacity -
for detachment, critical reflection, decision-making, and independent action.
It presupposes, but also entails, that the learner will develop a particular
kind of psychological relation to the process and content of his learning. The
capacity for autonomy will be displayed both in the way the learner learns and
in the way he or she transfers what has been learned to wider
contexts».
This definition emphasized the psychological attributes of
autonomous learners and prioritized `interdependence' over
`independence' in learning. And in a later paper on teacher
autonomy, Little (1995) argued that learner autonomy did not imply any
particular mode of practice, but was instead dependent upon the quality of the
`pedagogical dialogue' between teachers and learners.
In his book on learner training, Dickinson (1992) also argued
that learners often acted `independently', both cognitively and behaviorally,
in the classroom. (Cited in Benson,2006)
For Dickinson (1993) ,
«Autonomy is a situation in which the learner is
totally responsible for all the decisions concerned with his/her learning and
the implementation of those decisions''; (Cited in
Balçikanli,2007)
Dam (1995) demonstrated how principles of autonomy could be
integrated into secondary school classrooms without self-access or formal
learner training.(Cited in Benson,2006).And gave the definition: «Autonomy
is characterized by a readiness to take charge of one's own learning in the
service of one's needs and purposes.». (Cited in
Balçikanli,2007).
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I-Literature review on learner autonomy in education
Benson and Voller (1997) point out five ways the term autonomy is
used for:
· situations in which learners study entirely on their
own;
· a set of skills which can be learned and applied in
self-directed learning;
· an inborn capacity which is suppressed by institutional
education;
· the exercise of learners' responsibility for their own
learning;
· for the right of learners to determine the direction of
their own learning. (Cited in Balçikanli,2007).
As (Borg & Al-Busaidi,2012), Sinclair (2000) suggests 13
aspects of learner autonomy which `appear to have been recognized and broadly
accepted by the language teaching profession' (see Table 1).
Table 1 : Learner autonomy definition
(Sinclair:2000)
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I-Literature review on learner autonomy in education
Echoing Widdowson (1990), Little (1991), in an attempt to
define learner autonomy, warns against five "misconceptions" that were current
in concepts of learner autonomy in the 90s. They were the assumptions that :
(1) autonomous learners make the teacher redundant;
(2) any intervention on the part of the teacher may destroy
whatever autonomy the learners have managed to attain;
(3) autonomy is a new methodology;
(4) autonomy represents easily described behavior; and,
finally,
(5) autonomy is a steady state achieved by certain
learners.
To further concretize learner autonomy for educational purposes,
Little (1997) defines
learner autonomy in relation to particular tasks, highlighting
that learner autonomy also consists in the ability to use particular knowledge
and apply certain skills to new tasks, situated in contexts different from the
learning context and under new conditions, which require a reconsideration of
the task approach, the strategies to use, the product to aim for, etc . When
learners have become flexible and adaptive learners in this sense, they can be
considered autonomous learners, namely "( ... ) when they are able to perform
that task (i) without assistance, (ii) beyond the immediate context in which
they acquired the knowledge and skills and on which successful task performance
depends, and (iii) flexiby, taking account of the special requirements of
particular circumstances." (Little,1997:14).(Cited in Jiménez
Raya:2007:16).
3-Autonomy in learning stages
Fitts and Posner (1967) proposed that motor skill acquisition
(learning) involved three stages (
https://www.coursehero.com/file/pjqrh9/cognitive-strategies-dominate-Improve-rapidly-however-beginners-generally-do/,
By June the 6th,2020) :
3-1-Cognitive Stage (verbal-cognitive stage)
: The beginner focuses on cognitive oriented problems.
-The task is completely new, Focus on solving
cognitively-oriented problems
-Many questions : What to do? (discover goal), When to do it?
(discover timing),How to do it? (discover strategy).
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-Many errors, rough estimation. The errors tend to be large
ones, Verbal and cognitive strategies dominate, Improve rapidly however
beginners generally do not know what they need to do to improve, When teaching
relate to something that they know.
3-2-Associative Stage (motor stage)
-Associate cues from the environment with required movements
required to achieve goal, Organize more efficient movement patterns, Strengthen
motor program, Consistency gradually increases, Develop anticipation, Monitor
own feedback, Last longer (weeks => months). 3-3-Autonomous
Stage
Final stage, Performance of the skill becomes
«automatic» (in terms of attention demands). People in this stage do
not think about the movements ,Programming longer movement sequences, Allow to
perform cognitive activities during performance of the skill. They can do
another task at the same time, Detection of errors much better.
Although this model was designed for motor skills development
it remains a major framework to understand a general learner behaviors enabling
the detection, the correction, the assessment and the enhancement of any skill
of whatsoever domain.
The following figure (Fig.2) shows clearly the relation
between the stages related to this
model.
Fig. 2: Fitts and Posner 3-Stage Model
Source:
https://vdocuments.mx/document/exos-certification-coaching-science-final-5-2014-athletesa-performance.html
(by June the 6th,2020).
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A simple application of this model to sports (motor skills)
shows the accuracy of this model in evaluating skills (most right column of the
following table 2).
Table 2 : Fitts & Posner Stages of Motor
Skill Learning
Source :
https://www.psia-rm.org/download/resources/fall
training/PSIA-RM%20&%20Fitts%20&%20Posner%20Stages.pdf (By June the
6th,2020).
4-Autonomy levels
The whole information about this topic is taken from Benson
(2006) as it is a full view.
In the late 1990s a number of writers sought to operationalize
the notion that autonomy is a matter of degree. Nunan's (1997: 195) attempt
involved a model of five levels of `learner action' - `awareness',
`involvement', `intervention', `creation' and `transcendence' - which could
inform the sequencing of learner development activities in language
textbooks.
These levels also involved dimensions of `content' and
`process'. At the awareness level, for example, learners would be `made aware
of the pedagogical goals and content of the materials', `identify strategy
implications of pedagogical tasks', and `identify their own preferred learning
styles/strategies'. At the transcendence level, learners would `make links
between the content of classroom learning and the world beyond' and `become
teachers and researchers'.
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While Nunan's model remained within the framework of language
learning, Littlewood's (1997: 81) three-stage model involved dimensions of
language acquisition, learning approach and personal development. In the
context of language acquisition, autonomy involved `an ability to operate
independently with the language and use it to communicate personal meanings in
real, unpredictable situations' (autonomy as a communicator).
In the context of classroom organization, it involved
learners' `ability to take responsibility for their own learning and to apply
active, personally relevant strategies' (`autonomy as a learner'). And in a
broader context, it involved `a higher-level goal of . . . greater
generalized autonomy as individuals' (`autonomy as a person'). At around the
same time, Macaro (1997: 170-172) proposed a somewhat similar three-stage model
involving `autonomy of language competence', `autonomy of language learning
competence' and `autonomy of choice and action'. Scharle & Szab'o's (2000:
1) resource book for the development of autonomy was also informed by a three
phase model involving `raising awareness', `changing attitudes' and
`transferring roles'.
Littlewood was also responsible for a widely cited distinction
between `proactive' autonomy,`which affirms [learners'] individuality and sets
up directions which they themselves have partially created', and reactive
autonomy, `which does not create its own directions but, once a direction has
been initiated, enables learners to organize their resources autonomously in
order to reach their goal' (Littlewood 1999: 75).
My own attempt to model levels of learner autonomy involved
dimensions of control over language learning and teaching processes grouped
under three main headings - learning management, cognitive processing and the
content of learning (Benson 2001).
Each of these models implies a possible progression from
`lower' to `higher' levels of autonomy. They may also be related to the
movement of the idea of autonomy into mainstream language education and a
perceived need to identify spaces at the lower levels, where autonomy might be
fostered without radical educational reforms. Nunan (1997: 201), for example,
argued that his model illustrated how `autonomy can be a normal, everyday
addition to regular instruction'.
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How far one wants to go in encouraging autonomy, he suggested,
`will be dictated by the contexts and environments in which the teaching and
learning takes place'. Littlewood (1999:75) also argued that although for many
writers `proactive autonomy is the only kind that counts', reactive autonomy
had its place either as a step towards proactive autonomy, or as a goal in its
own right. One problem with such models, however, is their assumption that the
relationship between the development of autonomy and language proficiency is
unproblematic.
Kumaravadivelu (2003: 144) has argued, for example, that `it
would be a mistake to try to correlate the initial, intermediary, and advanced
stages of autonomy . . . with the beginning, intermediate, and
advanced levels of language proficiency', because the stages of autonomy depend
more on the linguistic and communicative demands of particular tasks.
5-Autonomy approaches
A general overview of autonomy approaches is given in the
following figure (Fig. 3: Learner autonomy approaches).
Fig. 3 : Learner autonomy
approaches
Source: Lizzie Pinard webpage -see Internet
Sites
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5-1-Curriculum-based approaches
These approaches «extend the idea of learner control
over the planning and evaluation of learning to the curriculum as a
whole» (Benson, 2001, p.111). They aim thus at promoting learners
autonomy through involving them in decision-making processes at the level of
the curriculum: negotiating the curriculum. In fact, the increasing interest in
socio-cultural theory over the past decade has yielded into acknowledging both
the individual and social interaction in developing learner autonomy.
Distinction has been made between individual and social autonomy. In Vygotskian
terms social autonomy emphasizes that developing a capacity for reflection and
analysis which is crucial to learner autonomy «depends on the
development and internalization of a capacity to participate fully and
critically in social interactions» (cited in Little, 1996,
p.211).(Djoub,2017:114).
In this respect, Cotterall (2000) refers to the principles
which the curriculum should follow to promote learner autonomy (Djoub,2017:115)
:
1. The course reflects learners' goal in its language,
tasks, and strategies.
2. Course tasks are explicitly linked to simplified
model of the language learning process.
3. Course either replicates the real world communicative
tasks or provides rehearsal for such tasks.
4. The course incorporates discussion and practice with
strategies known to facilitate task performance.
5. The course promotes reflection on learning (learners
being aware of their own learning).
5-2-Technology-based approaches
Learner autonomy depends on the way technology-based
approaches are implemented in the language classroom or as Benson (2001) says
«a great deal depends on the ways in which technologies are made
available to the learners and the kinds of interaction that take place around
them»(p.140).Thus, these approaches need to be properly used by
teachers and learners as well; with suitable activities which meet learners'
needs and styles and encourage them to make decision about their learning
objectives, to reflect and communicate their ideas through their use.
(Djoub,2017:118).
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Therefore, technical preparation into their use is required
for all participants, so that learners can get benefit from the technical
potential these tools provide. Moreover, continuous teacher's support needs
also to be available to help learners use digital resources effectively and
sustain their interest and motivation into their use, thereby creating a
learning environment which is likely to induce positive perceptions towards
using technologies in language learning.
It follows from this, that teacher's role cannot be denied in
autonomous language learning. For this reason, teacher-based approaches have
been advocated.(Djoub,2017:118).
5-3-Teacher-based approaches
These approaches «emphasize the role of the teacher
and teacher education in the practice of fostering autonomy among
learners» (Benson, 2001, p.111). In effect, within these
approaches,learners have control over their learning while the teachers' role
changes into counselors. Being autonomous teachers who are reflecting
continuously on their practices are also required within these approaches to
develop students'autonomy.(Djoub,2017:118).
Furthermore, in addition to raising learners' awareness of
their own responsibility and helping them develop the strategies and use tasks
and materials which they need for their autonomy, Sturtridge (1992) refers to
assessing learners' progress and supporting their monitoring which is among the
counseling tasks he puts forward as follows:
· Helping learners to recognize their own
responsibility for their own learning
· Helping learners to know their individual language
level on entry
· Helping learners to decide upon their own individual
objectives
· Helping learners to recognize their own individual
strategies and to make suggestions
· Directing learners to particular materials or
activities
· helping learners to become aware of what particular
exercises are really teaching them
· Making suggestions about more efficient ways of
practice or monitoring
· Making ratings of progress and comparing them with
the learners' own ratings. (Djoub:2017:119).
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5-4-Learner-based Approaches
These approaches which are also called learner development,
aim at observing the production of behavioral and psychological changes that
will enable learners to take greater control over their learning (Benson,
2001). They have come from educational trends of self-directed language
learning (SDLL) and learner strategies in language learning (LSLL) in Europe
and North America (Wenden, 2002). Within these approaches emphasis has been put
on teaching language learning strategies and training learners into their use.
Besides, considering affective factors related to learning has been seen as a
goal to achieve learner development towards autonomy.(Djoub,2017:126).
These learning strategies have been defined as
«behaviours or actions which learners use to make language learning
more successful, self-directed and enjoyable» (Oxford, 1989, cited in
Ellis, 2008, p.704). Indeed, Oxford (2001) indicates that the effective use of
these strategies can facilitate learning and help learners become autonomous
since they are related to features of control, goal-oriented, autonomy and
self-efficacy. Likewise, Boekaerts (1997) considers them
as crucial not only to guide the learner's own learning
during the formal education, but also to educate the learner in order to update
his or her knowledge after leaving the school.(Djoub,2017:126).
The two most cited taxonomies are those of O'Malley and
Chamot (1990) and Oxford (1990). The first taxonomy makes a distinction
between:
? Cognitive Strategies: These strategies
involve thought processes which learners use to deal with tasks and materials
such as memorization, guessing the meaning of words, etc.
? Meta-cognitive Strategies: in which learners
attempt to regulate their learning through planning, self-monitoring,
evaluating and thinking about how to make this process effective. ? The
Socio-affective Strategies: help learners to interact with other
speakers of the target language, to collaborate on tasks and ask for
correction. These strategies aim to enhance self-confidence, motivation and
lowering anxiety.
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Oxford's (1990) taxonomy is hierarchical, categorizing
strategies into direct and indirect. The former «require mental
processing of the language», whereas the latter « provide
indirect support for language learning through focusing, planning, evaluating,
seeking opportunities, controlling anxiety, increasing cooperation and empathy
and other means» .(Djoub,2017:127).
5-5-Resources-based approach
This approach is mainly based on creating opportunities for
learners to be responsible for their learning.
5-6-Classroom-based
Aims at giving opportunities for learners to make decisions
about their learning process , and so reinforcing their autonomy in
learning.
6-The autonomous teacher
As KADI (2018:11-13) , the notion of teacher autonomy traced
back to the beginning of the 1990's, when it was mentioned by Allwright (1990).
Some years later, Little (1995) defined this concept as the
«Teachers' capacity to engage in self-directed
teaching.» (Little, 1995:176), and in the same context, he
adds:
«Genuinely successful teachers have always been
autonomous in the sense of having a strong sense of personal responsibility for
their teaching, exercising via continuous reflection and analysis the highest
degree of affective and cognitive control of the teaching process, and
exploring the freedom that this confers.»
(Little, 1995:179)
After that, scholars have been trying to define teacher
autonomy from different aspects. Benson argues that teacher autonomy can be
seen as: «A right to freedom from control (or an ability to exercise this
right) as well as actual freedom from control.» (Benson, 2000:111).
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As to Aoki (2002), he argues that teacher's autonomy is mainly
based on independency and responsibility for one's own teaching unlike
learner's autonomy which emphasizes on self-reliance and responsibility for
one's own learning, Besides, he offers an explicit definition of teacher
autonomy, suggesting that this involves «the capacity, freedom, and
responsibility to make choices concerning one's own teaching.»(Aoki,
2000:19)
According to Richard Smith, teacher autonomy refers to
«The ability to develop appropriate skills, knowledge and attitudes for
oneself as a teacher, in cooperation with others.» (Smith, 2000:89). In
addition, Smith (2001) identifies three different dimensions of teacher
autonomy. Teacher autonomy, first of all, is a capacity for self-directed
professional action. Second, it is a capacity for self-directed professional
development. Third, teacher autonomy is freedom from control by others in the
professional action and development. However, Thavenius (1999) provides a
different definition about teacher autonomy; he writes that an autonomous
teacher is one who promotes learner autonomy:
«Teacher autonomy can be defined as the
teacher's ability and willingness to help learners take responsibility for
their own learning. An autonomous teacher is thus a teacher who reflects on her
teacher role and who can change it, who can help her learners become
autonomous, and who is independent enough to let her learners become
independent.» (Thavenius, 1999:160)
Lamb (2008), on the other hand, suggests that the capacity
teachers have in determining the improvement of their teaching through their
own effort and through research and reflective thinking shows one facet of
teacher autonomy. He goes on to indicate that the freedom to be able to teach
in the way that one desires is also a manifestation of autonomy.
According to Tort-Moloney, in order to develop teacher
autonomy, teachers must: «become autonomous regarding curricular demands,
pedagogical material and discourses, as well as in research, by being able to
acknowledge the virtues and limitations of these areas.»(Tort- Moloney,
1997:50)
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Another definition about teacher autonomy is provided by De
Vries and Kohlberg who give a picture of what an autonomous teacher looks
like.
«...the autonomous teacher can think about how
children are thinking and at the same time think about how to intervene to
promote the constructive culture. Autonomous teachers do not just accept
uncritically what curriculum specialists give them. They think about whether
they agree with what is suggested. They take responsibility for the education
they are offering children.»
(De Vries and Kohlberg 1987:380)
In short, all of these definitions reveal that teacher
autonomy is a kind of freedom through which teachers are able to practice their
duty independently. As a result, they can carry out their teaching process in
an autonomous way which suits them and meets the learning needs of their
students.
7-The autonomous teacher characteristics
As KADI (2018:14-15), after the widespread of learner autonomy
in the educational field
in general and in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) in
particular, the term teacher autonomy as a new concept has been given more
attention and become the chief concern of many researchers who have been
analyzing it from different dimensions. Smith (2001) illustrates the
characteristics of teacher autonomy and summarizes them in six very
comprehensive features as follows:
-Self-directed professional action.
-Capacity for self-directed professional action.
-Freedom from control over professional action.
-Self-directed professional development.
-Capacity for self-directed professional development.
-Freedom from control over professional development.(Smith
2001:5).
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However, Little (1995) confirms that the use of the term
«teacher autonomy» may have different dimensions, as it is mentioned
in the following examples:
1-Self-directed professional action:
teachers feel more autonomous when they take charge of their teaching process
in a personal way and practice it through reflection, analysis and cognitive
control of the teaching process. (Little, 1995)
2-Self-directed professional development: the
autonomous teacher should be aware of why, when, where and how pedagogical
skills can be acquired in the self-conscious awareness of teaching practice
itself. (Little, 1995)
3-Freedom from control by others over professional
action: In other words, teachers are free from any external control,
and this is one of the main features of the term `teacher autonomy' in the
general educational literature. However, this autonomy cannot be absolute;
teachers can choose their teaching techniques or methods, but they have no
choice in the content or the curriculum since they are imposed on them.
In the same regard, McGrath (2000) sees that the
characteristics of teacher autonomy can be illustrated from only two
dimensions, «as self-directed action or development; as freedom from
control by others.» (McGrath, 2000:100-110). First, teachers can be
autonomous in the sense of having the capacity to control their own development
and behave independently in a self-directed manner. Second, autonomous teachers
are free from any kind of constraints; they control their teaching process by
themselves without accepting the others' decisions or interference.
8-Autonomous learner prerequisites
(conditions)
Autonomous learning is achieved when certain conditions
obtain: cognitive and metacognitive strategies on the part of the learner,
motivation, attitudes, and knowledge about language learning, i.e., a kind of
meta-language.
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To acknowledge, however, that learners have to follow certain
paths to attain autonomy is tantamount to asserting that there has to be a
teacher on whom it will be incumbent to show the way. In other words,
autonomous learning is by no means "teacherless learning." As Sheerin (1997,
cited in Benson & Voller, 1997: 63) succinctly puts it, '[t]eachers--have a
crucial role to play in launching learners into self-access and in lending them
a regular helping hand to stay afloat'. Thanasoulas (2000).
9-Autonomous learner characteristics
As KADI(2018:10-11), Holec defines the autonomous learner; in
his famous book Autonomy and Foreign language Learning, as:
«To say of a learner that he is autonomous is to
say that he is capable of taking charge of his own learning and nothing more...
to take charge of one's learning is to bear responsibility for all the
decisions concerning all aspects of this learning.» (Holec,
1981:3)
In the same context, Holec (1988) mentions that:
«...the autonomous learner is not automatically
obliged to self-direct his learning either totally or even partially. The
learner will make use of his ability to do this only if he so wishes and if he
is permitted to do so by the material, social and psychological constraints to
which he is subjected.» (Holec, 1988:8)
However, Little has a different point of view about autonomous
learners he says that:
«Autonomous learners can understand the purpose
of their learning program, unequivocally recognize the conscientiousness for
their learning; divide the set of learning objectives, take initiatives in
planning and implementing learning activities, and regularly review their
learning and evaluate its effectiveness.» (Little, 1991:11)
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Moreover, Kumaravadivelu is for Little's definition and
argues that: «supporting learners to be autonomous means providing them
with more opportunities to be successful.» (Kumaravadivelu,
2003:131).
Whereas for Nunan, he sees that: «Learners who
have reached a point where they are able to define their own goals and create
their own learning opportunities have, by definition, become
autonomous.» (Nunan, 1995:145). Arguing
that autonomous learner is the one who is able to find the best strategy to
learn and to be successful. For Huttunen:«A learner is fully autonomous
when he is working individually or in a group, taking responsibility for the
planning, monitoring and evaluating of his studies.» (Huttunen,
1986:95). In the same context, Candy (1991) views that autonomous learners
have some competencies. These competencies make them characterized by
particular features such as; methodical, logical, reflective, flexible,
self-aware, creative, responsible, self-sufficient, etc.
On the other hand, Benson suggests that:
«Autonomous learners are more educated
individuals who have the ability to take the charge and contribute not only to
their learning process, but also in their social life.» (Benson,
2001: 01).
However, Thanasoulas (2000) defines the autonomous learner
like somebody whose life has a consistency that drives from a coherent set of
beliefs, values and principles and also who engages in a still-continuing
process of criticism and reevaluation. Therefore, autonomous learners do not
confine themselves only to instructions, methods, or materials given by
teachers inside classroom; instead, they take the charge and promote their
learning process by themselves. They choose the appropriate tools and materials
and decide whether it is effective for their learning or not.
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10-Teacher autonomy and learner autonomy
As KADI (2018:15-16),with the increasing interest of learner
autonomy in recent years, the term of teacher autonomy has been introduced as a
new concept in the pedagogical field. Hence, there has been a comprehensive
discussion about the interrelationship between learner autonomy and teacher
autonomy. In this regard, Little points out to this relation when he states
that:
«... The development of leaner autonomy depends
on the development of teacher autonomy. By this I mean two things (i) that it
is unreasonable to expect teachers to foster the growth of autonomy in their
learners if they themselves do not know what it is to be an autonomous learner;
and (ii) that in determining the initiatives they take in the classrooms,
teachers must be able to exploit their professional skills
autonomously.» (Little 2000:45).
That is to say, teachers need to experience autonomy as
learners first, because most of them do not know what learner autonomy is since
they have never had the opportunity to learn autonomously. Therefore, it is not
easy for them to accept this notion and adopt it as a teaching and learning
approach in their classrooms.
However, Smith explains explicitly the relationship between
learner autonomy and teacher autonomy.
«Teachers also need to constantly reflect on
their own role in the classroom, monitoring the extent to which they constrain
or scaffold students' thinking and behavior, so as to engage students in
autonomous and effective learning.» (Smith, 2001:43-4)
On this basis, many scholars focus on both the importance of
developing teacher autonomy through adopting a reflective teaching and on the
interrelationship between teacher and learner roles in enhancing learner
autonomy. However, Thavenius has a different point of view concerning the
relationship between teacher autonomy and learner autonomy. According to
him:
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«Teacher autonomy and learner autonomy happen
simultaneously and reinforce each other because in order to promote learner
autonomy, it is necessary for teachers to work autonomously with learners'
learning processes.»
(Thavenius, 1999:160)
Similarly, Benson (2001) confirms that there is a strong
connection between learner autonomy and teacher autonomy; if teachers
themselves cannot experience a sense of autonomy or their own autonomy is
restricted by several factors and boundaries, they will never be ready to
promote their learners' autonomy.
Learner autonomy and teacher autonomy are interrelated,
interactive and strongly connected. Therefore, it is of great necessity to
comprehend and respect the relation between them; both teachers and learners
have to understand their autonomy in order to help each other in fostering it
and improving the teaching/ learning process.
11-The autonomous classroom
As KADI (2018:16-17), autonomous classroom refers to a
learning centered environment in which both teachers and learners feel
comfortable and interact with each other constructively within a learning
community. According to Leni Dam (2000), there are some essential conditions
should be taken into consideration in order to build an autonomous
classroom:
-A willingness on the part of the teacher to let go, and on the
part of the learners to take hold.
-An understanding of what to do and why and how it should be
done, this applies to teachers as well as learners.
-An experience-based insight into the learning process for both
teachers and learners.
-An atmosphere of security, trust and respect. (Dam, 2000)
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In the same regard, Nunan (1996) argues that the teachers'
and learners' roles, in the classroom, have been changed. As Marguerite Fitch
put it at the annual conference of the American Educational Research
Association in New Orleans in April 1994, «The teacher's role changes from
the `Sage on the Stage' to the Guide on the Side.»(Tella, 1996:6). Thus,
he suggests some roles which may help both teachers and learners in creating an
autonomous learning environment through comparing between autonomous and
non-autonomous classrooms in this table:
Table 3 : Comparison between Autonomous and
Non-autonomous Classrooms.
(Nunan, 1996:21)
12-The learner motivation and self-esteem
Language learning is not merely a cognitive task. Learners do
not only reflect on their learning in terms of the language input to which they
are exposed, or the optimal strategies they need in order to achieve the goals
they set. Rather, the success of a learning activity is, to some extent,
contingent upon learners' stance towards the world and the learning activity in
particular, their sense of self, and their desire to learn.
(Thanasoulas,2000)
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12-1-Learner motivation
Although the term 'motivation' is frequently used in
educational contexts, there is little agreement among experts as to its exact
meaning. What most scholars seem to agree on, though, is that motivation is
'one of the key factors that influence the rate and success of second or
foreign language (L2) learning. Motivation provides the primary impetus to
initiate learning the L2 and later the driving force to sustain the long and
often tedious learning process' (Dornyei, 1998: 117). According to Gardner and
MacIntyre (1993: 3), motivation is comprised of three components: 'desire to
achieve a goal, effort extended in this direction, and satisfaction with the
task'. (Thanasoulas,2000)
12-2-Learner self-esteem
Closely related to attitudes and motivation is the concept of
self-esteem, that is, the evaluation the learner makes of herself with regard
to the target language or learning in general. '[S]elf-esteem is a personal
judgment of worthiness that is expressed in the attitudes that the individual
holds towards himself'. Conversely, a lack of self-esteem is likely to lead to
negative attitudes towards his capability as a learner, and to 'a deterioration
in cognitive performance', thus confirming his view of himself as incapable of
learning. (Thanasoulas,2000)
13-The autonomy dynamic model
Maria Giovanna Tassinari, director of the Centre for
Independent Language Learning (CILL) at the Freie Universität Berlin and
advisor, reached the autonomy dynamic model that she describes as follows :
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«Every autonomous learning process should entail
an evaluation of the learner's competencies for autonomy. The dynamic model of
learner autonomy described in this paper is a tool designed in order to support
the self-assessment and evaluation of learning competencies and to help both
learners and advisors to focus on relevant aspects of the learning process. The
dynamic model accounts for cognitive, metacognitive, action-oriented and
affective components of learner autonomy and provides descriptors of learners'
attitudes, competencies and behaviors. It is dynamic in order to allow learners
to focus on their own needs and goals.» (Tassinari,2012:24)
The dynamic model she makes is shown in the following figure
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4: Autonomy dynamic model
(Tassinari,2012:29).
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14-The C.E.F.R for Languages assessment grid
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
(CEFR) is an international standard for describing language ability. It
describes language ability on a six-point scale, from A1 for beginners, up to
for those who have mastered a language. This makes it easy for anyone involved
in language teaching and testing, such as teachers or learners, to see the
level of different qualifications.
These levels are often used casually by language learners to
test their ability at speaking, reading, writing and understanding a language.
The CEFR assessment grid is enclosed as Appendix 1.
15-Fostering Learner Autonomy
With the increasing interest in foreign and second language
learning, fostering learner autonomy as an important educational goal becomes
the chief concern of many educators and language teachers. Therefore, a
significant body of research has been conducted in the aim of fostering learner
autonomy and finding the effective ways which help learners learn autonomously.
KADI (2018:26-36)
15-1-Definition of fostering learner
autonomy
According to Dam (2011), fostering learner autonomy is
«a move from teacher-directed teaching environment to a learner-directed
learning environment.»(Dam, 2011: 41). However,
another definition was given by Esch who describes the promotion of learner
autonomy as:
«... the provision of circumstances and contexts
for language learners which will make it more likely that take charge -at least
temporarily- of the whole or part of their language learning programme and
which are more likely to help rather than prevent learners from exercising
their autonomy.» (Esch, 2010: 37)
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In simple terms, fostering learner autonomy is regarded as an
attempt to help learners become more independent through training them on the
effective use of the language learning strategies which make them responsible
to take control, evaluate and monitor their language learning process.
15-2-Tips to foster learner autonomy
Once the term «Learner Autonomy» has been emerged
in the educational context, numerous scholars and researchers have produced
literature on its definition, implementation and, especially, on the tips that
help learners enhance their autonomy and take charge of their learning process.
At a practical level, the development of autonomy requires learners to build up
a skill set that allows them to direct their own learning. Most learners do not
naturally have this skill set and need explicit training to develop it. In this
context, Hurd argues that:
«...if learners are not trained for autonomy, no
amount of surrounding them with resources will foster in them that capacity for
active involvement and conscious choice, although it might appear to do
so.» (Hurd, 1998: 72-73)
In addition, Gardner and Miller (1999) state that fostering
learner autonomy is sometimes carried out through «learning training»
which allows learners to come into contact with the idea of autonomy and to
develop appropriate skills in the learning process. However, Crabbe notes,
«One important aspect in promoting learner
autonomy is to negotiate with students the process that underline learning,
such as problem identification, so that they become aware of their own needs
and can set their own goals. (Crabbe 1993:446)
For Dickinson, the teacher plays a key role in fostering
learner autonomy and has a major impact on students' development towards
autonomy. He identifies six ways «in which the teacher can promote greater
learner independence»:
- Legitimizing independence in learning by showing that we,
as teachers, approve, and by encouraging the students to be more
independent;
- Convincing learners that they are capable of greater
independence in learning-give them successful experiences of independent
learning;
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- Giving learners opportunities to exercise their
independence;
- Helping learners to develop learning strategies so that they
can exercise their independence; - Helping learners to become more aware of
language as a system so that they can understand many of the learning
techniques available and learn sufficient grammar to understand simple
reference books;
- Sharing with learners something of what we know about
language learning so that they have a greater awareness of what to expect from
the language learning task and how they should react to problems that erect
barriers to learning.( Dickinson 1992:330)
In the same regard, Littlewood (1996) focuses on the
teacher's role in promoting learner autonomy. According to him:
«... a teacher might, for example, concentrate
on building up the learner's confidence in communication or on knowledge
involved in learning and, more specifically, learning
strategies.»
(Littlewood, 1996:431-434)
Whereas Dam (2011) claims that the teacher's role in the
enhancement of learner autonomy is «To make students both willing and
capable to make over the responsibility of learning, i.e. planning, carrying
out the plans, and evaluating the outcome.». (Dam
2011:41) However, Little (1995) sees that teachers need to be aware of their
responsibilities in order to be successful in implementing and reinforcing
learner autonomy. This requires the teachers' willingness to change, and
negotiate with their students in the classroom. In addition, he puts emphasis
on the teachers' new roles to enhance autonomous learning:
«I believe that all truly effective learning
entails the growth of autonomy in the learner as regards both the process and
the content of learning; but I also believe that for most learners the growth
of autonomy requires stimulus, insight and guidance of a good teacher.»
(Little, 2000:18)
Besides, Little suggests three basic pedagogical norms to foster
learner autonomy especially in language classrooms:
- Learner involvement. is to
make learners engaged in the learning process through sharing responsibility
(affective and metacognitive dimensions);
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- Learner reflection: helping
learners to reflect on the process of planning, monitoring and assessing their
learning (metacognitive dimension);
- Appropriate target language use:
the target language can be used as a fundamental instrument for language
learning (communicative and metacognitive dimensions).
According to Kohonen, «once they feel that they are
appreciated and their abilities trusted, they can gain a feeling of ownership
and responsibility of their own learning.» (Kohonen, 1992:32). In other
words, learners need to be encouraged and stimulated by their teacher who
should trust their capacities in order to give them a sense of self-confidence
which contributes effectively in raising their autonomy.
Moreover, Lewis and Reinders (2008) agree about some
practical tips which help teachers in promoting learner autonomy in language
classroom. Firstly, they see that language teachers should support the
collaborative learning through encouraging pair and group works, and making
their learners aware of the importance of such learning in improving their
language level and developing their learning skills. Secondly, teachers should
offer more opportunities for their learners to let them assess their language
learning by themselves through working independently, but under the teacher's
guidance and help. Thirdly, teachers have to provide their learners with the
reflective tools for self-assessment such as; diaries and portfolios which make
them reflect on their learning, and thus become more interested in. However,
Kumaravadivelu (2003) states that there are certain tips by which learners can
develop their independence and enhance their autonomy in formal language
learning. These tips can be summarized in the following points:
- Think in a critical way, act independently and make decision
concerning the learning process; - Look for more knowledge about the learning
process;
- Be responsible for learning and choose the appropriate
strategies in order to attain the learning objectives;
- Develop self-control and self-discipline ,which lead to
self-esteem and self-confidence ;
- Be more independent of the teacher and the educational
system;
- Interact with one's self, the teacher, the task, and the
educational environment.
(Kumaradivelu, 2003:133)
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15-3-Principles to Foster Learner
Autonomy
In fact, most learners already possess some abilities which
allow them to enhance their autonomy to certain degree. In this regard, Thomson
(1996) sees that through these abilities, autonomy can be developed and
fostered. Similarly, Benson agrees with this view and puts a set of
principles:
- Learners routinely initiate and manage their own learning
both outside and within the context of formal instruction.
- Learners receiving formal instruction tend rather to follow
their own learning agendas rather than those of their teachers.
- Learners tend to exercise control over psychological
factors influencing their learning, especially those concerned with motivation,
affective state and beliefs or preferences.
(Benson, 2001:60)
According to Dam (2011), there are some necessary principles
which should be taken into account in the development of learner autonomy.
Firstly, the notion of choice is very important. Dam sees that giving learners
the opportunity to choose is a motivational strategy which enhances their
reflection and develops their awareness of learning, besides, it shifts
responsibility towards the learner and improves his self-esteem. Secondly, in
order to be ready to take charge and responsibility of their own learning,
learners need to feel more secure and safe; hence, clear guidelines and rules
need to be established. Thirdly, instead of transferring knowledge to his
learners, the teacher's key role is to make them actively involved in the
learning process. The fourth principle, according to Dam, is the authenticity,
that is to say; both teachers and learners should be themselves; they behave
naturally and play the roles which suit them in the institutional learning
environment. In the last principle, Dam makes emphasis on the importance of
assessment in enhancing learner autonomy. He views that self-reflection and
evaluation make learners aware of their learning level and so they become more
motivated to improve it. However, Cotterall (2000) claims that the shift of
decision-making about learning from the teacher to learners is considered as
the most difficult challenge in fostering autonomy. Additionally, he suggests
five principles that help learners reinforce their control over learning and
improve their language proficiency. Firstly, in order to be supportive for
learner autonomy, the language course should reflect learners' goals, tasks and
strategies. The second principle is to make a link between the course tasks and
the language learning process. Thirdly, these tasks should be repeated or
performed as drilling activities. The next principle focuses on the use of
different learning strategies. Lastly, Cotterall views that curriculum-based
approach is helpful in promoting learner autonomy.
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15-4-Reasons for fostering learner autonomy
For many teachers, autonomy becomes a desirable goal
especially in language classroom because it proves its efficacy that has
contributed positively to language learning. Dickinson (1994) says that:
«we see the achievement of independence in
learning as desirable, allowing the student to pursue his own learning
objectives in ways and at times which most suit him, and so we adopt the
additional teaching objective to teach the student how to
learn.»
(Dickinson, 1994:.2)
Another interesting reason for promoting learner autonomy is
added by Dickinson (1987). She adds:
«...there is convincing evidence that people who
take the initiative in learning (proactive learners) learn more things and
learn better than do people who sit at the feet of teachers, passively waiting
to be taught (reactive learners)...they enter into learning more purposefully
and with greater motivation.» (Dickinson, 1987:14)
In other words, learners involved in the learning process are
highly motivated. This makes them willing to learn and qualified for being
successful language learners. Whereas Candy mentions that:
«When learners are involved in making choices
and decisions about the content and the mode of what they are studying,
learning is more meaningful, and thus, effective.».(Candy,
1991:24)
However, Dafei (2007) confirms in his study that there is a
strong connection between learner autonomy and English proficiency. As he
states: «The results of the study indicate that the students' English
proficiency was significantly and positively related to their learner
autonomy.'' (Dafei, 2007:1). Furthermore,
this connection is affirmed by Little who says:
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«Precisely because autonomous learners are
motivated and reflective learners, their learning is efficient and effective
(conversely, all learning is likely to succeed to the extent that the learner
is autonomous). And the efficiency and effectiveness of the autonomous learner
means that the knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom can be applied to
situations that arise outside the classroom.».(Little, 2006:2)
In fact, there are many reasons behind introducing the notion
of learner autonomy in language learning; psychological, social and practical.
First, most psychologists and educationalists agree that excellent learners are
necessarily motivated and independent individuals who are in charge of their
own learning. As Little (2006) defines autonomy as «a basic human need. It
is nourished by, and in turn nourishes, our intrinsic motivation, our proactive
interest in the world around us.» (Little 2006:2). Second, when taking the
social factors into account, autonomy is an essential aspect of a democratic
society which requires autonomous citizens able to make decisions and choices
regarding their everyday life. In this context, Knowles (1975) asserts that
when individuals are free to choose for themselves, their societies will be
healthier and happier. Thus, it is important to prepare learners for autonomy
from an early age since the conception of the individual in the society is no
longer that of man as a product of his society «but that of man as the
producer of his society.» (Jane, 1977: 15).
Third, autonomy allows learners to get the chance to be involved,
and thus they can practice the acquired knowledge outside school and apply it
in real life situations.
15-5-Benefits of Promoting Learner Autonomy in EFL
Classroom
Autonomy in learning is considered as an undeniable factor in
enhancing individuals' learning abilities which make learners more competent
and skillful to be in charge o their learning process, achieve their goals and
solve their learning problems. Hence, the primary purpose of autonomy is to
prepare students to take an activate role in order to gain the appropriate
skills and attitudes they need in both academic and social participation.
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Recently, in the field of second and foreign language, there
has been a new change which shifts learning from teachers to learners, in focus
from how to improve the teaching situation to how individual learners go
through their learning. Hence, learner autonomy is very important idea in EFL
class whether at the level of theory or empirically where both teachers and
learners have the opportunity to be involved in the process of learning and
teaching.
According to Little (2003), learning is seen as a spiral
process where new levels of autonomy are acquired as the learners move through
new phases of independence. The importance of learner autonomy is being on
developing positive relation between the present and future learning targets.
In addition to that, autonomy helps learners to be better language learners due
to their intrinsic motivation and their reflective engagement with the learning
process. Thus they are being a lifelong (continuing) learning of constantly
developing awareness. In addition, Little (2004) demonstrates three beliefs
that elucidate learner autonomy in the EFL classroom. Firstly, the learner is
in total control of his or her own learning. Secondly, the capacity of the
individual learner to work alone develops learning language skills in
collaboration with the rest of the peers. Thirdly, both language learning and
language use are maximized throughout the process. Whereas, Dam (1995) sees
that promoting learner autonomy is a demanding task, according to him:
«Developing learner autonomy is a long,
difficult and often painful process, not least for the teacher. It demands
constant effort on the part of teacher and learners; not only as individuals
but in collaboration with one another... it is an experience-based learning
process for teachers and learners alike.» (Dam, 1995:6)
16-Language skills and attended competencies
The Language skills are classed in three main components as the
C.E.F.of Reference for
language teaching ,learning and assessment , that are :
? Understanding , which comprises listening and reading;
? Speaking, which comprises spoken interaction and spoken
production;
? Writing.
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These main skills cannot be reached if they are not supported by
the language pillars:
· Grammar: the learners trained in
discovering the rules of English.
· Phonetics: improving the pronunciation
and intonation.
· Vocabulary: increasing the learners
stock of lexical words.
When fully acquired they become competencies. Thus, in the
same context, Candy (1991) views that autonomous learners have some
competencies. These competencies make them characterized by particular features
such as; methodical, logical, reflective, flexible, self-aware, creative,
responsible, self-sufficient, etc.(Kadi,2018).
17-Conclusion
To conclude, implementing the notion of learner autonomy and
making it a true reality in our schools in not an easy task to be achieved.
However, its enhancing seems to be the cornerstone of successful learning in
which both teachers and learners have the opportunity to be involved.
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II-The Algerian Educational System and approaches to
English Teaching
1-Introduction
This chapter describes the Algerian Educational System
structure and highlights its various objectives. Generally, ELT has many
objectives; they are of social, political, economic and cultural order.
Socially, ELT aims at supplying learners with all the magnitudes which make
them social beings who take part in the making of the world around them. This
can be done through taking charge of their learning process, sharing and
collaborating with each other and making decisions and choices regarding their
learning. Politically, ELT makes learners more engaged in open conversations
and communicative situations where they develop a democratic freedom of
interaction and negotiation with others. At the economic level, English serves
as the language of today's world markets and its functional use in economics
makes it a means of common understanding between nations around the globe.
Moreover, ELT plays a key role in keeping learners in touch with the English
culture and even with other cultures of different countries.
Beyond its objectives, the Algerian Educational System had
adopted some teaching approaches. The competency-based approach is predominant
in the Algerian Educational System in order to attain a level that makes
learners rely on themselves and compete with other people around the world
either in the field of work or in other situations. However, this alternative
approach is actually applied in middle education, and also had adopted the
communicative approach that has always been controversial in Algerian
educational institutions in the sense that it challenges the traditional
conceptions of good teaching and learning, i.e., fluency at the expense of
accuracy.
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2-The Algerian Educational System
During the French colonization, Algeria had no schools or
institutions to provide education for its people; therefore, only a small
minority received this education, and since there were a great number of French
children among this minority, they were forced to learn European languages,
especially French and English. Algeria gained its independence in 1962, and
thus a radical change occurred in many fields. However, education was still
oriented towards a particular elite till 1963 when the Ministry of Education
was founded. As a result, many schools and institutions were established to
make education free to all the Algerian kids. Since then, the Ministry of
Education in Algeria has changed its policy towards learning and teaching
foreign languages to ensure their success. The actual school system in Algeria
is made up of twelve years divided into three main cycles: primary education,
middle education and secondary education.
2-1-Primary Education
At the age of six, Algerian children are obliged to go to
school to receive their primary education for free. They are taught in their
native language Arabic and French as the only foreign language introduced at
this level from the third year. After studying five years, pupils take the
Sixth Grade Exam which is a national final examination through which they can
move to the Middle Cycle.
2-2-Middle Education
During this cycle, learners spend four years and study
different subjects taught by several teachers. From their first year, pupils
start learning English as the second foreign language after French. At the end
of the fourth year, they have to pass the «Brevet d'Enseignement
Moyen» (BEM), which refers to the national basic education certificate
examination, in order to move to high school.
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2-3-Secondary Education
In the secondary cycle, students can choose the stream which
suits them, but according to their grades in the BEM exam. In the first year,
there are three main streams: languages and social studies, sciences and
technology. In the second year, other streams are offered such a; Philosophy
and Literature, Literature and Foreign Languages, Sciences, Mathematics,
Economy and Management, Civil Technology, Chemistry, etc. However, the second
choice of the stream is based on three criteria; students' personal preference,
their teachers' opinions and their first year results. At the end of the third
year, students take a national exam called «Baccalaureate» in which
they are tested in all the subjects studied in the third year. To pass this
examination, students have to score an average of more than 10 on a 20 point
scale.
3-The English language teaching objectives
During the period of colonization, the French language was
strongly implemented as the official and first language in Algeria, whereas
English was introduced in the first year of the intermediate cycle as a first
foreign language which the learners meet only in the classroom. Some years
after the independence, English maintained its status as a first foreign
language, but it was taught till the third year. Thus, pupils would have
studied English for five years between the intermediate cycle the secondary
one. During this period, English Language Teaching (ELT), in
Algeria, has witnessed many changes regarding its objectives, syllabuses and
teaching methodologies as well.
By the end of the 1960s, ELT has become more important and
widespread in the Algerian schools, especially after founding the first English
Department in the University of Algiers in 1964. As a result, the French
language interference has been reduced. In this regard, Miliani states that:
«In a situation where the French language has
lost much of its ground in the sociocultural and educational environments of
the country; the introduction of English is being heralded as the magic
solution to all possible ills-including economic, technological and educational
ones.»(Miliani, 2000:13).
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During the 1990s, after being introduced in optional schools
in Algeria, English has gained a considerable recognition in the country and
become an important part in the curriculum. Consequently, many TEFL institutes
have been established throughout the country in order to provide specialized
training for EFL teachers. However, these training schools were facing
difficulties in transmitting the English culture to those who are supposed to
teach English. Most of these difficulties were due to the lack of real contact
with native speakers and to the rarity of authentic materials which help the
trainees to enrich their cultural knowledge about the target language. Through
the last educational reform launched during the academic year 2002-2003,
nothing is being said on the status of English as a second foreign language. It
becomes an obligatory subject matter for the four years of middle school; it is
taught since the learners' first year and they study it three or four times a
week. They take two tests and one exam each trimester; that is to say, three
times a year. In the secondary cycle, EFL is still compulsory for all learners,
but it is more important for literary stream than scientific or technological
ones.
In fact, the Algerian new policy towards ELT aims basically at
attaining some underlined goals. First, due to its international status,
English was given a special interest by the Algerian Ministry of Education in
order to keep pace with the world development. Second, the main aim behind this
policy is to improve English proficiency of Algerian learners, especially after
being acquainted with French as the country's second language, and provide them
with all the necessary tools which help them become not only autonomous
learners but independent future citizens able to set and realize their
objectives, and satisfy their desirable intentions.
Thanks to the globalization, English becomes a global language
which meets the issues related to the rapid pace of technological advancement.
Therefore, in the last Algerian educational reform in 2002-2003, there has been
a great emphasis on English as a second foreign language. It was affirmed that
ELT must take part in the learner's development in all aspects. In addition, it
must reinforce the national values, open-mindedness, tolerance and mutual
respect with others. Thus, ELT in Algeria aims at reaching the following
objectives:
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3-1-General objectives
Generally, ELT has many objectives; they are of social,
political, economic and cultural order. Socially, ELT aims at supplying
learners with all the magnitudes which make them social beings who take part in
the making of the world around them. This can be done through taking charge of
their learning process, sharing and collaborating with each other and making
decisions and choices regarding their learning. Politically, ELT makes learners
more engaged in open conversations and communicative situations where they
develop a democratic freedom of interaction and negotiation with others. At the
economic level, English serves as the language of today's world markets and its
functional use in economics makes it a means of common understanding between
nations around the globe. Moreover, ELT plays a key role in keeping learners in
touch with the English culture and even with other cultures of different
countries.
Thus, it contributes in developing their open-mindedness,
enriching their knowledge and expanding their cultural background.
In short, the general objectives set to ELT in Algeria can be
summarized in the official text in which the Ministry of Education affirms
that:
«The second foreign language is covering seven
years of study (four years in the middle education and three years in the
secondary education). English language teaching aims at establishing and
developing communicative, linguistic, cultural and methodological skills that
will enable the learner to face situations of oral or written
communication.»
(Ministry of Education, 2005: 4)
3-2-Communicative Objectives
The main objective behind teaching foreign languages, such as
English, is to make learners capable to communicate in the target language with
different peoples around the world and have access to high technology and
modern sciences.
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3-3-Linguistic Objectives
The language or linguistic objectives refer to the students'
mastery of the target language through the four language skills: reading,
speaking, writing and listening. In Algeria, the linguistic objectives of ELT
can be summarized as follows:
- To improve the learners' basic knowledge
and support the continuity of English language learning.
-To reinforce the learning strategies which
facilitate for them the language acquisition. -To provide the
learners with the necessary tools, skills and techniques to carry on their
learning.
3-4-Methodological Objectives
In Oxford dictionary, the term methodology is defined as a
system of methods used in a particular area of study or activity. Teaching
English in Algeria aims at:
- Fostering learner autonomy which is seen as the most
important methodological objective of ELT in Algerian schools. According to the
Ministry of Education, the use of autonomous strategies in learning English
helps learners in expanding their knowledge and getting more information.
- Making the learners actively involved in the learning
process through engaging them in different learning tasks related to their
real-life situations.
- Developing the learners' mental capacities such as analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation though intellectual activities.
3-5-The Objectives of ELT in Middle Education
According to the Orientation Law on National Education No.
08-04 23 (January 2008), the school has four main missions: education,
training, socialization and qualification, the new English curriculum has been
designed appropriately to cover these missions and facilitate their
accomplishment. The four years of the middle education are very important in
the child's school life; he can develop his mental, emotional, physical and
social capacities.
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Hence, during this foundation period, the learner starts
progressively developing different
competencies which help him continue a life-long learning. In
the middle cycle, ELT aims mainly at assisting learners in finding solutions
for the different problem situations they face during their language learning.
According to the Ministry of Education, by the end of middle education,
students will be able to:
- Understand, read and listen to English text, and recognize
different types of text.
- Take part in different conversations and share discussions with
their classmates using
English language.
- Produce different types of paragraphs (letters, invitations,
reports, articles...).
- Evaluate themselves and measure their own progress through
different
assessment tasks.
3-6-Final Objectives of ELT for Fourth Year
Pupils
According to the Algerian Ministry of Education:
«The newly built syllabus contains a short
introduction making explicit the finalities of the English language teaching,
as set by the educational authorities of our country. From these finalities
derive linguistic, methodological and cultural objectives.» (Teacher's
Handbook, 2004:03)
In order to reinforce, improve and develop the skills and the
knowledge acquired during the first three years, ELT, at the fourth year middle
school, aims at attaining the following aims:
3-6-1-Linguistic Objectives
- Developing and reinforcing what has been learnt during the
previous three years.
- Equipping learners with the necessary tools which allow them
to carry on their formal education.
- Making learners ready to attain more complementary
objectives and skills in the next three years of secondary education.
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3-6-2-Methodological Objectives
- Consolidating the methodologies which were adopted in the first
three years.
- Enhancing the learners' self-assessment strategies.
- Equipping learners with the necessary materials that foster
their motivation and allow them to be engaged in real life situations where
they use the target language.
3-6-3-Cultural Objectives
- Enriching the learners' knowledge and culture about the
different civilization contexts.
- Exposing the learner to new customs, habits and beliefs of
different peoples around the world.
- Developing the learner's open- minded perspectives and
arising his eagerness to learn for the sake of gaining new culture about a
particular language or people.
As a result, the syllabus of English in the fourth year middle
school is complementary to the syllabi of the previous three years; therefore,
the textbooks of middle education are designed by the same authors (Arab et
al). So, the pupil will be exposed to the same theoretical and methodological
principles.
3-7-Entrance and exit profiles
According to the Document d'Accompagnement du Programme
d'Anglais,4 ème Année Moyenne :
«The pupil of fourth year middle school has
already been exposed to English for three years .He knows how to interact in
the class, interpret and produce verbal and nonverbal correct messages and of
average complexity orally and in writing.» (2005:66).
Whereas for the exit profile, it is mentioned, in the
Document d'Accompagnement du Programme d'Anglais, 4ème Année
Moyenne, that:
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«In the fourth year middle school, the student will have to
consolidate and develop the language prerequisites, methodological and cultural
knowledge acquired in the third year. The ELT aims to enable the outgoing
student of fourth year:
-To interact in real situations of school life and everyday
life.
- To interpret more complex authentic documents independently.
- To pass successfully the Brevet English exam.
- To continue his language learning in the next cycle in good
conditions.
Basing on the above mentioned general aims of ELT in Algeria,
learners use English to communicate, interact, discuss and discover the world's
cultures. Hence, ELT is considered as a cultural, technical and scientific tool
which contributes effectively in the learner's development in all
dimensions.
3-8-ELT Textbooks in Middle School
During the post-colonial period, ELT textbooks, in Algeria,
have been changed many times. This was due to the distrust of the Algerian
educational authorities towards the English textbooks which were designed by
foreigners to meet the French pupils' needs and according to their level.
(Hayane, 1989).
In addition, most EFL teachers in the mid of the 1960s were
foreigners and they knew no Arabic. That is why; Algerian learners were in need
of new textbooks taking into account their own requirements. By the beginning
of 1970s, the Algerian educational system witnessed radical changes in
different fields. Consequently, new textbooks were designed according to new
standards in order to improve the English language level in Algerian schools.
However, these textbooks were not so Algerian since they were still designed by
a foreigner, and thus teaching English in Algeria knew many difficulties and
challenges at that time. Finally, was the first Algerian course book published
for the fourth grade in 1975. A year later (1976), another Algerian textbook
was released for the third grade. These new textbooks were carefully designed
according to the real situation of ELT in Algeria. (Hayane, 1989).
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In fact, thanks to the whole reconsideration of English
textbooks and Algerian education system by the end of the 1970s when the
«Fundamental School» was implemented, ELT became a standalone
process, especially after adopting new textbooks designed by Algerian authors.
In 1984, details in the table 2.1below: Spring One was published for the
third grade. A year later, another textbook Spring Two was released for
the fourth grade. We can see further in the table 4 below:
Table 4: English Textbooks in Algeria From 1968 to 2003
(Hayane, 1989)
During the academic year 2002-2003, a series of educational
reforms were undertaken at different levels and applied in the three cycles;
primary, middle and secondary cycle. As a result,
7
a national commission known as «Benzaghou Reform»was
formed to review the programs, curricula and textbooks. In addition, this
commission was in charge of making decisions concerning the teaching of foreign
languages. For English language, it was decided to teach it from the first year
of the middle school.
Thus, four textbooks were designed and published from 2003 to
2006; Details concerning these textbooks are shown in the table 2.2 below:
Spotlight on English 1 was first published in 2003 and designed for the
first grade. In 2004, Spotlight on English 2 was published for the
second year pupils in middle school. Later, a new textbook was designed for the
third grade and published in 2005. The last and the actual textbook On the
Move designed for the fourth grade, it was published in 2006.
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Table 5: New English Textbooks (Lekhal,
2008)
This table summarizes the ELT textbooks designed for middle
school learners from 2003 to the present day. From the independence till
present day, English textbooks have been changed and designed many times and by
many authors. During this long period, the Algerian educational authorities
were trying to design the most convenient textbook which suits the Algerian
pupils' level, needs, culture and way of living as well as thinking.
4-English Language Teaching approaches
4-1-Fourth Year ELT Textbook
On the Move is the actual ELT textbook designed for the
middle school fourth year students who are aged between 14 and 15 years old and
have studied English for three years. It was first published by the Ministry of
Education in 2006.
In the section «To the Teacher», the author Arab
mentioned that: «(see Appendix E). The first
part, «Language Learning» corresponds to the receptive stage of the
teaching/ learning procedure. It is concerned with the acquisition of language
in its various components and forms: functions, grammar and sounds. It
includes:
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- Listen and consider. - Read and consider. - Words and
sounds.
The second part, entitled «Skills Building» which
corresponds to the productive stage, consists in the practical uses of the
language on the basis of what has been acquired in the first part. It
comprises:
- Research and Report.
- Listening and speaking. - Reading and writing.
These two parts are followed by «Project Round Up»,
which is a sample breakdown of the items expected to be contained in the
project of each file (see Appendix F). «Where Do We Stand Now?» is a
rubric devoted to the student's achievements, it is divided into an objective
assessment called «Progress Check» (see Appendix G) and a subjective
one called «Learning log» (see Appendix H). Finally, the file is
closed with «Time For» which is devoted for students to take a break
before moving to the next file (see Appendix I). On the Move takes up
from Spotlight on English, Book Three while developing features of its
own.» (Arab, 2006:8). This textbook consists of six files, all of them
following the same structure, i.e. two main parts subdivided into three
sections.
A good textbook would allow learners to make choices from a
variety of activities. It also helps them to organize their learning and
enables them to learn better, faster, clearer, and easier to meet the
challenges of real- life situations.
4-2-The Notion of Autonomy within On the
Move
The Ministry of Education considers developing learner
autonomy as one of the main objectives of ELT in the middle of education in
general and fourth year pupils in particular.
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According to the Teacher Handbook, the teacher:
«must keep in mind that the learners' gradual autonomy is one of the main
objectives.»(2004:03), and this is the reason why new syllabus has been
designed, new textbooks have been published and the CBA has been introduced as
a new approach.On the other hand, the development of learner autonomy is
mentioned by the authors of On the Move as one of the main features of
this textbook
«... the development of student autonomy through
`survival strategies' and research tasks involving group work and peer
evaluation.»
(Arab et al, 2006:09).
In this textbook and in the beginning of each file, there is
an anticipating phase called «Food For Thought» in which pupils
predict the files theme through illustrations. This technique renders them
somehow more autonomous since they rely on their previous knowledge and
predict. In addition, each file is ended with a project workshop in which
pupils do a research about the file theme. In this phase, the teacher should
act as a counselor; his role is to direct the learners' efforts towards
available sources of information as well as assessing their results. The
project also encourages the use of extra learning resources, such as
dictionaries, personal documents, and realia, which promote autonomous
learning. However, these projects are often done in non-autonomous way, just
getting information from the internet and copy them, or only one of the group
members takes in charge.
Furthermore, On the Move offers learners the
opportunity to assess their progress in a section called «Where Do We
Stand Now?» .This section comes at the end of each file, and it comprises
two types of complementary evaluation: «The Progress Check» and
«The Learning Log». The first type is a summative evaluation aims at
involving learners in problem-solving situations and assessing their
performance through different tasks related to what has been seen in the whole
file.
Whereas, «The Learning Log» is basically a
self-assessment activity which is less objective but more motivating to
learners. The items covered are a summation of the functions, language forms,
sound features and skills seen throughout the file. Learners are requested to
evaluate their performance by ticking in the appropriate column (very well,
fairly well, a little) against each item.
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This kind of assessment helps teachers in identifying their
pupils' weaknesses in language leaning and programming a remedial work if
needed. In addition, it seeks to make learners more autonomous since it gives
them the opportunity to evaluate themselves and their learning as well. As it
is stated in the Teachers' Handbook:
«Finally, it is strongly recommended to provide
the learner with sufficient autonomy in order to enable him to assess by
himself his own weaknesses ..., this will make him responsible for his learning
in identifying and correcting his own mistakes.»(2004:12)
In fact, the «Learning Log» is an important
assessing and motivational tool for both EFL teachers and learners, but we
cannot ensure their awareness of its usefulness in language learning since not
all of them are using it in our middle schools.
4-3-The Competency-Based Approach
As it is mentioned in the Teacher's Handbook (first year middle
school), a competency
«is a know-how which integrates and mobilizes a
number of abilities and knowledge to be efficiently used in problem solving
situations that have never been met before .» (2004:4).
In other words, it refers to the individual's ability to use
appropriately the acquired knowledge, skills and capacities in order to face
the challenges and hindrances which encounter him along his life.
Unfortunately, most schools and universities failed to instill within learners
such ability and to form competent adults able to relate what they have learnt
to their real-life situations. In this regard, Slavin claims that:
«Students must receive specific instruction in
how to use their skills and information to solve problems and encounter a
variety of problem-solving experiences if they are to be able to apply much of
that they learned in school.» (Slavin, 1998: 241)
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For Slavin, education should help learners in applying what
has been acquired at school in extra school contexts; otherwise this education
should be reconsidered.
The CBA was first applied in USA military field. Then, it has
been extended to the educational field which was suffering from various
difficulties and obstacles in USA and many countries around the world. The
competency-based approach seeks to bridge the gap between the classroom and
everyday real life through putting together all the knowledge, know-how,
abilities and attitudes acquired at school for the solution of real life
problems. In other words, this approach aims at supplying learners with a set
of competencies which help them reinvest their learning outcomes in situations
that are commonly encountered in extra school settings.
According to the U.S. office of Education, the
competency-based approach is defined as a performance based process leading to
demonstrated mastery of basic and life skills necessary for the individual to
function proficiently in the society. Whereas Richards and Rodgers (2001),
agree that CBA focuses on what the learners are expected to do rather than on
what they are expected to learn about. It is mainly based on the outcomes of
learning that students should possess at the end of a course of study. However,
Schneck (1978) considers the CBA as an outcome based instruction that is
adaptive to the needs of students, teachers and the community. This outcome is
derived from an analysis of tasks typically required of students in life role
situations. On the other hand, Nunan (1988) views that the CBA is typically a
learner- centered approach. For him, this approach aims at attaining the
following objectives:
- To provide learners with efficient learning
strategies.
- To assist learners to identify their own preferred ways of
learning.
- To develop skills needed to negotiate the curriculum.
- To encourage learners to set their own objectives.
- To encourage learners to adapt realistic goals and time
frames.
- To develop learners' skills in self- evaluation.
(Nunan, 1988: 13)
Basing on the above mentioned objectives, it is obvious that
the CBA and learner autonomy share nearly the same aims; both of them support
the learners' involvement in learning situations which make them at the center
of learning and help them acquire solid methods of learning and develop a sense
of responsibility and independency.
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4-4-CBA in the Algerian Educational Context
th
In the late of the 20century, the concept of autonomy in
learning became a matter of a great importance and the notion of `student
power' was current in education (Cockburn and Blackburn, 1969), and radically
student-centered educational reforms were proposed by Freire (1970), Illich
(1971), Rogers (1969) and others. Hence, the previous approaches were
substituted by a new teaching method adopting the CBA principles. The real
potential of this approach is the way it changes learners to become autonomous
in their learning process; it is mainly based on the shift from
teacher-centeredness to learner-centeredness. The Algerian education system was
not far from this shift. Thus, the CBA is the approach currently used in ELT in
Algeria.
According to the official document Programmes de la
Deuxième Année Moyenne, the main aim behind implementing the
CBA in Algerian middle schools is to equip learner with some competencies that
enable them to reach an acceptable level of performance in EFL. These
competencies can be summarized as follow:
- Oral interaction; learners
interact with each other or with their teacher in order to be involved in
spoken communications in English.
- Oral or written interpretation;
learners display their comprehension through oral reformulation of authentic
oral or written documents.
- Oral or written production;
learners produce simple oral or written messages.
Moreover, the CBA seeks to make learners behave as active
users of the target language in real- world context through the establishment
of: «A know-how-to-do, and a know-how-to-be in learners.» (Teacher's
Handbook, 2004:43)
In fact, the competency-based approach is predominately
adopted in the Algerian educational system in order to attain a level that
makes learners rely on themselves and compete with other people around the
world either in the field of work or in other situations. However, this
alternative approach is actually applied in middle education, but we cannot
assert that its objectives have been achieved, though the approach has been
implemented for more than a decade.
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4-5-The actual situation of the CBA approach
Since the independence, the Algerian schools experienced
different teaching methods and approaches, but unfortunately they failed to
produce a generation of self-reliant individuals capable to solve their problem
situations in real-life. Consequently, the CBA has been adopted as an attempt
to match between the school life and real life. Thus, the syllabus is centered
on the learner and on the construction of a functional knowledge which fits his
needs in school and beyond it. With regard to the Algerian educational context,
the competency-based approach focuses on mobilizing the learners' values,
knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in a personal way to address the challenges
successfully. In this context, Chellei (2010) sees that the adoption of the CBA
in Algerian schools seeks to enable young people to reach an international
level in terms of required competencies which allow them to integrate in the
globalized world. Besides, she views that this approach has been implemented in
the Algerian educational system due to its positive implications such as:
-Making the school acquisition viable and sustainable.
-Developing the thinking process of the learner.
-Presenting learning contexts in relation to the needs of the
learner.
-Putting an end to disciplinary barriers.
-Choosing a personalized pedagogy. (Chellei,
2010:30)
Actually, there is an apparent dissatisfaction about the
learners' level in English in Algerian schools. This reality is obviously
reflected in the quality of English language learning and teaching as well.
Therefore, educationalists consider that the only way of updating the content
of education is the orientation of the training programs towards the CBA. In
addition, it is scientifically proved that if learners transform their
knowledge, skills and habits into competencies, they will acquire them quickly.
(Chellei, 2010).
4-6-Learner's role in the CBA
The CBA refers to learner-centered approach. That is to say,
it considers the learner as the pillar of the learning process and the
cornerstone of the classroom on which both learning and teaching are based.
Thus, within this approach, the learner is no more a passive receiver of
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knowledge; he should play a set of roles which make him
actively involved in the learning process like; setting goals, making choices
and decisions, sharing and cooperating with others, solving problem- situations
and using different strategies to overcome such situations. In other words, the
learner is totally responsible for most of the learning tasks, and so he sees
himself as the real supervisor of his own learning. As stated by Edwards:
«...When students are compelled to assume greater
responsibility for directing their learning, they will gradually learn to see
themselves as the controllers of their own learning. Learning is seen as
self-initiated and not other-initiated». (Edwards, 1998:80)
Hence, the CBA reshapes the learners' roles and responsibilities,
and brings a radical
change in their attitudes towards knowledge and learning. These
roles can be summarized as
follows:
- Take charge of their learning process.
- Collaborate and interact with each other.
- Assess their progress and themselves (self- evaluation).
- Create learning situations.
- Acquire problem-solving skills.
- Discover and construct knowledge.
- Develop a critical thinking.
- Contributes to information and process.
Generally, these are the roles advocated by the CBA which
brings considerable changes to challenge traditional ways of learning and even
teaching. Now, the change which is coming into education is the shift of the
center of gravity. Whether or not these roles are really played by learners in
the Algerian middle education, we cannot assert this firmly. We may say that
they are to a large extent keeping the traditional way of learning, simply
because they used to do so, and they are neither ready to accept these new
roles nor informed how to play them.
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5-The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
approach
Although Algeria was one of the pioneers in implementing CLT,
little was done to prepare the schools for the necessary changes and to provide
the appropriate conditions required by the communicative approach. English
classrooms rarely met the criteria of purposefulness and contextualization that
defined CLT tasks at the level of the intended aims and objectives. Such a
situation was due to the pedagogical constraints, i.e., the incongruence
between the intended and implemented syllabus. What is more, the communicative
approach has always been controversial in Algerian educational institutions in
the sense that it challenges the traditional conceptions of good teaching and
learning, i.e., fluency at the expense of accuracy. Worse still, many teachers,
especially the more experienced, still do point to communication-based teaching
as a reason for declining English standards in Algeria and in many parts of the
world. (Benmoussat:2018)
Needless to recall, in the 1980s, CLT became a buzz term and a
cliché which was used here and there rightly and wrongly, most of the
time, with no precise perception in the principles it embodied in popular
literature and common parlance among EFL teachers. This is another way of
saying that this approach to language teaching has become so over-used that it
has begun to lose its meaning. The following is an attempt to give a list, a
non-exhaustive one, of the characteristics underlying communicative language
teaching. In sum then, and according to Larsen-Freeman (1986), CLT is
characterized by the focus on communicative competence, orientation towards
learner-centeredness, emphasis on the role of teachers as facilitators and
providers of a secure, non-threatening atmosphere, introduction of group
activities, and finally, use of authentic materials. A related point worth
noting here is that originally, the term «communicative competence»
was used to refer to what a speaker needs to know in order to communicate
effectively in culturally significant situations (Hymes, 1974). It has become
the rallying call of CLT. The Council of Europe (2001, p. 9) defines it as
«a person's ability to act in a foreign language in a linguistically,
socio-linguistically and pragmatically appropriate way.»
(Benmoussat:2018).
-55-
II-The Algerian Educational System and approaches to
English Teaching
5-The Cooperative Learning
5-1-Definition
Cooperative Learning may be broadly defined as any group
learning situation in which students of all levels of performance work together
in structured groups toward a shared or common goal. Brody and Albany (1998,
p.8) defined it as «students work in groups toward a common goal or
outcome, or share a common problem or task in such a way that they can only
succeed in completing the work through behavior that demonstrate
interdependence while holding individual contributions and efforts
accountable».(Wang,2010).
Jack C. Richards (2000, p. 108) listed four reasons to support
such an approach to learning which is said to increase students learning:
(1) It is less threatening for many students;
(2) It increases the amount of student participation in the
classroom;
(3) It reduces the need for competitiveness;
(4) It reduces the teacher's dominance in the classroom.
While the Cooperative Learning in this thesis refers those
learners learn in groups, working together towards a common goal, being
individually accountable for the group success. (Wang,2010).
5-2-Characteristics of CL
Cooperative Learning requires social interaction and
negotiation of meaning among heterogeneous group members engaged in tasks in
which all group members have both something to contribute to and learn from the
other members. CL shares the following essential characteristics (Crandall,
1999, p. 227):
(1) positive interdependence;
(2) face-to-face, group interaction;
(3) individual (and group) accountability;
(4) development of small group social skills;
(5) group processing. (Wang,2010).
-56-
II-The Algerian Educational System and approaches to
English Teaching
Breen and Mann (1997, p. 134) combine eight qualities that
characterize autonomous learners:
(1) the person's stance towards the world;
(2) their desire for what it is they are learning;
(3) their robust sense of self;
(4) metacognitive capacity;
(5) management of change;
(6) their independence from educational process;
(7) their strategic engagement with learning;
(8) their capacity to negotiate. (Wang,2010).
According to Breen and Mann, and Crandall, not only
metacognitive strategies are essential for autonomy, but also learners'
attitudes towards the world, the educational environment, and themselves as
language learners play a critical part. CL has been shown to encourage and
support most of the affective factors with correlate positively with language
learning (Crandall, 1999, p. 227), i.e., reducing (negative or debilitating)
anxiety, increasing motivation, facilitating the development of positive
attitudes toward learning and language learning, promoting self-esteem, as well
as supporting different learning styles and encouraging perseverance in the
difficult and confusing process of learning another language. All of these are
important factors to be more autonomous. (Wang,2010).
7-The use of ICT in EFL
During the last two decades, the integration of ICT in
language education has become a major interest of topic in language educational
realm. Research findings over the past two decades provide some evidence as to
the positive effects of the use of information and communications technology
(ICT) on students. EFL teachers are expected to adopt a new view of their roles
and professional development in the rapidly changing modern society. It is
needed to explore particular skills required for ICT to enhance language
learning. The use of ICT as a teaching tool emphasizes obtaining, analyzing and
organizing information, by this way giving chance students to get in touch with
different kinds of media. Integration of ICT necessitates deciding on the use
of different ICTs in each skill, the types of ICT applications to be used,
planning the favorite activities, managing problems arising from the activities
planned, and so on. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be
regarded as a new model of teaching and learning.(Çakici,2016)
-57-
II-The Algerian Educational System and approaches to
English Teaching
8-Conclusion
The Algerian Educational System had made objectives to be reached
and had provided the necessary human, material, teaching approaches, but as any
other educational system it is in continuous enhancement with regard to its
international and national environment.
We consider that the endeavor is well accepted by either teachers
or learners and by other parties that had used communication in English to tie
various relations with partners outside of Algeria mainly in international
trading and some cultural concerns.
-58-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
1-Introduction
This practical part aims to bring face to face theory and real
situation in matter of learner autonomy and thus to determine its level among
learners as viewed by their daily teachers.
This part begins with the presentation of the teacher's
questionnaire, then the presentation of collected answers, followed by the
interpretation of these results and finally by the presentation of the findings
of this research and suggests another solution to learner autonomy.
2-The Teacher's questionnaire
The learner autonomy context is perceived in this research as
composed from 4 main elements that are :
· the teacher;
· the learner;
· the classroom;
· the outside of classroom;
These elements are supposed to be enough sufficient to assess
the learner autonomy level as precisely as possible, and thus the teacher's
questionnaire was built on such elements in a set of questions for each
category as follows:
2-1-Teacher
Q1: What do you think are the teacher's roles in
promoting an autonomous class?
· Guide.
· Neutral: little engagement in making instructions.
· Active: the teacher is the only responsible.
· Passive: not active and students are responsible.
· Motivator.
Q2: Do you see teaching as an objective process
?
· Yes.
· No, it is a subjective one.
-59-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
Q3: In general, do inspectors prevent you from getting
out of the box and use entertaining games and activities?
· Yes
· No, they encourage me to be more creative in teaching.
Q4: Algerian inspectors in general are:
1. Traditional School Pioneers.
2. Non Traditional School Pioneers.
Q5: How do you consider the notion of responsibility in
the language classroom?
· Teacher's responsibility.
· Shared between teacher and student.
· Student's responsability.
Q6:Do you let your students evaluate their performance
during class-interaction to themselves ?
· Yes.
· No, it's the teacher's task .
Q7:When your student commit an error:
· I correct it immediately because errors are not
allowed.
· I guide him to correct it by himself because errors are
allowed.
Q8: Do you use Arabic language in explaining the
lesson
· Never
· Rarely
· often
Q9: Do you add, eliminate or modify the course book
tasks?
· Never
· Sometimes
· Rarely
Q10-Do you usually attend teacher training programs
about promoting learner autonomy?
· Never
· Occasionally
· Always
2-2-Learner
Q11: In general, secondary school students are supposed
to be:
· decision makers: they are involved in making a map for
the lesson.
· decision takers: they have the free will to choose among
a list of proposals about what they will to learn.
· neither decision makers nor decision takers.
-60-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
Q12: In general, Secondary school students are
:
· Passive: they receive, not produce.
· Active: interact and produce.
Q13: In general, are students in scientific streams more
autonomous than students of literary ones?
· No.
· Yes.
2-3-The classroom
Q14: What is the atmosphere of your class?
· Student centered class.
· Teacher centered class.
· Balanced between both.
Q15: Do you explain the instructions step by step in
detail for every task?
· Yes.
· No, they understand and answer without my help.
Q16: Do you provide your students with tasks that
reflect their personal lives and interests?
· Yes.
· No, I prefer professional content that is not
personal.
Q17:To what extent do you see your students confident
about their performance ?
· Confident to high extent.
· Somehow confident.
· Not confident at all.
Q18: By the end of the session, do you ask your students
to give you a feedback of a given type of task if they like it or not
?
· Yes.
· No, I simply believe that it is what perfectly suits
them.
Q19: In evaluating your student's work , do you accept
different but true answers and give them a full mark for the questions
?
· Yes.
· No, I prefer to stick with the model answers, eventually
they will have a zero.
Q20: How do you describe the relationship between you
and your students?
· Friendly.
· Professional.
-61-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
Q21-Do you ask your students personal information like
why were they absent last week?
· Yes.
· No, I see it a private matter that may embarrasses
them.
2-4-The outside of classroom
Q22: In general, Who were responsible for choosing your
student's streams?
· Themselves.
· Parents.
· People around them: Family, friends and society.
Q23:Do you provide your students with web sites and
resources that enhance their English learning outside the
classroom?
· Yes
· No, I only use materials inside classroom because they do
not know how to study alone.
Q24: Do your students make extra work in English
learning outside the classroom?
· Yes.
· No, the knowledge presented by the teacher is sufficient
.
· Indifferent about it.
3-Collected Data
These responses were collected by May 28th, 2020
and have been given by 37 teachers. The number of collaborating teachers could
be more wide if the coronavirus pandemic event wasn't.
3-1-Teacher
The following figure Fig. 5 entitled «Teacher
autonomy state» depicts the teachers own perception of their
autonomy.
0
10 10 20
· Yes
· No, they encourage me to be more creative in teaching.
· Yes,
· No, it's the teacher's task
· Teacher's responsabiltty.
· Shared between teacher and student.
· Student's responsability
· Never
· Rarely often
· I correct it immediately because errors are not
allowed.
· I guide him to correct it by himself because errors are
allowed.
Q7:When your student commit an error:
Q8: Do you use Arabic language in explaining the lesson ?
· Never
· Sometimes
· Rarely
Q1:What do you think are the teacher's role in promoting an
autonomous class ?
Q2:Do you see teaching as an objective process ?
11
· Traditional School Pioneers .
· Non Traditional School Pioneers.
Q4:Algeriau inspectors in general are:
Alk
· Yes.
· No, it is a subjective one.
70,3
Q6:Do you let your students evaluate their performance during
class-interaction to themselves ?
grik
Q10-Do you usually attend teacher training programs about
promoting learner autonomy?
· Never
· Occasionally
· Always
de
Motivator
Q9: Do you add, eliminate or modify the course book tasks?
Q3:In general, do inspectors prevent you from getting out of
the box and use entertaining games and activities?
Q5:How do you consider the notion of responsibility in the
language classroom?
-62-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
-63-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
3-2-Learner
Fig. 6: Learner autonomy state
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
3-3-Classroom
Fig. 7: Classroom autonomy state
-64-
-65-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
3-4-Outside of classroom
Fig. 8: Outside of classroom autonomy state
4-Interpretation
This discussion will be made by category of questions and their
respective responses in order to see where the learner autonomy is weak or
absent or any other result.
4-1-Teachers
The ten (10) questions addressed to the teacher specific
awareness and preparation for autonomy had given the following results:
As Q1 response, teachers are very aware of their role in
promoting or enhancing the learner autonomy, this is confirmed by (48,6% and
48,6%, that is to say 97,2% as guides and motivators).
As Q2 response, teachers prefer generally to follow the learning
process made by another parts upon their own sight to teaching (51,4% of them
as).
As Q3, we can see that 56,8% of teachers are not allowed to use
new ways of teaching, while only 43 are allowed. SO, inspectors, in general, do
not encourage teachers' creativity.
-66-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
The big portion, in Q4, exhibits that inspectors are
traditional, which means that they tend to not encourage teachers to adapt new
ways of teaching like games and so on. This is an important factor that
prevents teachers to be more creative, these traditional inspectors prefer that
teachers stick to the prescribed curriculum. and this is another factor that
made promoting autonomy somehow difficult.
Teachers see also that they are the sole responsible of
classroom with exclusively of 51,4% of them (Q5) and share some responsibility
with students.
Teachers maintain their tasks as a source for teaching or
directing the classroom (with 67,6% in Q6) and act as guides to correct
students errors (78,4% in Q7) and prefer helping learners to understand English
lessons and using another language (here Arabic) with 48,6% of them (Q8).
Teachers show some flexibility in using English text book and
sometimes eliminate or modify its tasks (59,5% in Q9).And show that they are
interested with learner autonomy training programs (56,8% do it occasionally
and 13,5% do it always in Q10).
4-2-Learners
Teachers see that their secondary learners are decision-takers
(51,4% in Q11) and decision-makers at 21,6% in same question. And see that
learners are very passive (91,9% in Q12) and agree that learners of scientific
streams are more autonomous then those of literary streams (94,6% in Q13).
4-3-Classroom
Teachers confirm that they the center of teaching in classroom
with 51,4% of them in Q14 et some of them do practice balancing between teacher
and learner (45,9%). And confirm their respect to explaining in step by step
the instructions for doing tasks by learners (59,5% in Q15) and hopefully some
learners (40,5%) are able to understand by themselves.
Learners get the professional content as programed (64,9% in
Q16) and in less manner their interests are taken into consideration (35,1% in
the same Q16).
Learners are also somehow confident about their performance,
45,9% in Q17 and a part of them is very confident (10,8% in same question).
At almost the same part as Q18, learners feedback is taken
into consideration but they are seen as having understood lesson.
-67-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
Teachers are sticky to their manner to teach by not accepting
any different answer outside of the model, this is clearly shown in Q19 with
54,1% of them. And maintain their professional relation with learners (75,7% in
Q20). And keep distance from their learners regarding their personal
information (62,2% in Q21).
4-4-Outside of classroom
Teachers believe that choosing learners stream is due to
parents with 54,1% and to people around them at 27% in Q22 and then this wasn't
their own choice. And don't let learners using other resources thinking that
they are not able to study alone (56,8% in Q23) and that the knowledge
presented by teacher is enough sufficient at 48,6% of their response in Q24.
5-Findings
When relying on discussion of various categories where learner
autonomy had been explored, we can conclude that Algerian secondary school
learners are not autonomous in learning English and that result confirms our
main hypothesis, because of:
-teachers themselves are not supporting learner with the right
manner even they are stimulated to do so and because the previous learning in
middle education stage failed in teaching them language and self-learning
principles;
-learners themselves are not trying to be autonomous and those
of the scientific streams are the best ones on that matter because of their
future need to it;
-the classroom is still teacher centered and getting outside
program is still prohibited;
-the outside of the classroom had a negative effect on
choosing learner stream as it takes into consideration only the main matter
such as : natural sciences, mathematics and never the learner English language
competencies or skills.
-68-
III-Data Collection , Interpretation ,Findings and
Solution
6-Enhancing learner autonomy
As the applicable methods in English Language Teaching failed
to produce autonomous learners and as regard to other good concepts and methods
such as Fitts and Posner 3-stage learning model and the CEFR assessment grid
and Cooperative Learning, we can present a combined solution that we see to be
able to enhance learners autonomy under the teacher supervision, which we call
the separate autonomy goals method as follows:
? teachers must focus their endeavor on the learner listening
skill as the most important
skill to develop;
? teachers then must also focus on the spoken production skill
even by imitation;
? teachers then must focus on spoken interaction by known words
to learner;
? teachers then must focus on reading skill;
? teachers then must focus on writing skill.
All this in a Cooperative Learning between learners and using
ICT, that is to say, good learners can transmit easily their skills
understanding to their peers in small groups within the classroom. This seen
method can surely allow the best assessment of each skill apart and can give an
actual overall autonomy level.
We notice that the CEFR assessment grid seems to be the
application of the Fitts Posner 3-Stage Model as presented in table 2 (most
right column) but that assessment grid had omitted the most important level in
learning which the level 1, corresponding to the learner first contact with a
foreign language, that we can call the «anchor» to learning because
of its importance to motivate or demotivate learner in language skills
acquisition.
-69-
General Conclusion
In chapter One we have made a very large investigation of
learner autonomy and its related concepts and in chapter Two we gave a general
overview on the Algerian Educational System and its main objectives on English
Teaching and we gave also some other interesting methods such as Communicative
Language Teaching and Cooperative Learning and use of ICT. In chapter Three, we
presented our specific practical part beginning by the survey addressed to
teachers via a questionnaire and then we waited for their perceived
responses.
When interpreting result by categories of learner autonomy we
concluded that Algerian Secondary School learners are not autonomous confirming
our made hypothesis. And as autonomy context is very complex, we presented a
solution that deals with each skill apart and we consider that this method can
allow a good assessment of learner autonomy by increasing it in each of
academic year.
Finally, our suggestions go to make special researches on how
to increase each language skill apart by Master Students and the overall
learner autonomy by Doctorate ones.
-70-
Bibliography
Bibliography 1-Books
Cotterral S. & Crabbe D.(1999).Learner autonomy in
language learning: defining the field and effecting change. Peter Lang.
Frankfurt. Germany.
Jiménez Raya M. & Sercu L. (2007). Challenges in
Teacher Development: Learner autonomy and intercultural Competence. Peter Lang.
Frankfurt. Germany.
Little D.(1991).Learner autonomy : 1-Definitions, issues and
problems. Authentik Language Learning resources Ltd. .Dublin. United
Kingdom.
2-Thesis and Dissertations
Djoub Z.(2017). Portfolio Training for Autonomous Language
Learning . The case of Fist Year English Students at Abdelhamid Benbadis
Univsersity of Mostaganem. A Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Doctorat es-Science in Educational Psychology. University of
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Kadi Z.(2018). The Notion of Learner Autonomy in the Algerian EFL
Classrooms: The Case of 4th Year Pupils in Guettaf Mansour Middle School
(El-Bayadh). Dissertation Submitted to the Department of English as a Partial
Fulfillment for the Degree of «Magister» in Psychopedagogy. Djillali
Liabes University Sidi Bel Abbes.
3-Scientific Papers
Balçikanli C.(2007).Learner autonomy in a nutshell. The
11th International INGED ELT Conference. Ankara. Turkey.
Benmoussat S. & Benmoussat N.D.(2018).ELT in Algeria: The
Hegemony of the Teach-to-the-Test Approach.English Language and Literature
Studies; Vol. 8, No. 2.
http://doi.org/10.5539/ells.v8n2p63
Benson P. (2006). State-of-the-art article. Autonomy in language
teaching and learning. Cambridge University Press.
doi:10.1017/S0261444806003958
Borg S. & Al-Busaidi S.(2012). Learner Autonomy: English
Language Teachers' Beliefs and Practices.University of Leeds.
Çakici D.(2016). The use of ICT in teaching English as a
foreign language. Participatory Educational Research (PER) Special Issue
2016-IV.
Suwaed H.(2019).Beyond English Language Classroom: an
Investigation into Libyan Undergraduate Petroleum Engineering Students
Improving of Language skills. International Journal of English Language &
Translation Studies.Vol.7, Issue 04.
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Bibliography
Thanasoulas, D. (2000). What is Learner Autonomy and How Can It
Be Fostered? The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VI, No.11.
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html
Tassinari, M. G. (2012).Evaluating learner autonomy: A dynamic
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http://sisaljournal.org/archives/march12/tassinari
Wang X-s.(2010).Promoting language Learners' Autonomy in
Cooperative Learning.
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3-Internet Sites
3-1-Authors Online Teacher's questionnaire :
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-g3JolLVOdDeb-oiIDYhGuqJ0uyV
zpmz-rn3bT4wyE/viewform?edit requested=true
(06/06/2020) - email :
tahani.salhiyoucef@gmail.com
3-2-Lizzie Pinard webpage :
https://reflectiveteachingreflectivelearning.com/
(06/06/2020)
3-3-Fig. 2
https://vdocuments.mx/document/exos-certification-coaching-science-final-5-2014-athletesa-performance.html
(06/06/2020)
3-4-Table 2
https://www.psia-rm.org/download/resources/fall
training/PSIA-RM%20&%20Fitts%20&%20Posner%20Stages.pdf
(06/06/2020)
3-5-Kazinori Nozawa - Enhancing Learner Autonomy
through Technology Enhanced Language Learning.
https://fr.slideshare.net/engedukamall/1-plenary-nozawakamall2014
-72-
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