On Developing Middle School Students’ Autonomous Learning Ability in English

On Developing Middle School Students’

Autonomous Learning Ability in English

Abstract: Autonomous learning ability is one of the most important abilities in English learning. In the volatile information ages, in special, the autonomous learning is necessary for everyone else’s life-long learning and life-long development. However, most of the current middle school students are lack of this learning ability. The mind of waiting, dependence and demanding has gradually increased among them. Basically, they are forced to learn with the accompaniment by their parents and the rigorous monitoring of their teachers. As a result, children (students) themselves are unwilling to learn; their parents are very tired with doing so but have no choice and even worse, their teachers have no idea on what to do. Through most current studies, one of the findings is that the problem of lacking autonomy is virtually serious among middle school students, since it is difficult for them to control themselves or to take their responsibilities for their English learning, which has raised people’s widespread concerns. After researching and studying, another finding is that the reasons for lacking autonomy are various. Apart from some reasons from students themselves, family, school, as well as society should be blamed. The main solution of this problem is that the whole society should focus enough attention on developing the learning autonomy of middle school students.

Key words: autonomous learning ability;develop; dependence; English learning

摘要: 在英语学习过程中，自主学习能力是学习者不可缺少的能力之一，尤其在这瞬息万变的信息时代里，自主学习更是促进其终身学习和终身发展的需要。然而当代的中学生，却出现了自主学习能力“荒”的现象。等、靠（依赖）、要的思想在他们当中不断助长。他们基本上是在父母的陪伴下，老师的严格监督下进行压迫式的学习，其结果是孩子（学生）很不情愿，父母既无赖又辛苦，老师为此很是头疼。通过对当前中学生英语学习情况的研究，发现当代的中学生很难自己管好自己学好英语，很难对自己的英语学习负责，缺乏独立自主能力的情况比较严重，很让人堪忧；经过研究还得出了产生这种现象的原因和解决办法，其中有除了有来自个人、家庭以及学校的原因外，同时也有来自社会的原因，因此得出的解决办法是：我们全社会，应该重视中学生英语学习自主能力的培养。

关键词: 自主学习能力; 培养; 依赖; 英语学习

Ⅰ.Introduction

1.1 Significance of this research

With the development of science and technology, knowledge is being replaced faster and faster. The students nowadays must be cultivated into lifelong learners to adjust themselves to the times of knowledge explosion. The ultimate goal of English teaching in China is to develop learners’ communicative competence and go od learning strategies, so as to become autonomous language learners and users. Everyone knows school education is very important and useful. Yet no one can learn everything from school. So much more is to be learned outside school by students themselves.

Thus that is, the sense of learning autonomy is the essential mind for English learning. Without the sense of learning autonomy, autonomous learning will be just like water without source；establishing a sense of learning autonomy means that students should realize very clearly that it is they themselves not teachers who should take the responsibility for their learning (Huang & Zhang, 2007).Many studies have indicated that autonomous learning is an effective way to cultivate students’ English learning ability in middle school, by which students can show their interests, develop study skills and enhance their creativity.

1.2 Purpose of this paper

With the methodology of literature review, this study is to arouse students to be aware of the importance of autonomy in middle school English learning and to enable them to have a positive attitude toward English learning. Consequently, with the help of autonomy, middle school students will become independent in English learning. After gaining the acknowledge of autonomy, the whole society, including current schools, parents, and students themselves, will realize that we all should pay lots of attention on developing autonomy in English learning.

Ⅱ. Definitions of Learning Autonomy

Learning autonomy refers to the capability to determine the learning objectives, select methods, monitor the procedure and evaluate the results (Zimmerman, 1996). As Cotterall (1995) said autonomous learning can be defin ed as “the extent to which learners demonstrate the ability to use a set of tactics for taking their learning”. According to Littlewood (1998) a student’s autonomy should include the two features:

①Students should take responsibility for their own learning.

②Taking responsibility involves learners in taking ownership (partial or total) of many processes which have traditionally belonged to the teacher, such as deciding on learning objectives, selecting learning methods and evaluating process.

“Autonomy occurs when one uses personal processes to strategically monitor and control his or her be havior and the environment” (Chen, 2008). Autonomy in educational contexts determines how students personally activate, alter, and sustain their learning (Zimmerman, 1996).Though the definitions of autonomous learning mentioned above are various, they have something in common. First, learners should be independent. Second, learners should take responsibility for their own learning. Third, learners should have abilities of self-management and control over cognitive process.

To all intents and purposes, the autonomous learner takes an active role in the learning process, generating ideas and availing himself of learning opportunities, rather than simply reacting to various stimuli of the teacher (Guo, 2008). However, the author regards that autonomous learning, especially for middle school students, is awareness or a kind of ability that learners study English more actively and efficiently because they cannot work like college students to select the contents or determine the objectives. And also autonomous learning is a process, which is gradual, cumulative and collaborative.

Ⅲ. Advantages of Autonomous Learning

3.1 More Opportunities of Independent Learning

Students have more opportunities of independent learning. Not like passive learning, autonomous learning requires that students should select learning resources, methods and time by themselves. One does not become autonomous fully; one only works towards autonomy.

Students have more opportunities to learn and think independently in autonomous learning than in any other learning model. More opportunities for autonomous learning and taking part in classroom activities can develop students’ passion for language learning, and help them to perform actively in the classes, which ultimately will increase the efficiency of learning (Thanasoulas, D. 2000). There is a reason that it is impossible for students to master all that teachers have mentioned in the classes. As a result, they need a process of practicing and learning to entirely master the input in classroom teaching. Furthermore, it is not enough for students to master a foreign language indeed just depending on language input and practice in the classes. Students should seek for more opportunities to use language and receive more language input.

Every teacher has his own teaching methods and styles, while students whom he faces are different in cognitive styles, learning styles and passion features. Consequently, it is difficult for teachers to pay attention to every aspect in the classroom teaching to satisfy every student’s needs and hobbies. What they can do is just to tell students some general principles. Take memorizing English vocabularies for example, teachers will only tell students that they had better memorize English vocabularies in the period that their memory efficiency is the highest. However, all students are not the same. For some students, it is in the morning that they memorize English vocabularies effectively. While for other students, the prime time is the evening. Through autonomous learning, students can find learning methods that are suitable for them.

All in all, students have more opportunities for independent learning, which will do a great favor to them.

3.2 Reflecting the Theory of Student-Centered Education

It reflects the theory of student-centered education. In the past, in the teaching-learning process, teachers were the center. In classroom teaching, teachers dominated most of the time, while students nearly had no opportunities to perform. So most of students did not learn actively and independently but depended on teachers, which was opposite to the aim of education (钟启泉&崔允淳, 2006). Consequently, the ability of students and the quality of English education could not meet the requirements of the English Curricular Standard for Middle School. The whole process of autonomous learning focuses on students’ needs and develop ment, which reflects the theory of student-centered education.

3.3 Developing S tudents’ Non-Intellectual Factors

It can develop students’ non-intellectual factors. In autonomous learning, teachers pay great attention to cultivating a certain psychological environment to supply students with some psychological help, as well as care about students’ feelings expression, which helps to develop the students’ non-intellectual factors.

Autonomous learning is extremely beneficial for language learners. It prepares students for easier step into adulthood. The concept of allowing students to plan and negotiate the content of the lessons makes them more interesting for students and it is a significant factor which influences the students’ motivation(Holec, 1979). It’s equally important for students to move from dependent learners to independent learners, from passive learners to autonomous learners. Then, the students do not have to rely on the help of others (such as the teachers, parents, adults) to learn. In other words, students can teach themselves and learn on their own. Students can learn much more, without any limits. The students will have more self-confidence, satisfaction, and sense of achievements if they can learn by themselves and become self-taught learners--- autonomous learners.

3.4 Developing a Harmonious Relationship

It helps to develop an equal and harmonious relationship between teachers and students. In autonomous learning, teachers and students are partners. Teachers act as the helpers and advisers providing psychological and technical supports. Teachers respect their students, and communicate with them equally. Teachers give up the

control of decision-making, because students are able to take on responsibility for their own learning. And this kind of relationship between teachers and students can increase students’ responsibility.

Ⅳ.Current Situation of English Learning in Middle School As having been observed and researched, current middle school students mostly depend on their parents and their teachers for English learning. They just do what has been told to, not mention the English learning plans that should be made by students themselves. At home, most of them only finish their homework following their teachers’ instructions without any extra learning. They do not know when should review and how to go over their English lessons. What is worse, some students have to hire English tutors for they can not do their homework alone. At school, they passively follow with their teachers. They seldom think over how to learn English well independently. They are used to totally believing in what their teachers have said. Perhaps some students do not take learning English as their own business. “They take it for granted that their parents and teachers make all-out efforts to help them learn English”, a parent said.

As mentioned above, we can make a conclusion that middle school students do not have much awareness about learning autonomy. That is, they do not conduct their English learning by themselves and are forced to learn English. In addition, English as a second foreign language, as we know, English learners are liable to be influenced by mother tongue. So should not we worry about high school students’ English learning? But what should we do? According to Wei (2008), only when students are conscious autonomous learning awareness can they strengthen their effort, motivation, and persistence, seek assistance from peers and teachers when needed, provide self-instruction while learning, and take responsibility for their learning. Middle school students badly lack autonomy in English learning. Therefore, developing their English learning autonomous awareness should come first.

Ⅴ. Reasons for Middle School Students Lacking Autonomous Learning in English

5.1 Subjective Reasons

After studying the situation of English learning, it is self-explanatory that they do not take English learning as their own business. They are accustomed to learning under control by their parents and teachers. For them, without the help of their parents and teachers, English learning will not continue smoothly. Besides, they are less and less interested in English learning for they find it quite difficult to learn English well. 5.2 Objective Reasons

5.2.1 From School

At school, to have all students learn English, English teachers and their head teachers have to make varieties of plans, not considering whether it is scientific or not; they require all students to do various assignments following their instruction. A majority of research in the English language learning field has been focusing largely on teaching or course effectiveness in recently years, but little has been done to look at what makes learners become self-determined enough to take control of their own learning (Zimmerman, 1996). Although teachers do all they can to help students learn English well, they ignore the development of autonomous learning in English. Instead, they pay too much attention on students’ grades in English examinations.

5.2.2 From Parents

Maybe most of us have heard that learning English is no more than children’s businesses, but, as well a s, the parents’ businesses. In order to get a high score, they accompany their children to learn English, hire English tutors, spend money buying language learners, ask children to attend training school, and so on. The parents love their children so much that they are afraid to expose the children to do anything alone. Meanwhile, when comes to children’s education, they largely rely it on school or teachers.

5.2.3 From Society

With the popularity of English, there is a rising boom of English learning in China. Too many private training schools are set up at one day, maybe which are helpful for English learning. But we should take it into consider that their ultimate purpose is to make enough money. Our students might get high scores after attending

training schools, while their learning abilities have little improvement. However, our society takes few actions to regulate the action of training schools. One the other hand, many reference books are found else where in current market. Thus too many students take this so-called opportunity to copy the answers from reference books without any hesitation. Meanwhile, they have lost another chance to develop their learning autonomy and lose the virtue of honesty. When these have happened, our society still has not laid down relevant laws and rules.

Ⅵ. Ways of Developing Autonomous Learning Ability in English Having analyzing the reasons, there is no doubt that we all should take responsibilities to develop middle school students’ autonomous. Next part, the author will tell us what we exactly should do to develop their learning autonomy.

6.1. For Students

6.1.1 Students’ Roles in Autonomous Learning

6.1.1.1 The Student as a Self-Learner

In autonomous English learning, students need to select their own real-world materials and information, and find possible solutions to problems. In addition, students determine the content of their learning under the help of their teachers. Students must also organize their projects and manage process after classes, not only in class periods. Instead of depending on teachers, students are expected to learn by themselves, and help other students to learn. It is indispensable for students to be self-learners in autonomous English learning. (Huang & Zhang, 2007)

6.1.1.2 The Student as a Knowledge Manager

With the coming of new information age, students can acquire information and knowledge in various ways. At the same time, they have to extend their strategies for their learning. In English language learning, students can be in the environment in which the language is spoken, as a result of available video and computer-based materials. However, there are so many materials that students should learn how to select them, how to recognize unsuitable materials, and how to obtain the best

information. Thus for the purpose of handling the materials properly, firstly students need to master the skills of exploiting and rejecting materials.

6.1.1.3 The Student as a Collaborator

In autonomous English learning, students are always divided into groups to have a discussion or make a project with other members. Therefore, it is important for students to act as collaborators in autonomous English learning. To advance the project successfully, every member in the group needs to be involved in the project actively. On the contrary, if they do not cooperate with each other, they will not succeed. In process of becoming an autonomous learner, it is also important for the student to be a collaborator.

6.1.2 What Students Should Do

During the period of autonomous learning, students should take the most responsibilities, then what students should do.

First, the students should be active learners rather than passive receivers. They must know what to do and where to go under the guidance of the English teachers. They must be industrious enough to consult the reference books or surf on the internet so as to gain some knowledge on their own.

Second, the students should be active participants or performers in English class. In tradition, the teachers play the absolute lead in the classroom teaching, and they are the only protagonists. But it isn’t the case now. It’s time for the students to show themselves and to give a full play to their abilities. They should pluck up their courage to speak out their own opinions or to make a heated discussion with others.

Third, the students themselves should realize very clearly that it is themselves not the teachers or parents that should take whole responsibility for their learning because they are afforded the opportunities to engage in self-generated, personally relevant communication which involves a wide range of motivations, functions, and meanings that may be very useful in the development of language learning (Cotterall, 1995).

In order to become an excellent students in autonomous learning, he or she

should have the following characteristics：

①Be able to use different channels to get as much information as possible

②Learn to monitor his/her own learning process

③Overcome the complete dependency on teachers and parents

④Learn to impose his/her self-discipline

6.2. For Teachers

6.2.1 Teachers’ Role in English Autonomous Learning

6.2.1.1 The Teachers as Resources

Teachers who master more knowledge and have stronger competence in every field, especially those academic teachers, can make good use of their academic knowledge to teach students formally. With the development of technology and explosi on of knowledge, teachers’ role as resources face challenges, but it cannot be completely canceled.

Nowadays, people can gain knowledge and information in more ways, and their learning styles are more colorful than ever before. For example, surfing on the Internet has been an important life style for modern people. People can break the limit of time and space, and gain a great deal of knowledge and information more freely. In the past, teachers were nearly the only or the main resources. However, things are all different today. We cannot ignore that students are weak in collecting and dealing with information. Consequently, teachers should create good conditions for the students’ autonomous learning as resources.

It is classroom teachers who know their students’ needs and interests, their likes and dislikes, their strengths and weaknesses, not any textbook writers (Kavaliauskiene, 2002). Textbooks are not suitable to an individual teaching situation. Hence, teachers should find ways to use the textbooks in order to meet students’ needs.

6.2.1.2 The Teacher as an Adviser

In students’ growing process, they will be troubled by many prob lems, such as problems about life, learning, job and so on. Teachers should care about their students, and help them to get rid of the problems in time. In students’ learning, teachers can be

the advisers, answering students’ questions, and cultivating the ir learning activity. Students should be given freedom to decide which alternatives to adopt or reject. Besides, the teacher as an adviser should create an atmosphere of trust and confidence from the beginning so that students can feel free to exercise their independent judgment and pursue their interests.

6.2.1.3 The Teacher as a Designer

In English language teaching, teachers should do a series of tasks, such as mastering the teaching materials, arranging teaching content properly, designing teaching ac tivities, organizing communication and so on. To inspire students’ learning interest, teachers’ teaching methods should be fresh, interesting and various instead of being boring and monotonous. Depending on students’ conditions, teachers organize classroom activities, keep students self-respected, and help them to find the suitable learning strategies.

In teaching design, teachers should not force their students to adapt to themselves, but change their own teaching methods and styles so as to meet students’needs. To achieve this goal, teachers should study on students’ psychology and knowledge level, and respect students’ characteristics.

6.2.2 What Teachers Should Do in English Class

With the wider and wider use of CAI (computer-assisted instruction) in English teaching, we have to admit that the teachers’ privileged and centered position in English teaching are being challenged (王朝文, 2008).

First, English teachers should play as organizers in classroom teaching. Since the students can get more knowledge from a variety of channels through the computer, the traditional figure of teachers as authority and expert is turned over in the role of teacher. Yes, teachers are no longer the only experts in imparting knowledge, but just organizers in classroom teaching activities.

Second, teachers should act as supervisors and guide the students to seek truth, to do practice, rather than to accept knowledge merely.

Third, teachers should be participants and often participat e in students’ communication. Furthermore, they should change their teaching conception and pay much attention on developing autonomous learning or other learning abilities.

Apart from being mentioned above, in the classroom activities of autonomous learning model, students instead of teachers are the center of teaching and learning. Teachers need to raise an awareness of autonomous learning firstly, and then they can deliver this mind to their students in English teaching (Kavaliauskiene, 2003). If not, there cannot be teaching and learning envir onment to foster students’ autonomous English learning ability. In classroom teaching, teachers can also take out some time to foster students’ autonomous English learning ability through some classroom activities. Teachers should establish a harmonious relationship between them and students, create a good learning environment, and develop some teaching skills for autonomous English learning.

So for the sake of being a competent teacher in autonomous learning, he/she should be characterized as the following:

①Love the students

②Have strong sense of responsibility

③Be knowledgeable not only in language itself but also in CAI and Internet

④Be in high spirit all the time

6.3 What School Should Do

Some schools abroad have set up specific self-access centers for students consulting so as to satisfy their autonomous English learning. If students can all enjoy high technology, its great effect will be visible. In fact, many schools do not possess those materials, and students can only enjoy some traditional teaching facilities. Therefore, to foster students’ autonomous English learning ability, schools need to equip themselves with more modern teaching facilities. A good language environment can help to strengthen students’ confidence in learning. What’s more important, this kind of real language interaction can increase students’ learning interests. To fulfill the purpose of fostering students’ autonomous English learning, schools have the responsibility to equip themselves with advanced teaching facilities, and provide a good learning environment.

On students’ part, they should make good use of the available materials and learning environment to raise their own learning efficiency and autonomous learning ability.