Maura Judith Zalimben Recalde

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47133/tegc_ch09  

ABSTRACT

By acquiring autonomous learning skills, adults can become empowered to reach their English learning goals. Around the world, English learners have accessed ever-expanding digital resources and, by doing so, have experienced the benefits of autonomous learning at varying levels of self-directedness (Benson, 2013; Pawlak et al., 2017). Autonomous language learning is evidenced by people who can speak English without having studied it formally in educational settings. Research on learner autonomy has been conducted mainly in developed countries, which have state-of-the-art technologies and resource centers that promote autonomous learning. However, in under-resourced countries like Paraguay, some people have also learned English autonomously such as by watching YouTube videos. Consequently, perhaps the greatest potential of learner autonomy is in developing countries. In this chapter, you will learn about autonomous learning. You will also learn several strategies to promote autonomous learning in English language classrooms with adult learners. 

Keywords: autonomous learning, adult learners, learner empowerment, learner autonomy, language learning skills, self-directedness

How to cite this chapter: 

Zalimben Recalde, M. (2023). Empowering Adults for Autonomous Learning. In V. Canese & S. Spezzini (Eds.), Teaching English in Global Contexts, Language, Learners and Learning (pp. 125-133). Editorial Facultad de Filosofía, UNA. https://doi.org/10.47133/tegc_ch09

INTRODUCTION

Studies have shown that learner autonomy is related to academic success (Benson, 2013). Hence, teachers need to help students become autonomous learners. Promoting the autonomous learning of English as a foreign language (EFL) can be challenging due to time constraints and fluctuating motivation. Most adult language learners have multiple life roles and, as such, limited time to study. Nonetheless, teachers can encourage adult learners to use self-monitoring techniques and focus their limited time on learning activities. Teachers can also assist adult learners in building a positive self-image of themselves as English users. This can help learners with effectively using self-regulatory strategies, which, in turn, can positively affect their language learning efforts. These and other strategies are provided in this chapter to help you support your adult English learners with using autonomous learner strategies and reaching successful outcomes.  

Background

Becoming an autonomous learner is generally defined as “the capacity to take control over one’s own learning” (Benson, 2013, p. 2). Language teachers usually aspire for their students to become autonomous learners. However, because learner autonomy is not an innate ability, students need guidance with acquiring skills related to autonomous learning (Holec, 1981). Fortunately, EFL curricula have become increasingly more student-centered, thus positioning learners as active participants in the learning process. However, because most adult English learners have not previously participated in student-centered classrooms, they need help knowing how to optimize their participation, which can then lead to stronger skills for autonomous learning. Consequently, for adult learners to achieve autonomous learning, the classroom must shift from directed teaching to self-directed learning. In formal settings, these efforts could entail embedding this shift within the overall learning process.

For autonomous learning to occur in language classrooms, many students will need to change their view about the learning process. To become autonomous learners, they need to assume responsibility for their own learning and, by using available information, find their own path along this learning journey. As facilitators, teachers are key to fostering learner autonomy among adult learners. Teachers can assign activities (e.g., reflective journals) that assist learners with weighing the cost-benefit outcomes among various activities offered as learning options. By using this self-monitoring process, learners are usually willing to spend more time doing activities that they perceive as having long term value (Ponton & Rhea, 2006). Several studies have identified positive language learning outcomes from classroom activities that promote learner autonomy through specific activities such as online podcasts and weblogs. For instance, when EFL college students in Taiwan used reflective portfolios, they became conscious of learner autonomy and developed autonomous learning skills (Lo, 2010).

MAJOR DIMENSIONS

For promoting learner autonomy among your adult learners, be sure to consider learner factors, institutional factors, and teacher factors.

Learner Factors

Learner factors often relate to a learner’s attitude towards learning and therefore play a major role in developing learner autonomy. Because adults have several life obligations, they are often unable to prioritize time and effort needed to learn a language. From research on persistence and resourcefulness in adult learning, findings suggest that “an adult’s persistence in autonomous learning is more related to the anticipation of future rewards of present learning than with the mediating effect of choosing learning over non-learning activities” (Ponton et al., 2005, p. 123). Thus, the question arises on how best to help adults foster learner autonomy. To accomplish this, reinforce your students’ self-image as lifelong learners and help them increase their awareness of how learning derives from activity choices. As part of your student-centered approach to language teaching, address students’ lifelong learning needs, promote autonomous learning through intentional one-on-one dialogue, and support individual differences (Mynard, 2019). 

Institutional Factors

Teachers’ intentions to provide learner autonomy materials and opportunities are influenced by institutional factors such as heavy teaching loads, administrative duties, curricular goals, and testing requirements (Pawlak et al., 2017). Such institutional factors can contribute towards a gap between what the teacher considers optimal to promote learner autonomy and what is achievable. The policy makers at any given institution are also instrumental for ensuring (or not) that their adult learners develop learner autonomy (Ahmadianzadeh et al., 2019). Fortunately, most activities to promote language learner autonomy can be implemented in non-school settings and thus do not reduce time initially designated for class instruction. Although the implementation of effective learner autonomy activities require that teachers initially spend time preparing their students, all such time is well spent as evidenced by improved language learning outcomes.

Teacher Factors

Teacher factors also affect the development of learner autonomy skills. As in all instructional settings, teachers have great influence on the learning process. However, if teachers do not learn autonomously, they might be unable to promote learner autonomy among their students (Little, 1995). Some teachers might feel that promoting learner autonomy could generate more problems than benefits. Others might be unaware of the benefits that learner autonomy could provide their classrooms. Such teachers might be ineffective at encouraging students to learn beyond what is required in the classroom (Borg & Alshumaimeri, 2019). The best approach for addressing these situations is by helping teachers understand the concept of learner autonomy, believe in positive results from learner autonomy research, and know how to implement learner autonomy strategies (Dooly, 2009). Teacher preparation in learner autonomy “provides teachers with new teaching methods so that teachers are more clear about their roles as learning thought reformer, teaching goal setting, teaching content design, guiding resource utilization, mental consultant, and outcome assessors in the future” (Fang, 2014, p. 54). 

PEDAGOGICAL APPLICATIONS

If you wish to promote learner autonomy among adult learners, consider following these tips. 

Facilitate the Learning Environment

As a classroom facilitator, teachers are charged with creating, directing, and supporting the learning environment. Teachers cannot just step back and expect students to work by themselves. Starting on the first day, motivate your students by sharing expected outcomes. When working with beginners, consider using their first language to make sure they understand expectations. Guide learners in establishing their own achievable learning goals so that they can start assuming responsibility for the learning process. This is the first step towards building learner autonomy. Help students if they feel initially challenged at establishing their own goals. Keep in mind that most beginners do not have linguistic resources to express their goals in English. Depending on class size, provide students with needed words from the target language, or have them fill in the blanks with words from their first language. These goals can be written on a poster and placed on a wall or bulletin board. For example, beginning language learners might identify one of their first learning goals as introducing themselves in English. By identifying their own reasons for learning a language, students can see how lesson objectives fit into the larger picture which is an essential step in acquiring learner autonomy. This will help learners stay focused and should increase their persistence. 

Guide Students With Setting Individual Goals

From beginning to advanced levels and especially at the start of each term, work with students to establish learning goals. After setting their own goals, students can begin thinking about how to achieve these goals. To support this learner autonomy process, ask students to write three actions needed to accomplish each goal. Later, have students reflect on the actions they had planned and on which actions they accomplished. If students know where they are now and where they are headed, it is easier for them to track their progress and achieve learner autonomy. Use a calendar for each term and display this calendar on a wall or in an online platform, either provided by your institution or available free for educational purposes. Motivation is key. When students see how far they have come, they view their efforts as having been rewarded and are more willing to become autonomous learners. Their self-image is relevant. If they mention being unable to do something, point to the calendar and remind them about the distance they have already come. With beginning students, emphasize that they have progressed from zero English to short conversations. With intermediate learners, emphasize that they are now able to have interesting conversations in English. 

Help Students Reflect on the Learning Process

Reflective journals are particularly useful for helping adult students reflect on their progress with learning English and advancing towards learner autonomy. As with all activities, guide your students on how to effectively use reflective journals. After reading an online article of their choice (in English, of course), students report about this article by writing in their reflective journals. As a journal entry, they can summarize and reflect on this article and pose questions to enhance their understanding. When reading students’ reflective journals, consider not correcting the way they use English. Instead, use these student journals as formative assessment to support the learning process. When assessing these reflective journals, use assessment criteria such as the following: “(1) completeness of original news article, entry forms, reflections, and vocabulary logs (30%), (2) content of reflection (50%), (3) grammar (20%)” (Lo, 2010, p. 85). However, even in formative assessments such as reflective journals, provide ongoing supportive feedback to your students, especially if learner autonomy is the long-term goal.

Promote Learner Persistence

New activities can initially be exciting, and this includes starting a new English class. However, this newness soon diminishes over time, and learner motivation might decline. To offset this tendency, proactively promote persistence among adult students, which is key for them to achieve their long-term goals. Remind students of their reasons for studying English, which will help them be persistent and make progress towards learner autonomy. To further promote persistence among your students, select short stories and non-fiction pieces that align with their interests. In classes at all language levels, encourage students to use apps that help in the learning process and suggest other digital resources such as online spoken dictionaries, videos, and content-specific websites (e.g., self-teaching of phonetic symbols). Ask students to choose a digital tool that helps with language learning and to share this tool with classmates. To further build learner autonomy awareness, design homework assignments around questions that ask about the learning process (e.g., What new vocabulary have you learned? What grammar structures did you find challenging?). As students advance to higher levels of English, the class content simultaneously advances to increased levels of complexity. This, in turn, could imply decreased time for activities focused on learner autonomy. Fortunately, complex content can provide other types of opportunities to help students develop their learner autonomy skills.

Maintain Student Interest

Even when following a set curriculum, promote learner autonomy by maximizing the time spent on topics that are of greatest interest to your students and by recognizing that each student has individual interests. Have students watch a video of a person speaking about their interest and then write about that person’s ideas. Writing is effective at promoting learner autonomy because, to accomplish a writing task, students often go beyond their current language skills in order to fully express their emerging ideas. Moreover, by writing, they establish a stronger connection between a topic and their own lives. If possible, use online platforms so that students can create e-portfolios about their interests. To further promote learner autonomy, provide opportunities for class conversations that are so meaningful for your students that they keep exploring this topic outside of class and, by doing so, continue using and developing their English. While students are working on a project in class, move from student to student, either physically or virtually. Show students that you care by asking about their work. When students perceive that you care about them as individuals, they become empowered to further develop their learner autonomy.

In this chapter, you learned about empowering adults for autonomous learning. You learned how learner autonomy is influenced by learner factors, institutional factors, and teacher factors. You learned to support the development of learner autonomy by facilitating the learning environment, maintaining learner interest, and promoting learner persistence as well as by having learners set individual goals and reflect on their own learning process. Nonetheless, despite your best efforts, it will not be possible to control all factors especially when teaching adults. Some learners will not follow your advice. Yet, although everything cannot be perfect, remember to always be the best version of yourself as a teacher. By doing so, you will have a great impact on your students and can help them, in their own way, become autonomous learners of the English language.

Maura Judith Zalimben Recalde is a professor in the English degree program at the Instituto Superior de Lenguas (ISL), Universidad Nacional de Asunción (Paraguay). Maura holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the ISL and a master’s degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages from the University of Sydney (Australia). Since 2010, she has been teaching English in secondary schools and colleges as well as in adult education settings. Maura’s professional background includes teaching and coordinating English programs for English as a foreign language and English for specific purposes. Her main area of interest is teaching English in the Paraguayan context. 

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2622-4058 

Email for correspondence regarding this chapter: maura.zalimben@gmail.com

Cover Photo by Emmanuel Ikwuegbu on Unsplash