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(Little, 2020) Language Learner Autonomy What, Why and How ILA-LASIG-webinar30.06.20
(Little, 2020) Language Learner Autonomy What, Why and How ILA-LASIG-webinar30.06.20
Interactive / dialogic TL
Learner Learner
use (communicative
control reflection and metacognitive)
Learner Learner
control reflection
Target
language
use
Why should teachers adopt the principles
of language learner autonomy?
Some theoretical arguments
Target language use Current theories of L2 acquisition assign a central role to
unconscious (implicit) learning that arises from target language
• The teacher’s primary task: to initiate and
use, while allowing that conscious (explicit) learning also has a
sustain a dialogic learning conversation significant role to play (Truscott & Sharwood Smith 2019)
• Writing is no less important than speaking
Target language use should be dialogic
• In dialogue all participants are expected to take discourse
initiatives
• When the teacher speaks to the class at length, she is not
engaging in monologue but taking a “long turn” in the
dialogic learning conversation
• Six principles to guide dialogic teaching: collective,
supportive, reciprocal, deliberative, cumulative, purposeful
(Alexander 2020: 131)
• Skills of self-management have to be learnt According to Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci 2017),
humans have three interdependent psychological needs, for
autonomy, competence and relatedness
It is central to the teacher’s task to help learners to develop
the skills of self-management
• She must show them how to document their learning
(logbooks, portfolios)
• She should never ask them to take decisions they are not
yet able to take or leave them without support
Some theoretical arguments
Target language use
A learning conversation that is truly dialogic is also
• The teacher’s primary task: to initiate and necessarily reflective – cf. Alexander’s (2020) principles,
sustain a dialogic learning conversation especially reciprocal, deliberative and purposeful
• Writing is no less important than speaking
Learner control Continuous documentation of the learning process
• provides an essential focus for reflection
• The essence of learner autonomy • supports the internal dialogue that consolidates learning
• Learners exercise agency – make choices, take
decisions – in pursuit of curriculum goals A learning conversation that is truly dialogic is reflective, and
• Skills of self-management have to be learnt reflection implies and should lead into self- and peer-
assessment (Little, Dam & Legenhausen 2017)
Learner reflection • Learners should be involved in determining the criteria for
• Essential for effective self-management self- and peer-assessment
• Should be a dominant feature of the learning • Teacher assessment should be governed by the same
criteria as learners’ self- and peer-assessment
conversation
• Self- and peer-assessment and teacher assessment should
• Key role played by self- and peer-assessment take account of the criteria applied in external tests and
exams
Making language learner autonomy a reality
Lower secondary, adult migrants, university students
Curriculum Lower secondary
• Make sure your learners understand what they are • Discuss the goals for each school year with your
expected to achieve learners (simplify if necessary)
• Make sure they have the goals written in their target
language so that they can refer to them regularly
Adult migrants
• If you must work with a traditional curriculum,
translate it into an inventory of your learners’
everyday needs and aspirations
• If you can devise your own curriculum, negotiate it
with your learners on the basis of their needs
Adult migrants
• Learners typically have a wide range of needs
• Within a regular lesson structure, group work can
meet individual needs – e.g., the group researches
how to apply for a job; individual learners apply for
jobs related to their particular skills
Learner Learner
control reflection
The teacher’s role
• From “sage on the stage” to “guide on the
side” (King 1993)
Interactive / dialogic TL
use (communicative
and metacognitive)
Learner Learner
control reflection
The teacher’s role
• From “sage on the stage” to “guide on the
side” (King 1993)
Interactive / dialogic TL
• Paradoxically, at every stage the teacher leads use (communicative
the development of language learner and metacognitive)
autonomy by
– Launching and sustaining a dialogic learning
conversation in the target language Learner Learner
– Proposing learning activities appropriate to her control reflection
learners’ current level of proficiency
– Scaffolding her learners’ attempts to speak and
write the target language
– Showing them how to document their learning
– Modelling assessment criteria and showing her
learners how to use them
– Monitoring the progress of individual learners and
the class as a whole
– Etc., etc., etc.
The teacher’s role
• From “sage on the stage” to “guide on the
side” (King 1993)
Interactive / dialogic TL
• Paradoxically, at every stage the teacher leads use (communicative
the development of language learner and metacognitive)
autonomy by
Without a skilled, attentive
– Launching and sustaining a dialogic learning
conversation in the target language Learner Learner
can be no
– Scaffolding herlanguage
learners’ attempts learner
write the target language
to speak and
autonomy
– Showing them how to document their learning
– Modelling assessment criteria and showing her
learners how to use them
– Monitoring the progress of individual learners and
the class as a whole
– Etc., etc., etc.
Online language teaching/learning
• Language learner autonomy is no less
possible online than face to face
• Working with an online version of this Interactive / dialogic TL
dynamic, the key decisions include: use (communicative
and metacognitive)
– How often and for how long will the teacher
interact with the whole class?
– How will you arrange group work?
Learner Learner
– How will group projects be submitted and shared control reflection
with the rest of the class?
– By what means will your learners document their
learning?
– Within a framework of synchronous dialogic
communication, will there be a role for
asynchronous communication?
– How will you provide for self- and peer-assessment,
and how will they be related to teacher and/or
external assessment?
References
Alexander, R. (2020) A Dialogic Teaching Companion. Little, D., L. Dam & L Legenhausen (2017) Language
Abingdon: Routledge Learner Autonomy: Theory, Practice and Research.
Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Dam, L. & D. Little (1999) Autonomy in foreign
language learning: From classroom practice to Olson, D. R. (1991) Literacy as metalinguistic activity.
generalizable theory. In A. Barfield et al. (eds), JALT In D. R. Olson & N. Torrance (eds), Literacy and
98 Proceedings, 127–136. Tokyo: Japan Association Orality, 251–270. Cambridge: Cambridge
for Language Teaching. University Press.
Holec, H. (1981) Autonomy and Foreign Language Ryan, R. M. & E. L. Deci (2017) Self-Determination
Learning. Oxford: Pergamon. Theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation,
development and wellness. New York: Guilford
King, A. (1993) From sage on the stage to guide on
Press.
the side. College Teaching 41(1), 30–35.
Klirová, M. (2020) Using learning journals to develop
learner autonomy. In K. Seláčková, B. Chovancová
& Š. Bilová (eds), The Teacher’s Role in Developing
Learner Autonomy, 67–78. Hong Kong: Candlin &
Mynard.