Introduction
One of the most difficult things to do for a teacher is to decide when to let go and allow learners to experience learning with our direct control. This is because our training is insistent on class management, teacher guidance of activities and other such concepts. Who would want to teach a class of 'independent' learners anyway? Proponents of Learner Autonomy, however, advocate for the freedom to learn at their own pace in a pressure-free environment to be accorded to learners at optimal times. Learner Autonomy, according to Oxford University Press is, "when students take control of their own learning, both in terms of what they learn and how they learn." "How possible is that?" you may ask. I asked the same question and probably still do, but hopefully, our interaction on this blog will understand. It must be stated from the outset that learner autonomy is not synonymous with self-instruction (a phenomenon where learners literally learn by themselves without any teacher involvement). Instead, it should be understood as behaviour shown by learners and complemented by a teacher in which learners demonstrate the capacity to understand the purpose of their learning, explicitly accept responsibility for their learning, share in setting goals for their learning, take initiative in planning their activities and regularly review their own performance. Yes, I agree. They need to be exceptional to do so.Learner autonomy remains a controversial concept with no concise definition, but the advancement in technology in education provides a window to explore its practicability. One such tool is the British Council ESOL Nexus Site which is accessible to both teachers and learners of English as Speakers of Other Languages. This site has lesson plans, CPD Resources, learner activities and resources, and guided language use in different contexts. The following is the description of its components:
This section will find articles and resources essential for continuing the professional development of effective teaching and presentation skills. The articles cover a wide range of topics relevant to the professional practice of language teachers.
If you want to teach or learn English for use in different work environments, formal or informal, this section is the most suitable for you. It contains vocabulary, audio clips, short sentences, dialogues and many more for beginners, intermediate and higher-level adult employees. The material covers jobs such as retail, skills and construction, cleaning, and hairdressing to mention but a few. While they are intended for adult learners, their contextualised language skills and vocabulary can be useful to teenage learners and can be accessed with little or no assistance at all.
This component is meant to adjust new immigrants understand and adjust to UK life once they arrive from their respective countries. It can be used to explore the various aspects of life in the UK for individuals and families especially those who have relocated. Learners curious about UK life and culture even before they have a chance to travel can also learn language appropriate for various daily life situations.
Teachers looking for resources and lesson plans for a wide range of activities can choose this section and select what suits their situations. Lesson plans have activities that both teachers and learners can engage in to develop language skills. It also contains notes and worksheets for learners to practice and test their own language skills.
This section contains parts essential to learner autonomy in form of English Grammar and Grammar Lessons, Skills, your Turn, and English for Work. Learners can explore these lessons according to their individual preferences to practice their English skills through storytelling, role play, self-assessed grammar quizzes and vocabulary practice.
Constraints
Like learner autonomy itself, the British Council ESOL Nexus Site is limited to learners of a particular age group to be effectively beneficial. The site is highly relevant to teenage and adult immigrants but not appropriate for young learners. This is because, in my view, young learners have little to do with many situations used in learning a language save for retail. Immigrant children would need a different tool to help them develop their English language skills.
Conclusion
The role of a teacher in language learning will never, at least in the foreseeable future, be substituted by any single tool that seeks to promote learner autonomy. Suffocating grip and control of learning will not be helpful either. Therefore, as we consider developing autonomous learners, let's not abdicate our responsibilities but offer essential guidance to the learners and help them develop their level-appropriate language skills.
Let me know what you think about learner autonomy and this tool. You can also watch
Hi George, firstly, it was easy for me to visit the website AND the section you're explaining thanks to you embedding the links for each- it's a learning point for me, thanks. An interesting point of this tool is 'Teaching UK Life'. Since there're a lot of immigrants in this country, this consideration will be very helpful for teachers and learners. I do agree with you the tool seems more suitable for learners you're older and do what to learn through it. Thank you for the insight :) See you next week!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic post George, and like Suji said, linking to each section you are discussing is so helpful. This website seems really helpful, will definitely be referring learners to it in the future- thanks :)
ReplyDelete