Factors Affecting Learner Autonomy in Tertiary Level English Learning: A Study at Van Lang University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.23311Keywords:
EFL students, English-majored students, learner autonomy, influencing factorsAbstract
In the era of the Industrial Revolution, learning is acknowledged as a continuous process, with learner autonomy as one of its most crucial elements. Numerous studies have found that independent language learners benefit more than learners who study passively. Consequently, it is vital to comprehend the aspects that drive learner autonomy. The objective of this study was to identify the factors that both foster and impede the growth of learner autonomy. Data was collected from 233 English majors at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Van Lang University, using qualitative and quantitative methods (VLU). The findings revealed that there are a number of elements that both help and hinder students' capacity to study English independently. The study also found that learners can learn independently with the support of their surroundings, intrinsic motivation, learning preferences, and technology advancements. Teachers' viewpoints on issues impacting learner autonomy are urged to be taken into account.
References
Alonazi, S. M. (2017). The role of teachers promoting learner autonomy in secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. English Language Teaching, 10(7), 183-202.
Alzubi, A. A. F. (2021). The Role of Mobile Technologies in Impacting Learner Autonomy in an EFL Context: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching (IJCALLT), 11(3), 56-73. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJCALLT.2021070104
Balçikanli, C. (2010). Learner autonomy in language learning: Student teachers' beliefs. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35(1)90-103. http://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2010v35n1.8
Beare, K. (2020). How Many People Learn English? Retrieved June 27, 2022 from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-many-people-learn-english-globally-1210367
Begum, A., N. & Chowdhury, R., F. (2016). The factors that affect learner autonomy in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) at tertiary level in Bangladesh. Elk Asia Pacific Journal of Social Sciences. 2 (4). 123-152
Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning. London: Longman.
Çakıcı, D. (2015). Autonomy in language teaching and learning process. İnönü Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 16(1), 31-42.
Chen, H. (2015). The correlations between learner autonomy and the effective factors in college English learning in China. International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities, 8(2), 70-84.
Coopersmith, S. (1967). The Antecedents of Self–Esteem. San Francisco: Freeman.
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. USA: Pearson Education.
Dang, T. T. (2010). Learner autonomy in EFL studies in Vietnam: a discussion from a sociocultural perspective. English Language Teaching Journal 3(2), 3-9.
Dickinson, L. (1992). Learner autonomy: Learner training language learning. Dublin: Authentic.
Dinh, T. H. T. (2017). An overview of research on foreign language learning autonomy in Vietnam. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 33 (5), 123-130.
Dörnyei, Z. & Taguichi, T. (2010). Questionnaires in second language research: Construction, administration, and processing. New York: Routledge.
Faculty of Foreign Languages, Van Lang University (n.d) About the Faculty of Foreign Languages. Retrieved June 25, 2022 from http://khoangoaingu.vanlanguni.edu.vn/
Fraenkel, J. R. & & Wallen, N. E. (1994). How to design and evaluate research in education. USA: McGraw-Hill.
Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th ed.) Edinburgh: Pearson Longman.
Hasim, Z. B. & Zakaria, A. R. (2015). ESL teachers" knowledge on learner autonomy. In F. L. Gaol, F. Hutagalung, A. R. Zakaria & Z. B. Hasim (eds). Knowledge, Service, Tourism & Hospitality: Proceedings of The Annual International Conference on Management and Technology in Knowledge, Service, Tourism & Hospitality. Bandung: CRC Press.
Holec, H. (1981). Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Kemala, Z. (2016). An Analysis of factors influencing the autonomous learners in learning English. ELTIN Journal, 4(1), 11-20.
Le, H. T. Q., & Nguyen, T. H. (2022). A study on Non-English Major Students' Learner Autonomy: Difficulties and Solutions. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 2(3), 197–207. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.222313
Leaver, B. L., Ehrman, M. & Shekhtman, B. (2005). Achieving success in second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Little, D. (1996). Freedom to learn and compulsion to interact: Promoting learner autonomy through the use of information systems and information technologies. In R. Pemberton, E. Li, W. Or, & H. Pierson (Eds.), Taking Control: Autonomy in Language Learning (pp. 203-218). Hong Kong University Press.
Little, D. (2000). Why focus on learning rather than teaching? In D. Little, L. Dam, & J. N Timmer (Eds.), Focus on Learning Rather than Teaching: Why and How? Papers from the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language.
Littlewood, W. (1996). "Autonomy": An anatomy and a framework. System, 24, 427-435.
Mansooji, H., Ghaleshahzari, A., & Javid, M. (2022). EFL Learner Autonomy: Iranian University Instructors' Beliefs vs. Actual Practices. Mextesol Journal, 46(1), n1.
Nguyen, L. V. (2010). Computer-mediated collaborative learning within a communicative language teaching approach: A sociocultural perspective. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 12(1), 202-233.
Pham, T. N. (2010). The higher education reform agenda: A vision for 2020. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & N. T. Pham (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: Challenges and priorities (1st ed., pp. 51-64). London: Springer.
Qin, J. (2016). On Cultivation of Autonomous Learning Competence in College English Listening Teaching. Sino-US Teaching, 13(11), 842-846. https://doi.org.10.17265/1539-8072/2016.11.002
Reinders, H., & Balçikanli, C. (2011). Do classroom textbooks encourage learner autonomy? Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 5(2), 265-272.
Richards, J.C. & Rodgers, T. S. (2015). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Spratt, M., Humphreys, G. & Chan, V. (2002). Autonomy and motivation: which comes first?. Language Teaching Research, 6(3), 245-266. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168802lr106oa
Scharle, A. & Szabó, A. (2000). Learner Autonomy: A Guide to Developing Learner Responsibility. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tomlinson, B. (2012). Materials development for language learning and teaching. Language Teaching, 45(2), 143-179. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444811000528
Tran, C. T., & Le, Q. T.(2022). What is it like learning with an enthusiastic teacher? –A survey on university EFL students. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 2(4), 134-148. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.22248
Tran, T. Q., & Duong, T. M. (2020). EFL learners' perceptions of factors influencing learner autonomy development. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 41(1), 194-199.
Wenden, A. (1998). Learner Strategies for Learner Autonomy. Great Britain: Prentice Hall.
Zaqiri, L. (2015). The influence of foreign language anxiety on learner autonomy. In B. Xhafferri, M. Waldispühl, B. Eriksson-Hotz and G. Xhafferri (Eds), Promoting learner autonomy in high education, International Conference at South East European University in Tetovo (pp. 133-146).
Zeng, C. & Liu, C. (2014). Modeling influential factors on learner autonomy in oral English in the Chinese EFL context. English linguistics research. 3 (2), 103-114. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/elr.v3n2p103
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Tran Thi Bich Tram, Vuong Tuyet Kha
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The copyright of all articles published in the International Journal of TESOL & Education (ijte) remains with the Authors, i.e. Authors retain full ownership of their article. Permitted third-party reuse of the open access articles is defined by the applicable Creative Commons (CC) end-user license which is accepted by the Authors upon submission of their paper. All articles in the ijte are published under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, meaning that end users can freely share an article (i.e. copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt it (i.e. remix, transform and build upon the material) on the condition that proper attribution is given (i.e. appropriate credit, a link to the applicable license and an indication if any changes were made; all in such a way that does not suggest that the licensor endorses the user or the use) and the material is only used for non-commercial purposes.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository, in a journal or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
How to Cite
