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Autonomous Learning In English for Special Purposes

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Cristina Felea
Cristina Felea

Arguments in favour of using online resources for teaching English for Special Purposes to Romanian students.

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Autonomous Learning in ESP/EAP Context Brief Considerations on Romanian Students Current Needs Cristina Felea, Ph.D., Faculty of Letters, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2008
Outline Teaching ESP/EAP at UBB - brief history Current context: understanding learners Present day students and technology Defining autonomous learning Major features of autonomy in learning ESP/EAP Using the Internet for enhancing students autonomy (premises, reasons, advantages) Examples of sites that enhance students autonomy A word of caution Common mistakes made by students Meeting academic expectations Conclusions
Brief history of teaching ESP/EAP at UBB Beginnings (late 90s) - pioneering a new discipline Building up corpus of discipline-related texts Assessing Ss needs Choosing appropriate teaching approach/ methods Creating an adequate syllabus to match curriculum requirements Devising efficient assessment techniques
Coming of Age synchronising with changes in higher education Researching ESP/EAP/Study Skills fields Publishing text/ test books Integrating technology in teaching/learning process Building up an approach suitable to information/ knowledge society
Current context: understanding learners Each generation is defined by its life experiences, giving rise to different attitudes, beliefs, and sensitivities . (Oblinger, 2003)
New Students A variety of new students are present on the higher education stage. E.g. American classification into (1) baby-boomers (1946-1964), (2) generation X-ers (1965-1980), and (3) Millenials or Generation Y-ers (1981-1994). Major features : Live to work, generally optimistic, influence on policy & products Work to live, clear & consistent expectations, value contributing to the whole Live in the moment, expect immediacy of technology, earn money for immediate consumption
Present Day Students and Technology Major features of (Romanian) Millenials* Diverse Mobile Connected Experiential Community-oriented Multimedia/ digitally literate *mainly urban-based
Defining autonomous learning A.l. is the acquisition of new cognitive experience and individual skills in view of obtaining individual, stand-alone performance. It is a well-organised active individual/ group process whereby each person chooses their learning goals, contents, strategies, methods, and techniques and is responsible for self-assessment and results. (Neacsu, 2003)
Major features of autonomy in foreign language learning, respectively ESP/EAP Developing competencies, knowledge, and skills for autonomous learning; Acquiring major linguistic competencies: phonetics, vocabulary, syntax; Dealing competently with listening/ reading comprehension tasks (perceptive activities) and those that involve mediation (translation/ interpretation)
Other features Learning to learn: using learning alternatives such as web-based/ online resources, resource centres etc. Learning self-assessing techniques; Developing a positive attitude towards other cultures and tolerance for diversity. (see Lipceanu, 2008)
Using the Internet for enhancing students autonomy Major premise : minimum experience in PC usage: Microsoft Office programmes Accessing and finding information on the Net Downloading materials Familiarisation with audio/ video file formats
Using the Internet for enhancing students autonomy Why? PC skills are part of the current arsenal of learning techniques and strategies; Teacher will be connected to students outside classroom meetings; Increased teacher/ student motivation in developing new strategies and techniques
Advantages of Using the Internet access to updated information in all fields of study; direct information transfer is simpler, so time for F2F interaction can be better used; non-native speakers are more likely to interact with native speakers by means of synchronous communication (IM-s, chat rooms, etc.) as well as by being in permanent contact with authentic texts; students can pace their learning according to learning styles and needs;
Other advantages students can be guided into finding adequate resources to continue learning after completing the course of study/ graduation (lifelong learning process); community of interests will form and collaborative learning is thus promoted (Yahoo groups, wikis, web quests etc). Web-based activities can be in themselves a source of motivation and entertainment
Examples of Websites that can be successfully used to enhance students autonomy General
Examples of Websites that can be successfully used to enhance students autonomy Academic English
Examples of Websites that can be successfully used to enhance students autonomy Study Skills
Examples of Websites that can be successfully used to enhance students autonomy - Sociology
A word of caution* Find out why students fail if they use the Internet badly about the potential pitfalls of using the Internet indiscriminately for research why Ss need to step their Internet skills at university and college * Bibliography (http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/crimescene.html)
Common mistakes made by students* They rely on Internet searches for their research and ignore other key sources They don't critically evaluate the quality of the information they find They copy information from the Internet and don't acknowledge their sources They are not wary of the potential/ real dangers * Bibliography (http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/crimescene.html)
In academic setting students are expected to Be able to do their own independent research Locate and use a wide range of information sources Critically evaluate the information they find Synthesise information to form their own original piece of work Present a balanced and well-informed argument leading to their own conclusions.
Autonomous learning=a handy solution
Conclusions In the initial stages, guided searching of the web by accessing professionally created portals is needed Teachers can create guided autonomy by sourcing high quality and reliable third party resources and linking them through a web page Making students aware of available resources will provide them with the skills necessary to enhance their language and study skills all along their lives.
Bibliography Oblinger, Diana, (2003) Understanding New Students, Educause review, July-August. http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0342.pdf Lipceanu, Ala, (2008) Conditii pedagogice de optimizare a invatarii autonome (in procesul studierii limbii germane). Teza de doctorat, Chisinau Neacsu, Ioan, (2006) Invatarea academica independenta. Ghid metodologic. Universitatea Bucuresti. Facultatea de Stiintele Educatiei. Professor Charles Darlings Grammar Page. http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar Internet Detective. http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/thebad.html Evaluating web resources. http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating / http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html Academic Success Videos. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/videos/index.html English for Academic Purposes. http://www.uefap.com/index.htm Academic Phrase Bank. http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/index.htm

More Related Content

Autonomous Learning In English for Special Purposes

  • 1. Autonomous Learning in ESP/EAP Context Brief Considerations on Romanian Students Current Needs Cristina Felea, Ph.D., Faculty of Letters, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2008
  • 2. Outline Teaching ESP/EAP at UBB - brief history Current context: understanding learners Present day students and technology Defining autonomous learning Major features of autonomy in learning ESP/EAP Using the Internet for enhancing students autonomy (premises, reasons, advantages) Examples of sites that enhance students autonomy A word of caution Common mistakes made by students Meeting academic expectations Conclusions
  • 3. Brief history of teaching ESP/EAP at UBB Beginnings (late 90s) - pioneering a new discipline Building up corpus of discipline-related texts Assessing Ss needs Choosing appropriate teaching approach/ methods Creating an adequate syllabus to match curriculum requirements Devising efficient assessment techniques
  • 4. Coming of Age synchronising with changes in higher education Researching ESP/EAP/Study Skills fields Publishing text/ test books Integrating technology in teaching/learning process Building up an approach suitable to information/ knowledge society
  • 5. Current context: understanding learners Each generation is defined by its life experiences, giving rise to different attitudes, beliefs, and sensitivities . (Oblinger, 2003)
  • 6. New Students A variety of new students are present on the higher education stage. E.g. American classification into (1) baby-boomers (1946-1964), (2) generation X-ers (1965-1980), and (3) Millenials or Generation Y-ers (1981-1994). Major features : Live to work, generally optimistic, influence on policy & products Work to live, clear & consistent expectations, value contributing to the whole Live in the moment, expect immediacy of technology, earn money for immediate consumption
  • 7. Present Day Students and Technology Major features of (Romanian) Millenials* Diverse Mobile Connected Experiential Community-oriented Multimedia/ digitally literate *mainly urban-based
  • 8. Defining autonomous learning A.l. is the acquisition of new cognitive experience and individual skills in view of obtaining individual, stand-alone performance. It is a well-organised active individual/ group process whereby each person chooses their learning goals, contents, strategies, methods, and techniques and is responsible for self-assessment and results. (Neacsu, 2003)
  • 9. Major features of autonomy in foreign language learning, respectively ESP/EAP Developing competencies, knowledge, and skills for autonomous learning; Acquiring major linguistic competencies: phonetics, vocabulary, syntax; Dealing competently with listening/ reading comprehension tasks (perceptive activities) and those that involve mediation (translation/ interpretation)
  • 10. Other features Learning to learn: using learning alternatives such as web-based/ online resources, resource centres etc. Learning self-assessing techniques; Developing a positive attitude towards other cultures and tolerance for diversity. (see Lipceanu, 2008)
  • 11. Using the Internet for enhancing students autonomy Major premise : minimum experience in PC usage: Microsoft Office programmes Accessing and finding information on the Net Downloading materials Familiarisation with audio/ video file formats
  • 12. Using the Internet for enhancing students autonomy Why? PC skills are part of the current arsenal of learning techniques and strategies; Teacher will be connected to students outside classroom meetings; Increased teacher/ student motivation in developing new strategies and techniques
  • 13. Advantages of Using the Internet access to updated information in all fields of study; direct information transfer is simpler, so time for F2F interaction can be better used; non-native speakers are more likely to interact with native speakers by means of synchronous communication (IM-s, chat rooms, etc.) as well as by being in permanent contact with authentic texts; students can pace their learning according to learning styles and needs;
  • 14. Other advantages students can be guided into finding adequate resources to continue learning after completing the course of study/ graduation (lifelong learning process); community of interests will form and collaborative learning is thus promoted (Yahoo groups, wikis, web quests etc). Web-based activities can be in themselves a source of motivation and entertainment
  • 15. Examples of Websites that can be successfully used to enhance students autonomy General
  • 16. Examples of Websites that can be successfully used to enhance students autonomy Academic English
  • 17. Examples of Websites that can be successfully used to enhance students autonomy Study Skills
  • 18. Examples of Websites that can be successfully used to enhance students autonomy - Sociology
  • 19. A word of caution* Find out why students fail if they use the Internet badly about the potential pitfalls of using the Internet indiscriminately for research why Ss need to step their Internet skills at university and college * Bibliography (http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/crimescene.html)
  • 20. Common mistakes made by students* They rely on Internet searches for their research and ignore other key sources They don't critically evaluate the quality of the information they find They copy information from the Internet and don't acknowledge their sources They are not wary of the potential/ real dangers * Bibliography (http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/crimescene.html)
  • 21. In academic setting students are expected to Be able to do their own independent research Locate and use a wide range of information sources Critically evaluate the information they find Synthesise information to form their own original piece of work Present a balanced and well-informed argument leading to their own conclusions.
  • 23. Conclusions In the initial stages, guided searching of the web by accessing professionally created portals is needed Teachers can create guided autonomy by sourcing high quality and reliable third party resources and linking them through a web page Making students aware of available resources will provide them with the skills necessary to enhance their language and study skills all along their lives.
  • 24. Bibliography Oblinger, Diana, (2003) Understanding New Students, Educause review, July-August. http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0342.pdf Lipceanu, Ala, (2008) Conditii pedagogice de optimizare a invatarii autonome (in procesul studierii limbii germane). Teza de doctorat, Chisinau Neacsu, Ioan, (2006) Invatarea academica independenta. Ghid metodologic. Universitatea Bucuresti. Facultatea de Stiintele Educatiei. Professor Charles Darlings Grammar Page. http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar Internet Detective. http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/thebad.html Evaluating web resources. http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating / http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html Academic Success Videos. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/videos/index.html English for Academic Purposes. http://www.uefap.com/index.htm Academic Phrase Bank. http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/index.htm

Editor's Notes

  1. As can be seen, the student population is very heterogeneous. For the purpose of this presentation, I will take into account the profile of the generation born around 1988-1989; the reason is obvious, they are the first to live all their lives in a democratic regime.
  2. This profile is, however, only a sketch. The features (that are similar to their peers in advanced societies) are there but Romanias late start in the digital era, unequal opportunities as to PC ownership and Internet accessibility, the lack of resources for higher education have created delays and obstacles that impede the implementation of efficiently using technology in the classroom and of enhancing learner autonomy.
  3. Jordan (1997) notes that one of the primary reasons for encouraging a level of student autonomy in EAP is to cater for the fact that they will have to continue the development of their academic communication skills throughout the period of their university study.
  4. Students should be encouraged to be reflective about their learning style and therefore choose appropriate study activities. Students with this self-awareness and a reasonable level of IT competence can decide if they want to concentrate on specific macro-skills or content specific materials through the use of the web.
  5. In most of the cases, beginner students miss out the key sources of information and fail because they didnt refer to their reading list or any resources from the library. Some of the sources they quote are inappropriate teachers look for academic sources such as journal articles, rather than random web sites. The content of the some of the sites they quote contains a lot of bias and they dont give both sides of the argument. Much of the information they cite can be out of date and downright inaccurate! They do not watch out where the information comes from all the sources they use can be from the USA, for example, and they miss out all the European/ Romanian research in this area. But perhaps most embarrassing apparently students know they are not allowed to "cut and paste" text from web sites into their assignments its plagiarism - unless they use proper citation methods. (http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/crimescene.html)
  6. Namely, The bad: time wasting on Internet searches and The ugly: Internet hoaxes, scams and legends
  7. Specialists from important higher education institutions have devised sites for evaluation of web resources. An excellent example is Intute Virtual Training Suite , written and updated by a team of subject specialists based in universities and colleges all across the UK. Evaluation of sites is an important critical skill, as shown by the web pages of Johns Hopkins University and Berkeley, University of California.
  8. Material production is often a case of reinventing the wheel.