Learner Autonomy: Effectiveness and Challenges at Intermediate Level in Punjab, Pakistan
Abstract
![](/public/site/graph.png)
The effectiveness of learner autonomy with respect to second language acquisition has been investigated by various researchers all over the world. Still, it is not given adequate attention in Pakistan, where language proficiency is mostly a matter of developing expertise in writing skills. The education system in Pakistan is highly teacher-centered. It is based on delivering instructions through traditional methods that compel students to do nothing but merely listen to the lecture, passively. Later on, they are evaluated solely on the basis of their performance in the written exam. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and challenges of introducing learner autonomy in developing writing skills at intermediate level in ESL classrooms in Punjab, Pakistan. Learner autonomy works in three major areas. Firstly, it aims at enhancing the effectiveness of learning in short- and long-term language learning contexts. Secondly, it lowers the barriers between language learners and learning contexts. Thirdly, it transforms language learners into useful and effective individuals. The research sample comprised the intermediate students of Sialkot district. For the current study, a total of 120 female students of intermediate were selected. Experimental research design was used. The students were divided into two groups: control and experimental. Control group was taught the lecture using the existing teacher-centered approach. Experimental group was taught through autonomous activities using student-centered approach in order to develop learner autonomy in them. Lesson plans were designed and paired sample t-test was employed for the analysis of pre-tests and post-tests . The results revealed that the students of control group, who were taught by the lecture method, showed better results in their post-tests. On the contrary, students of experimental group, who were taught using a student-centered approach to develop learner autonomy, showed a remarkably small growth in their post-tests. The researchers observed that there was relatively low harmony and collaboration in between students and teachers, while pursuing for learner autonomy. They also conducted participants’ observations and interviews for data triangulation. They observed that most of the teachers do not want to promote learner autonomy and remain stuck with the traditional lecture method in order to ensure the success of the participants in written examination. The current research will help the teachers and students to remove the barriers and promote learner autonomy for the real acquisition of the English language.
Keywords: English as Second Language (ESL), lecture method, learner autonomy, student-centered approach
Downloads
References
Al-Hazmi, S. (2006). Writing reflection: Perceptions of Arab EFL learners. South Asian
Language Review, 16(2), 36-52.
Auerbach, E. R. (2000). Creating participatory learning communities: Paradoxes andpossibilities. In J. K. Hall & W. Eggington (Eds.), The sociopolitics of English language teaching (pp. 143–163). Multilingual Matters.
Badshah, I., Kausar, G., & Khan, R. N. (2017). Investigating Pakistani University Students' Beliefs about Learning English. The Dialogue (Pakistan), XII(4), 415-432.
Bagheri, M. S., & Aeen, L. (2011). The Impact of Practicing Autonomy on the Writing Proficiency of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners. Journal of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 15(1), 1-13.
Borg, S., & Al-Busaidi, S. (2012). Learner autonomy: English language teachers’ beliefs and practices. ELT journal, 12(7), 1-45.
Brown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An approach to language pedagogy. Englewood Cliff.
Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2004). Language assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices. Pearson Education.
Cakici, D. (2017). An investigation of learner autonomy in Turkish EFL context. International Journal of Higher Education, 6(2), 89-99.
Freire, P. (1974). Pedagogy of the oppressed (trans: Ramos, MB). Continuum.
Freire, P. (2004). Pedagogy of the oppressed. In D. J. Flinders, S. Thornton, D. J. Flinders, & S.J. Thornton (Eds.), Curriculum Studies Reader E2 (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203017609
Holec, H. (1979). Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning. Longman.
Khabiri, M. (2003). A study on the validity of the English proficiency test of postgraduate TEFL admission examination: A proposal for an LSP testing model [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Islamic Azad University.
Little, D. (1995). Learning as dialogue: the dependence of learner autonomy on teacher autonomy. System, 23(2), 175-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/0346-251X(95)00006-6
Nicolaides, C. S., & Fernandes, V. (2008). Learner autonomy in the light of Freire. DELTA: Documentação de Estudos em Lingüística Teórica e Aplicada, 24(esp), 493-511.
Sidupa, C. (2016). Fostering learners'autonomy in writing. Journal of English Education, 1(2), 158-164.
Tajmirriahi, T., & Rezvani, E. (2021). Learner Autonomy in L2 Writing: The Role of Academic Self-Concept and Academic Achievement. Education Research International, 2021, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6074039
Van Lier, L. (1996). Interaction in the language curriculum: Awareness, autonomy, and
authenticity. Longman.
Wade, C. (1995). Using writing to develop and assess critical thinking. Teaching of Psychology, 22(1), 24-28. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328023top2201_8
White, R. V., & McGovern, D. (1994). Writing: Teacher's Book. Prentice Hall International
English Language Teaching.
Wu, L. L. (2008). On cultivation of leaner autonomy in EFL classroom. US-China Foreign Language, 6(3), 43-46.
Yasmin, M., & Sohail, A. (2017). Realizing learner autonomy in Pakistan: EFL Teachers’ beliefs about their practices. International Journal of English Linguistics, 8(2), 153-162.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.