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Teachers’ Role in Fostering Learner Autonomy under CALL Environment

Author: XuQin
Tutor: WuZhongJie
School: University of Electronic Science and Technology
Course: Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Keywords: CALL learner autonomy teachers’ role
CLC: H319
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2009
Downloads: 227
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Abstract

College English Curriculum Requirements (2007) advocates the reform of college English teaching model,“The new model should be built on modern information technology, particularly network technology, so that English language teaching and learning will be, to a certain extent, free from the constraints of time or place and geared towards students’individualized and autonomous learning.”In comparison with the traditional teaching model the new teaching model, supported by computer and network technologies, tends to create for learners a favorable and authentic learning environment and provide them with the opportunities to study on their own. Learners have the options to choose their favorite learning materials and learning methods. However it should be mentioned that although researchers generally agree that CALL has the potential positive effects on promoting learner autonomy, there is no guarantee of autonomy. In fact, facilitating individualized and autonomous learning in CALL context does not imply that students should learn on their own or teachers should be replaced by computers. On the contrary, teachers should adjust their roles and guide students to manage their own learning.The present study aims to investigate teachers’role in fostering learner autonomy under CALL environment. It investigates teachers’general attitudes towards the application of computers in class, their perceptions of teachers’role, their current practice and the relevant affecting factors of learner autonomy in CALL context. It focuses on the following four questions, 1) What are participants’perceptions of the new teaching model (CALL model)? 2) What are participants’beliefs of teachers’role in fostering learner autonomy under CALL environment? 3) How do participants practice in fostering learner autonomy in CALL context? 4) Do participants’perceptions and beliefs match their practice? The solutions were explored through the questionnaire survey and the structured interview. The subjects of the questionnaire survey are 55, 6 of whom were interviewed for the qualitative analysis of the present study.The results of the study indicate that subjects have really positive attitudes about CALL and clear perceptions of teachers’role in developing learner autonomy under CALL environment, but there exists some discrepancy between teachers’beliefs and their actual performance, some teachers failing to carry out some roles. Most subjects believe in the process of developing learner autonomy under CALL environment the protruding affecting factors are lack of the motivation and interest of the student, teachers’no full understanding of the CALL, no advanced teaching equipment and no technical support for teachers respectively.

Teachers’ Role in Fostering Learner Autonomy under CALL Environment

Abstract

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