An Exploration Of The Practice Of Learner Autonomy In Learning English Language At Grade J2: Bahir Dar Higher Education Preparatory Secondary School In Focus
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Date
2012-05
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AAU
Abstract
III Ifle jield of language leachillg alld leaming. the lIIosl successji.d learners are believed 10 be
aUlOIlOIllOUS in a sense that they accept why, what and how Ihey are leaming because leachers
cannot teach evelything alld help learners outside the formal setting of educatioll and fulfill Ihe
lIeeds of all the learners. Therefore, lea mel's need to leam the language all their OWII. 011 the
other hand, lea mel's may not come to the classroom with natural gifl of autonomous leamillg
prinCiples. Hence, teachers should train learners how to learn the language by themselves.
Havillg considered these assumptions, this study was conducted to explore learller autonomy in
learlling English at grade 12: Bahir Dar Higher PreparatOly Secondwy School in focus. To
achieve the objective, 131 grade 12 students were selected randomly, and all Ellglish teachers
were selected. Data were gathered using questionnaire, interview, focus group discussioll with
th e students and observation. The questionnaire was distributed to 131 students and six English
teachers. The il1lerview was conducted to six students and all the teachers. The focus group
discussion was held with ten sludents. The observation was conducted to three sessions 011
volun!wy basis. The questionnaire was used to jind out the efforts of learners to develop their
English lallguage skills and the role of leachers ill helping lea mel's learn how to leam. To see
the consistency of the results, illtervielV lVas conducted. Focus group discussioll with the sludents
was conducted to cross-check the results fOlllld Fum the questionnaire and interview because the
efforts of leamers outside the classroom cannot be fully observed,. The observatioll lVas
cOllducted to see the classroom practices as they occur. The results obtained through these tools
reveal that most of the students did not exert individual efforts to develop their English language
skills on their OWI1. Although teachers tried to train learners how to comprehend oilly wrillell
texts and encourage learners to develop self-conjidence to leam the language, the)' did 1101
adequately traill learners the cognitive alld socia-affective strategies. In additioll, most of tfle
teachers did 1101 adequately traill lea mel's the melacognitive stralegies. Filially based on Ihe
jilldillgs. recommendatiolls were forwarded. Accordingly, the teachers should carlY Ollt tfleir
roles in helping learners lem'lI hOlV to leam. The stlldellts shollid also exert individual efforts to
leam tfle langllage on their OlVn.
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Keywords
teachers should train learners