Bernardo Ferrara B. Aparecido
Abstract: This article talks a little bit about some theoretical views on the importance of being autonomous and suggests as well some responsible parts in this process of learning how to deal with autonomy. It takes into consideration the reality for Brazilian students basing on MAGNO E SILVA experiences with Brazilian undergraduate students.
When it comes to a second language acquisition, some students find it easier than others. Bringing this reality to the context of undergraduate students and taking into account the Brazilian reality in which not all of them could attend a private language course after school to study a foreign language, for some, the classes they attend at the University is the only real contact they have with learning a foreign language. Some manage to succeed with this little contact as others, unfortunately, do not. This fact opens gaps not only between the students as well as between the future professionals they are to become. At the end of their degree, these students will have graduated and will have set themselves at the market as being the next generation of teachers at elementary and secondary schools in Brazil. Whether they have succeeded or not will directly affect the quality of their teaching and classes and will be the key in determining whether their students will be interested in their classes as well as it will be fundamental for them to be employed or keep their jobs too. This article summarizes the ideas of some previous studies done on autonomy and tries to raise awareness on the importance of being autonomous and by looking for other sources of learning and studying.
It is clear that those who start their undergraduate studies with a higher level of proficiency in the language they are seeking their major on languages will be able to reach beyond and develop more than the ones with lower proficiency level. What a student does outside the class is key in determining whether s/he will be able to achieve more or less in his/her studies. Therefore, passivity should be left aside and the teachers should encourage their students to look for and use other learning tools and alternatives. One of the tools a student can use is the internet. Nowadays there are a lot of websites developed for this purpose; to help students who are learning a language. On the internet one can access a wide variety of videos, songs, texts, exercises to help him/her to develop that ability s/he thinks it is necessary to be worked on. Grammar books and dictionary are also tools of great importance when being autonomous. Sometimes grammar books and dictionary can be rather confusing, so being able to use them correctly helps a lot to improve one’s knowledge as they are also a great source of information; just by flipping through a dictionary, one can learn something new every time about a language.
Autonomy is defined by many authors in similar ways but with very little differences. Holec says that “autonomy is the capacity of taking charge of one’s own learning” (1981:3 apud Magno e Silva, 2008). Taking Holec’s definition into consideration, the teachers are not the only one responsible for the students’ learning processes but also the students, themselves, should take control of their own learning and find solutions and sources to their own development. Little defines autonomy as being “a capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision-making, and independent action” (1991 apud Magno e Silva, 2008). Understanding and being aware of one’s own personal way of learning will surely alter the result of learning; the more one knows which way is the best one for him/her to study and learn, the better one will learn and take that knowledge into new and wider contexts and also be able to establish bridges and links between one aspect of the language to another.
Being aware of how one study is fundamental for the student to succeed on his/her studies. Scharle & Szabó (2000 apud Magno e Silva, 2008) say that awareness is the first desirable state to be achieved by the student. One’s learning style is, as defined by Reid (1998 apud Magno e Silva, 2008), “internally based characteristics, often nor perceived or consciously used by learners, for the intake and comprehension of new information”. Sometimes the teaching style or the emphasis given in class is different from the students own way of learning, making them uninterested and demotivated as well. “In foreign language classes, students with introverted personality types, too reflexive, ambiguity intolerant, or even too kinesthetic suffer from classes which can be crashing with their preferred ways of learning” (MAGNO E SILVA, 2008). When this happens it is up to the students to find a different source to fill in the gaps created by their needs and it is also the teacher’s responsibility to supply other sources and ways to help students thrive in their learning process. There has got to be an open dialogue between teachers and students in which they can debate and establish links of mutual help.
Nowadays it is possible for a lot of the students to go online and look for useful websites which will give emphasis in their own way of learning. Learning strategies can be seen as ways which the students use to make learning more meaningful, enjoyable and faster. After reflecting on one’s best way of learning, when finding the right tool, the subject which is being learnt is then seen as something more practical and meaningful, therefore, making it easier for the student to better grasp that aspect and reproduce it and establish links between that aspect of the language with others. When done so, not only will the student make better use of his/her time, the learning process itself becomes more interesting and more appealing to student’s needs, making it also more successful. How many times have students used songs as memory aids? This fact connects one thing that people are usually fond of – music – to the aspect of the subject being taught. Of course it is not always possible to create a song for every single thing, but many times, by memorizing the lyrics of it, one consolidates that knowledge.
In conclusion autonomy is key when studying. It is a process that should begin by a critical analysis of one’s own learning process so that later, that student can set his/her goals and find the necessary sources to go after them. When all of these things have been carefully analyzed and thought about the whole process of learning a foreign language is made easier, more relaxing, more pleasant and, more important, more meaningful.
REFERENCES
MAGNO E SILVA, Walkyria, 2008. A model for the enancement of autonomy. D.E.L.T.A, 24:esp, p.469-492.
HOLEC, H. 1981. Autonomy in Foreign Language Learning. Oxford: Pergamon.
LITTLE, D. 1991. Autonomy: Definitions, Issues and Problems. Dublin: Authentik.
REID, J.1998. Understanding Learning Styles in the Second Language Classroom. New York: Prentice Hall Regents.
SCHARLE, Á & SZABÓ, A. 2000. Learner Autonomy: a guide to developing learner responsibility. Cambridge: Cambridge.
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