Developing Independent Language Learning: cultivating engagement

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Developing Independent Language Learning
cultivating engagement

• Linda Altshul Siân Etherington
• University of Salford

http//www.languages.salford.ac.uk/dill
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Aims of DILL

• To improve learner language and study proficiency
  through
• Autonomous learning, i.e. not just by distance
  but developing skills to study effectively
  without a tutor present
• Greater awareness of range of learning styles and
  language-learning strategies to enable effective
  autonomy
• Effective use of resources employing wide range
  of methods, media and materials
• Written reflection included in portfolio for
  assessment
• Support via VLE / tutor / class different DILL
  models

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(No Transcript)
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Staff Attitudes and Behaviour
If (DILL is) not automatic for staff how can it
be for students?

• 2002-03 Questionnaires
• Attitudes to
• Usefulness of DILL
• Monitoring DILL
• Confidence in DILL

• 2003/04 2004/05
• Continued rise in
• Recognising value of DILL for students
• Improved administration
• Confidence with assessment but more work on
  standardisation still needed

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Students learning to learn

• Increase in hours
• Putting in extra hours paid off (st. 9)
• It really helped through the number of exercises
  I have done (st.7)
• Increase in variety of approaches
• I have made an effort to do a variety of
  different activities (st. 20)
• I have used quite a few different techniques of
  learning but have discovered that I like the old
  conventional ones (st. 7 Sept.)
• I noticed that I like experimenting with
  different kinds of study approaches (e.g. using
  a mono-lingual dictionary) (st. 7 Oct.)

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Students learning to learn

• Growth in self-awareness
• It has made me challenge myself and the work I
  am doing (St.20)
• Reflection on record of work
• Sometimes it seems that it is completely
  senseless to put all your work down. However,
  when one looks back, one sees the advantages.
  it really helped me through the number of
  exercises I have done (St.7)
• Compulsion
• when I started the DILL programme I thought that
  it was very strange to have to think about my own
  learning progress, but then I thought that if we
  have to do it, I just do it seriously (st. 18).

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Types of strategies
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Uses of strategies
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Students comments on computer / technology use

• Blackboard has been useful for me and I have
  used it a lot (st.11)
• I found the course documents online useful
  especially at the beginning of the course, they
  helped me to look at and experiment with
  different ways of doing exercises (st. 5)
• I hadnt used all types of resources now I
  haveThe computer was my favourite of all,
  because there is so much information available
  online that is displayed more interestingly than
  in a book (st. 12)
• I find it easier to use the internet because of
  the layout (st.19)
• I am very excited about the websites given by the
  Spanish section mainly I prefer to use the
  online grammar programs (st.6)
• I also used my dictation machine a time-saving
  device I can play it over as many times as I
  need (st. 22)
• listening to filmsa very good way of learning
  and getting a feel for the language rather than
  being bogged down in the vocabulary and grammar
  details which I was doing in the past (st.5)

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VLE Discussion Boards 2003/4

• Intro session 48 students said DB would be
  most useful

• Its a great way for students to get in touch
  with each
• other and exchange ideas

• Encouraging start
• Greater EFL student
• response to staff
• moderation
• Valuable tutor discussion

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VLE Discussion Boards 2003/4
Disappointing!

• not used by EFL tutors
• Tutors used other means,
• e.g. focus groups
• VLE not used outside DILL
• .

• MFLincluded one activity students 17 / staff
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• DILL VLE Site
• only 239 hits / 16 significant users / 8
  staff
• anticipate greater use with VLE rollout from
  Sept

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Conclusions

• Increased autonomous learning
• Increased staff understanding
• Growing understanding of role of reflection
• Use of VLE will increase with rollout
• Continuing work on standardisation

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Reflections on DILL
Staff comment on DILL The interest is in seeing
how students think. The closer we can get to
their view of how they are learning the better
we can teach or rather get them to learn.
Student comment on DILL DILL makes you think
more about what you are doing and why you are
doing it. I would recommend self-analysis to
any language learner, If you know the best way
of learning for you, its obviously going to be
more effective.
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References
Ayres Robert 2003 Learner Attitudes Towards the
Use of CALL Computer Assisted Language
Learning Vol 15 No 3 pp 241-249 Bax Stephen 2003
CALL past, present and future System 31 pp
13-28 Cohen Andrew 2003 The learners side of
foreign language learning Where do styles,
strategies, and tasks meet? International Review
of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching
Vol 41 pp 279-291 Dolle Josefine Geraldine
Enjelvin 2003 Investigating VLE-ffectiveness
in Languages Computer Assisted Language
Learning Vol 16 no 5 pp 469- 490 Gardner David
and Lindsay Miller 1999 Establishing Self-Access
from theory to practice Cambridge Cambridge
University Press Gieve Simon Rose Clark 2005
The Chinese approach to learning Cultural
trait or situated response? The case of a
self-directed learning programme System 33
pp 261-276 Morrison Bruce 2005 Evaluating
learning gain in a self-access language learning
centre Language Teaching Research 9.3 pp
267-293 Pennington Martha 2004 Cycles of
Innovation in the Adoption of Information
Technology A View from Language Teaching
Computer Assisted Language Learning Vol 17 No 1
pp 7-33 Roed Jannie 2003 Language Learner
Behaviour in a Virtual Environment Computer
Assisted Language Learning Vol 16 No 2-3 pp
155-172