AUTONOMY STUDIES:
THE USAGE OF LEARNING STRATEGIES IN
OUR EFL CONTEXT
Robson Martins de Araujo Junior
English teacher graduated from UFES 2006-2009
Grad student in Distance Education at UFF, Niterói
[email protected] / [email protected]
X X I I AP I E S An n u a l M e e t i n g – V i t ó r i a / E S – S e p t e m b e r, 2 0 1 2
Advisor: Prof. Dr. Karla Ribeiro de Assis Cezarino
Co-advisor: Prof. Dr. Karen L. Currie

What is autonomy in language learning?
“[…] autonomy is about people taking more control over their lives individually and collectively. Autonomy in learning is about people taking
Contextualization
more control over their learning in classrooms and outside them and
autonomy in language learning is about people taking more control over the
purposes for which they learn languages and the ways in which they learn
them.”

(BENSON, 2003, online)
What are Learning Strategies?
“the specific things that one does to learn”.
(HINKEL, 2005, p.758)
“learning strategies are special ways of processing information that
enhance comprehension, learning, or retention of the information”.
(O’MALLEY & CHAMOT 1996, p. 1)
• What is the difference between an autonomous learner
and a self-taught learner?
- AUTONOMOUS learners “[...] understand the purpose
Contextualization
and process of learning and are able to choose from available tools
and resources to create a productive learning environment” (THI
CAM LE, 2005, p.6). But they are still dependent on teachers to
receive instruction and contents.
- SELF-TAUGHT learners are the ones who have learned
things without any help from others, making use of their own
techniques in order to learn by themselves. (HORNBY, 2005)
This study aimed to answer the following questions:
 What are the learning strategies used by
students, whether consciously or not, during
their language learning process?
Objectives
 Which are the most and least frequent
strategies used?
 By answering these initial questions, this
study hopes to make teachers and students
aware that there are a variety of ways to deal
with the process of learning a new language.
Holec defines Autonomy as being “[…] the ability to take charge of
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one’s learning […]” (1981, p. 5)
 “[…] autonomy is a process, not a product. One does not become
autonomous; one only works towards autonomy”.
(THANASOULAS, 2000, p. 2)
Teachers can have a very important role in the development of their
students’ autonomy, according to Thanasoulas:“[…] autonomous
learning is by no means ‘teacherless’ learning” (2000, p.4).
Thi Cam Le states that “the teacher plays an indispensable role by
acting as a facilitator and modifying material for the students when
necessary” (2005, p.6).
“in order to help learners to assume greater control over their own learning it
is important to help them to become aware of and identify the strategies that
they already use or could potentially use”.
(HOLMES and RAMOS, 1991, p. 198)
“[...] appropriate strategies use is an important factor that differentiates more
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and less effective language learners, and that useful strategies are both
teachable and learnable”.
(OXFORD, 1996, p.180)
“The teachers promote autonomous behavior by suggesting extracurricular
activities, focusing first on those that students already engage in. For example,
the teacher may want to ask students to try such English learning activities as
writing letters to pen pals; reading newspapers, magazines, or books; listening
to the radio; watching movies; surfing the Internet; talking to foreigners;
keeping a journal; practicing conversation with friends; studying in groups; and
attending a self-study center”.
(SPRATT et al., 2002 apud THI CAM LE, 2005, p. 6)
• Quantitative approach;
Methodology
• Structured questionnaire – 5 Point Likert Scale;
The Likert scale is an attitude scale, which measures the subjects’
attitudes towards the topic studied (MCNABB, 2004).
• Mode – central tendency measure method;
The mode “determines the typical or average value for any scale of
measurement, including a nominal scale. […] In a frequency distribution,
the mode is the score or category that has the greatest frequency”
(GRAVETTER; WALLNAU, 2000, p. 93).
• Questionnaire was revised and validated;
• A pilot-test was made with 10 students;
• All
thirty-four
deliberately.
selected
students
participated
General
1. Estudo inglês quando tenho tempo livre.
2. Tento pensar nas coisas que vejo em inglês.
3. Tento entrar em contato com a língua fora da sala de aula
The strategies
(música, TV, filmes, vídeo games, internet, etc.).
4. Vou ao centro de auto aprendizagem do curso de inglês.
5. Navego sites em inglês.
6. Utilizo sites que ensinam inglês.
Listening
7. Tento ouvir o CD [áudio] antes de ler o texto [script] da atividade.
8. Assisto à programas de TV e filmes com o áudio em inglês.
9. Escuto músicas em inglês.
10. Tento compreender a letra da música enquanto escuto.
The strategies
11. Procuro as letras das músicas para melhor entender e acompanhá-la.
12. Tento transcrever as atividades de listening
(conversations, livros,etc.).
13. Gosto de ouvir / Fico curioso quando as pessoas conversam em
inglês.
Reading
14. Procuro ler (livros, revistas, artigos,etc.) em inglês.
15. Quando leio não me prendo a palavras que não sei, tento
entender o texto como um todo.
16. Configuro a língua inglesa como padrão nos meus eletrônicos
The strategies
(computador, celular, MP3, jogos, etc.).
17. Assisto filmes com a legenda em inglês.
Writing
18. Faço todos meus exercícios de inglês.
19. Escrevo em inglês com meus amigos no MSN/Orkut/E-mail, etc.
20. Mantenho um diário em inglês.
21.Tento escrever pequenos textos sobre diferentes tópicos em inglês.
Speaking
22. Tento falar o máximo de inglês com amigos, professores,
família, etc.
The strategies
23. Falo sozinho em inglês.
Pronunciation
34. Quando escuto algo em inglês presto atenção nos sons e
entonações.
35. Tento imitar e pratico a pronúncia dos áudios que contém
falantes da língua inglesa.
36. Tento cantar minhas músicas favoritas em inglês mesmo sem
saber a letra.
Grammar
24. Uso gramáticas de inglês para estudar estruturas.
25. Costumo fazer exercícios de gramática para praticar.
26. Reviso meus textos para procurar meus erros.
The strategies
27. Anoto tópicos e estruturas gramaticais que tenho dificuldade
para estudar depois.
28. Tento traduzir pequenos textos do inglês para o português.
29. Tento traduzir pequenos textos do português para o inglês.
Vocabulary
28. Tento traduzir pequenos textos do inglês para o português.
29. Tento traduzir pequenos textos do português para o inglês.
30. Utilizo dicionários (português/inglês; inglês/inglês;
The strategies
inglês/português).
31. Procuro o significado de novas palavras e analiso seus
possíveis usos.
32. Assisto filmes e anoto algum vocabulário que não entendo.
33. Procuro as letras das minhas músicas favoritas em inglês,
pesquiso o significado.
• The data collected from all questionnaire was
tabulated;
• The mode was applied in order to foreground the
Data analysis
most recurrent scores in each strategy;
• The fifth point of the scale “E”, which stands for “I
do it but not with the purpose of improving my
English” did not receive enough answers to be
highlighted by the mode, it was not used in the
analysis;
• The data was grouped into two categories: the most
frequent (A-Frequently) and the least frequently (DNever) used strategies, which meant that only the
strategies that were highlighted by the mode in these
Data analysis
points of the scale, were part of these categories;
• According to tables 1 and 2, we can see that
students have a slight preference of using listening
and pronunciation strategies, rather than using the
grammar and writing ones.
• The data was grouped into two categories: the most
frequent (A-Frequently) and the least frequently (DNever) used strategies, which meant that only the
strategies that were highlighted by the mode in these
Data analysis
points of the scale, were part of these categories;
• The strategies which were highlighted with gray shading
are the ones which received answers from more than
seventeen (50%) participants. In tables 1 and 2, we can
see that students have a slight preference for using
listening and pronunciation strategies, rather than using
strategies related to grammar and writing.
Table 1 Strategies which were frequently used by some students
Data analysis
#
9
13
3
10
15
8
36
34
28
11
33
35
27
Type
Listening
Listening
General
Listening
Reading
Listening
Pronunciation
Pronunciation
Gram/Vocab
Listening
Vocabulary
Pronunciation
Grammar
Description
Escuto músicas em inglês.
Gosto de ouvir / Fico curioso quando as pessoas conversam em inglês.
Tento entrar em contato com a língua fora da sala de aula.
Tento compreender a letra da música enquanto escuto.
Quando leio não me prendo a palavras que não sei, tento entender o texto como um todo.
Assisto à programas de TV e filmes com o áudio em inglês.
Tento cantar minhas músicas favoritas em inglês mesmo sem saber a letra.
Quando escuto algo em inglês presto atenção nos sons e entonações.
Tento traduzir pequenos textos do inglês para o português.
Procuro as letras das músicas para melhor entender e acompanhá-la.
Procuro as letras das minhas músicas favoritas em inglês e pesquiso o significado.
Tento imitar e praticar a pronúncia dos áudios que contém falantes da língua inglesa.
Anoto tópicos e estruturas gramaticais que tenho dificuldade para estudar depois.
Mode
26
23
22
20
19
17
17
16
15
14
14
11
10
Table 2 Strategies which were never used by some students
#
20
4
16
24
32
21
6
19
25
7
23
Type
Writing
General
Reading
Grammar
Vocabulary
Writing
General
Writing
Grammar
Listening
Speaking
Description
Mantenho um diário em inglês.
Vou ao centro de auto aprendizagem do curso de inglês.
Configuro a língua inglesa como padrão nos meus eletrônicos (celular, MP3, etc.)
Uso gramáticas de inglês para estudar estruturas.
Assisto filmes e anoto algum vocabulário que não entendo.
Tento escrever pequenos textos sobre diferentes tópicos em inglês.
Utilizo sites que ensinam inglês.
Escrevo em inglês com meus amigos no MSN / Orkut / E-mail, etc.
Costumo fazer exercícios de gramática para praticar.
Tento ouvir o áudio (CD) antes de ler o texto da atividade.
Falo sozinho em inglês.
Mode
33
25
18
17
16
15
14
14
12
11
11
• All the 36 listed strategies were said to be used by the 34
participants;
Final considerations
• However, are students aware of the fact that they are using
strategies that could be used as strong supportive tools throughout
their learning process?
• The questionnaire used in this study could be a great instrument to
help teachers identify the strategies used by their students in order
to reinforce the ones that students already know and teach the
strategies that they are not acquainted with yet.
• The researched school has an Independent study Lab available for
all students and free of any charge, but even so, 73.5% of the
students do not go there.
• Once this study has shown what the most and least used strategies
are, teachers could start developing more activities related to these
practices in order to explore, increase, and reinforce students’ ways
Final considerations
of studying.
• Teachers should explore songs as being valuable teaching tools
since students showed they have been in touch with the audio and
the lyrics very frequently.
• Teachers can also improve students’ autonomy by teaching or at
least mentioning the existence and purposes of the least used
strategies, in order to facilitate the students’ learning process.
• There are several simple actions that are regarded as being
powerful strategies to support a language learning process that still
have not been used by students.
• Finally, I dare to say that the autonomous practice is undoubtedly
one, if not, the strongest ally that we, teachers and students, have to
transform the process of learning foreign languages into something
Final considerations
much more enjoyable and easy to experience, rather than
something that demands big efforts to be accomplished.
• This is not an impossible proposal to be put into practice. Both
students and teachers, whether experienced or not, are fully capable
to engage into this search and further development of autonomy in
themselves.
• As Thanasoulas (2005, p. 2) have stated, “it is a process, not a
product”; thus what is left for us is to follow Holec’s (1981, p. 5) claim
and “take charge of our own learning” and immerge into this
extremely positive teaching/learning possibility.
“Teachers open the doors.
Students enter by themselves.”
Final considerations
Chinese proverb
If you liked this presentation and the ideas brought to our teaching
reflective process, please get in touch.
Let me know what you think about it! Your feedback is really important!
[email protected] / [email protected]
I’m looking forward to publishing this research, if you by any
chances, have suggestions of good journals or academic
magazines, please mail me!!
THANK YOU!

BENSON,
P.
Autonomy
in
Language
Learning.
University
of
Hong
Kong.
Available
at:
<http://ec.hku.hk/autonomy/what.html> Last updated in August 2003. Last access on 04 Oct. 2009.

GRAVETTER, F. J.; WALLNAU, L. B. Essentials of Statistics for the Behavioral Science - 6th ed. California:
Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007

HINKEL, E. Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Routledge, 2005

HOLEC, H. Autonomy in Foreign Language Learning. Oxford: OUP, 1981

HOLMES, J. L. & RAMOS, R. Talking about learning: establishing a framework for discussing and changing
learning processes.
In JAMES, C. & GARRET, P. Language awareness in classroom – University of
References
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
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
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
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
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