Does an autonomising scheme contribute to changing university students’ representations of language learning?
-
Anne Chateau
and
Kossi Seto Yibokou
Abstract
Since 2018, a language-learning scheme has been specifically designed for first-year students at the University of Lorraine. Its intended objective is to make them aware of the many possibilities, strategies and methodologies to learn languages, other than simply attending classes. Developing learner autonomy and inciting the students to use all the affordances offered to them at our university (e.g.: self-access centres, digital platform) is indeed one of the main aims encouraged by the language centre. In order to study the outcomes and efficiency of such a scheme, we sought to examine the representations (or beliefs as defined by Bidari 2021). These students had regarding language learning when they enter university, and compare them with those after completing the scheme. To reach this objective, the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after the course. The paper first describes the language scheme, which involves a combination of class sessions and self-directed activities, and focuses on the questionnaire to explain its theoretical rationale. The next step of the article is dedicated to the analysis of the obtained data. The results show that, although some of the students already had a ‘positive’ representation of the way they could learn a language, the scheme helped those, whose belief was different, to modify it. Their answers also seem to show some engagement in autonomisation activities. The results are discussed in terms of their pedagogical implications for Language Centres in Higher Education.
Questionnaire[8]
Apprendre une langue est difficile
Pour apprendre une langue, le plus important c’est de parler
Pour apprendre une langue, il faut pratiquer le plus possible
Si j’apprends une langue, c’est pour la parler comme une personne dont c’est la langue (langue maternelle)
On ne peut pas bien apprendre une langue sans rester longtemps dans un pays où elle est parlée
Certaines personnes sont plus douées pour apprendre les langues que d’autres
Pour bien apprendre, il ne faut pas faire d’erreurs
Pour bien connaître une langue, il faut bien en connaître la grammaire
On ne peut pas s’exprimer si on n’a pas les mots justes
Les langues étrangères sont identiques à l’écrit et à l’oral
On n’a qu’une façon de lire quels que soient les textes
Pour chaque mot français, il existe un équivalent en langue étrangère
Pour comprendre, il est nécessaire de traduire
Pour comprendre une conversation, il faut entendre tous les sons
Pour comprendre un texte, il faut déchiffrer tous les mots
Pour apprendre une langue, on a besoin d’un professeur, de préférence quelqu’un dont c’est la langue maternelle
La seule évaluation valable c’est la note
Pour bien apprendre, il faut suivre un cours dans une classe
Seul un enseignant peut évaluer ce qui a été appris
On peut apprendre une langue tout.e seul.e
Il n’y a qu’une seule bonne façon d’apprendre
Vous vous êtes inscrit(e) à un/des services ‘EDOlang’ ce semestre ?[9]
Au cours du semestre, vous avez utilisé des ressources proposées par EDOlang ?[10]
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Integration, collaboration, friendship as core messages for younger generations
- Research Articles
- Research practice and culture in European universities’ Language Centres. Results of a survey in CercleS member institutions
- Language practices in the work communities of Finnish Language Centres
- Fostering transparency: a critical introduction of generative AI in students’ assignments
- Expert versus novice academic writing: a Multi-Dimensional analysis of professional and learner texts in different disciplines
- Raising language awareness to foster self-efficacy in pre-professional writers of English as a Foreign Language: a case study of Czech students of Electrical Engineering and Informatics
- Does an autonomising scheme contribute to changing university students’ representations of language learning?
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- Students’ perception of the impact of (meta)linguistic knowledge on learning German
- Language policy in Higher Education of Georgia
- Activity Reports
- Intercomprehension and collaborative learning to interact in a plurilingual academic environment
- Teaching presentation skills through popular science: an opportunity for a collaborative and transversal approach to ESP teaching
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- Decolonising the curriculum in Japanese language education in the UK and Europe
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Integration, collaboration, friendship as core messages for younger generations
- Research Articles
- Research practice and culture in European universities’ Language Centres. Results of a survey in CercleS member institutions
- Language practices in the work communities of Finnish Language Centres
- Fostering transparency: a critical introduction of generative AI in students’ assignments
- Expert versus novice academic writing: a Multi-Dimensional analysis of professional and learner texts in different disciplines
- Raising language awareness to foster self-efficacy in pre-professional writers of English as a Foreign Language: a case study of Czech students of Electrical Engineering and Informatics
- Does an autonomising scheme contribute to changing university students’ representations of language learning?
- Investigating the relationship between self-regulated learning and language proficiency among EFL students in Vietnam
- Students’ perspectives on Facebook and Instagram ELT opportunities: a comparative study
- Designing a scenario-based learning framework for a university-level Arabic language course
- Washback effects of the Portuguese CAPLE exams from Chinese university students and teachers’ perspectives: a mixed-methods study
- Students’ perception of the impact of (meta)linguistic knowledge on learning German
- Language policy in Higher Education of Georgia
- Activity Reports
- Intercomprehension and collaborative learning to interact in a plurilingual academic environment
- Teaching presentation skills through popular science: an opportunity for a collaborative and transversal approach to ESP teaching
- Japanese kana alphabet retention through handwritten reflection cards
- Decolonising the curriculum in Japanese language education in the UK and Europe
