This week has been really difficult for me (for personal reasons) that's why I am late in posting my first comment. Anyway! Here I am now, ready to "think" of what I have done so far!
Week 7 has proved really fruitful in terms of reading, discussions and "homework" (athough mine is not completed yet!). Today I would like to comment on Sheu's article (http://coyote.miyazaki-mu.ac.jp/learnerdev/LLE/8.1/sheuE.html). To begin with, learning autonomy of learner or teacher depends
more on the teaching system as a whole rather than on an individual teaching
situation in terms of readiness and practicability. I couldn't find better words to describe the existing situation in Greece. The Greek Ministry of Education has provided us teachers of English with coursebooks which have to be finished (at least 80% of them) by the end of the school year, leaving us no "room" to move freely. Sheu, also, refers to the compulsive situation with examinations in order to get a certificate of English which has made every
learner of English gasp for breath. Learners see English as something coercive, as a means to an end: a certificate. Teachers, on the other hand, are pressed for good results as this will give them and the institution they work at extra "respect" and prestige, and more and more "clients" will keep coming. This ends in a vicious circle: Nobody sees the "magic" of learning a foreign language, which implies learning a new civilization, listening to a foreign accent etc. Both students and teachers work towards this end... That's why autonomy is desirable and necessary. Learners need to be taught how to work alone, how to do research. They need to be aware of their leaning styles and weaknesses, so as to improve them and learn faster and more efficiently. However, teachers (including myself) do not fear: "...learner autonomy does not mean that the teacher becomes redundant, abdicating his/her control over what is transpiring in the language learning process" (Thanasoulas, http://iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html). The teacher's role gains even more importance, as it is s/he who will lead the learner towards autonomy. It is the teacher first who must become autonomous in order to facilitate his/her learners "autonomization".
Autonomy is an ongoing process. We are not born with it but rather learn how to achieve it. Teachers have to abdicate the role of the simple instructor and adopt that of the facilitator. This does not mean in any way that they become redundant. On the contrary, their role becomes more important in the learning process. Times change. Why should we stay still??
Hi, Georgia!
ReplyDeleteI congratulate you on the end of the academic year!
It is interesting to get to know about educational situation in Greece.
Our school is an experimental one. And we have choice. But we have the same situation at the end of year in exams. Our students should pass traditional exams to enter the university.
I agree with you that autonomy of students takes place if we create the situations for it. But I think that the exam is a one of the form of the situation when students develop their autonomy. Some students want to enter the University, some are going to enter the college, some students desire to learn abroad. So they choose their own way what to study, how to study, when to learn, where to learn and they are responsible for their learning because they know what they should do to continue to study where they want. They choose it themselves.
Have a good weekend!
Georgia:
ReplyDeleteHere in my country happens the same, people see English as something very difficult, and mandatory, but sadly the authorities do not help in this situation, as you mention the books, the examinations, and the pressure, don’t help to the students understand that magic you mention, they cannot do it without our help, I’m in the same situation, here as in your context, there’s no place for you to improve, you stay on the program, give them results, and that is it. Sad but true.
Greetings!