Self-Access Language Learning: Students’ perceptions and choices

David GardnerKevin Yung

Centre for Applied English Studies, HKU

Outline

• Context• Methods• What the data shows• Discussion• Future improvements

Context: The course

• SALL component of an EAP university course• Course = 24 contact hours• 8 course hours devoted to SALL• The SALL component has been researched

previously (Gardner, 2007; Gardner and Yung, forthcoming; Lai, 2011; Lai, Gardner & Law, 2013)

• Integration has been researched (e.g. Cooker and Torpey, 2004; Fisher, Hafner and Young, 2007; Morrison, 2008; Toogood and Pemberton, 2002)

SALL within the Course

Proof-reading test

Needs analysis + personal needs / wants

Proof-reading Test

STRAND 2SALL

Self-Access Learning

-personalised learning plan

30%

Oral Input-pronunciation sessions-discussion groups-feedback

Speaking Test

Individual Pronunciation

Assessment

STRAND 1Speaking

40%

Teaching and Learning

Outcomes

Pre-testing

Guidance

AssessmentValue

Writing Input-lessons-teacher feedback-Writing Clinic

Journal Article

STRAND 3Writing

30%

(dealt with in previous course)

Context: The participants

• 77 undergraduate students (56 male, 21 female)

• All L1 Cantonese or Mandarin• All with similar educational backgrounds• Year 2 Faculty of Science students • From within 5 classes

Methods

• Participants all taught by the same teacher• Data collected ethically• Voluntary participation (77 out of 80)• Anonymous online questionnaire survey• Invitation to be interviewed• 4 semi-structured individual interviews

Analysis

• Questionnaires:– Mean scores for comparison of likert scale

questions– Frequency lists for open-ended questions

• Interviews:– Tagged using Weft QDA to identify themes

What the Data Shows

• Generally positive attitude to SALL• Students perceptions of:

– Their language skills proficiency– The need for English

• Students’ SALL goals• Students’ choice of learning activities

Positive Attitude Towards SALLRank Mean

1 It gives me flexibility in learning English. 73.4%

2 It lets me learn how to learn English by myself. 70.1%

3 It pushes me to learn English. 62.7%

4 It inspires me to keep learning English. 61.4%

5 I prefer a teacher teaching me English. 54.9%

6 It is a good thing, but I just can't do it. 53.9%

7 It arouses my interest in English. 49.4%

8 SALL is a waste of time. 33.1%

Perceptions of Proficiency

Rank Areas of proficiency Meanproficiency

1 Reading ability 61.10%

2 Listening ability 60.45%

3 Grammar ability 53.63%

4 Writing ability 49.03%

5 Vocabulary ability 48.38%

6 Speaking ability 47.45%

Students’ SALL Goals

Rank Goals relating to proficiency areas Proportion

Grammar 92.31%

1 Speaking 65.38%

2 Vocabulary 51.28%

3 Listening 42.31%

4 Writing 29.49%

5 Reading 23.08%

Other 5.13%

Comparison:

Proficiency Area

Self-evaluation of proficiency

1 = most proficient

Self-ranking of goals 1 = most important

Speaking 6 1

Vocabulary 5 2

Grammar 3 NA*

Listening 2 3

Writing 4 4

Reading 1 5

Self-ranking of goals vs self-evaluation of proficiency

Students’ Choice of Learning ActivitiesRank

Degree of Popularity Popularity % Activity

1Highly

Popular

80.5 Watching videos (e.g. TV, movies, news, short video clips)2 74.0 Reading grammar books or doing grammar exercises3 68.8 Reading newspapers or magazines4

Popular54.5 Doing exam papers

5 50.6 Listening to English materials (e.g. songs, speeches)6

Quite Popular

42.9 Speaking more English in daily life7 35.1 Reading non-academic books (e.g. fictions, novels)8 32.5 Reading academic materials (e.g. journal articles, textbooks)9

Not Popular

27.3 Keeping a vocabulary notebook10 26.0 Using Apps11 23.4 Reading dictionaries12 19.5 Using the course website / VEC13 18.2 Reading aloud14 15.6 Writing more English in daily life (e.g. blogs)15

Un-popular

7.8 Self-recording16 6.5 Group discussion sessions at LRC17 3.9 Other18 2.6 Keeping a diary in English19 1.3 Individual consultation at LRC

Students’ Choice of Learning ActivitiesRank

Degree of Popularity Popularity % Activity

1Highly

Popular

80.5 Watching videos (e.g. TV, movies, news, short video clips)2 74.0 Reading grammar books or doing grammar exercises3 68.8 Reading newspapers or magazines4

Popular54.5 Doing exam papers

5 50.6 Listening to English materials (e.g. songs, speeches)6

Quite Popular

42.9 Speaking more English in daily life7 35.1 Reading non-academic books (e.g. fictions, novels)8 32.5 Reading academic materials (e.g. journal articles, textbooks)9

Not Popular

27.3 Keeping a vocabulary notebook10 26.0 Using Apps11 23.4 Reading dictionaries12 19.5 Using the course website / VEC13 18.2 Reading aloud14 15.6 Writing more English in daily life (e.g. blogs)15

Un-popular

7.8 Self-recording16 6.5 Group discussion sessions at LRC17 3.9 Other18 2.6 Keeping a diary in English19 1.3 Individual consultation at LRC

Overall comparisonRank Degree of

Popularity Activity Proficiency Area

(Self) Ranking as SALL Goal

(Self) Ranking of Proficiency

1Highly

Popular

Watching videos (e.g. TV, movies, news, short video clips) Listening 3 2

2 Reading grammar books or doing grammar exercises Reading 5 1

3 Reading newspapers or magazines Reading 5 1

5 Popular Listening to English materials (e.g. songs, speeches) Listening 3 2

6

Quite Popular

Speaking more English in daily life Speaking 1 6

7 Reading non-academic books (e.g. fictions, novels) Reading 5 1

8 Reading academic materials (e.g. journal articles, textbooks) Reading 5 1

9

Not Popular

Keeping a vocabulary notebook Vocabulary 2 511 Reading dictionaries Vocabulary 2 513 Reading aloud Reading 5 1

14 Writing more English in daily life (e.g. blogs) Writing 4 4

15Un-

popular

Self-recording Speaking 1 616 Group discussion sessions at LRC Vocabulary 2 518 Keeping a diary in English Vocabulary 2 5

Discussion

• Consistent: Self-evaluation of proficiency vs SALL goals

• Inconsistent: Self-evaluation of proficiency / SALL goals vs Preferences for SALL activities

Speculated reasons

• Ignoring language needs– They self-assess their needs– They set relevant goals– They choose unrelated activities

• Using preferred activities to meet the SALL requirement

• Constraints– Time– Availability of resources– Task difficulties

Examples of Preferred Activities

• “I think actually when I’m doing something related to English, I’m not thinking too much about SALL. I just want to do it for like they are fun and for like watching the videos and movies. No matter there is SALL or not I will do it, I want to do it, for entertainment. I think it will improve English also.” (Nancy)

• “Actually I have a habit to read some literature works or history books for an hour or half hour per day, so I think that if I can keep this habit then it should be a kind of SALL.” (Billy)

Examples of Constraints

• “I find that lack of time is most important factor in doing the SALL… I find that only one hour a week is not enough definitely and as I the rules set by the CAES course I just finish the task and then I just let it be.” (Tony)

• “because of other workloads from the core subjects I cannot allocate more time to SALL.” (Billy)

Conclusion & Implications

• Inconsistency: Perceptions vs behaviours• SALL system – a failure?• The purpose of SALL?• Relationship between SALL goals and actions• Students’ choices based on good reasoning?• Teachers’ roles

Future Improvements

What can be done to enhance the SALL experience?

• Continuous dialogue between the teacher and the students– improve input on planning– improve monitoring– provide feedback and support

Q & A