Ten Ways to Promote Learner Autonomy
- First, pair share needs analysis on their English skills, and their goals are conveyed ( To help students understand how to prioritize what they need to learn from now to the future).
- pre-group work: go to p. 13 Exercise 4. Divide the students to odds and evens. Have them assign which terms to check ( To have them control the assignment). Bring one example realia to the next class ( To have them connect the learning to out-of-class items).
- Group themselves into five and have them decide the roles: lead, propose, stay on facts, focus on merits, focus on demerits ( To have them decide by discussion).
- Briefly introduce the goal of the course to become independent learner of science in English using news app. Show sample strategies they can choose to better cope with English such as reading aloud and making word cards ( To have them plan their goal). Explain learning pyramid and encourage them to peer teach the news ( To help them understand the importance of active learning and to help them learn to think about how they can be more active).
Homework
- Exercise 4: they bring one example and show to the class ( To have them teach others using familiar materials).
- Unit 1 p. 8-9 read the assigned part and prepare to share in simple sentence or two ( To promote awareness of the audience, independent inquiry).
- Recommend but not oblige to visit SALC: self-access learning center with a topic that students want to explore for the news report ( To have students choose between individual preparation and preparation with a help of SALC staff, To have students improve awareness of autonomy at SALC).
- Check news from Nature.com and fill in the news report sheet ( To give students choice of the topic based on their interest).
These are the ten plans to enhance learner autonomy in a week inside and outside the class for the first week of “English for Natural Science” course.
Reference
Suzuki, Y. (2015). Readings in science: in association with Nature. Tokyo: Nan'un-Do. Unit 1. pp.7-14.
Please check the link below to view the whole content of Unit 1.
http://nanun-dnanun-do.hondana.jp/files/readingsinscience.pdfo.hondana.jp/files/readingsinscience.pdf