Abstract:

Learner autonomy, which is defined by Holec (1981) as the ability to take charge of one’s learning, has taken on a prominent role in the field of second language teaching in recent years. However, majority of Turkish students are not autonomous learners since their previous learning experiences are generally based on a teacher-centered approach. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of collaborative activities outside of class on learner autonomy in an EFL classroom. The participants comprised 23 students at intermediate level enrolled in a Language Preparatory Program at a private university in Turkey. Depending on the needs and interests, students were put into clubs called Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening and Vocabulary Club. Each club, guided by the instructor, worked collaboratively outside of class and shared what they had done with the other groups in the class. They also posted their work on the walls of the classroom when possible. So as to see the effects of the treatment on learner autonomy, data were collected by means of pre-test and post-test Likert-Scale questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with the students. The results indicated that the treatment had a significant effect on some of the aspects of learner autonomy.

Keywords:

Learner autonomy, skills, collaboration.