Abstract:

This paper reports on a project in which researchers in Japan explored ways in order for teachers to facilitate secondary school students’ awareness of their capacity to be autonomous learners within an English as a foreign language (EFL) learning environment. Autonomy in this study is defined as to control their learning, while being supported by a teacher or other persons in an EFL learning environment. The learning environment investigated in this study reports on the results of an initiative that aimed to place good teacher-student communication at the center of the development of learner autonomy. In order to develop in-class teacher-student communication, a worksheet was created. Activities in the worksheet includes: 1) setting students' goals; 2) checking their self-study at home; 3) reciting texts in a textbook within one minute in front of the teacher; and 4) reflecting on what they have done. On the basis of the findings of teacher-student protocols, it was revealed that the use of the worksheet in the course encouraged the students to engage in good teacher-student communication. Moreover, pre- and post-course questionnaires on the students’ learning strategies, motivation, self-efficacy, along with interviews with the students, claimed that the students’ motivation and self-efficacy improved significantly (p < .05).

Keywords:

Teacher-student communication, learner autonomy, English as a foreign language (EFL).